Nick Allen -- 1992
Born in
1888 in Norton, Kan., Allen played six years in the majors with the
Buffalo Buffeds, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in 216
games and batted .232 career. He was a backup catcher. His best seasons
were 1915 when he appeared in 84 games with Buffalo, 1919 when he batted
.320 and 1920 when he batted .271 with Cincinnati. He died in 1939 in
Hines, Ill., but is buried in the Ninnescah Cemetery in Udall, Kan.
Ferrell Anderson
-- 1967
Born in
Maple City, Kan., in 1918, Anderson had two stints in the majors, seven
years apart. A strapping 6-1, 200-pound catcher, he batted .256 for the
Brooklyn Dodgers who finished second behind the Cardinals in the National
League in 1946. He got back to the majors in 1953 with the Cards and hit
.286 in a reserve role. He appeared in 97 games and had a career batting
average of .261. He died and is buried in Joplin, Mo.
Tom Angley -- 1990
Angley was
a backup catcher for the Chicago Cubs in 1929, when they won the National
League pennant and lost the World Series to the Philadalphia A’s in five
games. After one year in the majors, Angley became a semi-pro player and
sporting goods salesman. He was born in Maryland and played football for
Georgia Tech in 1925 to 1927. After his playing days he became the
official scorer for the National Baseball Congress. He moved to Wichita
where he died and was buried in 1952.
Lee Anthony -- 1962
Anthony,
who was born in 1919 in LeRoy, Kan., pitched for many years in the minor
leagues. He played in the Alabama-Florida League, for New Orleans in the
Southern League, and the PCL, where he played for the LA Angels and
Hollywood Stars. He managed the Seminole Oilers in the Sooner State League
and Wytheville Senators in the Appalachian League and scouted for the
Senators, KC A’s and Rangers.
Raleigh Aitchison -- 1952
Raleigh
played for the 1910 Wichita Jobbers. His big year in the major league was
1914 when he won 12 and lost 7 games for the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers)
with an earned-run average of 2.66 and three shutouts. Raleigh made his
first big-league appearance in 1911 but only for one inning. After he
retired from baseball, he served 18 years for the Columbus, Kan., police
department and as deputy sheriff. He died in Columbus in 1958 at the age
of 70.
Elden Auker -- 1951
Born in
Norcatur, Kan., Auker was famous for his underhand pitching style which
earned him the nickname “Submarine.” Auker won 130 games in 10 seasons in
the majors. He was 15-7 with a 3.42 earned-run average in 1934 when his
Detroit Tigers beat the Cubs in the World Series, and 18-7 3.83 in 1935.
Auker developed the underhand delivery to compensate for an injury
suffered in football when he was All Big Six at Kansas State in football,
basketball and baseball. He died Aug. 4, 2006, at age 95.
Mell Backus -- 1949
Backus was
born at Latham, Kan., in 1883 and was graduated from Winfield High in
1901. He played in the Three I League (Indiana-Illinois-Iowa) and in the
Wisconsin League. He also played for the Winfield Reds semi-pro team. He
is enshrined in the NBC Hall of Fame. He became a licensed druggist in
1904 and at one time operated eight drug stores in Kansas. He died in
Winfield in November, 1957, at the age of 74.
Jack Banta -- 2004
The
Hutchinson-born righthander pitched for Brooklyn four years. He won 10 and
lost 6 in 1949 to help the Dodgers capture the NL title. He made three
appearances in the 1949 World Series, getting no decisions but posting an
impressive 3.18 ERA as the Dodgers lost to the Yankees in five games.
Banta had a career record of 14 wins, 12 losses and a 3.78 ERA. In his
final major league season (1950) he posted a 4-4 record with a 4.36 ERA.
Jesse Barnes -- 1941
Barnes was
the star of the 1921 World Series as he won two games and saved another
while striking out a Series record 18 batters, including 10 in a row, as
his New York Giants beat the Yankees 5 games to 3. He had a brilliant
13-year major league career, winning 152 games. His best years were 1919
and 1920 when he won 25 and 20 games, respectively. He pitched 26 shutouts
and 13 saves and a no-hitter in 1922 against the Phillies. He spent his
early years in Ontario, Kan.
Monty Basgall -- 1961
A native
of Pfeifer, Kan., Basgall played three seasons with the Pittsburgh
Pirates. His best season was 1949 when he appeared in 107 games and drove
in 26 runs. He was a second baseman with a sterling fielding average of
.973. He had a career batting average of .215. He signed his first
contract with the Dodgers and held many positions with the Dodger
organization, including instructor, scout and being Manager Tommy
LaSorda’s right-hand man in the Dodger dugout.
Roy Bentley -- 1946
Bentley
started his career as an infielder. However, Jack Holland, manager of
Wichita’s Jobbers in the Western Association, saw in him a potential
pitcher. Bentley proved Holland’s intuition correct and became a mainstay
for the 1908 team. Between 1910 and 1918, Bentley pitched for Wichita,
Baltimore, Minneapolis and Providence, R. I. He also played for Holland at
Hutchinson and St. Joseph, Mo., in the Western League. He died in
Saffordville, Kan.
Joe Berger -- 1947
Berger
broke into the majors in 1913 and played two seasons as an infielder with
the Chicago White Sox. But his claim to fame in Kansas were his six
seasons as manager of the Wichita Witches and Izzies from 1917 to 1922. He
guided the Wichita teams to titles in the Western League in 1918 and 1921.
He appeared in 127 games with the Chisox primarily as a second baseman. He
was born in St. Louis and died in 1956 in Rock Island, Ill.
Ken Berry -- 1991
“The
Bandit” robbed opponents of homers by leaping high off the outfield fence.
He had a 14-year career in the majors. He broke into the majors in 1962,
played nine years with the White Sox, three with the Angels and one each
with the Brewers and Indians. He batted .255 lifetime, earning All-Star
honors in 1967, two Golden Gloves and had no errors in 1969 and 1972. He
led the American League in assists by an outfielder in 1972 with the
Angels. He also managed in the minors for 22 years.
Roy Bevis -- 1947
Roy “Kid”
Bevis was an early-day pitcher for Kansas City. He played for the KC Blues
in 1896 and 1897, when he was released and signed with Minneapolis of the
American Association. In 1898, he pitched for Burlington of the Three I
League. After retiring from baseball, Bevis settled in Winfield in 1900.
In 1910 and 1920 he was living in Wichita and was working as a wholesale
grocery salesman.
Vern Blasi -- 1989
Blasi was
a catcher who played in the Victory League at age 16. He signed with the
Yanks in 1944. Because of WWII he played only one season of pro ball at
Little Rock in 1947. He joined the Navy and played for Great Lakes and San
Diego. From 1947-60 he played in the Victory League for Coleman, Cessna
and the Weitzel Cowboys. From 1961-72 he sponsored the Blasi Oilers, who
qualified for the NBC tournament in 1979-80. His grandson Nick is an outfielder
for the Oakland A’s in 2006.
John E. Blue -- 1998
“Acy” Blue
was born in Oatville, Kan., and went to work for the Stearman Company in
1929. He was player-manager for Stearman baseball teams in the early days
of the NBC semi-pro tournaments and was also involved with company teams
after Stearman became the Boeing Corp. He played professional ball for 14
years, including the last two years at Oklahoma City. A shortstop, he
played semi-pro ball for the Marland Oilers in Ponca City, Okla. He died
in 1966 at the age of 71.
Jim Blue -- 2003
Blue grew
up with semi-pro ball, serving as batboy for Stearman’s 1941 state champs
and Boeing’s 1942 national NBC champs. He also played on East High’s
undefeated 1946 football team and two state champion baseball teams. He
was a member of the All-Navy champions during WWII. Out of the service in
1950, he played first base and third base for teams representing
Beechcraft, Coleman and Weitzel. He played on local teams until the late
1950s, when Boeing transferred him to Seattle.
Mike Blue -- 1995
Blue, a
lefty, is a grad of Wichita West High and a member of its 1959 state
champion baseball team. He played in the farm systems of the New York
Giants (Decatur, Ill.) and the Washington Senators (Geneva, NY;
Burlington, NC; Wisconsin Rapids). Also coached at Geneva. He coached
football and baseball at West High for 20 years, was AD for five years. In
1959, he was MVP and all-star pitcher for Boeing BoJets in state NBC meet.
Coached El Dorado team with Daryl Spencer in mid-1970s.
Jack Bolin -- 1940
John
Wesley “Jack” Bolin was an early-day star who played third base for the
Minneapolis Millers of the American Association in 1903. During a minor
league career, he also played for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1907. He lived in
Wichita most of his life and worked as a postal carrier. He also played
several years of semi-pro ball in Wichita.
Red Borom -- 1995
He has a
lot of championship rings from semi-pro to minor leagues to the World
Series with the winning Detroit Tigers in 1945. Borom bounced around the
south in Class D action and was involved with two NBC tournament titlists
– Wichita’s Boeing Bombers in 1942 as player and Sinton, Texas, in 1951 as
manager. He was 27 when he broke into the majors and spent two seasons
with the Tigers. He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in
1978.
Bobby Boyd -- 1984
Also in the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame
& N.B.C. Hall of Fame
The
small, quick infielder was nicknamed “The Rope” because nearly all his
hits were line drives. He was born in Mississippi but spent most of his
life after baseball in Wichita. He had a nine-year career in the majors
after breaking in at the advanced age of 31. He had a career batting
average of almost .300 (.293). His best season was with the Orioles in
1957 when he had 154 hits and scored 73 runs. His fielding average was a
sizzling .991. Boyd is in the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame. Boyd died in
Wichita in 2004.
Ad Brennan -- 1957
LaHarpe,
Kan., produced this lefthander who pitched in the majors for seven years
between 1910 and 1918. He won 38 and lost 37 while posting a solid 3.11
earned-run average for the Phillies, Chicago Whales, Washington Senators
and Cleveland Indians. He broke into the majors in 1910 at the age of 27.
Brennan was with the Phillies frim 1910 to 1913. His best year was 1913
when he won 14, lost 12 and posted a strong 2.39 earned-run average.
Fred Brickell -- 1951
Born in
Saffordville, Kan., Brickell broke into the majors in 1926 at the age of
19 when he was sold to Pittsburgh by Wichita of the Western League. In
1927 he helped the Pirates win the National League pennant. They were
swept 4-0 in the World Series. Brickell played outfield eight seasons in
the majors, with the Pirates and Phillies. In 1928 he batted .322 and
drove in 41 runs for Pittsburgh. In 1931 he rapped 130 hits for the
Phillies and drove in 31 runs. He died in Wichita in 1961.
Fritz Brickell -- 1976
One of the
rare father-son entries in the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame is that of
Fred and Fritz Brickell. Fred was a longtime hand with the Pittsburgh
Pirates and his son Fritz spent three seasons in the majors – 1958-59 with
the Yankees and 1961 with the Angels as a shortstop and second baseman.
Fritz was born in Wichita in 1935 and broke into the majors at the age of
23. He died at the age of 30 in Wichita in 1965.
Vance Carlson -- 1988
He played
in the Yankees’ system as a pitcher for 10 years and began his officiating
career in 1958 as a Big Eight Conference football ref. He served the Big
Eight for 28 years and called a record 270 conference games. He was on the
crew that worked the “Game of the Century” between Oklahoma and Nebraska
in 1971. He also worked three national championship games (1971 Orange
Bowl, 1978 Cotton Bowl and 1983 Sugar Bowl). He was born in Falun, Kan.,
and grew up in McPherson.
Joe
Carter -- 2007
Shocker, Blue Jay Hero
Carter is best known as the
man who hit the home run that gave the Toronto Blue Jays the 1993 World
Series title. Wichitans also know him as the man who put Shocker baseball
on the map. He was the NCAA Player of the Year in 1981 and was a
first-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs. His major league career
included stints with the Cubs, San Diego, Toronto, San Francisco and
Baltimore. Ten times he drove in more than 100 runs and five times was
named an all-star. He hit more than 396 home runs in a career that spanned
16 seasons. Carter came to Wichita as a football and baseball player. He
played football only one year but in baseball he set a standard that
established the tone for the development of the Shocker program as one of
the best.
Dick Casidy -- 1988
Dick had a
successful minor league career with the San Francisco Giant Organization. Casidy
played in 12 national NBC tourneys, including 1963 when he and his Rapid
Transit Dreamliners won the championship and 1964 when he helped Service
Auto Glass win the title. He was a power hitter who also played with the
John Weitzel Cowboys, the Boeing Bo-Jets, the Sunflower Packers and
Liberal’s BeeJays. He also pitched and relied on a knuckleball. After his
playing days, he moved to Overland Park where he was area sales manager
for a subsidiary of the Coleman Co.
Vance Cauble -- 1997
Born in
Benedict, Kan., this right-handed pitcher was the Most Valuable Player in
the 1940 NBC national championship with the Enid, Okla., Champlin Oilers.
He was the first pitcher to notch four victories in the tourney. His Enid
team also won in 1941 and he helped the Mt. Pleasant, Texas, team reach
the finals in 1939 before losing to Duncan, Okla. He signed with the KC
Blues in 1935 and pitched for Omaha in the Western League in 1936.
Ed Chaney -- 1985
Ed Chaney
worked for years as the Wichita area “bird dog” for the Dodgers. In the
early 1940s Chaney became close friends with Bert Wells, the regional
scout for the Dodgers, who was responsible for scouting in an eight-state
area. Chaney was a member of long standing in the Kansas Baseball
Association and was instrumental in running the old-timers’ games.
Fred Clarke -- 1939
Cooperstown 1945
Played
outfield 21 seasons with Pittsburgh, compiling .315 career batting
average. Also managed 15 years. In 1903 was manager of Pirates in the
first World Series. Managed Pirates to World Series title in 1909. Broke
into majors in 1894 with Louisville, which became the Pirates in 1900.
Retired in 1915. Helped found the Winfield Country Club in 1917. Elected
to National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
Lou Clinton -- 1987
Clinton
broke into the majors at age 22. He played a total of eight seasons, the
first five with the Boston Red Sox. In the 1962 and 1963 seasons he hit a
total of 40 home runs and drove in 152 runs. He also played for the
Angels, Athletics, Indians and Yankees. After retiring from baseball,
Clinton founded an oil producing company in Wichita and became an
outstanding amateur golfer. He competed in many local and state amateur
tournaments and was a perennial title contender.
Mardie Cornejo -- 2001
The
6-foot-3, 200-pound Wellington, Kan., native was 26 years old when he
broke into the major leagues after a brilliant career at Tulsa University.
He won 4 games and lost 2 while posting a strong 2.45 earned-run average
in his only year in the big leagues. The problem was he was performing for
the New York Mets, who won only 66 games and finished 24 games behind the
champion Phillies in the Eastern Division of the NL. Son Nate went to
Detroit in the first round of the 1998 draft.
Darren Daulton -- 2006
This
all-around athlete at Arkansas City High School was the inspirational
leader as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies who won the National
League pennant in 1993. Daulton was also named the Comeback Player of the
year in 1997 helping the Miami Marlins win the World Series. In 14 seasons
in the major leagues he played in 1,161 games, hit 137 home runs and drove
in 558 runs. He was selected for the Hank Aaron Award after the 1992
season.
Larry Davis -- 1985
Davis went
to work at the National Baseball Congress in 1950 as a part-time ticket
seller and became the right-hand man of legendary founder Hap Dumont. He
was frequently a chauffeur for Dumont who did not drive. Upon Dumont’s
death, Davis became director of the tournament and handled the job for
more than 25 years. He was the one who created the schedule which some
days called for round-the-clock action. Davis died in 2002 in Wichita.
Jack Delp -- 1955
Delp
played for the Wichita Watermen, a hot club in local circles even before
Hap Dumont began his National Baseball Congress tourney in the mid-1930s.
In 1938, the Watermen won the state championship and finished third in the
NBC National tournament. The Watermen group included three eventual Kansas
Baseball Hall of Fame players – Delp, Mickey Flynn and Fred Brickell.
Don Dennis -- 2003
Born in
Uniontown, Kan., and educated at Emporia State, Dennis broke into the
major leagues in 1965 at the age of 23. A 6-foot-2, 190-pound righthander,
he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals for two seasons (1965-66). He
appeared in 79 games, won six games and had eight saves, posting a 3.69
earned-run average. He handled 51 fielding chances with only one error.
He had a strong strikeout-to-base on balls ratio (54-33).
George Dockins -- 1959
“Lefty”
Dockins was born in Clyde, Kan., in 1917 and broke into the major leagues
at age 28 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1945. He had an 8-6 record with
a 3.21 earned-run average. He was out of the majors in 1946 but returned
in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1946, he was with Fort Worth where
he went 12-6 with a 2.17 earned-run average. He also served as manager of
the Fort Worth Cats in 1948 until the arrival of Bobby Bragan. He died in
1997 at the age of 79 and is buried in Clyde.
Paul Donham -- 2000
Donham was
a fleet center fielder who helped the powerful Rapid Transit Dreamliner
team win the 1965 NBC National championship. He played for 13 years in the
NBC tournaments on several teams including Bob Moore Olds, Service Auto
Glass and Sunflower Packers. A three-sport star at West High, he was a
member of the Pioneers’ 1959 state champion baseball team. He also played
three sports at Friends University and officiated more than 30 years in
high school and college games.
Hap Dumont -- 1964
Also in the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame
– N.B.C. Hall of Fame
Raymond
“Hap” Dumont founded the National Baseball Congress tournament in the
mid-1930s. It has been a fixture at Wichita’s Lawrence-Dumont Stadium for
more than 75 years. Considered a promotional genius he invented an
automated home-plate duster and a 20-second clock on pitchers to speed up
the game. The tournament draws teams from all over the world and plays a
marathon schedule. The NBC is also a supplier of baseball equipment to
teams across the nation.
Jim Durham -- 1942
Durham was
a pitcher in the early years of the 20th century. He toiled
five or six years (1910-1915) for the Wichita teams of the Western League
after playing for Indianapolis in 1903 and Kansas City in 1904. In 1909 he
was with the San Francisco Seals. He pitched at Pueblo, Colo., when the
Wichita franchise was transferred there in 1911, then was sold to St.
Joseph, Mo., but was back in Wichita in 1912. He was a headliner for the
Wichita Witches. He was born in 1882 in Kansas.
Monk Edwards -- 1956
Nicknamed
“Monk” for his big build, A.R. was known as a legendary Kansas prep coach.
He was a three-sport star at Kansas State in the 1920s and an outstanding
minor league player for Providence, R.I, and Independence, Kan., Omaha and
Pueblo, Colo., in the 1930s. It was reported he once led all minor league
players in hitting, causing foes to shift their defenses just as they did
against Ted Williams. In football, he led Wichita North for 18 years after
creating an unbeaten Wellington team in 1938.
Terry Elliot -- 2005
Elliot
played in his first NBC tournament at age 16 out of Wellington. He has
appeared in over 17 tournaments as of his HOF induction as a catcher or manager
or both for 9 teams. He had an outstanding career at WSU as Coach Gene
Stephenson was making the Shockers a national power. Also played for
Seward County and the Liberal BeeJays. Elliot appeared in the 2006 NBC
tournament as a 41-year-old playing for Community Bank Cowboys. He was an all-around
athlete in high school and an all-state football player.
Cy Eppler -- 1980
Eppler was
one of the most successful managers in the history of the National
Baseball Congress tournament. His Boeing Bombers won back-to-back national
titles in 1954 and 1955. The powerful 1955 team he put together included
eight future Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, including Vern
Frantz, Minor Scott, Daryl Spencer, Les Layton, Ernie Logan, Gene Rogers,
Andy Teter and Loren Packard. Eppler’s 1953 team finished runnerup to Fort
Leonard Wood.
Paul Fair -- 1970
Fair was a
key figure in the National Baseball Congress as head of umpires and
tournament director for Hap Dumont. Fair was the key figure as Dumont
created the NBC National Association of Umpires. The NAU is still in
existence today with the NBC as the governing body. As tournament director
Fair took many of the day-to-day responsibilities off the shoulders of
Dumont, who then could continue with his creative ways of promoting
semi-pro baseball.
Mickey Flynn -- 1985
Flynn
played in the Cubs farm system in the Texas League and gravitated to
Wichita, where he managed Wichita’s Civic Theater team to the Kansas
semi-pro title in 1933. Two years later he played in the first national
NBC tournament game with early-day power Wichita Water. He also toured
with the House of David team and caught the legendary Grover Cleveland
Alexander. Hap Dumont paid Flynn to be a traveling goodwill ambassador for
the National Baseball Congress.
Larry Foss -- 2006
Foss
signed with the Pirates organization in 1955. He was born in Castleton,
Kan., in 1936. He debuted in 1961 for the Pirates and in 1962 played for
the Mets. He played at every level of pro ball from Class D to the majors.
The highlight was in 1961 when he won his first major league start for the
Pirates against Bob Gibson and the Cardinals.
Vern Frantz -- 1988
Frantz was
a leading pitcher on the Boeing Bombers for four years, including 1954 and
1955 when they won back-to-back national titles. The team also won the
Global World Series in Milwaukee where Frantz was one of two pitchers who
notched two victories. A right-hander with a wicked curve ball, he played
five years (1947-52) in the Dodgers system at Danville, Ill., Pueblo,
Colo., and Fort Worth. Frantz was a graduate of Wichita East High School
in 1946.
Jake Fretz -- 1995
Fretz came
to Kansas in 1950 to coach football at Bethel College in Newton. After
three years he moved to Wichita where he taught math and science at Meade
Junior High. It was during that time that he became an umpire in the
National Baseball Congress program. He officiated for two decades and
taught at Meade for 18 years before retiring in 1976. He was born in
Pennsylvania and was a three-sport letterman in Bluffton College in Ohio.
Owen Friend -- 1987
LONG TIME PRESIDENT OF THE KANSAS
BASEBALL HOF
Between
1944 and 1964, Friend bounced around the minor and major leagues with
seven seasons on major league teams – the Browns, Tigers, Indians, Red Sox
and Cubs. In 1950 he had 88 hits and 50 RBI for the Browns. He played on
17 minor league clubs and managed 8 teams. In 1954 he led the American
Assn. shortstops in double plays with 108 for Indianapolis. He played on
two NBC champs, Sinton, Texas, and Brooke Army Medical. He has served as
president of the Kansas Baseball Assn.
John Froome -- 1977
Froome was
a radio-TV personality who came to Wichita in 1950 to work for radio
station KANS as program director. For years he did color commentary on
games of the National Baseball Congress tournament. In 1955 he was hired
by KAKE-TV where he did many jobs, including weather and sports. He also
created several of KAKE’s popular local shows such as “Party Line” and
“Show for Dough.” He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a graduate of
Northwestern University.
Dalton Fuller -- 1942
Fuller was
a deaf athlete who rose to the ranks of professional baseball and was
inducted into the Hall of Fame of the USA Deaf Sports Federation in 1954.
He played baseball for the Kansas School for the Deaf 1900-1903 and the
University of Kansas. Fuller spent most of his life in Wichita where he
was a cabinet maker and foreman of a Wichita company that manufactured
furniture. He died in Wichita in June, 1969, at the age of 84.
John Gabler -- 1986
Gabe spent
more than two decades in organized baseball but only got to the majors for
three abbreviated seasons. He played for the Yankees in 1959 but got into
only three games and went back to the minors. Eleven years later the Yanks
called him up and he saw action in 21 games, won 7 and lost 12. In 1961
the Senators got him via the expansion draft. He had a career record of 7
victories and 12 losses. From 1964 to 1968 Gabler was a frequent performer
in the NBC Tournament.
Bob Gadberry -- 1972
Gadberry
was the long-time public address announcer for the National Baseball
Congress tournament. He was also a close friend of NBC founder Hap Dumont
and delivered the eulogy at Dumont’s funeral. Gadberry became a
well-known newscaster and sportscaster at KFH and KFBI between 1938 and
1952, then joined Fourth National Bank and rose to the position of
vice-president. He also became well-known as a public speaker in Kansas,
Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois and Louisiana.
Harry Gaiser -- 1948
Gaiser
played minor league baseball with the Waterloo, Iowa, Blue Jays and at
Albert Lee, Minn. He was born in Wichita and attended Pittsburg State,
where he obtained his teacher certificate. He played semi-pro ball in
Wichita and was a member of the 1914 Kansas-Oklahoma All-Stars. His
parents owned the Gaiser Carriage (Auto) Works in Wichita. He taught
school in Wichita. He was born in 1891 and died in Wichita in 1975 at the
age of 83.
Dale Gear -- 1950
Born in
Lone Elm, Kan., in 1872, Gear attended Kansas University, then broke into
the majors at age 24 with the Cleveland Spiders. In 1896 he appeared in
three games with the Cleveland Spiders. Five years later with the Senators
he had a 4-11 record. He held the American League record for 105 years of
allowing 10 extra-base hits in a game. The record was tied by Curt
Schilling in 2006, against the Royals. Gear was president of the Western
Association and the Western League for many years.
Jerry Gile -- 2003
Gile was
an outstanding baseball umpire for many years at the collegiate and
national semi-pro level. He also worked small-college football and
basketball games in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference for two
decades from 1961 to 1981. He officiated the KCAC football championships
in 1979 and 1980, the Rodeo Bowl in 1979 and the 1969 Silver Bowl
commemorating 100 years of college football. He was inducted into the
Kansas Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame in 2006 posthumously.
Clyde Girrens -- 1980
St.
Mark’s, Kan., produced this catcher who first played in an NBC state
tournament at age 15 in 1945. In 1949 he performed in the NBC tournament
for Cessna. In 1950 he signed with the LA Dodgers and played five years in
the Dodger organization. He returned to Wichita and made the NBC
all-tournament team a record four times playing for the Weller Indians,
Service Auto Glass and Bob Moore Oldsmobile. He was the NBC MVP in 1959,
hitting .364 and driving in seven runs.
Art Griggs -- 1940
Born in
Topeka Dec. 10, 1883, Griggs played in the major leagues seven years for
the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Naps, Brooklyn Tip Tops and Detroit
Tigers. He twice hit for more than .300 (.304 in 1912 for Cleveland and
.364 in 1918 for Detroit). He was a utility man who played every position
in the infield and outfield and compiled a .966 lifetime fielding average.
He also managed the Wichita Aviators in the Western League (1929-1931),
winning titles in 1930 and 1931. He died in 1938 in Los Angeles.
Don Gutteridge -- 1949
Born in
Pittsburg, Kan., Gutteridge played at Pittsburg State then had a 12-year
career as a major league infielder and a stint as manager of the White Sox
in 1969 and 1970. He was on two American League pennant winners – the
Browns in 1944 and the Red Sox in 1946. He had 1,075 hits, 391 runs batted
in and 39 homers. As a rookie with the Cards he once had six hits in a
double header. In 2006, the city of Pittsburg established June 19, his
birthday, as Don Gutteridge Day.
Earl Hamilton -- 1949
He threw a
no-hitter August 30, 1912, for the St. Louis Browns against the Detroit
Tigers. It was the first no-hitter in the history of the Browns’
franchise. He pitched 14 years in the majors, seven with the Browns. He
won 116 games, lost 147 and had an earned-run average of 3.15. He won 17
games, had a league-leading five shutouts, with the Browns in 1914 and won
13 with the Pirates in 1921. He is one of only three pitchers to one-hit
the Yankees twice. He grew up in Oswego, Kan.
Ron Hammett -- 1976
Hammett
was killed at the height of his semi-pro career in 1967 at the age of 34
in an oil field accident in Oklahoma. A Salina native and Liberal
resident, he was a headliner in 1963 for NBC national champion Wichita
Rapid Transit Dreamliners and coached the 1965 national runner-up Liberal
Bee Jays. He was also a key right-handed pitcher for state champs Fort
Riley (1954), Weller Construction and Cessna Bobcats (1959-1961). He rose
to the Class B level in the Cardinals system.
Charles Hannah -- 1983
Charles G.
Hannah played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from 1923 to 1928. He
played third base for the Wichita Wolves, Wichita’s entry in the Western
League, in 1916. He was born in Mulhall, Okla., and had been a long-time
Wichita resident when he died in 1971 at the age of 76. He was a retired
nurseryman and former landscape engineer.
George Hale -- 1942
“Ducky”
Hale was born in Dexter, Kan., in 1894. He broke into the major leagues
with the St. Louis Browns at the age of 20 in 1914. He played four seasons
with the Browns – 1914, 1916, 1917 and 1918. He appeared in 60 games and
batted .175. Hale was a catcher who threw and batted right-handed. He died
in Wichita in 1945 at the age of 51. He is buried in a cemetery in Dexter,
Kan.
C. E. Heimple -- 1945
A catcher,
Heimple was a member of two traveling baseball teams – the Bloomer Girls
in 1906 and the Elks Club in 1907. Tragically, he lost an arm in an
accident at the age of 19, but continued to be involved in baseball. He
established a dry cleaning business and served as vice-president of the
Kansas Baseball Association for seven years. In his later years he was a
farmer. He died in September of 1966 at the age of 77.
Herb Hess -- 2001
In 2006
Hess had scouted the National Baseball Congress tournament for 45 years
for three different teams – 8 years with the Pirates, 15 with the Reds and
22 for the Indians the past 17 years. He was NBC Scout of the Year three
times (1998, 2004 and 2005). He has staged camps and clinics that drew
4,000-5,000 kids. He played semi-pro ball in Texas and Arkansas before
joining the Navy during World War II. He coached in the Victory
League, wed and settled in Wichita.
Gus Hetling -- 1940
He had a
brief major league career, appearing in two games with the Detroit Tigers
in 1906. But he had a brilliant career in the minor leagues. In 1915 he
was rated the best third baseman in the early history (1908-1915) of the
Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League. He was an outstanding bunter and
pinch hitter with power. He wound up playing for the Wichita Wolves in the
Western League in 1915, 1916 and later. He remained in Wichita where he
died in 1962 at the age of 77.
Bill Hodge -- 1988
Hodge was
a former sportswriter and sports editor of the Wichita Eagle and Wichita
Beacon who greatly expanded the sports coverage of the papers. A former
amateur boxer, Hodge took the name of his column, “In This Corner,” from
that sport. The column ran five days a week. He was an avid supporter of
the NBC and baseball in general. He retired at the age of 60 in order to
participate in his favorite pastime, golf. He died on Sept. 11, 2002, at
the age of 81.
Chief Hogsett -- 1991
Elon
Chester Hogsett was born in Brownell, Kan., in 1903 and broke into the
majors in 1929 with the Detroit Tigers. The lefthander pitched for 11
years in the majors, eight years with the Tigers. He earned two World
Series rings in 1934, when the Tigers lost to the Cards and 1935 when they
beat the Cubs. Hogsett’s best years were 1932 when he was 11-9 with
Detroit and 1936 when he was 13-15 with the St. Louis Browns. He had a
63-87 won-lost record with 33 saves. He died in Hays, Kan., in 2001.
Brian Holman -- 2007
Seattle Mariners Standout
On April 20, 1990, former
Wichita North High standout Brian Holman retired 26 Oakland A’s in a row,
one out shy of the 13th perfect game in major league history.
The A’s Ken Phelps hit a home run, and Holman got credit for the 10th
one-hitter in Seattle Mariners history. Holman was a strong
right-hander who pitched 15 complete games during four years in the
majors. He was drafted in the first round in 1988 by Montreal and was
traded to Seattle in 1989. He won 37 and lost 45 with six shutouts during
a four-year career. On one other occasion Holman went into the ninth
inning working on a no-hitter. An injury forced him to retire early. He is
now the baseball coach at Andale High School. Brother Brad and step-father
Dick LeMay were also major league pitchers.
Ralph Houk -- 1963
Born in
Lawrence, Kan., Houk played eight years with the Yankees but earned his
highest acclaim as manager of the Bronx Bombers for 20 seasons. He led the
Yanks to World Series titles in 1961 and 1962 and the following year he
got them to the World Series again but they were swept by the Dodgers. He
guided NY to 1,619 victories in 20 seasons and had a .514 winning
percentage. He was also a performer in the National Baseball Congress
tournament before breaking into the majors in 1947.
Dee Hubbard -- 1994
Some
credit the Wichita entrepreneur with saving the National Baseball Congress
after the death of founder Hap Dumont. Hubbard formed the Wichita Service
Auto Glass baseball team in 1962 and in 1964 the team won the NBC national
title. He ran the team until 1974. When Dumont died in 1971 Hubbard bought
the NBC from his estate and served as chairman of the board until 1974. In
1981 WSU dedicated Hubbard Hall in honor of his gifts to the Center for
Entrepreneurship.
Frank Isbell -- 1939
Kansas Baseball HOF Charter Inductee
As a
manager/owner gave Wichita its most colorfully named team – the Izzies --
in the 1920s and in 1932. Played 10 seasons with the Chicago White Sox and
still holds the World Series record for most two-base hits in a game – 4 –
in the 1906 Series. Managed the Wichita Jobbers in 1910 and 1911. Served
several years as Sedgwick County Commissioner, dying in office in 1941.
The Izzies won the Western League title in 1921.
Paul Jacobs -- 1985
Jacobs was
the official scorer for the National Baseball Congress tournaments for 28
years. He was a former sporting goods salesman who moonlighted as the
scorer before retiring in 1977. After he retired, he moved to Salem, Kan.,
where he worked at a Boy Scout camp. He also compiled the statistical
records for the NBC Guide after his retirement. He managed some semi-pro
teams and scouted Kansas for the Senators, Indians and Phils.
Bill James -- 2007
Baseball Statistics Pioneer
This
Lawrence Kansas statistician has risen from curiosity to baseball savant,
even to baseball people who have a history of ignoring outsiders. James
has written more than two dozen books on baseball and has produced
statistical abstracts which have convinced teams like the Oakland A’s and
the Boston Red Sox that James holds the key to success in the future.
James calls his approach sabermetrics, from Society of American Baseball
Research (SABR). He currently lives in Boston where he is senior advisor
to the Red Sox. In 2006, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most
influential people in the world. James’ system projects the future success
of players at various levels of baseball competition, among other things.
Woody Jensen -- 1977
Also in the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame
Jensen
lived most of his life in Wichita as owner of Rose Bowl East and West, two
bowling establishments. He held two National League records in nine years
with the Pirates – 526 putouts and 696 at-bats, both in 1936. His best
year was 1935 when he batted .324 and drove in 62 runs. He played for the
Wichita Aviators in 1930, when he met his wife, Lola. He returned to
Wichita after his baseball career and served as president of the Wichita
Braves and the Wichita Indians in the 1950s.
Ken Johnson -- 1998
“Hook” was
born in Topeka, Kan., in 1923 and broke into the majors at age 24. He
played four seasons with the Cards (1947-1950), went to the Phillies for
parts of two seasons and finished with the Tigers in 1952. The lefty had a
career won-lost record of 12-14. His best years were with the Phillies
when he won 9 and lost 9 in 1950 and 1951. The Phillies reached the World
Series in 1950 but were swept by the Yankees in four straight games.
Johnson died in Wichita in 2004.
Walter Johnson - 1939
Cooperstown 1936
“Big
Train” was a dominating right-handed pitcher born in Humboldt, Kansas, who
for 20 years (1907-27) was an intimidating force for the Washington
Senators. Started in 666 games and relieved in some 150 others. MVP of
American League 1913 and 1924. Given the nickname “Big Train” by
sportswriter Grantland Rice. Managed Senators 1929-1932. Won the triple
crown of pitching (wins, strikeouts, ERA) in 1913, 1918 and 1924.
Tex Jones -- 1941
William
Roderick “Tex” Jones was born August 4, 1885, in Marion, Kan. He broke
into the major leagues at the age of 25 on April 13, 1911, after signing
with the Chicago White Sox. He played first base for the White Sox and
appeared in 9 games, batting .194. He handled 108 chances without an error
at first base. He stood six feet tall, weighed 192 pounds, batted right
and threw right. He died in Wichita in 1938 at the age of 52.
John Keenan -- 1988
Carrying
on a family tradition of scouting, Keenan followed the lead of his
grandfather, Bert Wells, a respected scout for the Dodgers. Keenan served
36 years as a scout for the Dodgers. He became a supervisor of scouting in
a district that included 24 states in the Midwest and was a national
cross-checker. He scouted the NBC tournaments in all his 36 years of
service. Wells and Keenan are the only grandfather-grandson duo in the
Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.
Leonard Kelley -- 1987
Parsons,
Kan., native Kelley played in 15 NBC tournaments and was named to the
all-tourney team three times competing for Wichita teams Rapid Transit,
Service Auto Glass and Cessna and for Hutchinson and Liberal. He was a
shortstop and a strong hitter, setting a tournament record with 36 total
bases in 1971. He was also a starting guard on the Shocker basketball
teams of the early 1960s. He signed with the Washington Senators in 1966
but went into the service right after spring training.
Brent Kemnitz – 2002
As Coach
Gene Stephenson’s top assistant since 1980, Kemnitz has become one of the
nation’s most respected pitching coaches. He helped coach Anchorage,
Alaska, to four top 10 finishes in the NBC World Series, including a
championship in 1986. A native of Perry, Okla., he had an 8-0 record as
his Phillips U. team put together a 29-game winning streak and a No. 1
ranking in the NAIA in his junior season. Over fifty of his WSU pitchers
have earned All-Missouri Valley honors nearly 100 times.
Mike Kennedy -- 2002
For more
than a quarter century Kennedy has been the Voice of the Shockers in
basketball, baseball and women’s volleyball. He also did WSU football
play-by-play until the sport was eliminated in 1986. He was inducted into
the Kansas Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2005, the WSU Shocker Sports Hall
of Fame in 1995. He has been honored six times as the Kansas Sportscaster
of the Year. He began his radio career in Chanute, returning to Wichita in
1976 to do play-by-play of the Wichita Aeros.
Carl Kentling -- 1981
Kentling
was an outstanding baseball and basketball player at Southwest Missouri
State. He played nine years in the minor leagues. After retiring from
professional baseball, he was the leading hitter in the 1940 National
Baseball Congress tourney for the Houston, Texas, Grand Prize Brewery
which finished third. He moved to Wichita in the 1940s and was involved in
several Boeing baseball projects. He was a regional scout for the San
Francisco Giants. He died in Wichita in 2003.
Fred Kipp -- 1996
Kipp had a
brilliant minor league career. He won 20 games for Montreal in 1956 and
took the ERA title in the Tri-State League in 1953 at 2.23, helped Mobile
win the Southern League playoffs and the Dixie Series against the Texas
League champs in 1955. The lefty from Piqua, Kan., was called up by the
Dodgers late in the 1957 season. In 1958 and 1959 he couldn’t crack the LA
mound dynasty of Koufax, Podres, Drysdale and Labine.
Jacob Klein -- 1986
Klein
was the inspiration behind the highly successful American Legion junior
baseball program in Newton for many years. He was a retired clerk for the
Santa Fe Railway in Newton. He played professional baseball for several
years, including a stint with Sioux City, Iowa, in the Three I League.
Klein died in Newton in 1986 at the age of 79.
Tom Kornhaus -- 1994
Kornhaus
was born in Peabody, Kan., in 1913 and played football and baseball at
Wichita University in the early 1930s. He played pro ball at Bartlesville,
Okla., in the late 1930s and later played semi-pro ball in Wichita in the
early 1940s, according to his nephew Thomas J. Kornhaus in Overland Park.
The elder Kornhaus also coached baseball and basketball at Cathedral High
and after World War II reinstalled the school’s football program in the
late 1940s.
Rocky Krsnich -- 1987
The
6-foot-1 third baseman bounced around in the major and minor leagues 12
years and had three seasons with the White Sox in 1949, 1952 and 1953. His
best season was 1949 with Memphis of the Southern Assn., when he hit 20
home runs, drove in 91 runs and batted .318. Krsnich was also the MVP of
the 1962 NBC Tournament as a member of the champion Wichita Dreamliners.
He made the NBC all-tournament team twice. In 120 games with Chicago, he
had 59 hits and 38 RBI.
Joe Kuhel -- 1995
For 18
years between 1930 and 1947 Kuhel played first base for the Senators and
the White Sox. When the Senators moved from Washington to Minneapolis, he
managed the new Twins franchise in 1948 and 1949. He helped the 1933
Senators win the American League pennant by batting .322 with 107 runs
batted in. The Senators lost the World Series to the Giants. He managed
the KC Blues in the American Association in 1950. Kuhel died in Kansas
City, Kan., in 1984 at the age of 87.
Al Kunigonis -- 2000
He was
born in Pennsylvania but settled in Wichita after WWII. He played one year
in the West Texas-New Mexico League at Pampa, Texas, and at Clovis, N. M.
In 1949 he returned to Kansas and played on Cessna’s state NBC champions
and was named all-state at third base. In 1950 he played for the Boeing
Bombers and in 1951 for the Roscan Brothers team in the Victory League. He
umpired baseball for six years and officiated football for several years
after his playing days.
Les Layton -- 1958
In the
1950s, Wichita’s Boeing Bombers were a semi-pro power, winning titles in
the National Baseball Congress tournament in 1954 and 1955. Layton was a
key member of that team, playing outfield for the Bombers. He was also a
former major leaguer, having played with the New York Giants in 1948. He
had the rare distinction of hitting a home run in his first at-bat with
the Giants May 21, 1948. In 1949, he played for Minnesota in the American
Assn., batting .269 with 9 homers and 36 RBI.
Frank Leo -- 2005
When
inducted in 2005, Leo was in his 26th season as head coach of
the Hays Larks, a perennial contender in semi-pro baseball. After an
all-district career as a player for Fort Hays State, Leo led the Larks to
the Midwest Regional title in the National Baseball Congress six times and
to the title in the powerful Jayhawk League four times. Leo coached the
USA Junior Pan American team to the title in 1991 in Vera Cruz, Mexico. He
also made Hays High School a perennial power in prep circles.
Paul Lindblad -- 1999
Born in
Chanute, Kan., the 6-foot-1 lefty appeared in 655 games in 14 years,
mostly with the Athletics in Kansas City and Oakland. He won 68 games and
saved 64 as a relief pitcher, compiling a solid 3.29 career
earned-run-average. He helped the Oakland A’s win back-to-back World
Series in 1973 and 1974. He capped his career as a reliever for the New
York Yankees, winning another World Series ring in 1978. He died Jan. 1,
2006, in Arlington, Texas.
Don Lock -- 1974
Wichita-born Don Lock played his college ball at Wichita University. He
broke into the majors at age 25 and had an eight-year career, four seasons
with the Senators, three with the Phillies and one with the Red Sox. An
outfielder, the 6-foot-2 Lock hit 122 career home runs and drove in 373
runs. In 1963 and 1964, he hit 55 homers and drove in 160 runs for the
Senators. He had a career batting average of .238 and a sterling .976
fielding percentage.
Ernie Logan -- 1983
A
power-hitting right fielder who made the NBC all-tournament team three
straight years – 1953-55 – Logan helped the Boeing Bombers claim
back-to-back NBC National titles in 1954 and 1955. They went on to win the
Global World Series in Milwaukee in 1955. Logan played for Charleston in
the South Atlantic League, Atlanta in the Southern Assn. and Columbus in
the American Assn. He batted cleanup and twice in one season hit four home
runs in a row while playing for Charleston.
Bob Mainzer -- 1992
Signed by
the Cubs in the late 1940s, he played in Mayfield, Ky., and Springfield,
Ill. In 1950 he was shortstop for the Wichita Indians. In 1951 he quit pro
ball, joined the Boeing Bombers, won the trophy for most spectacular play.
He returned to pro ball in 1952 with Wichita Falls, Texas, moved up to AAA
Toledo and Atlanta in 1953 and Milwaukee in 1954. He quit pro ball again
in 1955, returned to Wichita, played semi-pro until 1967. In 1962 he was
the Boeing Bombers’ MVP.
“Runt” Marr -- 1953
There was
probably no more colorful figure in baseball than Clifton A. Marr. In the
1930s he was owner/manager of the Fort Smith, Ark., Giants of the Western
Association. After World War II, he became a co-founder of the KOM
(Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri) Class D League. He then launched a long career
as scout for the St. Louis Cardinals that lasted from the 1950s until his
death. He also worked the NBC tournaments and was one the earliest scouts
taken into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.
Gene Mauch -- 2004
When he
retired in 1988 after 26 years, only two men had managed longer in the
majors – Connie Mack and John McGraw. “Skip,” or “The Little General,” was
born in Salina in 1925 and broke into the majors at age 18. He played
infield nine years for the Dodgers, Pirates, Cubs, Braves, Cards and Red
Sox. He managed Philadelphia, Montreal, Minnesota and California and won
3,942 games. His best year was when he led the Phillies to a tie for
second place in the National League.
John McGraw -- 1986
Not the
former manager of the New York Giants known as “Little Napoleon.” Not the
John “Tug” McGraw who was an NBC all-star pitcher for Hays in 1977. The
John McGraw inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame came to Wichita
in 1942 to play for Cessna. He was a graduate of Oklahoma A&M (now OSU).
The Oklahoma City native stayed in Wichita, became superintendent of
schools at Andover and did some “bird dogging” as a sub-scout for the Red
Sox.
Archie McKain -- 1954
This
Delphos, Kan., lefty went 8-8 pitching in his rookie season of 1937 with
the Boston Red Sox and was 5-0 with a 2.62 earned-run average in 1940 in
relief for the Detroit Tigers, who lost 4 games to 3 in the World Series
to the Reds. McKain pitched three innings in the Series and gave up four
hits but had no decision. He played for the St. Louis Browns in 1941 and
1943. When he was traded to the Dodgers in 1943, he retired and returned
to Kansas to farm. He died in Salina in 1985.
Frank McMullan -- 1947
McMullan
moved to Wichita in 1902 and served on the editorial staff of the Wichita
Eagle as a reporter, city editor and sports editor. In 1906 he went to
Kingman, Kan., as editor of the Kingman Journal. He returned to Wichita as
a baseball writer and sports editor. In 1911 he became secretary of
Wichita’s team in the Western League. He served with the club until 1914.
He later joined the Internal Revenue Service where he became an executive.
He died in 1960 at the age of 84.
Jack Miller -- 1987
Former
newspaper-radio-television personality who was the top TV sportscaster in
Wichita from 1954 to 1975. He was born in Ohio but joined the Army Air
Corps during World War II and was sent to the air base at Independence,
Kan., where he met his future wife. He moved to Coffeyville where he
worked for radio station KGGF and for the local newspaper. In 1953 he
moved to Wichita to work for the Wichita Beacon. He worked for Hap Dumont
of the NBC for one year, then went to KAKE-TV.
Jim Mitchell -- 1983
Long-ball
hitting second baseman who played in the New York Giants chain before
joining the Boeing Bombers for their two titles in the NBC in 1954 and
1955. He was an all-around athlete at the University of Oklahoma in
baseball, basketball, football and tennis. Played in the Western
Association (Sioux City, Iowa) and the American Association (Minneapolis)
before a shoulder injury forced him to be cut. Played several seasons with
the Boeing Bombers in the 1950s.
Bob Monty -- 1990
Robert E.
Monty played basketball for the University of Wichita from 1946 to 1948.
He played semi-pro baseball in Wichita during the 1950s. Then he served as
an umpire in the National Baseball Congress for 15 years. He was born in
1926 and died in Wichita in March of 2000 at the age of 75.
Bill Morris -- 1999
Born in El
Dorado, he played two years of Kansas Ban Johnson ball at age 16 and
played for College of Emporia which had a strong NAIA team in 1960. Went
into military service and played at Fort Leonard Wood. He signed with the
Yankees in 1961 and played in the Florida State, Pioneer and West Carolina
leagues. Back in Wichita, he played semi-pro ball from 1963 to 1974,
helping Service Auto Glass win the NBC national title in 1964. He was on
the KBA Board for eight years.
Jim Morris -- 1985
Outstanding pitcher who helped the Boeing Bombers achieve two consecutive
National Baseball Congress World Series titles in 1954 and 1955. He was
named to the all-tournament team in 1955. Morris appeared in 10 NBC
national tournaments with Boeing and the El Dorado Broncos and won a total
of 11 games. He also struck out 103 batters, second on the list of most
strikeouts for many years. Morris played professionally with the Miami,
Okla., Owls and Topeka Owls in the KOM League.
Lew Morton -- 1968
Morton
played on the powerful teams out of Enid, Okla., in the 1940s. He was an
all-tournament outfielder for the Enid team that was runnerup in the 1943
NBC National tournament. He went on to reach the professional ranks and
played in the Texas League at Tulsa in the 1960s and Dallas in the 1950s
and with Toronto of the AAA International League in 1952. During the 1970s
and into the 1980s he was a scout for the Dodgers.
Dick Murphy -- 1992
Murphy was
born in Oklahoma City but moved to Wichita at age 15 and played baseball
at East High. He played pro ball at Odessa, Texas (Longhorn League),
Pueblo, Colo., (Western League) and at Chattanooga (Southern Association)
as the property of the Senators. He batted .532 in 30 games with Odessa.
After he quit professional ball he played semi-pro ball for Cessna and
Boeing. He worked for Boeing, taught school, sold insurance and owned
Dairy Queen and liquor stores.
Roy Myer -- 1997
Roy Milton
Myer played first base for two National Baseball Congress champions – the
Duncan, Okla., Cementers and the Enid, Okla., Champlin Oilers in the late
1930s and 1940s. He moved to Wichita in 1941 and played for teams such as
Boeing Bombers, U-Select Candymen and Cessna Bobcats. He was a long-ball
hitter. Three times he was named to the All-Kansas team in state meets.
Roy ended his career managing the Cessna Bobcats. He died in 2001 at age
82.
Dave Newkirk -- 1975
Newkirk
was signed out of Augusta High School. He played at Iola, Kan., in the KOM
League and eventually reached the Class AAA level. He was purchased by the
Kansas City A’s in 1957. His left leg was crushed when he was hit by a car
at age 27 but he continued to play despite a noticeable limp. He played
outfield and catcher for Boeing and the Coleman Lamplighters. He became an
oil field maintenance supervisor in the Oklahoma City area. He died in
2005 in Oklahoma.