copyWrite ​By Mark House
markhouse6@gmail.com

With actual newspaper documentation recognizing high school football being played in some southwest Oklahoma territorial towns as early as 1903, nothing has been found to pre-date the existence of competition within the tradition rich football community of Clinton, Oklahoma, before October 15, 1910. While game days were becoming popular at the turn of the twentieth century in southwest Oklahoma townships such as Hobart, Granite, Altus, Cordell, Blair, Olustee and even Gotebo, Mrs. Ballew of Clinton was discovered visiting her sister in Mangum while everybody who was anybody traveled to Clinton with effort to tend to various types of business matters. Instead of pursuing urgent ventures such as developing a quality football squad (sarcasm inserted here), Clinton and it's pioneering leaders seemed to be more focused on politics, religion and education along with rapid agricultural, business and railway development.

Much like a complicated double reverse criss-cross post pattern, diligent and criss-cross referenced historical data points towards 1910 as the point in time relative to when the Clinton football tradition actually began. Recognizing an unpolished beginning compared to evolutionary progress toward an established football powerhouse are two different lines of scrimmage, the following research of pigskinned data is shared for the enjoyment of Red Tornado fans of all ages. As well, it is shared as an educational and motivational enhancement for current and former fans, coaches and players to comprehend the general genesis of their historical game of the gridiron bourne and nurtured within a unique community of passionate fans represented by devoted coaches and players past, present and future.

Under a cloudy and cold gray southwest Oklahoma sky, a team of gridiron trailblazers from Clinton traveled to, of all places, Sentinel, Oklahoma, for what is thought to be Clinton's inaugural rumble on the range in the Lord's year of 1910. In the previous year of 1909, research indicates Clinton High School consisted of grades 10 and 11 only (12 would not exist until 1910) and was literally made up of a minimal number of students. Considering a numerically quantitative girls to boys ratio guestimate of 3-1, no senior class before 1910, and, no trace of previous documented evidence, a theory of no football existing previous to 1910 is supported with common mathematical sensed thought processing. With a congregate of raw, farm fresh plowboys and railroaders set to receive kick from the Sentinel high school eleven, the genesis kick-off to what has now evolved into more than a century of prominent football tradition was booted into a strong southwest Sentinel breeze at exactly 4 p.m. central standard time (CST) on Saturday, October 15, 1910.

​An archaic iMage of Clinton High School football (dark uniforms) captures the Red Tornadoes embattled within actual gridiron home field action just a short fifteen years after an original genesis kick off that took its place in history on October 15 in the Lord's year of 1910. 

​Sentinel's home town press immediately recognized the boys from Clinton as being "quick," but, it seems the Sentinel eleven were somewhat quicker in 1910. With no doubt quickness can and will get you around the right or left end for a touchdown, that is just what happened when George Cobean scored the first ever touchdown against Clinton on an end run. John D. Terry made kick for a 7-0 Sentinel lead. Unfortunately for Clinton, this first seven points was all that was needed as the gridiron pioneers could not cross goal on a brisk Saturday afternoon down in Sentinel. A final score of 33 to 0 is not a good one to report, but, for those who follow Clinton football, it is known things turn out much better at various points of time in a future filled with great players and great teams. 

The Sentinel game was considered interesting and with "many points worthy of commendation." Despite victory, the crowd was small and the Sentinel boys were left indebted near fifteen dollars, hence, the value of an enthusiastic booster club should never be taken for granted. Ironically, Clinton's focus on business growth first and football second may have actually paid off in the "long run" as its gridiron tradition continues to grow while many others in southwest Oklahoma, such as Sentinel, ceased to exist quite some time ago.

Suffering from a shutout loss and with little time for the boys from Clinton to improve, Sentinel returned the favor of game as they traveled to Clinton two weeks later to participate in a contest hosted by the Clinton eleven. This first home game itself was played under difficult conditions. The Clinton gridiron was hastily constructed in a wheat stubbled field freshly raked over within just a few hours before kick-off. The dry and sandy soil was near two inches deep. To grasp a true scope of the environment, readers can visualize a field running north and south with a strong north wind blasting mini sand drifts around the pointed and dry wheat stubble upon the red dirt western Oklahoma plains. With football officially kicking off in Clinton at 2 p.m. on October 29, 1910, both Sentinel and Clinton fumbled a few times as neither team scored in the first quarter of play. The Clinton defense had at least displayed some improvement within the two week span between these inaugural and antiquated contests.

In the second quarter, Sentinel took command by scoring touchdowns on a line buck and a criss-cross fake run. Bystanders, evidently from Sentinel, declared the game "remarkable" and the final score ended with another shutout of Clinton's eleven by a reported score of 26-0. With a criss cross check of facts, the 26-0 score revealed by the Sentinel press differed from Clinton's home town press which reported "the foot ball team of the Sentinel high school defeated the foot ball team of this place last Saturday by a score of 28-0." Whether it was 26 or 28-0, disappointment within this antiquated window of gridiron time can still be felt by Clinton fans well over a century later. With a slightly improved defense and no offense, Clinton was left standing in a dust blown wheat field with wonder of when and how they might win at this new game played on its plains.

Football in Clinton was certainly not front page news in 1910 or even within the early parts of the previous century. The only other reference, at the time, to Clinton and its start up football program was discovered in a "school news" column published by the local press. "Foot ball season over. The boys have laid up their energy for this season. It is give up by all that John Stocks is the star player. Next season our boys will take everything in sight." The only other gridiron related item, discovered at the time, was an advertisement featuring football action in its background as J.D. Simpson marketed "vigor, spirit and snap" in his clothes for young men. This leaving a premonition that pioneering Clinton foot ball star John Stocks himself dropped by the Simpson store located in the Texas Building on West Frisco Avenue. Stocks would have looked real nice in a new brown, plaid or striped Ederheimer-Stein three piece with his choice of either two or three buttons on the jacket with additional options of medium or long roll lapels. 

Was the season of 1910 just a two game home and home series against Sentinel? Could have been. The complete first season for the University of Oklahoma in 1895 consisted of just ... one game. The following year in 1896, the state university's season was extended to include a grand total of ... two games. The birth of football in Oklahoma and its growth into popularity as it spread west was a slow and tedious task. Whether it was a township team, high school team or collegiate eleven, the raw and basic beginnings of gridiron gain involved the recruitment of nearby farm boys who had to learn the game from scratch and move forward with minimal game experience from year to year. If they were lucky, some settler from the east and north may have migrated south and west with some form of game day knowledge and experience that sped up the process a tad bit.

Turns out the 1910 season was a tad bit more than two games. Exciting news from county press indicates Clinton would win at least one game in their long forgotten inaugural season. On November 11, 1910, Arapaho's eleven would come to town for a tussle on Clinton's high school grounds. Clinton's indigenous gridiron warriors would claim a 31-0 victory over their neighbor to the north. Over a century span of fans, coaches and players can thank Greg Adams (mid 1980's Red Tornado LB) for his archaeological discovery leading living enthusiasts towards an authentic introduction to some of Clinton's very first football ancestors who prowled the plains in search of a first victory. For all who happened to miss the game against Arapaho, it was a foundational cornerstone of victorious tradition for Clinton's community and school to celebrate.

With John Stocks noted as the "star" player in Clinton's kick-off season, he was missing in action (M.I.A.) for the offensive line-up against Arapaho. The only conclusion is Stocks either played one way on defense or was possibly a member of one of two teams that was formed at CHS in 1910. While being one of the last southwest Oklahoma communities to crank up a football program, it looks like Clinton, when they chose to start, did it big time with the formation of two football teams. Seems there was a sizeable transformation from minimal students in 1909 that enabled the fielding two football teams, including some seniors in 1910. Many Oklahoma schools and their districts were enlarged by consolidation in the year of 1910.  

The first Clinton (offensive) eleven to capture a victory for their community and school would include some recognizable community family names that exist today. Avant at left end, MacAtee at left tackle, Taney at left guard, Griffin at center, Fisher at right guard, Burgreen at right tackle, Cain at right end, Burris at QB1, Shumate at left half, Crawford at right half and Koenig at full back. These Clinton football aboriginals captained by Ralph Avant and Byron Tansley played a "snappy" game in front of a less than large crowd made up of mostly school children. Arapaho showed up with a "poor showing" and the game was tailor made for an easy victory for Clinton. What seems to have been more like a pigskin tussle on the playground transformed into Clinton's first ever victory in their storied high school football history. The fans, coaches and players involved would become the first ever to experience Clinton's pride in winning relative to a football contest. A winning pride that continues to exist today and is expected to exist into an infinite future.

It would be near one full year before Clinton would get a chance to avenge the two goose egg defeats to the Sentinel team. With that chance coming on October 21, 1911, the Clinton eleven "took the game of football" from the Sentinel boys with no score posted and no in depth coverage from Sentinel's local press. With the storyline quickly transcending from football to base ball prowess and with no details, the loss may have been a large one for Sentinel. With no score posted and with mention of an upcoming return game in Sentinel the following Saturday, subject matter of football against Clinton was drop kicked hot off the press which leads historically enthusiastic football fans to believe either the second game did not take place or Clinton won by another big score on Saturday, November 28, 1911. It was not unusual for local press to skip over bad news related to sports but it would have been a bit unusual for Clinton's local press to ignore the good news of a Clinton victory if indeed it did happen.  

​Maybe the 1911 Clinton eleven made good on the previous year's school news prediction of "taking everything in sight?" Maybe Clinton's very first known foot ball star, John Stocks, returned to wreck havoc revenge upon those farm boys from down south in Sentinel? Maybe the first win over Arapaho motivated players to work harder and practice longer?

Recognized as one of Clinton's first known footballers and a star player, John Stocks was born in the spring of 1892 in the small Kansas town of Douglas in Butler County. After playing the first "star" role known to mankind and relative to the history of Clinton football, Stocks eventually became a rural mail carrier for the fine folks living outside the township limits of Clinton. In the year of 1930, Stocks moved to Hamilton, Texas and served in a similar capacity with the United States Postal Service. The Stocks family name would continue to show up on Clinton's gridiron grass well into the 1950's.

John Stocks' passing in the fall of 1944 was a surprise and quite sudden. Funeral services were held on October 10, 1944, at 2 p.m. under the direction of Kern and Schneider Funeral Home. Ironically a same start time as trailblazer Stocks and his Clinton eleven teammates kicked off their home football  genesis on that sand filled wheat stubble field some thirty-four years previous. Reverend Edwin W. Parker of the First Methodist Church officiated Stocks' service with a burial that followed in the Arapaho cemetery. Survivors at the time of Stocks' death included wife Francis Blanche Mainard Stocks, one daughter Jo Ann Stocks; two sisters Mrs. J.W. Owen of Clinton and Mrs. Carl Goss of Las Vegas, Nevada; and two brothers Frank Stocks of Arapaho and Art Stocks of Foss. Some of Stocks' family members have carried the torch of tradition for Clinton's football program within the first half of the twentieth century.     

​With a somewhat rough and tumble steep learning curved genesis, the vague but inceptive seeds of Clinton's football tradition were at least planted by Stocks, Koenig, Crawford, Shumate, Burris, Cain, Burgreen, Fisher, Griffin, Taney, MacAtee, Avant and few other unidentified gridiron ghosts from the previous century. With determination, hard work and inclination to continually regurgitate the taste of losing, Clinton's football legacy wrestled with moderate to conference championship success until its actual state championship supremacy was bourne four and one half decades later. Along with this futuristic state championed supremacy, distinctively fabricated with natural gridironed talent devoutly integrated within a persevering spirit in the Lord's year of 1965, "the" iconic face of a tradition rich Red Tornado football program was conceived on the oft wind swept plains of west Oklahoma.

​​If there were ever a football genesis prophet of action to trailblaze a path toward a pride filled and successful future for Clinton and anyone else to follow, the high honor goes to a Custer County lad by the name of Lawrence Meacham. With no known documented ties to the early day Clinton football program, Meacham grew up on a farm very near Clinton with seven other husky brothers and three sisters who transcended into the sports, business and education arenas in big ways. The Clinton area farm boys were all sons of Mr. and Mrs. George Allison Meacham. The Meacham family, considered by this passionate of subject matter historian as the first family of western Oklahoma football, were pioneering Cheyenne and Arapaho country settlers residing near the rural Parkersburg area about eight wheat fields west of Clinton.

​In 1899, the future site of what was to become the township of Clinton existed as a small settlement just east of what had already become Meacham farms to its west. The Meacham family moved to Cheyenne Arapaho country in Oklahoma Territory in 1897. With no railroads available at that time, they traveled overland from Smithfield, Texas, herding horses and cattle towards what would become their homestead just to the west of what would become the territorial township of Clinton.

​Some twenty years post establishment and  in the Lord's year of 1919, Clinton fullback and class historian Albert Nance utilized his high school leveled research skills to chronicle a genesis narrative of Clinton's township. Nance shared "early in the year of 1903, a party of men conceived the idea of building a town at the junction of the Choctaw and Frisco Railroads. In order to do this a hundred sixty acre tract of land would have to be obtained from the Indians to form a townsite. The Washita Townsite Company was created to buy land from the Indians. Forty acres were eventually purchased from each of the following land owners, Darwin Hayes, Shoeboy, Red Ploom and Nowahy."

More in-depth historical research reveals Nowahy had unintentionally sold land to the township of Arapaho who had implemented a reverse play action scheme of measures to stop the creation of a new nearby town. Lawyers investigated the sale of Nowahy's land and found there was no initial or official government "designation" for the sale to Arapaho making it null and void. Nowahy, who thought she had sold the land to the Washita Townsite Company, was then able to sell the remaining forty acres that paved the way for Clinton's official birthing date of June 6, 1903. 

More modernly known as the "Hub City" of western Oklahoma, Clinton's turn of the century emphasis on business, agriculture and railroad growth quickly earned a well deserved reputation as "The Empress of the Southwest" by 1909. Relative to football, a solid foundation of community support had been established for the upcoming 1910 origination of what would become Oklahoma's most revered high school program. Some might consider Clinton's very first gridiron victory over Arapaho in 1910 as formidable payback for their personal foul and unnecessarily rough attempt at blocking the creation of Clinton as it existed then and as it exists today.  

Back to football. No, the A is not for Altus, Arapaho or Anadarko. ​With no connections found to Clinton's gridiron legacy, Lawrence Meacham did learn to play football within a limited time span at Southwestern Normal School at nearby Weatherford in 1912. Southwestern Normal was established by an act of the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1901. The Normal School was stamped for approval to provide two years of training and four years of preparatory work for students who were not age qualified for college admission.

This fascinating young man named Meacham, with minimal football experience offset with good size and natural speed and talent, was appointed to West Point Academy (the A is for Army) by Oklahoma Congressman Claude Weaver in January of 1913. The appointment by Congressman Weaver was not necessarily made for his gridiron talent, but, more for the young man's intellect and the admirable quality of character and integrity found within the Meacham family. After passing examination, Lawrence left the dust filled plains of the west arriving at West Point in the east on a cold and dreary February New York day in the Lord's year of 1913.

Despite limited gridiron experience, the young Meacham was good enough to be thrust into the starting line-up at a guard position for the 1913 Army eleven. The Cadets from West Point Academy compiled an 8-1 overall season record shutting out five of their nine opponents. The young farm raised Meacham seemed to enter an alien time warped tunnel in a west Oklahoma wheat field while passing through a magnificent plane of space and time with an exit into the threshold of West Point, New York. This within the blink of an unbelieving football loving eye.

​Sharing Meacham "broke into football" his very first year at West Point is quite an understatement. He not only "broke in," he would soon be selected to Walter Camp's All-American team for his sophomore collegiate football efforts in the season of 1914. Camp, best known as "The Father of American Football," rewarded West Point's newcomer Meacham with third team honors for these extraordinary efforts on the gridiron. The nineteen year old 170 pound left guard skyrocketed from a limited learning process at Southwestern Normal to being considered one of Army's best lineman in 1913-1914. Meacham, as a rookie cadet, was noted as playing in every important game of the season while only missing a magnificent win over Navy due to injury.

With the traditional Army-Navy game approaching, the young west Oklahoma farm boy was considered a stellar performer on the underdog Army team. Pre-game fake news scouting reports reported Navy's two veteran guards to "clearly excel Meacham and Jones of Army." Although a disappointed Meacham had to watch from the sidelines, his reserve Huston and starting teammate Jones held their own as Army defeated Navy 22-9. The 1913 game was held at the infamous Polo Grounds in New York before a crowd of over 42,000 football and military enthusiasts. It was the nineteenth contest held between Army and Navy to date. Notable and historical figures in the crowd that particular day included newly elected United States President Woodrow Wilson as well as "America's greatest inventor" Thomas A. Edison.   

Dealing with and defeating the freshman disappointment, Lawrence Meacham went on to become an anchor of the line for a very successful Army team from 1913 to 1916. While at West Point, Meacham and his cadet teammates split games with the mighty Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After losing a first go-around against All-American Knute Rockne and the Irish in 1913, Army won in 1914 by a score of 20-7 and also in Meacham's career concluding year as the eleven from West Point soundly defeated the Fighting Irish 30-10 in 1916.

​Following such a superb season, Lawrence Meacham's superman cadet teammate and captain of the 1913 Army team, Benjamin F. Hoge, shared four points of gridiron wisdom that could and should be absorbed for motivational use by any player or coach who chooses to step a foot on a field. Captain Hoge was the first to implement spring and summer practices at West Point with intent on perfecting the fundamentals of punting, place-kicking, passing and maintaining good physical shape for the battles of the upcoming fall football season.

Addressing the Corps of Cadets on New Year's Day, 1914, Hoge's four points of post season wisdom shared with Meacham and other cadets called upon to carry the torch of success for the Army football team included:

(1) "Every man who intends to play the game should turn out for Spring and Summer practice. Individual excellence counts more than ever before, and this is a great chance to practice drop kicking, punting, place kicking, passing and receiving the ball, catching punts and running. If you weigh 150 pounds and have the right spirit, you can, by consistent, intelligent practice, become a good player. But to do it requires the denial of many 'spooning formations' and privilege rides. Also the ability to stick to it under all discouragements and never give up. Don't forget that you are in college (or high school) for only four years and have all the remainder of your life for other things."

(2) "We now have an excellent system in the Corps of keeping tab on each athlete's class work. By means of this system we lost no valuable material during the last year. This is an untold help to the coaches, as they cannot afford to develop men to be lost just when needed, or when it is too late to train men for their places. Let us keep up this system."

(3) "The spirit displayed by each cadet as an individual and each class as a whole unit could not have been better. It is absolutely impossible to win in athletics, and in football particularly, unless there is but one opinion and one spirit. There must never be cliques or factions pulling for one class or one individual. Each man has his work to do, and there is but one aim to it all, namely - win from Annapolis (Navy) and keep West Point (Army) on top."

(4) "We must guard against overconfidence. What happened to the Navy team last year (1913) by way of overconfidence should be an example to us never to be forgotten. Don't ever forget it. For a team to play its best game it must feel that there is only bare a chance of winning, and that the battle will be won only by all eleven men doing their work every minute of the contest. This is the spirit which every Army team should meet the Navy. A team in this frame of mind will play a fifty percent better game than it would ordinarily."

Interestingly upon arriving at West Point, Meacham unknowingly discovered two other principled teammates who would transcend into higher realms of leadership for both the U.S. Army and the United States of America. Omar and Ike were members of Army's football roster as Meacham stepped onto his very first spring practice field at West Point. Fellow cadet and teammate Omar Nelson Bradley would become a senior officer during World War II and eventually "the" General of the Army from 1949 to 1953. Bradley would also become the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who would oversee the U.S. military's policy-making in the Korean War.

As for teammate and cadet Ike, he would become the caretaker and carrier of the pre-game flag for Army's Honor Guard. The somewhat undisciplined cadet and football player would give up the game not long after Meacham arrived but did take pride in his new and highly regarded Honor Guard position. The red white and blue had come to mean something most special to Meacham's gridiron teammate and young Army Honor Guard constituent named Ike. "When we raised our right hands and repeated the official oath, there was no confusion. A feeling came over me that the expression 'The United States of America' would now and henceforth mean something different than it ever had before. From here on it would be the nation I would be serving, not myself. Suddenly the flag itself meant something," shared a most patriotic Ike who would later become known as United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

1913 West Point cadet and offensive lineman Lawrence Meacham (2nd from left) grew up with seven brothers on a farm just west of Clinton, Oklahoma. As a starter in his first year, Meacham played in the very first Army vs. Notre Dame contest and against the legendary Knute Rockne. 

​Although Meacham's collegiate football career at West Point did not garner any first team All-American honors as may have been expected, his 1915 Army team captain, Lieutenant A.M. Weyand, persisted that the 170 pound farm boy guard from west Oklahoma "had never been outplayed throughout his four seasons on the team." This statement of fact coming from a man of high honor and integrity who played in the trenches along side Meacham on almost every play in every game. Considering Walter Camp's inability to see every player's play in every game, the honorable statement from Army's football Captain Weyand would seem to carry more considerable weight for Meacham and his invaluable contributions to the Army squads of 1913-1916.

The U.S. Army did allow Lawrence Meacham a return home visit to his Custer County roots before his entering active service in the military. The very first West Point cadet from Custer County was acknowledged by state press as Lieutenant Meacham, a star of West Point football team, and brother of Representative E.J. Meacham and Custer County Superintendent of Schools George Meacham Jr. during this return to home visit. This homecoming visitation took place shortly after Meacham's official West Point graduation in the spring of 1917.

Ironically before Colonel Lawrence Meacham, the boy from Oklahoma, had played football for Army, the Army had played "foot-ball" in Oklahoma some eighteen years earlier. Two years before the 20th Infantry arrived at Caddo Springs (near El Reno, Oklahoma) in 1885, Reverend H. Miller of the Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, had shipped a Christmas box to the Cheyenne Boarding School. When opened, the boys of the school immediately grabbed the "foot-ball" which provided excellent amusement and exercise. Under the tutelage of Professor Potter, the Cheyenne boys were drilled into a somewhat competitive and organized "foot-ball" team. Within two years, Stacy Riggs, Robert Sandhill and their fellow teammates of the Cheyenne school were publicly challenging the young men of the Darlington Agency, Fort Reno soldiers and the boys of the Arapaho school to play a game of "foot-ball."

Upon arrival of United States Army, 20th Infantry, Companies C and D to Caddo Springs (now known as Concho, Oklahoma) in May of 1885, the enthusiastic Cheyenne boys were quick to challenge the travelling soldiers to a game of "foot-ball." After pitching their tents for camp, the travel weary troops enthusiastically accepted the challenge of participating in what could be Oklahoma's first "foot ball" game with official Caddo Springs kick off called at 6:30 p.m. The soldiers had spent the past few months engaged in the removal of intruders and trespassers from west Oklahoma's public lands. After marching 188 miles in the process of returning to their station at Fort Reno in Indian Territory, the soldiers found themselves in the middle of some "foot-ball" action against the Cheyenne school boys.

After winning the toss, a selected team of soldiers went on the offensive but soon found themselves outplayed by the firm and rapid movements of the well trained school boys. After winning two games before sundown, the confidence of the Cheyenne school boys was encouraged by the presence of their superintendent, Dr. Whiting. With such confidence and courage, the "foot-ball" club accepted a challenge to play the soldiers again on the forenoon of the fourth of July at Fort Reno in 1885. With three of their teammates moving, ironically but unrelated, to the Lawrence School, the Cheyenne boys were unable to meet the challenge at Fort Reno on the fourth. They claimed, however, that their opponents "should be thankful that such was the case, as it undoubtedly saved them from sustaining another defeat."          

​Lawrence Meacham's brother Edgar, concurrently, was a popular football player and scholar at the University of Oklahoma. Simultaneously with Clinton, Oklahoma University and its parogonic coach, Benny Owen, had been laboring their own way through football birthing pains and toward a bourne supremacy on the plains. Edgar also played guard and was considered, at the time, to be one of the best linemen the Sooners ever had in his position. Same as Clinton, the Sooners had worked through "a good many sad defeats," but, Edgar Meacham was acknowledged for his great effort, attitude and sportsmanship "no matter what the outcome of any game."

After attending Southwestern Normal and playing football in Weatherford, Meacham served as superintendent of Lookeba (Oklahoma) schools in 1910-1911 before arriving on campus at the state's university (OU) in the fall of 1911. With academics always a priority, his love for football would keep him on the field for another fifteen years multitasking his many talented skills. Meacham arrived in time for OU's first undefeated season under the guiding light of the infamous Bennie Owen in 1911. Edgar was the only first-year man on the squad to letter in football. Much like today's hurry-up offense, Meacham graduated in three years lettering in both football and track. He would serve as assistant coach to Bennie Owen for another ten years after concluding his football playing days in 1913.  

The Sooner football star was selected by popular vote of the student body as the winner of the Letzeiser Medal in the spring of 1914. The annual award was sponsored by Letzeiser Jewelry Company of Oklahoma City and given to the best "all-around" student at the University of Oklahoma. Meacham was selected based upon 50% for scholarship, 20% for student activities, 20% for athletics and 10% for literary work.

E.J. Meacham, a younger football playing brother of Lawrence and Edgar, entered law school at the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 1915. After playing football at Southwestern Normal for the previous three years, E.J. would also join the Sooners gridiron gang as a second Meacham brother to play for Bennie Owen and pursue higher education at the state's university in Norman.   

With no evidence that either of the three original Meacham brothers played for Clinton before representing West Point Academy and Oklahoma University in Norman, a few of their siblings and descendants would in fact contribute, in a large way, to the early and mid twentieth century construction of Clinton's Red Tornado football legacy. As for Colonel Lawrence Meacham, he fought for the freedom and rights of anyone and everyone to believe whether or not they believe he and his brother Edgar should be considered the Godfathers of Clinton football.  

​As the three older Meacham brothers excelled at Army and OU, the Clinton football program was battling its way past some dark days and towards a brighter future that would eventually unfold in the early 1920's. While high school teams from around the state were posting scores and highlights of 1915 football action, Clinton High School was sidelined for the entire season due to a severe player injury from the previous 1914 season. Clinton principal and athletic coach Rivers M. Randle shared with state press, "the player injury is responsible for the absence of football for our local eleven." Coach Randle's somewhat vague statement would leave many to believe that Clinton had been playing football and a Clinton player had suffered great injury causing the suspension of the high school's football program. Examination of facts exhumed from 1914 divulges that Clinton probably did not play a down that particular year, but, they did host an exciting game between Cordell and Elk City. For this to happen, gridiron theologians could conclude that Clinton was in fact a football savvy town and they evidently had a field attractive enough to attract the attention of surrounding towns willing to travel to Clinton and square off their high school elevens in front of what was reportedly the largest crowd, at the time, to see a football game in the state of Oklahoma.

​Hard line plunging research reveals the hyped up large crowd was to become witness to a most severe football injury that happened to an Elk City player and tragically occurred in a game against Cordell which was hosted by the community of Clinton in 1914. Tom Russell, a 170 pound fullback for Elk City joined their 1914 squad after another player (Hunter) suffered a sever knee injury. Russell's injury in the game against Cordell reportedly paralyzed him from the chest down.

Local Elk City coverage shared a descriptive of immediate consequence for this atrocious injury that happened in the fall of 1914. "The unfortunate incident which occurred at Clinton not only barred foot-ball from our school, and dropped a blanket of sorrow over all Southwestern Oklahoma, but also perhaps permanently disabled one of the most naturally talented players who ever donned the moleskins."

Before the gathered crowd which was reported to be the largest audience to ever witness a high school football contest in western Oklahoma, if not the entire state, Cordell defeated Elk City 42-13 at Clinton on November 20, 1914. The weather was unusually warm for football players but great for the large crowd of spectators and enthusiasts congregated on the sidelines while almost encroaching the field of play. All was considered good until the paralyzing injury to Tom Russell happened with just a few minutes to play. Upon head on contact with fierce effort to tackle a Cordell halfback, Tom Russell was not expected to live through such horrendous injury sustained. With Cordell well in control of the game, Russell broke through the line of interference and rammed head first into one of the Cordell players. The impact visually made a depression on the brain and instantly paralyzed Russell from the chest down. Russell was transported to Clinton Hospital and later removed to his home in Elk City with improved chances of "probable" recovery.

What brought the two teams together for a clash in Clinton was a controversial game played two weeks previous in Elk City. The home team refused to play unless they were granted permission to use their own personally selected school teacher referee instead of the standard "courtesy" referee provided by the visiting team from Cordell. After an hour of battle against Elk City, the referee and near one hundred home team fans, Cordell literally had to "escape" with a tie game and most of the skin on their hide.

After Cordell gained a 7-0 lead, the home grown official began to operate against fairness to the game and towards home team favor. Allowing infractions against the home team to go uncalled was not as obvious but prevailed to the wishes of a rambunctious home crowd. Sometimes giving Elk City five downs was most obvious and quite unfair to the game and all players involved.

Despite the less obvious and the obvious, Cordell's well trained eleven held their own,  forged a lead, and was driving to extend that lead when outraged fans encroached the field. In a rush, they surrounded the Cordell team while waving their fists in the air with a few blows landing here and there during this uncalled for melee of madness. After the field was cleared of fanatical fans and, get this, one Cordell player was ejected, the visiting team from Cordell drove the ball close enough into Elk City territory to attempt and miss what would have been the game winning field goal.

This particular game was a true reflection of the old "mob" style of football games from nineteenth century Europe. Home crowd intimidation ruled both the game and their personally selected referee. Elk City, utilizing the fear factor created within a weird scienced and archaic gridiron gangster environment, scored their only touchdown in the fourth quarter. The kick to follow actually fell a couple of feet short, but, while looking around at the angry mob of home team fans, the fearful referee held up his hands with a clear signal of good ending the game in a 7-7 tie with hopes of squelching any potential riots from the unruly home team fans.

The community of Clinton became a safe haven mediator site following the fiasco in Elk City. Both teams looked forward to squaring off on a fair and square gridiron. Special arrangements were made with the Frisco to hold the evening south bound train to give Cordell fans an opportunity to see the entire tie deciding game. On November 20, 1914, fans from Elk City, Cordell and Clinton made up what was mentioned as the largest crowd to see a game in western Oklahoma. A game played to conquer the unheard of and dishonorable use of home grown officiating in the previous football game. Who better to bring fairness and experience to the game than Oklahoma University standout and now coach Edgar Meacham? Under Meacham's rule as referee, it was either teams opportunity to win with honor and dignity. Cordell did just that with their 42-13 victory. A sweet taste of victory that was embittered for all with Tom Russell's paralyzing injury as he lay motionless on a long forgotten football field of vengeance and sorrow in Clinton, Oklahoma.        

While Elk City's Russell was not expected to live and survived, a Hobart player, who was expected live, died in the following fall of 1915. Seventeen year old Clark Mansell did not survive a broken shoulder blade and severe spinal injury that paralyzed him from the waist down in Hobart's 68-0 win over Snyder on October 22. Mansell, son of a Hobart Judge, died in an Oklahoma City hospital on October 28, 1915, one week after the game took place in Hobart. Local, state and national press covered the tragic news. Mansell's injury was recognized as the "first death from a football injury in the state of Oklahoma this year." A bit eerie as the statement reflects an open end to the high probability of others. Luckily there were no more deaths due to football in Oklahoma in 1915. Mansell would be one of fifteen college and high school players nationwide to lose their life while participating in the game of football in 1915. Ages would range from eleven, fourteen and fifteen years old on up to twenty years old.

Some southwest Oklahoma schools suspended their football programs after Mansell's death. Tom Russell's paralyzing injury in 1914 and Mansell's death in 1915 were the determining factors as to why Clinton's eleven could not be found on the Oklahoma high school football map in 1916 as well. Some schools would return to the gridiron earlier than others. Additional hard line plunging research leads fans, coaches and players toward a sound of silence theoretical thought that it would be the post World War I fall of 1919 before Clinton would officially play another down of football on the fear filled, disheartened and quiet plains of western Oklahoma.

Before his work on the atomic bomb and with such large football losses to a much larger school under his belt, Stearns was a man of character who would forget his past and forget Clinton's past and move them forward with true grit and enthusiasm founded upon his military and gridiron skills. Coach Stearns came to Clinton in the fall of 1919 with a goal of both physical and mental development for his players who possessed no true game day experience. With a vision of "building and sending out the highest type of manhood from Clinton High School," Stearns, untiring in his work, did just that.

Though Clinton High School of 1919 had no internet, no experienced players, and, had completely erased their football past, coach Stearns led them to a superb one loss season not counting their opening 18-0 loss to Southwestern Normal (college) of Weatherford. After dropping the game to the collegiate eleven, the Clinton eleven dominated Sayre's eleven 25-6. The Clinton boys, whom most had never even seen a game, held on to their undefeated season by the skin of their teeth in a 12-12 tie with Hinton. Following the tie with Hinton and in week four, Altus would become the one point of high school defeat blemishing the season of record. Bouncing back from the disappointment, Clinton would display its ability to lose and improve as they annihilated the previously tied Hinton team by a resounding score of 39-0.
            
In the Altus contest kicked off at 2:15 p.m. on November 21, 1919, the pigskin never left the ground while scooting along, with a bounce here and there. It was a tough one for Bull Dog halfback Herman Peace to field but when he did, one of the best contests of the 1919 season was game on in Clinton.

Altus scored their only seven points in the first quarter of play with a strong three minute and sixty yard drive after holding Clinton on four downs. Altus kicked goal to take a 7-0 lead. Clinton was noted for "knocking down several Altus pass attempts" and their defense shut down Altus for the remainder of the game.

Problematic issues arose for the Clinton offense as they could not score in the first half against what seems to be an always tough Altus defense. Altus broke up pass attempts and made tackles for loss throughout the game.

​Clinton scored their only touchdown within a scrambled comeback mode in the second half. Evidently the kick for goal after touchdown was missed leaving Clinton on the short end of the post war Great Gridiron Battle of 1919.

Several rooters from Altus caught the train to Clinton for this particular big game. So many that the hotel in Clinton could hardly accommodate their players. With no room at the inn, evidence suggests a few Altus players had to stay with some Clinton families transforming the event into a reflection of improved sportsmanship that evolved into existence within this early twentieth century time-frame.

Before exiting this 1919 window of time, press coverage substantiates the fact of Clinton losing two games in this post World War I celebratory year. In the previously mentioned first contest of 1919, the eleven from Clinton clashed with the collegiate eleven from Southwestern Normal and were shutout by those pioneering college boys of what is now known as Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. Following the loss to Normal, the high school team of Clinton got back to playing within the realm of the high school arena on November 14 and soundly defeated the undefeated Sayre eleven 25-6.

Gameday with Sayre was acknowledged as "one of the most exciting days of the year for C.H.S." and its student body in 1919. As the football team met and decidedly defeated the fast Sayre team, post game celebrations included seniors from both teams adjourning to the Home Economics room where a delightful supper was served by the girls of C.H.S. The room was delightfully decorated in the senior class colors of purple and gold with each table featuring large bouquets of yellow chrysanthemums. Toasts and speeches were offered up by members of each team. All gridiron rivalry seemed to vanish within the revelry and the Sayre players departed  with expressions of gratitude for such a delightful evening.

Still leaving room for error due to the pure lack of internet access, local press again acknowledged 1919 as being Clinton's first year in football. A savvy Coach Stearns may have just manipulated a now highly interested press with a "stearn" military look in his eye and a "stearn" focus on a flourishing future for Clinton and its football program. If such press would have accidentally included the term "successive" with claims of "first," their accuracy would have been more on target as the program moved forward from 1919 through the twentieth century and into what is now the twenty-first century in a succession of years that maintains to this date.

​Following a competitive and successful 1919 season, a fourth gridiron savvy Meacham brother, Alvin, was elected to captain the high school football team for Clinton as the community prepared for the excitement of another season of football in the fall of 1920. Alvin Meacham, Clinton's left halfback in 1919, was noted as "coming from a the family of Meachams known to everyone for their football ability." The young Meacham was considered a natural leader of men as well as a real football man. Clinton High School was recognized as losing only one (high school) game by one point in the post World War I year of 1919 as they set sights on championship caliber status in the year of 1920.

Published scores from the 1920 season indicated Clinton High School and Captain Meacham competed at a championship level. They shutout Mangum 33-0 and battled that southwestern Oklahoma powerhouse team, Altus, to a scoreless 0-0 tie. Willard Northrip was recognized as the star player for Clinton in this intense and defensively dominated gridiron game.

With internetless state press also incorrectly recognizing Clinton as "starting its second year of high school football" in 1920, Clinton posted five gridiron victories while losing only two with the hard fought Altus game ending in the previously mentioned tie. Of course in Clinton, a tie game is closely associated with "kissing a sister," so, with no overtime, the next contest could not come soon enough. Despite the frustrating lip smacking tie with Altus now made awkward, a first sign of aerial attacks (forward pass) was considered a success within this particular 1920 season. Injuries, a big problem for every team of the era, to several key players may have kept the Clinton eleven from going undefeated. Willard Northrip was the outstanding star of the backfield. "Houston, Hunt, Jack Lowrance, "Big" Northrip, team captain Alvin Meacham and Albert Nance all played stellar roles," said coach J.C. Stearns.

After losing by one point (7-6) in 1919, Clinton battled another tough Altus team to a 0-0 tie in a hard fought gridiron battle hosted by Clinton the following year. 1920 Clinton game action football iMages from the Mark House Collection are thought to be the oldest to exist.   

In the year of 1921, hard line, between the lines and outside the lines plunging research reveals a small gain of information relative to scores and next to no gain relative to highlights or players of football in Clinton. Much like the gateway to eternity, the data trail is somewhat narrow but a complete list of season scores paint a portrait of thrills and excitement with some disappointment blemishing the background.

1921 looks to be the original "Custer County Conflict" year with Clinton twisting up Weatherford into tornado like wreckage with a 20-0 goose egg shutout. As the excitement of this week two news sinks in, the disappointment of a week one 27-6 loss to Cordell still carried a lingering sour milk aftertaste. Pucker up as in week three, Clinton and Lawton battle to a 0-0 tie. Week four was victorious over Mangum 27-0. The forward passing game was on against Mangum as most of the ground gained by Clinton was by air combined with some heavy duty line plunges. Guard Lawrence Jones and fullback Russell Gore were the stars in Clinton's victory over Mangum.

Clinton's forward passing offense took off big time in week five with an 80-14 blasting of Snyder. The high octane offense continued a torrid pace with a 60-0 beatdown of Anadarko in week six. Posting up 140 points in the previous two games, seems Clinton's offense and defense took a Saturday off but forgot to inform Enid. They lost 62-0 in week seven. Concluding the 1920 season in week eight with a 7-7 tie against an always tough Hobart team, a 4-2-2 Clinton team could celebrate the century old genesis conflict victory over Weatherford while licking their wounds of ties and defeats before a next season rolls around. Yet to be identified as All-State, Clinton guard Hugh Hanshaw was selected to the third squad of the "All Oklahoma Highschool Team."       

For those Clinton fans wondering when a first actual championship was earned on their gridiron of glory, wonder no more as 1922 was a big year. A newly formed Southwestern (Oklahoma) Athletic Conference was cooperatively assembled at a special meeting held in Clinton on September 22 of 1922. It was not only created for football but for other sports as well. A change from Saturday games to Friday with night lights competition in this meeting set the foundation to a long term tradition for western Oklahoma high school teams relative to regular season games to be played.

The newly formed conference featured a much different landscape of teams compared to current times. The inaugural southwest conference football squads included gridiron gangs of eleven from Carnegie, Clinton, Cordell, Erick, Frederick, Mangum, Sayre and Weatherford. To date, Cordell and Mangum both had a strong history of helmetless success within their recent past while Clinton and Weatherford had been battling their way to moderate levels of football prosperity.

​The year of 1922 brought about the use of "specialized" coaches for the first time in western Oklahoma. Charles Werner of Southwest Teachers' College and OU's School Of Coaching took charge at Cordell. Elwood Allison, formerly of Kingfisher College and a summer understudy of football at the University of California would lead the Clinton eleven in 1922. L.H. Bennett of Southwestern was selected by Allison to be his assistant. Bennett had spent the previous summer at the University of Illinois Coaching School picking up new ideas. Fred Mayberry, a star at Oklahoma A and M and Annapolis Naval Academy, directed the gridiron destiny of Carnegie. Guy Lookabaugh, famous wrestler and footballer at Oklahoma A and M would guide Frederick through their 1922 season. George Tyler, a star lineman for Oklahoma City High School and Oklahoma University introduced Bennie Owens' system to the conference through his Sayre eleven. Frank Anderson of Southwestern Teachers' College would navigate the Weatherford team through its second season of play.

The construction of the conference reflects a first of its kind innovation and the business-like approach set the foundation for near a century of west Oklahoma high school football to follow. For Weatherford, 1922 was acknowledged as only their second year of competition at the high school football level. Clinton had competed intermittently since 1910 with modest success. The historical records of Cordell and Mangum both reflected a higher level of talent, success and longevity within the realm of the new conference teams. 

In the actual kick-off game of Clinton's inaugural conference play in the season of 1922, the high school eleven began their battle for the championship of this newly created Southwestern Conference against Weatherford on October 7, 1922. With games against this particular opponent now being labeled the "Custer County Conflict," researched information suggests 1922 would be the second of many rivalry battles between Clinton and Weatherford and the first with conference implications attached to such contests.
  
Clinton, outweighed twenty pounds to a man in 1922, had victory within grasp at Weatherford only to lose within the last ten minutes of play. Weatherford scored three touchdowns during its come from behind rally to post an 18-12 victory to earn bragging rights in this now century old Custer County Conflict.

Blocked punts and poor generalship were considered responsible for Clinton's demise. Late in the game, Clinton's eleven held the heavy plunging Weatherford runners on the one yard line for four successive downs, only to lose the ball behind its own goal on a blocked punt that allowed Weatherford the game tying score.

The most brilliant play of the game came from Clinton's Russell Gore who swept around the end of Weatherford's eleven to score a touchdown on a sixty-yard punt return.

Despite the disappointing loss to Weatherford, Clinton rebounded to become the first Southwest (Oklahoma) Conference Champion with a record of 5-1. Carnegie was second at 4-1 with Cordell, Sayre, Weatherford, Erick, Frederick and Mangum to follow in order.

​Clinton's overall record for the year of 1922 was 9-2 with losses coming against Weatherford and those pesky Bulldogs from the far southwest in Altus. Highlight wins were a plenty as Clinton opened the regular season with an 81-0 victory over Independence followed by a 33-0 shutout of Hinton, followed by a 21-6 win over El Reno. Avenging the loss to Altus in week four, Clinton bounced back in a big way by defeating Mangum in a rout 81-0. Clinton finished the '22 season as Southwest Conference Champions while blazing a hot trail of win streak wins against Cordell 18-6, Carnegie 12-7, Sayre 25-20 and Erick 32-0.

Documented highlights to note from the September 29, 1922, game with Hinton include the eleven from Clinton "outclassing" the heavier team from Hinton. This game was played on Clinton's home gridiron with the home team taking an early lead with two touchdowns scored within the first quarter of play. Clinton backs continuously plowed through a weakening Hinton line and skirted the ends with superior speed for steady gains. Clinton's QB1 Marshall Covin scored all five touchdowns with teammates Bo Williamson, Earl Wisely and Thomas McLin being recognized as performing best in the shutout victory against Hinton.

October 13, 1922, highlights against El Reno include the Clinton eleven rolling up 442 total yards in their 21-6 win against the Central Conference team. A newspaper subliner references the "Clinton Twisters" which is the first mention of anything close to a Tornado identity discovered to date. Marshall Covin, Russell Gore, Earl Wisely and Willard Northrip were given star honors for their performances in this near century old win over El Reno.

With a one conference loss Clinton team temporarily at the bottom of the standings, and, with four regulars out of the game against Mangum, it looked like a gloom and doom October 27, 1922, contest for the traveling Twisters. Quite the opposite. Clinton won by their largest conference score of the season. Reserves seemed to strengthen the Hub City eleven instead of their expected contribution of struggle. Amazingly, Russell Gore blasted the Mangum eleven with two scampers totaling 100 yards and two touchdowns within a two minute time span. The work of Bo Williamson at tackle, Thomas McLin, Clinton's "midget" guard and the tackling of Albert Armstrong and Penn were considered the features of performance in this overwhelming 81-0 blowout victory. Mangum's punter, Johnson, was recognized as the best seen on a Southwest Conference field to date. A team and its coach may be in a bit of trouble when their punter is considered a star of the game. Sure enough, Mangum finished last in the first season of Oklahoma's Southwest Conference play.

​One of the more exciting and close games of the 1922 season came about on November 3. With Sayre defending a 20-19 lead late in the game, they made the mistake of kicking off to Russell Gore after scoring their go-ahead touchdown. He returned the ball to Sayre's four yard line setting up a hard line game winning plunge by Marshall Covin. It was considered "one of the most thrilling and exciting games" ever played on the local gridiron of Clinton. Covin and Gore were merited as most consistent with their ground gaining in this particular and close contest.

On November 25, 1922, Clinton clinched the first Southwest Conference Championship at home with a "brilliantly" played game against Erick. With a powerful display of effort that Erick could not match, Clinton dominated from beginning to end. After forcing an Erick punt, The Twisters drove 80 yards for their first touchdown. With a series of line plunges by Covin and Armstrong and end runs by R. Gore, Clinton swept down the field to score within the first three minutes of play.

​With Marshall Covin and Albert Armstrong in the backfield and Early Wisely at end, Clinton blasted through, around and over the Erick defense for a total of 492 yards. Fifty yards was by air mail and a stout 442 by ground delivery. Sterling White was singled out for his brilliant line play at center for Clinton. Earl Wisely's defensive play in Clinton's fourth shutout of the season was noted as the "best seen on this field" all season. White terrorized the Erick eleven with two blocked punts while closing the gap on several line plunge attempts by this team from the far west edge of the state.      

Clinton High School concluded their "most successful season in her gridiron history" with a remarkable win over a non-conference eleven from Hobart. The entire first half against Hobart was "desperately contested" with Clinton leading 7-0 at intermission. The Hobart eleven fought valiantly but was unable to hold Clinton's great backfield in the second half. Touchdown after touchdown was plunged over the line of goal as Clinton won by a shutout score of 33-0. QB1 Marshall Covin performed brilliantly in his last gridiron game wearing a high school uniform. As in all previous games during the season of 1922, Covin was recognized as an individual star of Clinton's football team.

​The new 1922 Southwest Conference was considered abundantly deep in talent making selections for All-State a tough go for the "dopester" with the power of choice. Clinton placed four of its stars on the All-Southwest roster. Quarterback Marshall Covin, at a lean 175 pounds and fast a foot, was "without a doubt" one of the best backs in the state. Covin's all-around talent made him one of the best. Whether passing, punting, place-kicking, line plunging or navigating his way through the open field, Covin carried qualifications of Player Of The Year status if they had one back then.

When all was said and done, Covin was placed on the second team All-State list behind Tulsa's quarterback Ledford. Only one Southwest Conference gridiron star made first team. Sayre's guard Maberry was the chosen one. Clinton's End Early Wisely received honorable mention along with Franzen (tackle) of Weatherford and Fourier (tackle) of Sayre. Other Southwest Conference All-State honorable mentions went to Martin (halfback) and Moore (fullback) of Carnegie.  

Within the Southwest conference All-Stars and at halfback, Clinton's Russell Gore and Cordell's Gudenoge was deemed slighty better than Engle of Sayre. Engle  was recognized as a heady, consistent player and an important cog in the "famous" Sayre passing attack migrating to the west with Bennie Owen (OU) disciple and new Sayre coach George Tyler.

Clinton halfback Russell Gore was chosen All-Star of the Southwest Conference for his long "spectacular" dashes down the field that made his name a "byword" throughout the conference. Gore's many punt returns all the way to the goal line were garnered with a deceptive change of pace and speed and set him above the rest as All-Southwest. 

Earl Wisely of Clinton was selected at End rising above great players that included Deshane of Sayre, Gilbreth of Frederick and Garrison of Cordell. Wisely was considered a crafty, cunning demon on the defense and was in on every play on the offense. He was one of the heavier players on a mostly outweighed Clinton eleven and his speed helped make him the central cog on the defensive side of the ball.

​Williard Northrip rounded out Clinton's All-Southwest selections at his guard position. His selection was based upon outstanding two-way offensive and defensive play at guard. Northrip was regularly mentioned as a standout of individual games throughout a highly successful 1922 season. With Northrip's addition, Clinton made up near 40% of the very first All-Southwest Conference team making the community and high school honorably represented on its gridiron of glory and first ever championship field of play. With thanks to those few and first players who took it on the chin in 1910, the Clinton football program set sights on not only just competing to stay in a game against more experienced teams. The community, the high school and the team actually took the lead in conference play creation with a goal of winning finding its way to the forefront of a now long and historical existence.

​There is good news and bad news found in the year of 1923. The first reference to Red Tornadoes from Clinton is bourne with identity. Bollar (Bo) Williamson, a standout tackle and regarded as "the" outstanding football player of southwestern Oklahoma, became the very first first team All-Stater from Clinton. He was the only unanimous Southwest Conference All-Star selection in the first year coaches and game officials were called upon to vote. Bo Williamson was the only conference player to be named on every ballot of every coach and every game official submitted.
 
Concluding his fourth year of high school football, Williamson had become thoroughly familiar with the fine points and strategy of the game. He was acknowledged as a "natural" born leader and respected by everyone he played with and against. Richly deserved, Williamson became a standout of the standouts selected for the first team "Oklahoma All-State" eleven in 1923.

Williamson's football fame spread far beyond the boundaries of the Southwest Conference. "Without a doubt," he was considered the most valuable all around player developed in the conference in 1923. The scouting report on Williamson included heavy, fast, aggressive and hardy at the tackle position. The kind that backs behind him look upon with joy and those opposite with fear and trembling. Williamson was also called upon for almost certain gains of line plunging short yardage in times of  emergency.
 
Along with the Red Tornadoes All-State tackle Williamson being a highly touted top pick on the All Southwest Conference team in 1923, Clinton's dynamic halfback Russell Gore became a second year member of the first team All Southwest eleven. Clinton Red Tornado players earning a spot on the second team All Southwest included Andrew Dickson at end and Barksdale Witten at guard.
 
Gore, a star for the 1922 Twisters, was the fastest man in the Southwest Conference. In addition to his speed, he possessed 170 pounds of "avoirdupois" with an uncanny open field change of pace that completely baffled would-be tacklers. Gore could pass, kick, plunge or dash through a broken field with equal facility. An all-around offensive threat, Gore represented Clinton as one of its finest players in 1923.

In the year of 1923, conference realignment ruled the preseason talk around town. Altus, Hobart and Frederick joined a Southwest Conference consisting of quality elevens from Erick, Carnegie, Sayre, Mangum, Cordell, Weatherford and what would soon become known as the Clinton "Red Tornadoes."
 
The first conference game for Clinton already bore the pressure of championship implications and "old rival" bragging rights. Both Clinton and Weatherford entered the third round of the "Custer County Conflict" with unblemished records and with the winner getting a jump start on the championship while a loser would fall behind with little chance to trophy up.
 
State press recognized both teams as being "especially pointed for this game" with each team being in their "pink" of condition. Both teams were undefeated entering the contest. Adding the somewhat erroneous but dramatically embellishing fact that Weatherford and Clinton high are "rivals of many years standing" constructed a fake news press driven excitement around what was expected to be a thrilling game. To the best of researched knowledge, Clinton and Weatherford had only played each other in 1921 and 1922 with each team winning one game each. Considering two games a year had previously been acknowledged as a full season, maybe playing a team two years in a row can justify the "old rivals" hype that came with this game.
 
Clinton entered the 1923 "Custer County Conflict" with pre-conference wins over Hammon and Thomas. In the opening game of their '23 season, the "Red Tornadoes" walloped a hapless Hammon team by a score of 41-0. The following week Clinton scored another defensive shutout with a 9-0 win over an eleven from nearby Thomas. This while looking forward to opening up Southwest Conference play on their home field against Weatherford.
 
Would the Clinton eleven be "out generaled" again or pick up their second win in three years of competition against their now "old rival" Weatherford?
 
Well, as frustrating as it may be, "out generaled" again was found with the game descriptive as Weatherford won 19-13 on October 19, 1923. Despite a rocky start at this home game, the Clinton eleven fought with courage and while playing in desperation mode, made a sensational comeback run in the second half falling short by a six point margin. Future first time first team All-Stater Bo Williamson of Clinton was easily the individual star of the game on defense as he was in an every play. Williamson smashed his way through opposing players with ease on defense and also routed through the Weatherford defense to open up huge gaps for Clinton's backs to gallop through.
 
Other stars for Clinton included Earl Wisely with his fifty-yard sprint to the goal line with ball in hand after an interception of an errant Weatherford pass. Albert Armstrong's fierce line plunging was key in bringing Clinton back into the game in the second half. Despite the great play of Clinton's three standouts, the team itself was left behind the eight ball in conference play with little chance given of digging out like they did in 1922 when losing a first game but earning the championship in their final contest of that year.
 
"Hap" Briscoe's 1923 squad from Altus would also become a huge roadblock in the way of the Red Tornadoes' chances for a repeat of 1922 where the Twisters lost the first conference game against Weatherford and then mightily fought back to win the big trophy. Coach Briscoe brought his squad to Clinton on Saturday, October 27 with the game being delayed one day due to massive flooding caused by heavy rains all across the south and west sections of Oklahoma.
 
Right away, Clinton's defense was attacked with a fake pass and sneaky hand-off to McNeil for Altus who dashed sixty yards to goal as the Bull Dogs took an early lead. With both teams being "evenly matched" in playing ability, this contest would become another tough fought dog eat dog battle to the end.
 
After being shut out in the first half by a stingy Altus defense, Clinton's speedy Russell Gore put his Red Tornadoes on the board with a long dash around end just forty seconds after the second half kick-off. With big Bo Williamson at tackle opening up the outside lane, Gore was able to tie the score at 6-6 while gifting Clinton fans with hope of victory.
 
Williamson was the star of the game. Again, being in on every play on the defensive side of the ball and leading the way in most of Clinton's advances through a tough and stingy Altus defensive line. Clinton backs made most of their yards with hard charges behind the great blocking of Williamson.
 
With defense holding their own against Altus and only three minutes to go, a series of desperate and hard driving line plunges brought Clinton down in defeat by a score of 12-6. With two close and tough conference losses, it was now highly unlikely that the Red Tornadoes could capture back-to-back Southwest Conference titles. Although disappointed with back-to-back losses, Clinton's eleven had played tough and were put in a position they would face several times in the program's future. With a 1-2 record on the books, it was either give up or better up and move forward to establish a Red Tornado pride that would become the foundation of a long lived gridiron tradition.
 
As sure as football pride has always ran as deep as the Washita river that runs through and past Clinton, the Red Tornadoes rebounded from the heartbreaking losses with a huge win over a very tough and experienced Cordell team. Clinton's eleven took care of business in a big way with a 19-0 shutout of Cordell.
 
Following the win over Cordell and with beautiful weather and highly competitive games being played all throughout the Southwest Conference on November 9, Clinton continued to battle the nemesis of defeat against Carnegie. With both teams reaching the shadow of each other's goal line several times, neither team could cross for victory. A scoreless tie at least was not a defeat but also not acceptable on the home field of Clinton.
 
Straight up hard-nosed football was featured throughout this game against the Wildcats of Carnegie. Defenses for both teams were consider stars of the day with no play passes or trick plays exhumed from either team's offensive playbooks.
 
Stars for Clinton in this tough tied battle included both tackles Bo Williamson and Barksdale Witten. Russell Gore was effective with his brilliant line plunges with the ball but was unable to get his usual outside corner and sprint for the goal line as Carnegie worked to keep everything corralled to the inside. Williamson continued his season of "great work." He was called upon to stop most of the heavy Wildcat charges and even made some hard plunging runs when called upon by the offense to carry the ball. Witten was coming into his own with a "brilliant" performance on defense.
 
With an important rebound victory under their belt and outstanding defensive play highlighting the sister kissing tie with Carnegie, Clinton would indeed pick up the pace and run the table with big wins over Sayre 18-14, an astounding 84-0 lambasting of the Indians (origin unknown) and a resounding season ending victory over Hobart 18-6.
 
Clinton's 3-2-1 conference record would fall short of the previous year's rebound performance as they were crowned as the very first Southwest Conference champions in 1922. Clinton's "old rivals" would earn honors as champions of the Southwest Conference in 1923 as the Red Tornadoes landed in fourth place behind Carnegie, runner-up Altus and the newly crowned champions from Weatherford.

Previously identified as Bob Cats and Twisters, the 1923 Clinton football team was first to be known as Red Tornadoes. Top Row: Albert Armstrong, Barksdale Witten, Andrew Dickson, Ernest Stocks, Coach Leo Bennett. Second Row: Gerald Cope, Ephraim Dickson, Early Wisely, Clarence Lee. Third Row: Henry Sigle, Harold Frans, Willard Northrip, Bollard (Bo) Williamson. Front Row: Jim Lowry, Roger Mills Mitchell (Mascot), Collier Loving. Not Pictured: Russell Gore

​Despite struggle, Clinton's futuristic gridiron grit of tradition seemed to be fortified in this year of 1923. State press acknowledged the Red Tornadoes with such accolades of strength and commitment to winning. "Getting off to a poor start and losing their first two conference encounters, each by margin of a single touchdown, Clinton's 'Red Tornadoes' finally recovered their stride and swept everything before them during the last half of the season. The most striking feature of their play has been the great fight they have displayed in every game even in the face of almost certain defeat."
 
Although competitive but falling heartbreakingly short against some very tough teams, Clinton's eleven delivered some high profile players to the All-Conference selection committee. The "brightest in the brilliant galaxy of stars," however, was Red Tornado tackle Bo Williamson. His gigantic stature, fast and shifty feet and cool and crafty understanding of opponent's plans made him the ultimate tackle within the conference and the entire state. Considered the "tower of strength" on his team and a terror to opposing teams encountered, as previously mentioned, Williamson became the only unanimous selection as All-Conference. Every coach of the Southwest Conference not only selected Williamson on their ballots but were also backing Williamson as a bona fide Oklahoma All-State selection.
 
Clinton's fullback Albert Armstrong, as well, received high praise for his play in 1923. Considered a "perfect demon in line line plunging, an accurate passer, a good punter and one of the most deadly accurate tacklers in the whole conference," Armstrong represented the Clinton eleven as its best all-around player.
 
Red Tornado halfback Russell Gore was also acknowledged as a valuable asset to Clinton and the Southwest Conference. Gore's electrifying speed and outside the lines rushing excited fans throughout southwest Oklahoma. His weight and speed made him one of the hardest young men to bring down on the Oklahoma gridirons played upon in the south and west parts of the state during a most exiting and memorable 1923 season.

​1924 Season Highlights Forthcoming:
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​About The Author: Mark House moved to Clinton in 1976 joining a Jr. High Whirlwind team that would become Three Rivers Conference champions. Never playing a down of organized football before, relation to the experience of the anonymous and genesis members of Clinton football having to learn the game from scratch is prevalent. After serving as a Championship caliber tackling dummy from 1976 to 1980, the ability to understand and share the historical essence of Clinton football and it's tradition rich ways was earned with a "never give up" attitude and shared with honorable attempt to commemorate those who actually constructed such a long lived and prosperous tradition.

copyWrite By Mark House
markhouse6@gmail.com

Forty-four years and immeasurable amounts of muddy Mississippi water have passed by what everyone, at that time, thought everyone would never forget.

Elvis, the "King of Rock-n-Roll" is dead.

Although mostly forgotten, Elvis and his music still carries faint memories of earth breaking and parent shaking performances from the 1950's on through his "comeback" years in the late '60's and early '70's. The King's remembrance has diminished with the aging of generations who enjoyed his trend setting rock-n-roll moves made in his famous but now faded "Blue Suede Shoes."

Sitting on a front porch swing in Tupelo, Mississippi is the closest I have personally come to the existence of Elvis Presley. The two room house he grew up in made for a brief but interesting tour of his early year life.

Just a fourteen year old nonchalant country kid in 1977, I can remember feeling some sort of loss as the news spread on radio and tv about the death of Elvis. Seeing my sister cry probably sparked that emotion more than anything else.

Elvis' 45 r.p.m. records are the initial sounds of music that I can remember listening to. "Hound Dog" is a single on RCA records that stands out as being the first actual Elvis song that I can personally recall hearing and singing along with. From there and from the small town of Lookeba, Oklahoma, all of his hit songs were mostly borrowed from the sound waves of WKY AM Radio out of Oklahoma City.

As a youngster, it was most enjoyable to hear one of Oklahoma City's most iconic record spinners of all time announce that "Elvis is coming up next" on my hand held transistor radio. Ronnie Kaye has been in the radio and television business in Oklahoma City quite a bit longer than Elvis has been forgotten. I share his personal emotion from a poetical piece he penned upon the loss of The King. This with confidence of truth of such emotion coming from Ronnie Kaye's elder knowledge and experience relative to Elvis and what was considered a shocking loss of life on August 16, 1977.

A beautiful and poetic remembrance of "The King" written by a friend and long time Oklahoma City radio and television personality Ronnie Kaye.

This unique and historically written piece revives many memorable thoughts in rhyme while concluding with the one mournful moment that everyone has seemed to have forgotten in time.

On this 44th Anniversary of The King's passing, maybe everyone or maybe just someone who has forgotten will remember Elvis as his rock-n-roll filled soul rests in peace at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.

​copyWrite By Mark House
​markhouse6@gmail.com

Historical speculation leads a chosen few to consider that base ball could have existed as early as 1000 A.D. This particular date is a speculation within speculation but factually reflects a smack dab in the middle time frame recognized as the Toltec period of 700 A.D. through the year of 1,200 A.D.

Hypothesized evidence is derived from within this somewhat ancient time frame. Three Toltec terra-cotta figurines portraying primeval characteristics of the game of base ball being played have been discovered.

Archaeologists carefully exhumed these fragile figurines from the west coast of Mexico near the city of Colima. One in particular demonstrates a pre-historic Ty Cobb style holding of a bat. Historians and fans in general are enabled to recognize the similar spacing of the hands relative to an early twentieth century Cobb as compared to that of the first century terra-cotta batter from Colima.

Ironically, near five and a half centuries post terra-cotta players and in the year of 1540, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado expedited towards what was to become the United States of America from the town of Compostela, Mexico. Compostela is geographically located only one hundred fifty seven miles north of Colima. For some, that is close enough to "speculate" as "near" enough, and furthermore, consider that maybe the game of base ball made it's way with Coronado to what is now known as Oklahoma in the year of 1541. This as the famous explorer and his band of wealth seekers were leisurely finding their way back to Mexico after an adventurous but unsuccessful search for gold and silver.

Speculation is described as the formation of a theory about a subject without firm evidence. Moving away from speculation, founded only upon personal and humorrhetical thought processing, and more towards real time documented events in search of the genesis of base ball in Oklahoma City, the following is presented with due diligence of research and writing accompanied with enthusiastic effort to capture the true arrival and evolution of professional base ball within the city limits of what is now known as Oklahoma City in the state of what is now known as Oklahoma.        

In the bi-g-Inning, there was native ball of the Choctaw captured from within the territory by Catlin on a canvas to be seen by all. To follow, a tattered and torn leather sphere charged west with the spirit of Major-General Abner Doubleday's pre civil war innovation. Hereafter, this primitive and spirited leather sphere found it's way across the mighty Mississippi, the wide Missouri and the muddy waters of the Arkansas river during times of civil unrest. The courageous crossings leading survival minded soldiers and pioneers to play this game of nine upon the north and east territorial prairies of past times.

From those days forth and from territories south and east, a boot dusted coal mining muleskinner metamorphed into the patriarch of ukla humma base ball. Narrowly escaping a blast in Krebs coal hole number eleven, fate favored the original "Iron Man" as Father Joseph McGinnity's future halls were filled with fame by this mystical westward moving sphere empowered to ordain. Concomitantly, this transforming sphere possessing infinite and entertaining spirit journeyed into Oklahoma Territory and towards a new borne township known as Oklahoma Station. It found a welcome base of home within this new township freshly staked with run of the land claims to ukla humma's red dirt plains and to base ball's predestination as "America's Game."

Recognizing Native Americans of all nations enjoyed their sport of a "ball game" closely connected to their ancient religions, prominent Oklahoma citizen and esteemed historian Murial H. Wright shared a detailed account of Choctaw ball played within their particular Indian Territory nation in the early 1830's. Wright was born in March of 1889 in Lehigh, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. She was a granddaughter of the admirable Reverend Allen Wright who suggested the name of ukla humma, aka Oklahoma, for Indian Territory in 1866.     

​"All the young men of a certain locality would challenge those from another. Each player carried two ball sticks of hickory about three feet in length. These were looped at one end, forming a sort of cup at the end of the stick, laced at the back with buckskin thongs. The hard ball, made of squirrel skin with a lead or stone center, was a little larger than a golf ball.

After great ceremony, the conjuror who acted as umpire would toss the ball at the center of the field. With a wild whoop, the naked players were off trying to catch the ball with their ball sticks; running, dodging, wrestling, and striking with the sticks with mere blood being of no consideration. The men, women, and children for miles around were gathered and camped near at hand. As the game progressed, the onlookers would bet excitedly, laying their most treasured belongings in a pile near a choice pony while staking everything they owned on their chosen players. Even women would join the gambling, often running upon the field itself, and beating the bare backs of their men with switches to urge them on."

Captain Atoka, aka hetoka, was a dominant force on the ball fields of the Choctaw Nation within Indian Territory and his old home territory on the Yalobusha River in Mississippi. His skill and fame from playing the game earned him the intensely revered name of Chief "Hetoka" which translates to a meaning of ruler of the "ball ground." Among ancient Choctaw's, being a great player of ball brought about recognition of being an honorable man of great strength, courage and intelligence.

​As we track the game of base ball toward Oklahoma City, romantic notions of Abner Doubleday persist as being the inventor of the game itself in 1839. These fascinotions might be as tantalizing as the Terra Cotta players from Colima as a more modern but intellectual Branch Rickey historically mentioned "the only thing Doubleday ever started was the Civil War." Actual documentation cannot prove or disprove such romantic thoughts of invention, but, it is known that Civil War Major-General Abner Doubleday was in charge of provisions for Union soldiers fighting in the South and its border states and territories during the Civil War. Within Doubleday's requisitions for Union soldiers were balls and bats to serve as a morale boosters. Hence the game of base ball, with Alexander Cartwright's 1846 influence of "New York Rules," was spreading to the far south and west toward what was yet to become the great state of Oklahoma and its politically battle tested capital of Oklahoma City. It is safe to say Doubleday turned a nice double play with his requisition for bats and balls that helped direct the game toward the territory escorted by soldiers of civil war.    

​Idiosyncratic research indicates professional base ball in Oklahoma City (originally known as Oklahoma Station) was officially born late in the nineteenth century in the month of June 1891. On the eleventh day of June, the Great Grandfather and obstetrician of Oklahoma City's base ball, Walter R. Jennison, implemented the standard methods of organized professional approach when he enthusiastically ordered all black uniforms for a team to be recognized as the Pirates. Within a brief two days following on the thirteenth day of June, the maiden voyage of these red dirt base ball buccaneers would launch Oklahoma City into a distinguished dominion of professional status with an inaugurating contest on the road in Oklahoma Territory. This prevailing as the authentic point of professional play transition in Oklahoma City's one hundred thirty year old plus base ball history. A point of progression where Captain Jennison and his Pirates engaged in a specified activity (base ball) within a spirit of paid occupational status rather than just a casual association with what was yet to become vigorously known as "America's Favorite Pastime."

A select and rare few humans with interest, along with some early twentieth century teammates and players, possess solid evidence of one Eugene Albert Barnes as deserving the hallowed ground and grand title "Father" of Oklahoma City Base Ball." This being a true and fair assessment based upon the many great and early day contributions made towards Oklahoma City's game of base ball by this prominent Oklahoma City trailblazer with preference to be recognized as "Gene" and not Eugene.

Gene "The Kid" Barnes, Kansas born in 1873, is noted for his youthful participation within Oklahoma City's sandlot pastures soon after the first land run of settlers staked out their sections of Oklahoma Territory in 1889. Barnes certainly earned what is now antiquated recognition of being a rarity within himself. A teenaged organizer and young pitcher who stepped off a south bound Sante Fe from Kansas while sauntering into what had to have been a raw but magnificent realm of territorial town team base ball. A majestic prenatal realm that included Barnes' young Oklahoma City Browns, Bob Overstreet's older "Dudes," Will Barrett's "Prints," the Oklahoma City Hoo-Hoos and the Oklahoma City Lightning.

A sixteen year old Gene Barnes helped erect Oklahoma City's first base ball grandstand. It was constructed near what is now the nationally historic Oklahoma City Municipal Building site (aka City Hall) and adjacent to what used to be First Street and Walker Avenue. In 1889, the specific location was recognized as "Old Doc Higgins" quarter. With empty beer kegs from a nearby corner saloon a couple of  blocks east at First and Harvey, and, with 2 x 12's donated by a new to business and nearby lumber yard, Barnes and a conglomerate of land run pioneers scrapped together what he personally identified as a "pretentious, portable structure." This to oblige the anticipated enthusiasm of Oklahoma Station's literal and original "89er" base ball fans.

Gene Barnes and his young team of Oklahoma City Browns defeated the Guthrie Howlers in Guthrie on June 30, 1889. The Browns, one of Oklahoma City's better town teams, won this most competitive and highly spirited base ball game by a score of 12-10 in extra (10) innings. 

​Barnes said the portable grandstand was constructed on Higgins' quarter to specifically accommodate a series with Guthrie. The park had no actual fence with no streets nearby and only a barbed wire fence at the section line. "We played Guthrie a game there and played two games at Guthrie winning all three," said Barnes. Although not remembering the scores, Barnes remembered the Overbay brothers playing for Guthrie and specifically John Overbay umpiring the games up in Guthrie. "We had to travel by train as it was too far for horse and shay," remembered Barnes.

The most original "89er" players to exist include pioneering men of many talents. Tom Potts was a feed man; Jim Armour, telegrapher; Red Bradford, printer; Byron D. Shear, attorney; future Texas Leaguer Bert Dunn, carpenter; Ed Boismier, plumber; Perry Howe, telegrapher; Frank Morey and Tom Dyer were both lathers; Ed Johnston, printer and recognized as a "great" pitcher; Usher Carson, real estate agent; Cliff Scott, nephew of Oklahoma City Journal publisher A.C. Scott; and Roy Allen who was "not' related to "Snake" Allen of the futuristic Oklahoma City Indians ball club to come. Only a select few and best of these players would form the foundation of transformation into the Oklahoma City Pirates in the summer of 1891.     

It was an eighteen year old Gene Barnes, later to become emergency interim manager in 1904 and a part owner/majority team stockholder in 1905, who personally journeyed with Walter Jennison and his bushwhacking 1891 Pirates on an excursion of proficiently scheduled base ball contests that concluded in the grass roots dust on your boots prairie town of Wellington, Kansas. Some fifty years following such an impressionable time, Barnes, sharing from his personal eye witness experience with and of the Pirates, their methodical organization and bountiful success in Kansas, publicly recognized the Jennison brothers as "the real pioneers of base ball in Oklahoma City."

Walter R. Jennison and his brother Harry organized and played for the first professional base ball club representing Oklahoma City. The Jennison brothers built, owned and operated Oklahoma Territory's very first cotton gin in Norman. They were also pioneers of the early day cotton gin industry in Oklahoma City and several other territorial locations. 

Bob Stoops is not the first head coach from Ohio to venture into Oklahoma's sporting arena and claim success on its fields of guts and glory. One hundred eight years previous (108), originating Pirate's player/coach, Walter R. Jennison, transplanted some actual professional minor league management and playing experience in Oklahoma City from Springfield, Ohio. Jennison served as a player and one of three managers of the Springfield base ball club during Oklahoma's land run year of 1889. Springfield compiled a record of 61-48 to finish second to the Canton Nadjys in Ohio's Tri-State League. 

Migrating from the north and east and into the territory along with people, religion, education, agriculture, music and most everything else was the game of base ball and Walter R. Jennison. Arriving in Oklahoma Territory on a mid summer train engineered by an engineer of the Atchison, Topeka & Sante Fe Railroad in the year of 1890, Jennison was found playing second base for a competitive Norman town team with his brother Harry handling the catching duties from behind the plate. The two brothers arrived in time to anchor a Norman base ball club finishing up a skeleton but undefeated four game season with their final two against the Purcell Black Stockings.

Gameday highlights with the Jennison brothers include a July 4, 1890, morning ride south with the Norman nine on that same Sante Fe Railway. The Black Stockings of Purcell cordially greeted the team from Norman as they stepped off this now antiquated train. The boys with black sox proceeded to escort Norman's nine to the Hotel Clifton where a "sumptuous" dinner awaited all players. After disposing of the "sumptuous" cuisine, both clubs headed for the picnic grounds south of Purcell for a Friday afternoon game that was called to "play ball" by an umpire named Johnson at exactly 2:30 o'clock.

From the top of it's first inning, evidence revealed the Black Stockings from Purcell to be no match for the nine from Norman. Before a soon to be dispirited "home team crowd en-masse," Norman reeled off 5 runs in the first inning of play and never looked back in a high scoring affair that found Purcell on the short end of a 20-12 final score.

Walter Jennison led off and played second base for the Norman nine. With three of a team total twenty-two base hits, Jennison accounted for four of the twenty runs scored by the nameless Norman base ball club. With a win over the "Chickasaw" boys from Purcell, a magnificent purse of $20.00 was celebrated in grand style by the victorious base ball club from Norman.

Much like today's norm of home and home series, Norman, in turn, hosted a redemption opportunity match for the same Black Stockings from Purcell. This happening near one month later on August 5, 1890, before a "very good" crowd in attendance. Much like the norm of those days, Norman jumped out to a first inning lead with no need to look back on their way to a 21-8 victory. With a second victory over the hapless Black Stockings, Norman's press labeled their nine as the best ball team in the 1890 Territory with advice for the Purcell team to "get a new club." Norman's "Cotton Gin Men," Walter and Harry Jennison, combined for three hits and six runs in this game called to "play ball" at exactly 2:20 o'clock on a hot August afternoon.

Despite Norman's first ever 20-19 base ball victory against the Noble Plow Boys. Despite a 16-12 win against Moore's ball club. Despite the two wins featuring the recently arrived Jennison brothers against Purcell. Despite hometown press recognition as being a professional ball team. Despite a published challenge to take on any and all clubs of the territory or adjoining states, Norman's inceptive season quietly faded into history as the Jennison Brothers & Company went to work constructing the territory's first cotton gin. A pioneering facility to serve area farmers with ability to not only harvest, compress and sell their fall cotton crops but to also ship their cotton towards higher prices via the adjacent Sante Fe.     

From Norman, the Jennison Brothers catch an 1891 ride on that same Sante Fe north to expand their cotton ginning business while originating their own base ball buccaneers and fabricating the genesis of Oklahoma City's venture towards professionalism. What more identifies a base ball club than uniform uniforms. The same black pants, same black jersey, same black socks and same black caps could and would make men from two centuries previous feel extra special and feel like they were part of a nonfictional team. Embracing the persona of a Pirate combined with being paid to play with travel, hotel and fine cuisine amenities considered bonus would, could and did transform Oklahoma City base ballist into admired and well respected professionals. The black dressed Pirates and their maiden voyage on a mythical iron horse of a ship sailing north to Guthrie for a game of ball fossilized Walter Jennison's "Great Grandfather" status within Oklahoma City's base ball history.  

It must have been a great moment in time to suit up and represent Oklahoma City as professionals on such a magnificent yet unpolished diamond of base ball. With historical mentions of opposing players, winning or losing, enjoying their particular time spent in Oklahoma City, the game of base ball was recognized as a great advertising medium for such a young, struggling, yet, growing community. Sounds similar to the type of market branding and representation offered by the current Oklahoma City Dodgers organization. The Dodger's representing a more mature city and modern window of progressive times, but, their seeds of organizational existence and harvest of success was planted along with some of central Oklahoma's most vibrant cotton crops back in the year of 1891.

As Walter Jennison vigorously labored to create a competitively organized base ball team, the first "real" ball park in Oklahoma City was under construction and completed by June of 1891. According to the reflective 1940 remembrance of former Pirate outfielder Tom Dyer of Blanchard, the new grandstand of this first and real ball park "was not just pieced together with beer kegs and boards." Dyer's near fifty year old eye witness descriptive of the park includes his personal and vivid memories of "having a covered grandstand with a 'tight' eight foot board fence. It had a quarter-mile race track. It was constructed within the military reservation just evacuated by Captain D.F. Stiles and his troops," shared Dyer. It was located just two blocks east of the Sante Fe depot about where Irving School stood (4th & Walnut)."

Dyer enthusiastically shared a finishing touch ball park moment as O.A. Mitcher & Company popped off the back stop with what had to be Oklahoma City base ball's first ever billboard sponsorship. Mr. O.A. Mitcher owned and operated the company that provided pioneering female consumers with a "Choice Stock of Ladies' Dress Goods; A Full Line of Standard Patterns in Stock; A Specialty of Good Shoes; Specialty in Clothing Department, Carpets and Curtains." It was standard for all ladies to be admitted to the base ball games for free, but, quite possibly their complimentary ticket was already subliminally covered with the sponsorship dollars of O.A. Mitcher & Company. Mitcher's young son Mark would later join the military and eventually earned command of the U.S. Navy's very first aircraft carrier, the "Langley." 

Pirate manager Walter Jennison and O.A. Mitcher partnered outside the world of base ball to create an organization to promote Oklahoma City manufacturing. Henry Wills served as President, Mitcher as Vice President, Jennison as Secretary and Seymour Price as Treasurer.

​The Mitcher's back stop in 1891 was considered "vitally" necessary and stood eighty to ninety feet behind home plate. According to Gene Barnes, the actual distance was ninety feet. From Tom Dyer's point of view, it was eighty feet behind home plate. Whether it was eighty or ninety feet, the backstop was a most visible billboard and a most influential part of how a catcher approached the defensive part of his game.

As Oklahoma City's first professional catcher, Harry Jennison wore a scantily-padded four finger catcher's mitt. Jennison's mitt had the fingers cut off on is catching hand and a smaller thinner glove barely covering the palms of his throwing hand. Jennison would let the ball bounce off the backstop on the first two strikes while retrieving it hastily. He would then move up into a position to take the third strike "hot off the bat" if he was game enough as old Tom Dyer put it. "Strikes were hard to get. Foul's did not count as strikes and many batsmen were good at ticking the ball," explained Dyer. Jennison would have been the only Pirate player to wear a glove as Dyer said "catchers were the only ones who did back then."             

This particular year of 1891 turns out to be a most important turn around moment in time relative to Oklahoma City and what is now known as it's future. Following a disaster filled Fourth of July celebration soon after the land run of 1889, anything recognized as good representation for the city was most important as the struggle to recover from such recent and major calamity was difficult to say the least.

The New York Evening World reported that two hundred Oklahoma City people were injured by the fall of a stand with one child killed and others expected not to live. "Without warning two thousand men, women and children were precipitated to the ground and covered with beams and boards with one hundred of the injured possibly to die" was published in what was branded as a "special to the world" by the Evening World.

Datelined Oklahoma, I.T., July 4 - "During the Fourth of July celebration, at 3 o'clock this afternoon, just at the close of the ball game, the crowd started for the stand to see the races, which were announced to take place in twenty minutes. The rush was rapid and seats were most instantly filled, there being at least 2,000 people on the stand when, without a preliminary crack or sound, the whole fabric went to the ground. Most of the occupants were women and children. There was one wild whirl, a horrible crash, and scats, roof and timber came down, burying the throng in a mass of splintered timbers. Investigation showed that though fully two hundred were injured by falling timbers, only one fifteen-months-old child (actually eleven months old) of Dr. Ryan, of this city, was killed outright, though several others may die."

The Evening World individually listed sixty-four of the injured men, women and children while closing their worldwide report on Oklahoma City's tragedy. "The grand stand was hastily constructed a few days ago and was then pronounced unsafe, but the officials thought they would not have to build another. The military in this city took charge of the grounds and nobody was allowed to enter this district where the wounded were except the surgeons and the friends of the injured. Army ambulances were furnished and all the injured were brought to this city on mattresses. It is said that one hundred of the injured will die," concluded the Evening World.

A native 89er eyewitness shares his most vivid memories of the tragic event during Oklahoma City's first Fourth of July celebration attempt. One of the city's first hardware store owners, W.J. Pettee, said "Cheyenne and Arapaho indians were brought here to participate in the celebration." Mr. Pettee had already staked out his claim and established his hardware store in Oklahoma City's township just one day after the land run of April 22, 1889. "Various persons entered their horses in the races. Cold drink stands, wheels of fortune and other concessions were housed under the grand stand," stated Pettee.

Dr. James A. Ryan and his wife Alice were both fortunate and unfortunate to be present at Oklahoma City's Fourth of July celebration in 1889.

Previous to opening a full service medical practice in Oklahoma City, Dr. James A. Ryan, a graduate of the Kentucky School of Medicine, served the community of Leon, Indian Territory, with what was considered a "saddle bag" practice that he initiated in 1877. It was most fortunate that Dr. Ryan's medical skills were available and needed immediately on the catastrophic event site. It was also most unfortunate as the couple's eleven month old son, James Alvin Ryan, "fell off" the grand stand and was killed during the infamous collapse tragically and forever blemishing Oklahoma City's first attempt at celebrating our nation's freedom.     

​Another well preserved real time eye witness experience comes from pioneering Sante Fe railroad agent Arthur W. Dunham who was in the grand stands with a few friends as the tragic collapse actually took place.

"It (Fourth Of July, 1889) was advertised far and near, and the trains brought in good crowds. The citizens attended en masse. A large grand stand was erected on the military reservation bordering on what was later Maywood. There were horse races, roping contests, Indian dances, and some athletic stunts. Public speakers were provided, in fact, the plans contemplated a first class celebration," shared agent Dunham of the Sante Fe Railway.

"The grand stand was crowded to the limit. As the crowd had just gotten comfortably seated, the whole structure collapsed without warning. A good many were hurt. Dr. Ryan's child was killed. All three of us were covered with wreckage. I suffered no injury, but had my coat badly torn, the one next to me wearing a Derby hat, had the top cut off, causing his black bushy hair to show through the top of the hat. The other was one of the boys from my office. He was injured so badly that we carried him to a dray. I took him to my home where his injuries were examined by the doctor; recovery, however was rapid, as no bones were broken. The next day several of the injured were taken out on the train. One poor fellow occupying a cot, was put in a baggage car. He had both legs broken."    

The grand stand collapse itself would be considered quite a large set back for any new born community, its people, its base ball teams and horse racing entities. This while oppressing any positive outlook in general for inhabitants of such a tragic filled environment. Equally disturbing and happening on the same day was a violent act of criminal assault (rape) towards a young thirteen year old girl figuratively and literally buried beneath the dreadful rubble and world wide broadcast of news relative to the grand stand collapse. 

Charles M. Lane, formerly of Gainesville, Texas, was, at the time, recognized as business manager for the Oklahoma City Daily Journal. As well, Lane was publicly recognized as "corresponding secretary of the committee on arrangements on the Fourth of July Celebration." Charles Lane was arrested during the late evening hours of July 5, 1889. Accusations against him included enticing the girl to his room located within the Overholser block, and "under threats of killing her," as the young girl declared, "succeeded in accomplishing his design." This horrendous act upon a child taking place on the very same day of and after the July 4, 1889, grand stand collapse.

Lane was escorted to the U.S. jail in Wichita, Kansas, by Deputy United States Marshal George E. Thornton. Actual charges were filed on September 6 of 1889. Despite rumors that Lane escaped while being taken to Wichita for imprisonment, Oklahoma City's Marshal Thornton assured the press and general public that "Lane made no attempt to escape and could not have got away had he tried ever so much."

​Charles Lane's assault on the young Ms. Skeed took place within Overholser Row located on what is now Robinson Avenue. The Colcord Hotel still stands today where these combination of business on bottom and apartments on top structures existed on the west side of the street.

Assistant District Attorney J.S. Johnson of Oklahoma presented the accusers case before the appointed jury members of the September 13, 1889, trial held in the U.S. District Court of Wichita. Johnson asserted that "on the day of the crime, Lane procured a carriage and was driving about the city and seeing Miss Skeed on the street, he invited her to ride with him to the place where the Fourth of July celebration was held. Returning to the city, he placed the carriage in the livery stable. He then walked back to the city in company with Miss Skeed. In the course of their walk, they passed a block of buildings (Overholser Row) wherein there was a dental office. He made an excuse, upon reaching the stairway leading to his room, that he had business in the dentists office and he prevailed upon the child to accompany him up the stairway. On arriving on the second floor, she found herself in the room of the defendant and the crime was then committed by force."

​After Lane's defense attorney's pleaded a "not guilty" case with cross examinations of witnesses and sporadic over rulings of statements here and there, the jury summoned to decide the fate of the accused did just that in less than five minutes. "We the jury in the above-entitled cause, duly impaneled and sworn, upon our oaths find the defendant guilty of carnal and unlawful knowledge of Frances M. Skeed, a female under the age of sixteen years, as charged in the indictment." Jury members included G.W. Friend, W.A. Ackerman, James McClain, Thomas J. Kirker, R.A. Dowell, J.E. Lucas, F.R. McKinley, O.C. Ingmire, J. Gillespie, J.W. Richardson and Samuel Rodgers.

After a motion for a new trial and an arrest of judgment was made, heard, and overruled, the following sentence from Judge Foster's U.S. District Court in Wichita was pronounced. "Thereupon, it is now by the court here considered, ordered, and adjudged that said defendant be imprisoned in the Kansas penitentiary for the period of five years. It is further ordered that the marshal deliver, or cause to be delivered, the body of said Charles Lane to the warden of said penitentiary within ten days from this date."
 
With the catastrophic loss of one young child and the horrific life altering victimization of another, nothing but dark clouds could hang over a new born community struggling to survive on the open range known as Oklahoma Territory. If knowing history helps to keep it from repeating itself, citizens in and around Perry, I.T., must have not heard of the world wide news flash of Oklahoma City's 1889 grandstand collapse. Just five years following in 1894, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Asa C. Potter lost her life when a grandstand holding five-hundred fans went down in a heap. This tragic event taking place during a base ball contest between an Indian nine and a local Perry nine. In much the same unfortunate fashion of Oklahoma City's tragedy, many were injured and one child was sadly lost leaving another set of parents in shock and heartbroken to the extreme.

Such tragic loss of life and child abuse in Oklahoma City gives all the more reason to recognize the prolific and well timed arrival of Mr. Walter R. Jennison and his vision for the future Pirate base ball as an entertaining and exciting pastime for pioneers. Even more important was Jennison's vision of stabilizing the cotton industry and the growth of agriculture which would help anchor a struggling territorial city walking within its tragic filled baby steps of historical existence. As the Jennison Brothers and Company began serving the Oklahoma City area with farm equipment, they also laid plans to sell base ball to the new territory on a big scale. This, while recognizing the need to rid their game of rowdy elements that dominated the amateur efforts previous to their arrival. 

With enthusiasm and a no fail attitude founded upon a persistent "play it by ear" basis, Walter R. Jennison strategically labored on an 1891 schedule of games against other teams with railroad accessibility from Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. From these pioneer efforts to birth a successful organization called the Pirates with great effort to create a season of reputable schedule for a youthful Oklahoma City, the summer of 1891 was eventually highlighted with Jennison's businesslike organization of ticketed games against territorial teams from Purcell, Guthrie, Fort Reno, Frisco and Stillwater as well as teams from Gainesville (TX), Winfield (KS) and Wellington (KS).

1904 Oklahoma Metropolitans base ball club (back row l to r) 1, Andrew Warner, Capt.; 2, Charles Sullenger; 3, R.B. Swartzell; 4, Clarence Nelson; 5, Red Werner; 6, Bennett; (middle row) 7, William Becker; 8, Gene Barnes; 9, Everett Sheffield; (front l to r) 10, Fred Tuller; and 11, Alf Page. Photo by Hamilton, The Photographer, 128 1/2 Main Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory. 

​The chosen few and fine historians of Oklahoma sports have correctly pointed towards 1904 as being the foremost consistent year of professional base ball competition to take the field in Oklahoma City. The Gene Barnes purchased and imported Iola, Kansas, team was quite competitive and recognized by the Oklahoma City press as champions of the Southwestern League. Despite the potential of error in championship accolades, 1904 was a solid and deserving year, but, not the true iron-willed genesis attempt at launching a progressively trained and efficiently organized base ball club that merits its own entombed, lost in time, acknowledgment. A remarkable success lost between its own phenomenon in 1891 and the many failed attempts leading up to the more solidified  foundation season of Oklahoma City base ball in 1904.

Being one of curious mind over matters that contributed to the solid foundation of Oklahoma City's start-up in pro base ball, I set out to exhume the embryo of this infrastructure and found there were years previous to 1904 that included some well organized, properly scheduled and travel ready entities existing and representing Oklahoma City on diamonds of red dirt and rough grass throughout the Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas prairies. Following the aargh of the Pirates, actual genealogy of Oklahoma City's team names transcend into Statehoods, Metropolitans, Senators, Boosters, Indians, 89ers, Redhawks and current day Dodgers. 

At first, my imperfect and slow curved mind thought 1902 was the Genesis effort headed up by a con artist and former 1890's minor league player Frank Quigg. Quigg was found conducting the same type of base ball business for Oklahoma City as Walter Jennison in 1901 and 1902, yet, his motives and rhetoric reflected a more for the money approach relative to is actual abilities to manage a team. Quigg mysteriously exited Oklahoma City in the early part of the 1902 season. This leaving potential and solid base ball affairs with prominent civic leaders providing support in scramble mode which, unfortunately, was not uncommon in territorial townships of the early twentieth century. 

The first true "incorporated" venture to field a professional team came about in 1902 with the idiosyncratic Frank Quigg stirring up pre-season expectations of "great ball" to be played at the professional level in and by Oklahoma City. Although an eccentric part of a continued transition towards better base ball in 1904 and 1905, Quigg's demise was quick as his quirky antics did not hold up with astute pioneer businessmen and initial stockholders such as Charles F. Colcord, F.H. Shelly, Gene Barnes, Harry Robare and others. As Oklahoma City base ball progressively moved forward, Quigg eventually found himself fan mobbed as an umpire and then shot to death by U.S. Marshals in a 1909 attempt to rob the Harrah State Bank.

With application on file to umpire for the Central Base Ball Association in 1910, Quigg and four outlaw cohorts fabricated plans to rob three banks and the post office in Harrah, Oklahoma. The villainous plans were set for New Year's Eve of 1909. During the attempt on December 31, a trap inclined and pre-informed posse led by U.S. Marshal Jack Abernathy surprised the robbers upon their arrival at the bank. The robbers scattered and ran as deputies opened fire. Quigg was quickly shot and killed on site.

Just a few weeks previous to the Harrah attempt, Quigg and his outlaw companions had robbed $300 from the U.S. Post Office in Golden, Colorado. Six months previous to being shot to instant death in Harrah, Quigg was displaced as umpire in a series of games contested between Fort Worth and his former home team of Oklahoma City. This by Texas League President W.P. Allen after Quigg was mobbed by Metropolitan fans for obvious and errant umpiring decisions made behind the plate.

Oklahoma City base ball stockholder Harry Robare (center) took over as interim manager of these Metropolitans in the early part of a 1902 season as the struggle to maintain consistency and existence continued towards a more successful and foundational 1904 season.

Members of the first incorporated attempt at base ball in 1902 Oklahoma City include (front row l to r) Ollie Conn, Mt. Zion, Ill., 2nd base; R. Wayne Reynolds, Lincoln, Neb., Pitcher/RF; Harry Robare, OKC, O.T., Interim Manager; Otto Meyers, Kansas City, MO., Catcher; Charles Parks, Vinita, I.T., Catcher/IF; (back row l to r) Max Gibbs, Sherman, TX, SS/3rd base; A.B. Snodgrass, OKC, O.T., CF/SS; John Desmond, St. Louis, MO, Pitcher/OF; Hardin Thurman, Chickasha, I.T., Pitcher/IF; and Charles Barry, Cairo, Ill., 1st base.

With em•bry•o being described as "an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development," it is my belief I and a few others have discovered just that in regard to Oklahoma City's transformation from enthusiastic and fun town ball reality into a higher realm of professional base ball existence.

Choosing to implement full focus on more than just the mere mention of the name Walter R. Jennison, I do believe the genesis of pro ball in Oklahoma City wraps around his existence and efforts in 1891. Although town ball teams, and later sandlot teams, continued to increase in popularity and numbers across Indian and Oklahoma Territories well into the early twentieth century, diligently researched documentation points toward Walter R. Jennison being the pioneer of Oklahoma's gateway to professional base ball in his guts to glory year of 1891.

Previous to 1891, sporadic documentation and images of base ball being played throughout the territories exists as nucleus evidence of a game being bred for a higher level of play. Along with these scattered mentions of amateur contests, mostly jokes of a base ball nature were published for the enjoyment of nineteen century newspaper audiences.

The May, 12, 1889, edition of the Omaha Daily Bee reported "the Oklahoma base ball club has not yet been organized. R. E. Volver has put in a ball or two with a swiftness and accuracy which would indicate who was to be the pitcher." Recognizing this comedic approach of reference to "R.E. Volver" as being (revolver) just twenty-five days post the rampant Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. Despite the humor, the thought of base ball in Oklahoma did exist outside our territorial boundaries. Although not that well known at the time, it also existed in real life within Indian Territory boundaries.

By July 4 of 1885, the Darlington Agency boys had received their "base-ball set" and had been practicing to win a match game with the "Reno" boys aka Fort Reno. With base ball and horse racing noted as the "only" Fourth of July amusement of that particular day in 1885, the matchup between Fort Reno and the Darlington Agency was a close and exciting ball game. A nine inning tie sent the contest into extra innings with the Darlington Agency squeaking out a win against the soldiers from Fort Reno. Darlington was an Indian Agency established to assist the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes existing to the wilder west of Oklahoma Territory. Fort Reno was a federal military facility initially established to provide security and support for native Americans, the agency and new pioneers traveling in and through the territory. 

​​With amateur level ball being the highlight of many villages and towns within Indian and Oklahoma Territories, games were played and bets were made, but, from this historians research and opinion, a true professional attempt did not exist until 1891. This leaving the year of 1890 and others as a continuation of a mixed bag of amateur strategy targeting the Walter R. Jennison led birth of Oklahoma City's first true professional venture towards organized play in 1891. Not to sell previous efforts short, but to recognize them as birthing pains to what the future held for Oklahoma City base ball. 

Historians flourish with pride from being able to share real time cutting edge new verifications but nothing to date exists to offer anything other than town ball guestimation for the year of 1890. One can only feel flourish from making up the word guestimation, but, newspaper documentation for a real attempt season organized and played in a professional manner in 1891 offers enthusiasm for those few interested in the true genesis year and storyline of Oklahoma City base ball.

​With some thoughts of the Pirate's genesis and first game being played against the Purcell "Chickasaws" at home on June 19, 1891, the first actual reference to Oklahoma City's red dirt buccaneers competing for a base ball victory was delivered to subscribers of the June 12, 1891, edition of the Oklahoma Daily Journal. Within this very same issue, Walter Jennison is again recognized as "ordering up suits for the base ball boys." Jennison is also found extending a directive for all who wish to travel to Guthrie "tomorrow" needing to provide notification so Jennison could secure excursion rates for avid Pirate fans who would actually witness Oklahoma City's genesis of professional base ball on the summer Saturday of June 13, 1891, in Guthrie, O.T.

Newspaper readers and original Pirate fans despised the bad news from Guthrie found in their June 14, 1891, edition of The Oklahoma Daily Journal. A Pirate loss on the road was quite controversial and seemed to be deleted from history as claims of "undefeated" were carried through the season until a loss to Winfield in Oklahoma City on August 7, 1891.

Relative to a futuristic struggle to locate Oklahoma's state capital, Oklahoma City's first professionally organized base ball game against Guthrie could ironically be considered as controversial. With a seventh inning score of 4-3 favoring Guthrie's nine, the Pirates were at bat with a man on third and nobody out. Trouble arose over what was described as "some rank decision" by an umpire named Berger. It seems that if things were all square in a fair deal, Oklahoma City would have won their initial base ball campaign of competition. But, with claims of Guthrie stealing what was described as a fine game from start to finish, the Pirates were evidently forced by Berger to walk the plank, so to speak, all the way back to Oklahoma City with a one run loss.

Following the bitterly disputed first loss on the road to the Guthrie nine, the second published reference of an Oklahoma City Pirate base ball game is found in the June 19, 1891, edition of the Oklahoma Daily Journal. Headlines read OKLAHOMA CITY VS PURCELL with a subliner of "A Great Game of Base Ball This Afternoon Between the Chickasaws of Purcell and the Oklahoma City "Pirates." The game was held in Oklahoma City "on the reservation" being called to "play ball" promptly at 2:30 o'clock with admission free and a special invitation for "the ladies" to attend.

​In what has been thought by some to be the actual first documented game, the Oklahoma City Pirates roster against Purcell included three previously mentioned and original 89er town team sandlot stars Johnston, Morey and Carson. Oklahoma City's pre-game lineup for their first actual home game in team history read as follows: Ed Johnston, Pitcher; Harry Jennison, Catcher; Harry Hanley, First Base; W.R. Jennison, Second Base; Frank Butts, Third Base, John Hall, Short Stop; Usher Carson, Left Field; Frank Morey, Center Field; and George Boss, Right Field. Walter R. Jennison was recognized as the manager and captain of this 1891 Oklahoma City Pirates base ball club.

To date, no discovery of the actual results against what was thought to be the Chickasaws from Purcell had been documented. To date, it is now known that pitching in the beginning was rough around both the inside and outside edges, the Chickasaws were actually named the Black Stockings and Oklahoma City won their inaugural home game of the season by a score of 23-13. Before a number of "ardent admirers" from Purcell who had caught the train to Oklahoma City with hopes of seeing a good game, the umpire mercifully closed the game at the end of the sixth inning with the Black Stockings trailing the Pirates by ten runs.

The Pirates ball players were recognized as gentlemen of Oklahoma City who extended a courteous and friendly reception toward the Black Stockings and their fans from the Chickasaw Nation. Purcell pitcher Will Blanchard, "the artistic twirler," was targeted as a reason for the Black Stockings loss for lacking his standard pitching skills on this Friday afternoon in 1891 Oklahoma City.

Although not the actual genesis game, the Purcell contest was big in regard to Oklahoma City going "wild" over base ball. One territorial farmer rigged up his team of oxen not with plow but specifically to make a twenty mile trip to Oklahoma City just to see the base ball game. With the highest professional levels in the east struggling with union organized disruptions, the 1891 launch and success of the game in Oklahoma City has been historically noted as "remarkable." The Post Office Book Store advertised and carried actual Major League Baseballs for $1.50 each; Ash Bats for $1.50; Willow Bats for $1.00; and Bass Wood Bats for $0.75. The younger generation looking up to new Oklahoma City players such Walter Jennison, Ed Johnston and Frank Morey were peddling papers and shining shoes with effort to earn money for the purchase of base ball equipment.

With the game of base ball stirring up immediate and "wild" enthusiasm in Oklahoma City, Jennison, serving on the Fourth Of July 1891 Celebration's base ball committee along with Ledru Guthrie and Usher Carson, set out to accomplish their part of atonement for the disastrous Fourth of July celebration just two years earlier. The "mammoth" celebration featured Oklahoma City vs. Fort Reno with an exclamation mark as one of the events headliners. "A magnificent game of base ball between champions of the Territory will be played" was read by readers of newspapers and of the "dodgers" (aka leaflets) being distributed around town.

With great effort to clarify Oklahoma City's stance in regard to cleaning up the game, the targeted newspaper ads and "dodgers" being scattered about town directly communicated Jennison's "Rules of the Game." Jennison created a specific list of the following eight rules including number seven where no "ONE" is allowed to kill the umpire.

1st. Games will be called at 3:30 p.m. Gates open at 2:30 p.m.

2nd. No intoxicating liquors allowed on the grounds.

3rd. No intoxicated or unpleasantly notorious persons will be admitted.

4th. Any person using profane language will be ejected and money returned.

5th. Betting on grounds strictly prohibited.

6th. Carriages will be admitted free and required to be tied to hitching posts.

7th. No ONE will be allowed to kill the umpire. Everybody must take a hand.

8th. Admission, adults 25 cents children 15 cents, grand stand 10 cents extra.

The Oklahoma City Pirates admirable captain and second baseman boldly identified with his rules concluding them with a typeset signature "W.R. Jennison, Manager.

​Considering the Pirate's ball park was located within the former military reservation maintained and commanded by U.S. Army Captain Daniel F. Stiles, law and order was bound to dominate this comeback Fourth of July parade, the base ball game and all other activities scheduled for that particular day. Captain Stiles, serving as Grand Marshal, was recognized as a most prominent and influential pioneering citizen of Oklahoma City. Arriving on a train three days before the Land Run, Captain Stiles and his Fifth Calvary were assigned by the U.S. Army to maintain civility and order. If Captain Stiles and his parading army of enforcers were not enough, soldiers from Fort Reno were also on hand to not only play base ball but to entertain spectators with their band. Captain Stiles' 5th Cavalry Band was a large part of the parade that day and enhanced the essence of security and safety for all who attended the parade, the horse and bicycle races as well as the base ball game and the finale evening events of music entertainment.

The Fourth of July parade itself was grand in style and size. The 10 o'clock parade procession order included Grand Marshal, Captain D.F. Stiles; Aides James H. Wheeler, Gardner Given, E.T. Overholser and E.C. Bartows; Fifth Calvary Band, U.S. Army; Batallion U.S. Regulars; City and County officials; Cramer Post, G.A.R.; Oklahoma's Camp Sons of Veterans; Civic societies; Assistant Grand Marshal, Charles W. Meacham; Aides L.A. Gilbert, Frank Butts, W.W. Sanford and Frank Scott; Oklahoma City Band; Fort Reno Base Ball Club; Oklahoma City Base Ball Club; Oklahoma City Bicycle Club; Citizens in carriages; and Shawnee, Cheyenne and Araphoe Indians.

The grand parade's procession began on California Avenue. It then proceeded north on Broadway to Grand Avenue. Then flowed west on Grand Avenue to Robinson. Went north on Robinson to main and then east on Main to Broadway. From there, north on Broadway to Third and moved east on Third towards the former military reservation grounds.

The schedule of events on the grounds began with a band playing at 11 o'clock. Reverend A.G. Murray shared the opening invocation. Addressing and welcoming the crowd was A.C. Scott, Master of Ceremonies. The band shared more celebratory music. Judge J.H. Woods and the Honorable D.H. Hammons addressed the crowd. The band continued playing up and through 12 o'clock when a break for dinner took place.

At 2 o'clock, "suitable and liberal prizes" were up for grabs as the Horse, Pony, Bicycle  and other miscellaneous races were held. Breaking Jennison's Rule #1 calling for games to start at 3:30 o'clock, it was actually 4 o'clock when the base ball game between Fort Reno and Oklahoma City was called for "play ball!" Following the base ball game at 8:30 o'clock in the evening and for 25 cents extra, the crowd was entertained with a promenade concert performed by the Overholser Opera House concluding with a grand finale Fifth Calvary band and orchestra performance.           

After the parade and random races and with strict rules in place, base ball became a family focused affair on this wonderful Fourth of July in 1891. The Pirates continued to create "wild" enthusiasm with a 13-8 victory over the veteran and more experienced Fort Reno soldiers. With victory came confidence and the import of improved players along with challenges to any game takers within a broader section of the territory, southern Kansas and northern Texas. Taking advantage of the holiday momentum, Jennison reached out to cities throughout the territory and southern Kansas with daring provocation of match games. The first to accept was a nine from the soon to be ghost town of Frisco located 16.7 miles west of Oklahoma City. It was agreed by both parties to play this game in Oklahoma City on July 18 of 1891.

Jennison not only strategized the fueling of more base ball excitement with another home game against the Frisco nine, he also created a calculated opportunity to "try out" a new pitcher with hopes of finding much needed mound support for Pirate ace Ed Johnston. This done with thoughts of his Pirates being able to step up to the next level and play a series of games instead of individual match games.

​The upcoming Frisco game was promoted as "undoubtedly one of the best games ever" to be played in the city. With it only being the third home game to date, and, with Frisco recruiting soldiers from Fort Reno as well as players from Kingfisher, truth in advertising would seem to be as safe as the last runner who scored against Fort Reno in the Pirates most recent victory on the Fourth of July.

On July 18, 1891, former Texas Leaguer George Kittle proved to be worthy enough as a pitcher to allow the creation of a two man rotation that would anchor the Pirates and their upcoming run of competitive games to be scheduled. Kittle's Texas League experience immediately improved the Pirates persona of professional. Kittle's addition proved most valuable as he could also handle the position of catcher and play outfield as well. His pitching record was 25-15 with Austin of the Texas League in 1889. He was 9-8 with Waco of the Texas League the following year in 1890. He previously played for both the Dallas and Fort Worth teams in 1888.

For base ball fans in general who bought into the "best game ever played" prophecy, disenchantment walked away from this game right beside them. For Pirate fans who had been somewhat teased into such "wild" enthusiasm for the game with a couple of home victories, it was certainly escalated to an even higher level with a third home victory. The Pirates not only won but won big as they defeated Frisco 22-3. A great offensive effort produced those twenty-two runs with seventeen hits in this blowout victory. New Pirate pitcher George Kittle, featuring a marvelous drop ball, scattered eight hits while giving up only three runs. His game that day was even better than what was documented on paper as the Pirates defense committed four errors behind him which inflated the number of runs scored by Frisco nine offense on this particular game day.

With two Frisco players failing to appear because they thought it would rain, their team overall had no chance with two less and two more players. In front of a turnstile counted crowd of about 350 fans, the Pirates hit well and hit often while the Frisco nine struggled against Kittle and his drop ball. Despite committing four errors, the press evaluated Oklahoma City's defense as "brilliant." With Kittle on the mound and Harry Jennison catching, their efforts were recognized as "first class." To support his great pitching effort, Kittle highlighted this particular game with a bases loaded double.

With George Kittle proving to be a pitcher worthy of team confidence, Jennison and his 3-1 Pirates did step up and into their first attempt at series play soon after their landslide victory over the Frisco nine. Jennison's quest for transformation from individual match games to series play was a big step for Oklahoma City and its base ball future. Playing one game is challenging and fun. Playing a series of three games is a sign of growth in both sustained player numbers and skill levels and ability to compete within a similar echelon of long established professional teams from the United States east.      

​Pirate fans and readers of the July 25, 1891, edition of the Oklahoma Daily Times-Journal were somewhat stimulated by  the following. "The Wellington Mail of Thursday says that 'Walter Frantz of this city (Wellington, Kansas) and Lee Phillips of Winfield (KS) will constitute the battery for Stillwater, O.T., base ball club in the games with the Oklahoma City club on Tuesday (July 28), Wednesday (July 29), and Thursday (July 30) of next week. With such a strong battery, Stillwater's chances of winning are good.' The indications, therefore, are good for an excellent game. Our boys will have to put up their best licks."

The Stillwater recruit and Wellington Maroon catcher Walter Frantz was the baby brother of six Frantz boys who eventually moved to Medford, O.T., in 1893. Walter's older brother Frank not only a Revolutionary War Roosevelt Rough Rider, he historically served as the last of seven territorial Governors before Oklahoma was ordained with statehood in 1907. Frank was a rough and tumble older brother, athlete and friend of our nations president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. Some highly competitive boxing matches are discovered within his friendship with our president during visits to the White House. Frank Frantz actually knocked out Roosevelt on three different occasions of their mixing it up in the ring.

Loaded with the catching talents of Walter Frantz, the pitching skills and experience of Lee Phillips and the secret addition defensive boost from short stop Walter Forsythe, Stillwater fans were favoring the betting odds of their Hawks beating the Pirates on their home ship in Oklahoma City. Despite the Daily Times-Journal publishing games to be played on July 28, 29 and 30, only one game between the Hawks and Pirates actually came to fruition. Researched evidence (no mention anywhere) indicates the July 28 game was either not scheduled or possibly rained out, the July 29 game did take place and the July 30 game was rained out.

With progressive intentions of series play, the Pirates were relegated, by weather conditions, back to a standard one, fun and done scenario against the beefed up Stillwater Hawks. With transformation somewhat on hold, the Hawks and Pirates contested team talents on the red dirt reservation grounds now vacated by the U.S. military. The field of play on July 29 was described as being in fine condition with no dust and only a few soft spots leading researching historians to believe the July 28 game may have been rained out.

According to local press, in the first five innings of nine between the Pirates and the Hawks, "both teams played like professionals." Players on both sides were recognized as being in good shape "slim, trim and ready to win." The starting umpire was not considered up to par with the games players though. After some disgruntled objections to the calls of Umpire Roll, Frank Dale took over. Dale's hawkeye calls from the third inning on received no complaints from either side.

The Hawks from Stillwater surprised the Pirates in the first inning by jumping out to a 2-1 lead. It was a bit of a rough start for Pirate pitcher George Kittle in the top of the first but he would settle in to give up only five hits while striking out twelve batters in his nine innings of solid work. The recruited Lee Phillips pitched almost as well giving up only seven hits while striking out seven Pirates. They key to victory in this game was defense and both teams were consistent in the field with four errors each. Timing of errors favored one team over the other. With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Phillips tossed a wild pitch which allowed two Pirates to score. Combined with some unfortunate errors by the Hawks defense, the Pirates scored three more for a total of five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. That was enough for Kittle as he continued striking out Hawks and only allowed one more run to cross the plate in the top of the ninth before closing the door of defeat for the Hawks. According to local press, "the Pirates played like professionals" while improving their season record to 4-1. This with a 7-3 well earned victory over a competitive Stillwater team stocked with Kansas players.

Losing the opportunity to see if phenom Pirate pitcher Ed Johnston could follow up Kittle's fine performance with back to back victories over the Hawks, Jennison would have to look forward to such opportunity at a later date. Rain fell on Oklahoma City on July 30th washing away any chance for back to back wins for the Pirates.

Along with a disappointing defeat of the Hawks by the Oklahoma City Pirates, sixteen year old Wellington Maroon catcher Walter Frantz shared his memories of his voyage to Stillwater and on to Oklahoma City for the July 29, 1891, base ball game. "We passed through the wild Cherokee Outlet by train and got off at the first stop in Oklahoma Territory," Frantz recalled. "From there we took a stagecoach to Stillwater. The driver had just whipped up the horses when a rider with two big guns flagged him down and warned the passengers to hide their valuables, the robber varmits were on the loose. I thought it was a prank but Lee Phillips had $50.00 on him and trembled all the way to Stillwater. I have to confess I never saw such wild looking country," shared Frantz.

About the Kansas players joining the Hawks to play against Oklahoma City, Walter Frantz said "the Stillwater team didn't want Oklahoma City to know who we Kansas boys were, so we stayed out of sight as much as we could. One of the Pirates recognized me all right. 'You're Frantz aren't you?' he asked. I couldn't lie, so I didn't say anything. 'He's a Frantz, I played with one of his brothers,' said the Pirate player, 'but he won't hurt us any, he's just a kid.'" Ironically, several Pirates tried to steal second off "the kid" catcher Frantz but he held his own. After about five innings and five attempts with failure, the Pirates were convinced of his youthful ability as a catcher. The "kid" Frantz claimed to have hit a home run off Kittle''s "drop ball," but, the published box score covering the game action reflects Frants went 0 for 4 that day against a strong pitching performance by the Pirates pitcher Kittle.

Disappointed fans and readers of July 31, 1891, edition of the Oklahoma Daily Times-Journal read "It rained all day yesterday (July 30). This would not be a matter of particular note in Oklahoma except for the fact that it prevented the second base ball game between Stillwater and Oklahoma City. There were some expectations that the Hawks would put up such a game that would worry the Pirates to overcome, and a great many were disappointed. The Stillwater boys returned home on the noon train yesterday, well satisfied with the treatment in this city, and will be back later in the season to play a couple more games. It is an excellent team and puts up an excellent game.

​Today the Pirates and the Gainesville club will cross bats. The latter club is here and is an excellent one and a good game is expected. The game will be called at 3:45 p.m. sharp. Turn out and help the boys out, besides seeing a good game."

The August 01, 1891, edition of the Wichita Daily Eagle reported "the base ball clubs in Oklahoma are getting into the fact that the visiting club gets the best treatment when it is beaten." Within the same edition is found, "The Oklahoma Pirates have done up the Stillwater Hawks. The base ball complication in Oklahoma is getting almost as interesting as the capital fight."

The August 06, 1891 edition of the Oklahoma Daily Times is headlined with "BASE BALL TODAY." A sub liner reads "THE WINFIELD TEAM VS THE PIRATES THIS EVENING." A secondary sub liner reads "Today the Ladies will be Admitted Free–The Game to be called at 3:45 Sharp."

The Oklahoma Daily Times continues with "The Winfield team arrived on the 12:30 train this morning and are a fine looking set of young men, they are all 'men' and not 'kids' and their last game before coming to Oklahoma was with Wellington (Kansas) and resulted in a victory for Winfield by a score of 4 to 2, thus it will be seen that the Pirates will have to 'play ball' if they win from the boys from the Sunflower state.

The boys here expected to have a hard fight to win from Winfield and have devoted some time in getting themselves in shape to win, and yet there is no victory until it is won.

​As per agreement the Winfield club will play three games with the Pirates. Gorsuch and Bennett will occupy the points today for Winfield while Kittle and Jennison will do the battery work for the Pirates.

Today admission to the ground will be free for all the ladies, but everybody is cordially invited to attend. Come out and se one of the best games ever played on the home grounds.

The game will be played at the ball park east of the city. Game is called at 3:45. Following is the names and positions of players for Winfield: Bennett, Catcher; Gorsuch, Pitcher; Kyger, 1st Base; Redmond, 2nd Base; Phillips, 3rd Base, Watson, SS; McCampbell, LF; Eastin, CF; and Garver, RF. For Oklahoma City: H. Jennison, Catcher; G. Kittle, Pitcher; F. Morey, 1st Base; W. Jennison, 2nd Base; Ed Johnston, 3rd Base; R. Hall, SS; C. Scott, LF; Will Ebey, CF; and Moore, RF.

​The August 16, 1891, edition of the Fort Worth Gazette reported "the Gainesville base ball club played Oklahoma City their second game today, resulting in a score of twelve to four in favor of Oklahoma City. The Gainesville boys leave for Guthrie in the morning to play Guthrie tomorrow."

The September 09, 1891, edition of the Wichita Daily Eagle reported "the last game between the Guthrie and Oklahoma City base ball clubs came out 13 to 13" while noting "thirteen was an unlucky number for both sides this time."

The September 11, 1891, edition of the Wichita Daily Eagle reported on the September 10 base ball match between Oklahoma City and Wellington, Kansas. "The game today between the Wellington Maroons and the Oklahoma City Pirates resulted in defeat of the boys from the territory by a score of 6 to 3. Kittle, Blackburn and Bennett occupied the points for the Oklahoma City club, while Fournier and Frantz were the Wellington battery.

The September 13, 1891, edition of the Wichita Daily Eagle reported that "the Wellington base ball club 'paid' a Denver pitcher $100 to beat the Oklahoma City Pirates" while indicating "he did it." This referencing the previously mentioned 6 to 3 loss by the Pirates to Wellington on September 10 of 1891.

Author's Note: The general scope of research and visual references include the National Library Of Congress, Oklahoma Historical Society, The Territorial Capital Sports Museum and iMages from the Mark House Collection. Some iMages, moving and still, are utilized specifically to portray the essence of time and events only.

Lookeba's Methodist Episcopal Church Ladies Aid Organization was formed in 1903 to provide assistance and support for settlers residing in one of Oklahoma Territory's newest townships. Standing (left to right) is Mrs Will Hadley, Mrs. Ethel Wheeler, Mrs. H.N. Christian, Mrs. John Chambers, Mrs. Will Scholten and Mrs. Albert Koontz. Seated (left to right) is Mrs. Charles Wise, Mrs. H. Meyers, Mrs. Ed Hadley and Mrs. Ellen Chambers. Photograph is that of Mrs. Titus and standing front right is Mrs. Prosser.

But as yet, not a town - only a settlement. We had no rights as a people, we could not act as a body. What was done had to be done by individuals. In 1907 the town limits were surveyed, and ours became a real miniature city in 1908. The council consisted of W.E. Dean, E. McKinney, and O.M. Hadley. H.E. Warren acted as clerk, I.T. Nickell as treasurer and Clayton Babb as marshal. Of course if the marshal had anything to do, there would be need of a jail, so that fall, in order to protect its rights, Lookeba built a jail - otherwise known as "Clate Babb's Hotel." So far as I know there has been but two lodgers there each for but a night.

In 1909 our school district was consolidated with a strip of country east of here, making our district three miles wide and six miles long. Three wagons were employed to bring the children in from the country. A four room schoolhouse was built in the southwest part of town, the exact center of the district. It stands on a hill where it watches the town and guards it against giving way to the popular feeling of more cotton and less school. Three teachers were employed.

A view from the south side of Lookeba's magnificent four room school house which was actually completed in the year of 1910. The school was located at the top of the hill and overlooked what was now recognized as an official chartered town within the state of Oklahoma which was granted statehood within the Union of the United States three years earlier in 1907.

Mr. Ogle established a printing office that spring and printed the first editions of a newspaper all our own - The Lookeba Index, and it is yet the only paper printed especially for the town news.

After a series of Revival meetings Rev. Mr. Dodson organized the Baptist Church.

Lookeba has had in its history but one fire. About midnight Feb, 22, 1910. Mr. Prossers who were living in the hotel at that time, awoke to find their building in flames. The towns people were quickly summoned, but all effort was of no avail, for by two o'clock the hotel, drug store, pool hall and a general department store were in ruins. The block has not yet been wholly rebuilt.

After much argument with the governor, it was decided that some of the prisoners from the state penitentiary should come here and construct a road of about ten miles through Lookeba. In July 1911, one hundred men arrived, and amid a crowd of people who had come to view the "convicts," they journeyed to their camp west of town. The people seemed to think of them of some sort of humanity but hardly as men.

The roads were greatly bettered by their work.

The advancement of our town since then has been chiefly in a business way. At present there are twenty business houses in Lookeba kept at work, and two seed houses were established in December, 1913. Last year Lookeba shipped out 362 carloads of products while only 87 were shipped in. Ours has grown from a few farm houses and a post-office, into a real , live, thriving town, well fitted to supply the needs of the people who live here."

blogUmentary Under Construction

copyWrite by Mark House

As Memorial Day images began to pop up on my timeline, I found one that was interesting enough to research but couldn't quite pull the name from its 1892 headstone.

With enthusiasm and interest but not much patience, I randomly went through my research procedures and cross referenced a few things here and there and found nothing but myself in a totally different place and time.

From a grave dug in 1892 to another one dug some ten years later, I found myself interested in preserving and sharing the memory of a young seventeen year old Native American who was murdered on Christmas Day in 1902.

Deep from within the darkness of my cyberspace cosmos, headlines in the Anadarko (Oklahoma) Daily Democrat were discovered and read as typeset and printed on December 29, 1902.  "A Foul Murder – Seventeen Year Old Indian Boy Shot Through The Head."

The first feeling was a weird but new one-hundred and eighteen year old sadness. Following were questions in my mind of what, when, how and where with a deep desire to know why. Third was more fresh feelings of century aged sadness.

Two days after Christmas in 1902 a party of quail hunters found a coat near bouts two miles south of River Side School near Anadarko. The coat would have been located about one mile south of the Washita River as the school set one mile north of the river. This particular school was re-opened after the Civil War in the year of 1871 to serve as a transition boarding school for Native American children.

A young Native American boy was murdered on Christmas Day just a few miles from River Side School near Anadarko in 1902.

Upon finding the coat, the quail hunters noticed a trail that aroused their suspicions as it looked like something had been drug along the ground. After following the visible trail for about three fourths of a mile, the hunters shockingly discovered the dead body of a young Native American boy. A young boy that was shot through the head with his murder in cold blood being considered "a great mystery."

Talk from within the Anadarko community indicated the murder victim attended River Side School, performed with the brass band, and, did not have an enemy in the world.

The young boy was last seen in Anadarko on Christmas Day 1902 in the company of another Native American boy as they set out towards their homes located towards the north of town.

A visual of Native American homes located near Anadarko, Oklahoma, at the turn of the twentieth century.

Apparently the two boys made it a few miles north before splitting up and heading to their separate homes. The hapless victim walked about 80 rods (440 yards) from the point of separation before being shot and dragged to where he lay dead for two days in a massive pool of blood.

Evidence suggests the victim was tied by lasso around his feet and drug about one mile before being tossed into a deep canyon where his body was found by the inquisitive quail hunters.

The hunting party quickly sent word to Caddo County Undersheriff David D. Hoag about their gruesome discovery. Sheriff Hoag immediately went out and took charge of the body. From there, Justice Of The Peace W.H. Starkweather held a Coroner's inquest and stated that "every effort will be put forth by our officials to locate the guilty party and bring them to justice."

Before the ink hit the press on Monday, December 29, 1902, Grimes Aikens, an indian boy of near twenty years of age admitted before the Coroner's Jury that he killed the younger indian boy. Aikens said it was about four o'clock on Christmas Day but made claim that the shooting was an accident and he became frightened and drug the body to the canyon and left it. From there, the Coroner's jury returned an unknown verdict that was referenced as "according to the above evidence."

A look at Anadarko, Oklahoma, as it was becoming established as an early nineteenth century township in Caddo County.

Judge W. I. Matheny conducted the examination of witnesses before the Coroner's Jury. As Aikens took the witness stand, Judge Matheny went after him with some "red hot questions" causing Aikens to break down and confess to the killing.

Along with Aikens' confession before the Coroner's Jury, two other young indian boys were arraigned and held over for preliminary trial. Willie Ross and Horace Greely were allegedly present on Christmas Day when Aikens shot his victim in the head.

The remains of Aikens' Christmas Day victim, Paul Lorenz, were buried in Caddo County's Riverside Cemetery at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 28, 1902.

With no forensics and vague, time erased details of evidence and no acknowledged consequences with plenty of questionable conclusions wrapped around his death, seventeen year old Native American Paul Lorenz should not just be remembered for the hideous way he lost his life.

Paul Lorenz should also be remembered for his spirit filled soul that sought education, created beautiful sounds within the brass band at River Side School, and, for leading a life of seventeen years of abundant peace and harmony that was recognized as existing with no known enemies.

For those who've read Paul's story through to the end, a spiritual and visual tribute to his actuality is included in remembrance of a young existence on earth that has ultimately moved on to a higher realm.

As a young third grader at Lookeba-Sickles elementary school, now high school senior in limbo Laryn Garrison dared to dream of making Oklahoma's All State roster. She even double dawg dared to dream of making it to the "Big House" at the infamous Oklahoma City state fairgrounds. Anyone who knows anything about small town basketball knows that's where the small school state tournaments are held on an annual basis. Amazing. All this thought of and planned out while most other third graders were just thinking about recess and what's for lunch.

I encountered a random chance visit with this young lady quietly dreaming her big dreams within this past year. She approached the Lookeba-Sickles high school baseball dugout with camera in hand. Said she was there to snap some pictures as the annual alumni fundraiser game was taking place. Our small talk banter included mention of me being the oldest and maybe not the smartest player to take the field that night with her mention of plans to attend college after high school.

I had thoughts of sharing how great I used to be relative to the game of baseball, but, didn't. Of course, all of us old guys used to be way better than we really were so probably best I didn't. She may have had thoughts of sharing her plans of becoming All-State and soon playing in the "Big House," but, she didn't. Just a quiet yet pleasant small town personality exuding from a friendly smile that I could immediately discern to be one that folks would just like to be around.

How was I supposed to know that I was sitting there visiting with a future Oklahoma All State athlete? I didn't even know of her dreams much less anything about what was to become a reality at the "Big House." I didn't even know I was related to such athletic greatness, but, coming from the same small town, I should have given heed to the real thought of a real chance of relation.

Interesting stuff if I do say so. Laryn Garrison has been slightly more talkative about her dreams come true narrative after the fact. She has now shared "for as long as I can remember (referring to third grade), I looked up at the All State banner hanging in our gym and thought, I'm gonna be up there someday." After receiving a call from her coach (Tammy Bates) with news of being selected as a member of the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association Small School All State West squad, she said "this is definitely a dream come true for me."

Highlight iMages from Laryn Garrison's All State senior season leading to an OSSAA Class B state tournament appearance in Oklahoma City.

Despite now possessing the elite All State branding from the OGBCA, Garrison is recognized as a true team player and said it was Coach Bates who pushed her to become the best she could be. Garrison is the first to give credit to her teammates for Lookeba-Sickles' 24 win season that included her long dreamed for trip to the "Big House." It was only the sixth time in school history that the L-S girls basketball squad had made the time-honored trip to Oklahoma City.

Garrison's basketball skills didn't just show up for one great senior season. History repeated itself three times over and over and over as she was named Caddo County All Tournament Team as a sophomore, junior and senior. As a team, the 2019-2020 L-S girls brought history back to the future as they were crowned Caddo County Tournament Champions for the first time in forty-two (42) years.

While all seniors across the country completely lost the important aspects of the second half of their school year, All State and the dream trip to the "Big House" was already in the books for Laryn Garrison. These rays of light that glisten through a now distressed senior year reality should not go unnoticed. They should be celebrated and recognized with pride. Laryn's mom, Holly Johnston, said they won't be overlooked. "Her dreams from third grade have come true so we will definitely celebrate and remember these accomplishments.

As for Laryn, we can all, by now, hopefully absorb what she will feel when she first sees her name go up on the All State banner that hangs in the gym at Lookeba-Sickles. Makes a fan of #5 wonder what particular girl from this year's third grade class will look up and start dreaming the same dreams.

copyWrite By Mark House

After a near eight year campaign, it finally happened. One of Oklahoma's greatest baseball players and unheralded citizens was ultimately inducted into our great state's Sports Hall Of Fame. Phone calls, emails and personal visits with Hall Of Fame committee members comprised of reinforcing reminders of a great athlete that cannot be denied or left out. Assertive and historical reminders including reference to Oklahoma's Only Number One Major League Baseball Draft Choice, ever, is not in our Hall Of Fame. Determined reminders that kept the fires burning until statistically induced flames spread far enough they could no longer be ignored and/or put out at home plate.

The challenge was thoroughly exciting and enjoyable. The statistical premise of strategy was similar to that found in the now classic baseball movie "Money Ball," which was ironically about the Oakland A's. The mental exertion to construct a well researched and statistically cultivated outcome became somewhat similar as the higher realm of Oklahoma sports icons began to recognize and remember a 20th Century phenom from Eakly, Oklahoma. Despite the normal "there are so many deserving athletes that aren't in the Hall Of Fame" feedback, when push came to shove, no one should have ever had to push.

Eakly's Mike Moore should have been inducted several years ago. He will tell you that himself as he told me that himself. But, despite woulda, shoulda and coulda, what a great moment in time (2019) for it to actually happen. What a spectacular way for the many young lives he has mentored over the span of twenty-five years post retirement to be afforded the opportunity to enjoy this magnificent Hall Of Fame moment with him.

Mike Moore of Eakly, Oklahoma, was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame on August 12, 2019. Moore is now one of less than 200 Oklahoma sports icons to be enshrined into the Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame.

Leading up to the aforementioned Hall Of Fame moment, the unfolding of this story is rooted within an abundance of nomination information. It is not my place to accept credit for anyone's induction as I have worked on and continue to work on a few.

It is the actual accomplishments labored for and acquired by gifted athletes such as Mike Moore that bring about such honor and recognition from fellow iconic athletes and dignitaries. I consider myself most fortunate to experience the pleasure of constructing the pieces of a somewhat lost puzzle in time and showing it off to the right people that brought us to a right place and the right moment in God's time.

The depth of information is abundantly extensive. I share this for those who lack interest with desire to drop out here after already knowing the final, last out in the bottom of the ninth inning, results.

For those with inclination to run deep into center field with effort to make a "Willie Mays" over the head reach for the stars type of immortal baseball catch, Mike Moore's story line is worth the time. Its scenario almost lost its tale before it could be told. One that includes a tragedy to triumph narrative in more ways than one.

Before diving off into those deep waters of tragedy, triumph and statistical stuffed nomination information, Mike's family, friends and fans will enjoy the experience of his actual Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame announcement ceremony filmed as 2019 inductees were introduced to the mass media along with Hall Of Fame members and advocates.

The Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame unanimously selected World Series Champion and Major League Baseball All-Star Mike Moore to become an elite member of their time honored roll of Hall Of Fame inductees. Moore, from Eakly, Oklahoma, joined Bob Stoops, Will Shields, Kendall Cross, Patti Gasso, Mickey Tettleton and Lou Henson as honorary members of the Class of 2019.

On April 24, 1974, headlines in the Carnegie Herald read "Eakly Youth Hurt In Crash."

This particular small town newspaper article did not mention a great all-around athlete or young baseball phenom. It candidly read as follows:

"An Eakly youth was seriously injured Sunday afternoon when the automobile in which he was riding went out of control, left the pavement, crossed a bar ditch and crashed into a fence a half mile North of Eakly on Highway 58. He was thrown from the car.

Mike Moore, a student in the Eakly public school system, suffered a broken knee, leg and a broken hip in the accident. He underwent emergency surgery Sunday afternoon at McBride Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was in surgery two hours.

His sister, Frances, driver of the car, had turned to speak to Mike when the accident occurred. She escaped with minor injuries and was released from the Weatherford hospital after receiving emergency treatment. She was wearing a seat belt and was not thrown from the car by the impact. Moore has one leg in a cast and the other is in traction. Parents of the two youths are Mr. and Mrs. Vernie Moore."

From a personal email received and dated April 25, 2015, a former Eakly police officer shared what he considered a Paul Harvey type "Rest Of The Story" as he was summoned to the accident previously mentioned in the Carnegie Herald.

"On a hot summer afternoon in 1974 a young woman was driving down a rural highway in Western Oklahoma with her kid brother who was about 14 years old and full of piss and vinegar. Like any typical 14 year old he enjoyed aggravating big sis and on this day, he kept turning the radio up louder than she was willing to tolerate.
 
He finally managed to distract her to the point that she took her eyes off the road while trying to get him to behave. Before she realized what was happening, she had crossed the other lane and was going off the pavement and into the grassy bar ditch.

She barely had time to hit her brakes before plowing into fence row embankment at about a 45 degree angle. This caused the car to go airborne and to do a half roll before landing on its top.

The young woman driving had her seat belt fastened and was only shaken up pretty badly but the boy wasn't so lucky. He was not wearing his seat belt and the passenger door had sprung open dumping the boy onto the barb wire fence that the car cleared.

The car and the boy were still moving about 20 to 30 miles an hour when the boy was caught by the top wire of the fence.

As he was sliding along that fence on the fronts of both thighs, his legs were being sawed off by the barbs when he hit a fence post which stopped him but broke his leg in the process. By the time the local police officer got there, it looked like the boy might lose at least one of his broken and mangled legs if not both.

Extensive surgery and the resilience of youth along with an amazing amount of guts and determination were the miracle that had that young man back on his feet in rehab within weeks and even running again within a few months. Still, he was not satisfied with just being able to run so he kept pushing himself. Before a year had passed, he had returned to his school basketball and baseball teams."

Former Officer Gary Klein, a member of the Eakly High School class of 1965, continued to share.

"Now for the rest of the story! 

I was the police officer called to the wreck and I had to go find a place to cry after getting the boy and his sister loaded into an ambulance that hot afternoon.

Some 15 years later, one of the great thrills of my life was getting to watch on TV as that young man pitched the winning 4th game of the 1989 World Series for the Oakland A's.

Yes, that broken and mangled boy laying in a pasture alongside Highway 58 just north of Eakly in 1974 was Mike Moore."

Mike Moore highlights from Major League Baseball's World Series Championship  as witnessed by former Eakly, Oklahoma, police officer Gary Klein and millions of others in 1989.

Now for the rest of the rest of the story.

As a young OK Kids little leaguer growing up on several north Caddo County fields of dreams, there was always a particular one in Eakly, Oklahoma, that, at the time, seemed more of a petrifying nightmare than the old guy behind the curtain on the Wizard Of Oz. That is before they opened it. More frightening than all those black birds in "The Birds" combined. More terrifying than the hairy red eyed big foot monster my dad said he saw down by Gracemont. In more current terms, a lot scarier than that big slobbery dog in Mr. Mertle's (James Earl Jones') back yard.

Luckily I was young enough to not have to face such spine-chilling fear. As for my elder little league friends, well, they weren't so lucky. The horror stories they would share of facing one particular pitcher on that field in Eakly was enough to make me glad of a personal safety found in being the most youthful of this group. Young enough to never have to pull the curtain to see what was behind. Young enough to never have to jump in a phone booth as those birds cracked the glass in attack. Young enough to not even have to worry about jumping Mr. Mertle's fence to retrieve a home run ball all-the-while dodging a huge rabid looking monster of a dog. Young enough to not have to face the fierce and fiery fastball of Eakly's Mike Moore.

Here's where the psychoanalytical Dr. Phil would interrupt and point out the fact that Mike Moore psychologically won half of his little league battles before taking the field. Players sitting around eating their momma's pre-game balogna sandwiches and sweating bullets about facing the phenom all the others have been talking about. "If they couldn't do it, well I don't have a chance" mentality is a losing proposition from the git go. A cue card guy then holds up a "laughter with applause" sign for the crowd as we go to commercial break.

As James Earl Jones describes the rural roots of baseball, the video above includes a vintage little league image of World Series Champion and MLB All-Star Mike Moore (left) along with his brothers Glen Moore (center) and James Moore (right).

There's definitely some appreciable drama to be created in and around the game of baseball. Entertaining theatrical productions such as The Sandlot, Field Of Dreams and Bull Durham are prime examples. But, when it comes to real stuff and the real deal, Mike Moore is one that does not sell us short with his story. My friends can attest from the early days that he was somewhat opposite of the ole Wizard known as Oz. As a hitter, you pull the curtain on Mike Moore and your courage would vanish like that of the old downtrodden Lion walking the yellow brick road with Dorothy, Toto, The Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

What a great baseball story originating from the dusty ole peanut fields of Caddo County and ending up on a pitcher's mound in sunny California with sweet victory in World Championship Series play for the Oakland A's. From a proudly worn little league uniform with an iron-on E to the MLB with a more glorified and perfectly stitched green and yellow A's cap. This only happens to a chosen few. A chosen few with such a high level of natural talent and the highest level of work ethic to match.

I will proudly lay claim and be the first to testify that Mike Moore, over his 14 year professional career, has earned the right to be considered one of Oklahoma's greatest red dirt, red blood, born and raised, Major League Baseball pitchers of all time. This stirring statement has drawn the attention of several Oklahoma sports enthusiasts. Kind of left some scratching their heads in wonder. I've heard declarations such as "Wow, who is this guy?" "Wow, where did he come from?" "Wow, where's he been?" "Wow, how come we've never heard of him?"

Well, I have to answer all those questions with a "wow, not for sure." I've heard and known of him since the late 1960's when his fastball was cutting right through the small town hot summer night-at-the-ball-park atmosphere to strike out batter after batter in win after win.

The most enjoyable part of this adventure was found in just laying out the facts and figures (aka statistics) in front of all to see. Most importantly, Mike Moore's 161 career MLB victories literally spoke Hall Of Fame worthiness without another whisper being needed. Oklahoman sportswriter and sports radio talking head Berry Tramel said it straight up. "Moore's 161 Major League Baseball wins should be a 'slam dunk' in regard to Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame induction." Tramel's prophetic words of wisdom came to fruition as the process transformed into that slam dunk when all was said and done.

Mike Moore played for the Seattle Mariners from 1982-1988; the Oakland Athletics from 1989-1992; and the Detroit Tigers from 1993-1995. After vigorously researching his fourteen (14) year career, it became my personal conclusion that he has earned the right to be considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pitcher born and raised in our great state of Oklahoma.

Now for the numerous and ageless Allie Reynolds fans, they will always possess the right to argue in his favor as being Oklahoma's greatest born and bred. What a great man and baseball player the "Super-Chief" was. His 5x all star representation of Oklahoma keeps me walking a fine line of respect when it comes to my personal thoughts of Mike Moore being the greatest.

A casual coffee at the cafe debate could go either direction on any given day when you compare golden age victories to modern day MLB victories. But, bring the Money Ball approach of statistics and environment comparisons and I confidently confirm it leans more toward Moore's way.

Allie Reynolds compiled 182 golden age wins compared to Mike Moore's 161 modern era victories. Reynolds pitched for the powerhouse five in a row World Series Champion New York Yankees. Although drafted #1 in 1981 as the best amateur baseball player in America, Moore had to pitch a large and early part of his career for one of the worst teams in Major League baseball, the Seattle Mariners.

If afforded a pitching preference, are you taking DiMaggio, Mantle and the powerhouse Yankees of the golden age era or Dave Henderson, Harold Reynolds and the young Seattle Mariners in their start up era?

Whichever way a person chooses to look at it, both Allie Reynolds and Mike Moore are at the top of a very short Oklahoma's best list. Reynolds was already in the Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame while Mike Moore deserved to be and now is. Moore's amazing 161 modern era career victories being a principal reason I nominated him for such Hall Of Fame status.

In comparison, other Oklahoma born and raised pitchers previously selected for Hall Of Fame honors included Lindy McDaniel with 141 victories and Harry Bracheen with 132. Ralph Terry was more recently (2015) inducted with 107 career wins, As well, fellow Caddo County born Cal McLish received his induction with 92 career MLB victories.

If 161 modern day MLB victories wasn't going to be enough, additional and solid evidence was discovered to convince any and all sports enthusiasts of Mike Moore's superiority relative to pitchers born and raised in Oklahoma. A factual offering founded upon hard core direct-to-the-case statistical proof. Those who know me know I can blow some quality smoke of the verbal variety and are most likely reading between the lines as I write. Makes good reason for me to single space and bring some solid statistically analytical data-based information to this most enjoyable table of baseball contents debate.

There's no denying a real truth revealed when it comes to career strikeouts.

We all know a strikeout is the supreme claim of success for any pitcher. Man vs. Man. eMano vs. eMano. Baseball at its best. The ultimate lust that feeds a fan's desire is either a towering home run from their favorite hitter or a sit down see-ya-later strikeout from their favorite pitcher. Tedious singles up the middle can get rather boring at times. I'm guessing no one has ever truly taken time to check out and recognize who's at the top of Oklahoma's best list when it comes to this hardcore hardball thought of man vs. man career total strikeouts for Oklahoma pitchers at the highest (MLB) level.

Only six Oklahoma born players have broken the 1,000 career strikeout plateau. Mike Moore's top-of-the-list 1,667 averaged per season calculates to 119. Allie Reynolds' 1,423 averaged per season adds up to 108.5. On average, no one else comes close to these two great pitchers born and raised in our great state. Moore's 119 per season even rivals that of the great Warren Spahn from Buffalo, New York. Considered Oklahoma's greatest pitcher who was not actually born or raised here, this great lefty averaged 123 strikeouts per season.

So, where does Mike Moore fit into the realm of reality in regard to Oklahoma's greatest pitchers? I will argue he's the best when it comes to the red dirt, red blood, born and raised category.

Personally, I now view Mike Moore's induction as a remarkable time stamped inspiration to current student athletes in my home county. This recognized with hopes that yet another young Caddo County ball player may recognize what the likes of Johnny Bench and Mike Moore have accomplished and possibly set out on a triumphant journey of their own. With similar and great natural talent combined with determination and hard work, who knows, maybe there is a next generation inductee awaiting recognition from the Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame.

Past the point of most obvious career wins and career strikeouts, there is a wealth of nose-to-the-grind research that validates the now successful request for Mike Moore's Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame induction.

Moore was a standout student athlete at Eakly high school. With a 24-2 senior season record and an unbelievable .05 earned run average (E.R.A.), Moore earned his final high school victory while being selected MVP in Oklahoma's 29th Annual All-State Baseball Classic in 1978.

Despite being drafted in the third round out of Eakly in 1978 by the St. Louis Cardinals, Moore chose to attend college and pitch for Oral Roberts University. Also by-passing a basketball scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma, he earned First Team Sporting News All-American baseball status in 1981 while at ORU. Moore then became the first right handed pitcher ever to be drafted into the major leagues #1 overall by the Seattle Mariners in 1981. To date, Mike Moore is the first and only player from Oklahoma ever to be selected #1 in the history of Major League Baseball's draft.

Historically, the Daily Oklahoman's Bob Hersom recognized Moore as an "Eakly High School and Oral Roberts University (ORU) pitching ace." 1981 ORU Pitching Coach Jim Brewer said "I've seen a lot of pitchers in the last 25 years and I think Mike Moore is probably one of the strongest." During the 1989 World Series, former Oakland A's Pitching Coach Dave Duncan shared that "Mike hasn't just been sitting back and trying to let his God-given ability take over, he's worked hard to improve in all the different areas to become a great pitcher."

Baseball Almanac indicates Mike Moore was twenty-two (22) years old when he broke into the majors with the Seattle Mariners on April 11, 1982. Pinnacle highlights of Moore's 161 win, fourteen year MLB career include 1989 MLB All-Star status and pitching in two World Series Championships for the Oakland A's in both 1989 and 1990. Moore won game two and the deciding game four in the 1989 "Quake Series" sweep of the S.F. Giants as the A's became World Champions.

Moore recently returned to his Oklahoma roots and now spends time giving back to the game in the state where he was born and raised. As a volunteer coach for Class B powerhouse Lookeba-Sickles Panthers, he currently shares the benefit of his professional experience and knowledge with the latest generation of Oklahoma High School student athletes. Another great reason Mike Moore deserved honorary induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame.

From the Oklahoman video archive, former World Series Champion and MLB All-Star pitcher Mike Moore talks about returning home and joining the Class B Lookeba-Sickles coaching staff as a volunteer.

In 2014, Daily Oklahoman sports reporter Jacob Unruh captured the essence of Mike Moore's career in The Oklahoman's long running "Collected Wisdom" series.

Unruh interviews and writes:

"Mike Moore was always on a baseball field growing up in Eakly. That translated well throughout his life, as he developed into a top-tier right-hander in the major leagues, winning two games in the 1989 World Series for the Oakland Athletics during his 14-year career.

Moore is now a volunteer assistant coach at Lookeba-Sickles, a sign he’s never lost sight of his small-town roots that led him to Oral Roberts and the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1981.

Moore talked from his Arizona home with The Oklahoman about his path, the World Series and the 1989 earthquake that rocked the Bay Area around San Francisco 25 years ago this month.

(Baseball) was what we did. It was just what we did. I can’t remember really when I wasn’t in the field growing up. The primary crop was peanuts then and I was the youngest of five kids and I can remember at the age of 3, 4, 5 years old carrying the water can down the road for the rest of my family.

Unknowingly, by the time I got to the high school, working on the farm had really made me into the man I am today. I would do things, manual labor stuff and just different things around the farm I didn’t even know were helping me in baseball. It really taught me the values of hard work and when you do something you put your whole heart on it.

By this time (at ORU), I had an idea that maybe I had some talent. I still really don’t know because all you hear is ‘Oh, he went to a small school and he didn’t compete with anybody’ and blah, blah, blah. Well, now I’m going to a Division I school. It was interesting at the time, Larry Cochell recruited me and he never saw me pitch. He went off a lot of what scouts said. He had already given me a full scholarship and the first time he saw me pitch was at the All-State game at ORU.

I tell people I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed but when I got drafted No. 1 in the country I didn’t think I’d get drafted any higher, so I should probably just go ahead and sign.

I was the first right-handed pitcher ever drafted No. 1 in the draft. Back then, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Even today kids ask me if I was any good. I just tell them I was the original Stephen Strasburg. It just wasn’t that big of a deal then. At that time, even when I got to the big leagues I was throwing on the slow guns 97-98 in the ninth inning and the made-for-TV guns I’m probably throwing 100-103. It just wasn’t a big deal then.

That’s the bad part of getting drafted No. 1 because you go to the worst team. I had never lost at anything in my life and then I go the big leagues and get beat up on for seven years playing for the Mariners.

We had some great guys on that team, but at the time we had bad ownership and we were like a farm system for the big leagues. Harold Reynolds was my roommate for a couple years, Jim Presley was our 3B, Spike Owen, Alvin Davis at 1B, Mark Langston and Danny Tartabull, really a bunch of guys who had really successful careers, but when you’re playing in the Kingdome, which is awful for a pitcher, and you were playing in Seattle with bad ownership it just didn’t work.

I signed (in Oakland) in ’89 and they had just lost to the Dodgers in ’88 and I walked into the clubhouse and they’re talking about winning the World Series. They’re not talking about winning the division. Tony (La Russa’s) already set the bar that we’re going to have to win 100 games to win the division and the goal is to win the World Series. I thought this was interesting, but I had never been in this position for seven years.

I think most people would tell you the same thing, the greatest thing about being with (Dave Duncan) is he doesn’t say much, but when he says something there’s a reason why he says it. He’s never overcomplicated things and that was one of the things I always loved about him. He was actually my pitching coach my first year in the big leagues in Seattle.

Tony, he’s the best manager I’ve ever played for. He’s harder on himself than anybody. He’s probably harder on himself than most players are because he wants to be the most prepared manager and he wants to control matchups and there’s always a reason for what he does. It may not make all the sense in the world at the time, but there’s a reason. He’s usually looking at the big picture.

I remember the first World Series game, I remember preparing for it like any other game because I figured if I didn’t I would be out of my element. We had a game plan and I had to get myself ready physically and mentally to execute the game plan, so that’s what I did.

At the time, we didn’t really know what was going on. I remember we were getting ready for TV introductions, I had done all my workouts and stuff, and showered and was getting dressed. The lights went out and somebody yelled, “Earthquake,” and we all ran to the back parking lot and it was over. We didn’t know any better and had TV introductions at 5:12 or something. I stopped at home plate and was talking to Will Clark and then we started talking to a police officer and we started hearing the (San Francisco Oakland) Bay Bridge had collapsed and the Marina District was on fire, so you started having an idea what was really going on. At that point, the World Series became secondary.

We had the best team in baseball — I don’t think there was any doubt about that — it was just a matter of whether we would finish this or not. Even after we won, the celebration and stuff was pretty subdued because of what was going on there and stuff.

The next year was a totally different story and that shows you it doesn’t matter who the best team is, when you get into the playoffs or World Series whoever is playing the best wins. We ran into Cincinnati that year and we really didn’t have a chance. We couldn’t swing the bats and Jose Rijo was really good.

If I had one regret, it would probably had been fun to play in the National League one year just to see what it was like because I was always a pretty good hitter. That might have been fun, but it is what it was and I enjoyed it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some screw-ups along the way, but I try to live my life with integrity because where I grew up a handshake’s a handshake and a man’s word is a man’s word. I’ve tried to live that way my whole life. If you try to live your life with integrity and put your whole heart into what you’re doing, I don’t think you’re ever going to be disappointed."

Growing up in Oklahoma's Caddo County in the 1960's and 1970's, you could not find one person, with ability to breathe, that did not know of Johnny Bench. He was a red dirt home grown shooting star that had already predicted he would become a major leaguer way before he became a major leaguer. This prediction not coming from a personal what the hell out of control egotism, but, one derived from a true and youthfully innocent rural rooted understanding by this particular young man who somehow instinctively knew what he was destined to become.

Following his selection to both the high school All-State baseball and basketball teams in his senior seasons, Johnny Bench became one of five Oklahomans picked in the first ever baseball draft held in 1965. Before becoming a World Series Champion, ten time Gold Glove winner and a fourteen time All Star catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Bench, a young man from Binger, Oklahoma, was selected by the Red's Triple A farm team, the San Diego Padres, of (then) the Pacific Coast League.

It wasn't long before Bench was in Buffalo, yes New York, rapidly working his way from high school direct to "The Show." This within a blink of an eye, two year span of the sands of time. But, long before Bench's selection to major league baseball's Hall Of Fame, All-Century Team and All-Time Team, and within a similar blink of an eye, "he left the road" and nearly lost his life.

On February 8, 1968, less than three years graduating Valedictorian of Binger High School, a very young Johnny Bench reflects upon the previous 1967 major league baseball season and the upcoming 1968 season.

Wait. What? How did this legendary narrative get lost within those sands of 1960's time? Unbelievable, inconceivable, unthinkable, unimaginable. Pick one as one of our universe's greatest baseball players from all existing matter and space considered as whole, aka the Cosmos, nearly lost his life! It is most unfortunate to learn that two of his high school teammates actually did back in 1965.

With "State Staff" reporting this tragic story from Binger, any and all aboard a school bus heading home, including a young Johnny Bench, could have instantly lost their life on that catastrophic Thursday, April Fools Day, in 1965. With sincere honor and remembrance of the two young baseball players who did lose their lives on that dismal day, Billy Joe Wylie and Harold Sims, I dreadfully unfold this devastating story as recorded by The Daily Oklahoman.

The disheartening news was found right there in black and white. Front page headlines of the April 2, 1965, edition of the Daily Oklahoman printed it painfully loud and clear.

  "Two Binger youths were killed and 11 others inured Thursday night in the death roll of a school bus down a 50-foot embankment after the brakes went out. The school's coach also was injured.
  The bus was carrying the Binger HIgh School baseball team, last year's Class B state champions in the spring tournament, home from a game at Riverside Indian School, north of Anadarko.
  It went out of control on the incline leading to the 'T' intersection of S.H. 152 and U.S. 281 four miles east of Binger. The bus hit the railing and overturned four times down a steep bank. The highway patrol said brake trouble had plagued the bus recently.
  The two boys killed when they were thrown from the bus as it rolled over them were Billy Joe Wylie, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Wylie, and Harold Sims, also about 16, son of Mrs. Audrey Johnson.
  Jerry Scott, 18, who was graduated last year from high school but made Thursday's trip with the team, said Coach Lloyd Dinse, 25, stepped on the brakes about 125 or 150 feet before reaching the intersection. Nothing happened.
  'The brakes are out,' Dinse yelled. Scott said the coach kept pumping the brakes without effect, then tried to shift down  to low. That failed, also, but he did get the bus in second gear and slowed some as he tried to turn east at the 'T' intersection.
  'We just had too much speed,' Scott said. 'We hit the rail and started rolling. I was sitting in the front seat to the right of coach and grabbed onto a pole. I swung around four times.'
  Scott, whose brother, Gilbert, 17, is team scorekeeper and was also on the bus, said there had been no previous indication of break trouble.
  Paul James, member of the baseball team, was the first thrown out of the bus. He went out the back door. He said later he saw the bus rolling down at him and was able to jump out of the way.
  The two boys who were killed went out side windows and were crushed by the bus.
  Dinse and one boy, Jimmie Lee Nabors, 16, were admitted to Anadarko Hospital and Clinic for treatment of shock and for observation. Attendants said neither was believed in serious condition.
  Five other team members were given emergency treatment at the Anadarko hospital and released.
  Dr. Henry Phifer, Binger, treated a number of the crash victims in his office for cuts, bruises and sprains.
  William Buntin, Binger town marshal, said news of the crash spread quickly through Binger. "Everybody took it pretty hard,' he said. 'I guess most of the people in Binger went out there.'
  Buntin said the bus was demolished.
  Scott said after he climbed out of the bus and saw its condition, 'I figured any of us were lucky to get out of it.'
  The highway patrol said the bus was an activity bus, not used on regular bus routes, and the brakes had been giving trouble before. Trooper Frank Brundrige, Anadarko, said the brake fluid had to be replenished frequently.
  'The plate on the floor board around the foot pedal had been removed and paper stuffed in to replace it,' he said.
  Brundridge also said the hose leading to the left rear wheel was partially burned by the exhaust pipe and had ruptured.
  Earl C. Everett, superintendent of Binger schools, said 12 baseball players; Scott, the graduate and the coach were aboard the bus.
  Other than the two boys killed, he said the baseball players included David Gunter, Ronnie Grain (Crain), Johnny Bench, Paul James, Joe Ed James, Jimmie Nabors, Jerry Howell, Gilbert Scott, Eddie Mashaney and Rex Haskell.
  'We don't think any of them are seriously hurt,' he said."

Johnny Bench, back row third from left, as photographed with Binger High School teammates within his 1965 senior yearbook.

This is quite an unusual and historical tragedy that is hard to wrap a person's thought processing around. As a young Caddo County OK Kids little leaguer of this time frame, I had only heard bits and pieces of such news without truly being able to understand its magnitude. Along with those bits and pieces, I also heard whispers of Johnny Bench grabbing and holding on to a couple of his teammates as the bus rolled out of control. This possibly saving their lives. True or not, I cannot confirm or disconfirm such facts.

As a youthful OK Kids little leaguer, I had envisioned such tragedy only heard of actually happening on the big sloping hill that drops down into Binger from the west. Not that it changes anything, but, knowing exactly where it happened, at the "T" on State Highway 152 east of Binger, will bring me to acknowledge the loss of two young and valuable lives each time I pass by on the way to visit family and friends in Caddo County. It will also bring about a somewhat bittersweet yet spiritual acknowledgment and thankfulness that one of our world's most distinguished baseball heroes of all time, Johnny Bench, survived and recovered from this most atrocious tragedy to proceed forward and fulfill his self-proclaimed destiny of greatness.

Johnny Bench, speaking at his 2015 hometown jersey retirement ceremony in Binger, Oklahoma, shares his personal thoughts and memories related to the tragic loss of his two high school teammates in 1965.

Author's Note: All contents researched and written with confidence of accuracy. The line "he left the road" is the title of a song written and performed by Caddo County and Oklahoma singer/songwriter Verlon Thompson. Video segment shared courtesy of Ball State University Libraries. Binger High School team photo courtesy of the Johnny Bench Museum in Binger, Oklahoma.

copyWrite By Mark House

Honorable Members Of The Early Baseball Era Hall Of Fame Committee, ​I, Mark House, respectfully bring before you a cross-examined, fact based and personal character witness account for the purpose of sincere consideration of inclusion of former Major League baseball player (1915-1929) Carl Mays on the Early Baseball Era Hall Of Fame Ballot for the year of 2020. This conducted with confidence of Carl Mays' most deserved posthumous induction into the prestigious Baseball Hall Of Fame within the upcoming and qualifying Early Baseball Era year of 2021.

Carl Mays Hall Of Fame Campaign Case #2020-2021 / Case Quotes / :30 Youtube

It is a personal conclusion that the inclusion of one Carl Mays on the 2020 Early Era Baseball Ballot for a 2021 Baseball Hall Of Fame induction would represent a major step in rectifying what will soon be a one-hundred year old inaccuracy relative to Carl Mays' unjustified public blame and shame for the accidental death of Ray Chapman. Within a long overdue acquittal of one Carl Mays, Major League Baseball and the Baseball Hall Of Fame itself will inherit a monumental media moment of public recognition, gratification and fan appreciation for such an extraordinary centennial gesture of justifiable exoneration and honor.   

Before sharing a non-refutable case of Hall Of Fame statistics for Mays, I attempt to alleviate a "room full of elephants" regarding Mays' involvement in the accidental death of Ray Chapman, a personal walk-out in Boston, hitting a fan with a ball, accusations of throwing World Series games, and, a harsh disposition that historically remains somewhat of a skewed, media driven public opinion associated with one of baseball's greatest, Carl Mays.

If you please to serve as a dutiful fact gathering and decision making committee, I call before thee Reverend Dr. W.A. Scullen, Chancellor of the Cleveland Diocese.

Dr. Scullen, can you confirm for the committee that you performed the actual funeral sermon for Mr. Ray Chapman on the morning of August 21, 1920? This before an immense crowd at St. John's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio.

"Yes."

Dr. Scullen, at this particular service and within your sermon, did you plead in the presence of the mass number of funeral attendees for, and I quote, "no hostile word be uttered against the man who was the cause of the unfortunate accident?"

"Yes."

Dr. Scullen, will you elaborate for this committee the exact words you additionally shared in regard to the man you alleged to be "the cause of the unfortunate accident," referring to Carl Mays, within your sermon delivered on August 21 of 1920? This at the funeral service of one Ray Chapman.

"He feels the outcome of it more deeply than most of us do. The great American game of baseball does not develop men who would willingly try to injure another participant in the game, and the game could not produce a man capable of killing another man. Chapman, we know would be the first to decry any thought of revenge if he could but speak."

Dr. Scullen, what were your final words shared with the enormous gathering at the funeral of one Ray Chapman on August 21, 1920, in Cleveland?

"May the soul of this gentle, kindly youth, whom all Cleveland loved, rest in peace."

Dr. Scullen, thanks for your sincere testimony and heartfelt willingness to share before this honorable Early Baseball Era Committee.

I now call before the committee one John Park Henry, Major League Baseball catcher with the Washington Senators and Boston Braves.

Mr. Henry, were you on site and in the clubhouse at the New York Polo Grounds immediately following the incident involving Cleveland Indian shortstop Ray Chapman being hit in the head with a pitched ball by Carl Mays, of the New York American League Yankees?

"Yes."

Mr. Henry, are you considered to be one of the closest friends of the aforementioned Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman?

"Yes."

Mr. Henry, did Mr. Chapman regain consciousness in the clubhouse at the Polo Grounds before being removed stadium and sent to the hospital?

"Yes."

Mr. Henry, will you share, with this committee, the last words uttered, by your close friend Ray Chapman, within the hallowed walls of the New York Polo Grounds clubhouse on August 16, 1920? This before being removed to a New York hospital for further assessment and emergency medical care.

"I'm all right. Tell Mays not to worry."

Mr. Henry, thank you for sharing your personal eye witness testimony before this honorable gathering of Early Baseball Era Committee members.

I call before thee one Tyrus Raymond Cobb, an original 1936 Baseball Hall Of Fame inductee.

Mr. Cobb, getting straight to the nucleus of the matter in question, will you please share with the committee your personal perception of the historical and bitterly argued accusations held against Carl Mays in regard to the unfortunate Ray Chapman incident that transpired near one-hundred years ago on August 16 of 1920?

"Keep in mind that he was a submariner with a delivery that started around his knees, resulting in curious breaks of the ball and a tendency for it to sail toward a batter's skull. I believe it is for no one to say that there was purposeful intent behind that fatal pitch; there is absolutely no one, then or now, who could prove it."

Mr. Cobb, the Tigers played the Yankees in New York immediately after the ill-fated Ray Chapman accident. Will you share with the committee what you personally discovered within the newspapers upon arriving in New York for that particular series?

"I was astounded to find the papers filled with an attack by me on Carl Mays. One of the quotes read 'Mays throws knockdown balls, and every player knows it.' Another paper had me saying 'If Chapman dies, Mays should be expelled from baseball forever.'"

Mr. Cobb, were these malicious declarations published in the newspapers of New York a correct reflection of your personal thoughts or statements in regard to the regrettable Ray Chapman matter?

"I didn't see the accident. I know nothing of how it happened and under no circumstances would I comment on it. And certainly it wasn't my province to pop off about so grave a matter. I wasn't that dumb, to begin with. Secondly, it went against all my rules of conduct."

Mr. Cobb, will you share your exact and personal description of the condition of major league game balls allowed to be utilized before the termination of the so called "spitball era?"

"Pitchers dosed baseballs with licorice, talcum, slippery elm, and saliva flavored with tobacco until they came at the hitter so discolored that he could hardly pick them out of the shadows."

Mr. Cobb, was Carl Mays, in 1919, the first and only player to resent personal fan abuse and then retaliate against such continuous abuse with some form of violent behavior?

"In May of 1912, in the third-base bleachers, was a character who had ridden me hard in the past New York (Highlanders) appearances. To avoid him as much as possible, I even left center field at the inning's end and returned to our bench by the long way of the New York side of the field. By the sixth inning, he was cursing me and reflecting on my mother's color and morals. As the sixth frame ended, I tried to sneak back to our bench. The man ripped out something else, and I don't know how I got up there, really, to this day, I can't tell you how I scaled the barrier and reached him. The next thing I remember, they were pulling me off him. I do know I didn't just slap him around."

Mr. Cobb, was Carl Mays, in 1919, the first to ever "walk out" or "hold out" on a baseball club with effort to improve his own personal working and/or playing conditions?

"I've been called one of the hardest bargainers who ever held out (1908), and I'm proud of it."

On Wednesday, May 15, 1912, with no agitation on my part, the Tiger players called a secret meeting. All 18 of them signed an ultimatum and wired it to Johnson. Organized baseball now had on its hands its first player strike by an entire team."

Mr. Cobb, what could possibly cause a whole major league baseball team, the Detroit Tigers, to sign an ultimatum, send it to then President Ban Johnson, and furthermore, literally walk out? I ask you to read word for word, for this committee, exactly what the team signed ultimatum specifically included.

"Feeling Mr. Cobb is being done an injustice by your action in suspending him, we, the undersigned, refuse to play in another game until such action is adjusted to our satisfaction. He was fully justified, as no one could stand such personal abuse from any one. We want him reinstated or there will be no game. If players cannot have protection, we must protect ourselves."

Mr. Cobb, you're telling us that seven years before Carl Mays refused to continue to play for Boston, the entire Detroit Tigers walked out on their owner, fans, and, the American League in protest with effort to protect you and themselves against personal fan abuse?"

"Yes."

Thank you Mr. Cobb for your sharing of testimony before this honorable assembly of Early Baseball Era Committee members.

Carl Mays and Babe Ruth featured in an historical image from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

I now call before the committee, Philadelphia Athletics fan Bryan Hayes.

Mr. Hayes, it is no secret that you were hit in the head by a baseball tossed into the crowded stands by Carl Mays on May 30 of 1919. Were you or anyone else seriously hurt or require any immediate medical assistance?

"No."

Mr. Hayes, did you, out of anger and with first thought, seek a warrant for the arrest of Carl Mays following this particular incident?

"Yes."

Mr. Hayes, did you then, after having second thoughts, voluntarily revoke such warrant upon the request of Connie Mack, Manager of the Philadelphia Athletics?

"Yes."

Mr. Hayes, the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, on August 17, 1920, published "Hayes proved himself to be a good sportsman, for he refused to accept any monetary settlement, he was willing to let the matter go." Is this a true reflection of your conclusive feelings in regard to the aforementioned incident in which no one was seriously hurt?

"Yes."

Mr. Hayes, considering Major League Baseball possessed no aspirations of protecting the heads of players within this particular window of time, do you think you could have personally, and, inadvertently diagnosed such dangerous oversight within your statement "a baseball in the hands of a pitcher like Mays is just as dangerous as a loaded revolver?" I have no further questions for Mr. Hayes.

If it would please the Early Baseball Era Committee, I would now like to call before you New York sportswriter Fred Lieb.

Mr. Lieb, it is your speculation that unanswered questions related to "suspicions" of Carl Mays losing two world series games, on purpose, and in the year of 1921 has kept Mr. Mays from entering baseball's prestigious Hall Of Fame. With the committee bearing in mind the previous testimony of Mr. Cobb and his experience with the New York media publishing the opposite of real truth, I ask you to read this particular paragraph chronicled and distributed by the Associated Press, subtitled "Mays Was A Star," and, published in papers across the country relative to Game 7 of the 1921 World Series.

"On the other hand, Carl Mays, while the loser, has to be given credit for an equally notable if less successful performance on the mound. Mays was steadier than Douglas, not issuing a pass and allowing but six hits to eight for his opponent, and but for a slip most unfortunate for Mays and his team mates on the part of Ward, in the seventh inning, the game might easily have gone into extra innings with the score tied 1 to 1.

The Yankee second baseman's error proved the real break of the game putting on base the runner who shortly afterward scored the winning tally. Ward let a grounder by Rawlings get away from him after two Giants had been retired in the seventh inning. Ward recovered the ball and made a quick throw to first but was just too late and Rawlings later scored on Snyder's two bagger."

Mr. Lieb, with your so called suspicions of Mr. Mays losing games four and seven of the 1921 World Series "on purpose," will you share with the committee what your fellow sportswriter, Denman Thompson with the Washington Evening Star, composed and published on October 10, 1921, relative to strategic game decisions made by then Yankee manager Miller Huggins?

"In the fag end of the eighth, with the Giants two runs to the good, the Yankees were afforded an opening that second guessers today are saying Huggins plainly muffed when, with Mays on second base, the mite manager permitted Miller to bat, instead of inserting a pinch hitter for him. The Yank gardener already had whiffed once, as had half a dozen of his teammates, and on two other occasions he had failed to get a ball out of the infield."

So, Mr. Lieb, Carl Mays, the one you suspect of losing games on purpose, actually maneuvered his way into scoring position on second base in the bottom of the eight inning in game four of the 1921 World Series? I have no further questions.

I would now like to call before the committee, New York Yankees co-owner and conspiracy theoretician Mr. Tillinghast L'Hommedieu "Cap" Huston.

Mr. Huston, it is noted that you as well have theoretical thoughts of Mr. Mays losing World Series games on purpose in 1921 and 1922. I ask you to read before the committee a statement, made by your team manager Miller Huggins, and then published and distributed by the Associated Press on October 12 of 1921. This being related to game seven of the 1921 World Series.

"That game was a tough break, a very tough break," said Miller Huggins today. "Mays deserved a shutout. The Yankees should have won by 1 to 0. But the breaks went with the Giants, and we were left out in the cold by luck. I never saw a pitcher who lost a game through harder luck."

Mr. Huston, will you share with the committee a statement, made to the Associated Press by your team manager Miller Huggins and then published in the October 7, 1922, edition of the Topeka State Journal? This related to the 1922 World Series game three played in the driving rain at the polo grounds against the New York Giants.

"Mays can pitch good enough ball to win," said Huggins, "but our fellows have not seemed to bat behind him this year. Still they don't appear to be batting behind any of the pitchers just now."

Mr. Huston, I have no further questions.

I would like to call before the committee, sportswriter for The West Virginian Daily Telegram, Mr. Harold Johnson. Mr. Johnson, soon after an incident where Carl Mays "nicked" Washington shortstop George McBride in July of 1916, you personally ask Mays to explain the deadly workings of the "duster ball" and specifically if he ever intentionally "beaned" a batter. Will you convey directly to this Early Era Committee exactly what Carl Mays disclosed as a response?

"The beanball will always be a part of the game," said Mays. "I don't believe there's a pitcher in any league in the country who ever deliberately tried to hit a batsman. No man's arm is as true as a rifle.

If the people who are making all this talk about pitchers trying to hit batsmen were to take a baseball, get on the slab and try to pitch, putting 'something' on the ball, they'd soon wise up to the ridiculousness of their charges.

Batsmen who are 'beaned' the most are the fellows who crowd the plate. Donie Bush, Jack Lavan, Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, Chick Gandil, Jack Barry, John Henry and Clarence Walker are of this type. Some of them 'choke up' to within two inches of the plate instead of sticking within the six inch boundary prescribed by the rules of the game.

Naturally the pitchers who try to keep the ball high and inside on these or any other batters are liable to hit men when they put a lot of stuff on the ball. Some batters deliberately step into pitched balls and get away with it. McBride did that in Washington.

I tell you it's a sure sign of 'yellow' on the part of the player or manager who accuses a pitcher of using the beanball. Jack Barry of our club has been hit 14 times this year and you've never heard him 'peep' about deliberate beaning.

You may rest assured that I'll keep putting everything I've got on every ball I pitch as long as I'm in the game and if I pitch a million balls I'll never be sucker enough to put anybody on first base by intentionally hitting him.

It doesn't matter how perfect a pitcher's control may be, he's liable to hit a batter. That's part of the game and something that can't be avoided."

Carl Mays: Baseball Hall Of Fame Campaign / :30 YOUTUBE / Case-#2020-2021

I will now call upon Carl Mays himself to come before the Early Era Baseball Committee with effort to construct an appropriate and correct understanding of who this man is, what he stood for and what he struggled against as a baseball phenomenon in the early 1900's.

Mr. Mays, did you intentionally strike Mr. Chapman in the head with objective to kill him on the 16th day of August in 1920?

"I never tried to hit anyone deliberately in my life."

Mr. Mays, as you reflect upon the unfortunate death of Ray Chapman, can you share with the Early Era Baseball Committee what disseminates from your mind in regard to such a tragic situation?

"It is a recollection of the most unpleasant kind which I shall carry with me as long as I live. It is an episode which I shall always regret more than anything that has ever happened to me, and yet I can look into my own conscience and feel absolved from all personal guilt in this affair. The most amazing thing about it was the fact that some people seem to think I did this thing deliberately. If you wish to believe that a man is a premeditated murderer, there is nothing to prevent it. Every man is the master of his own thoughts. I cannot prevent it, however much I may regret it, if people entertain any such idea of me."

Mr. Mays, you voluntarily went before Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, John F. Joyce, soon after the devastating accident. Will you verbalize for this committee what you shared with Mr. Joyce which led to your exoneration from any wrongdoing?

"It was the most regrettable incident of my career, and I would give anything if I could undo what has happened."

Mr. Mays, following the dreadful Chapman incident, you shared many reasons, published in the November 1920 issue of Baseball Magazine, as to why it is illogical to view such a tragedy as being maliciously done with intent. At this time, will you share those reasons with this assembly of Early Era Baseball Hall Of Fame Committee members?

"I am a pitcher and I know some of the things a pitcher can do as well as some of the things he can’t do. I know that a pitcher can’t stand on the slab sixty feet away from the plate and throw a baseball so as to hit a batter in the head once in a hundred tries. That is, of course, assuming that the pitcher actually wanted to hit the batter in the head, a thing which is absurd on the face of it.

But to actually kill a man it is by no means sufficient to hit him on the head. Walter Johnson with all his terrific speed has hit batters on the head and yet they have not died. Fairly often a batter gets hit on the head and seldom is he even seriously injured. There is only one spot on a player’s skull where a pitched baseball would do him serious injury and that is a spot about his temple which is hardly half as big as the palm of my hand. Suppose, to meet some of these malicious slanders that have been directed against me, we assume that a pitcher is enough of a moral monster to deliberately murder a batter at the plate, a batter with whom he can have no particular quarrel and from whose death he could not possibly benefit. What chance would he have of perpetrating such a crime? He would have to hit that batter, and what is more, hit him on a particular part of the skull of very limited area.

There isn’t a pitcher who ever lived with control enough to do that thing once in a thousand times. Christy Mathewson, in the days when he was considered the absolute master of control couldn’t have done it. I myself would stand at the plate and let any pitcher in the world throw a baseball at my head in the firm assurance that I was at least in no danger of being killed. One reason for assuming that I am innocent of such a foul crime is the fact that it would be absolutely impossible for me to be anything else.

Chapman had a crouching position at the plate. On this particular occasion, at least, he stood motionless with his head nearly, if not quite, over the plate. The ball which struck him was high, but it is a question if it was not a true strike. It certainly was not far out of the way. I can explain this unfortunate accident on only two grounds. First, that for some unknown reason Chapman failed to see the ball at all. Second, that he saw it but fell into that curious state of mind which a ball player sometimes encounters in which he is said to be hypnotized by the ball.

It is true that it was a fairly dark day, but my speed is not of the Walter Johnson variety and I think it very improbable that Chapman failed to see the ball. It is conceivable that he misjudged it, but I think it more likely that he was momentarily hypnotized. Chick Fewster, one of our own men, was hit on the head this spring by Jeff Pfeffer of the Brooklyn Club and very seriously injured. Chick has explained his unfortunate experience by saying that he saw the ball very clearly, but couldn’t seem to get out of the way. Frank Chance, I have heard, used to suffer from the same mental peculiarity, in which he was hypnotized by the approaching baseball and was hit on the head several times in consequence. Of course, this is idle speculation for just what happened in Chapman’s mind will never be known.

One thing I am sure of. Nobody who saw that accident was more surprised than I. At first I thought the ball had struck the bat and fielded it to first base. When I looked and saw that Chapman had been hit instead, you could have knocked me down with a feather."

Mr. Mays, previously Mr. Cobb testified before this committee that, and I quote, "pitchers dosed baseballs with licorice, talcum, slippery elm, and saliva flavored with tobacco until they came at the hitter so discolored that he could hardly pick them out of the shadows." Do you feel this was the determining factor in the tragic death of Mr. Chapman?

"Again, it was a fairly dark day, but my speed is not of the Walter Johnson variety and I think it very improbable that Chapman failed to see the ball."

Mr. Mays, have you at anytime in your life considered yourself to be an egotistical, "better-than-thou," kind of person?

"I came to New York in a display of brilliant fireworks. There were Court proceedings and more Court proceedings. There was talk of a disruption of the entire League. The whole thing looked to me like a tempest in a teapot. Perhaps if I had been inclined to be swell-headed, I would have got all puffed up about the desperate struggle that was taking place over my own unimportant self. But I have never been criticized for undue egotism. That is one fault, at least, which has not been laid to my charge."

Mr. Mays, an infinite perception, by the media, public, opponents and teammates alike, continues to persist in regard to your somewhat disgruntled personality and unpleasant demeanor in general. Right here and right now, in front of the Early Era Baseball Committee, if you had one chance to repudiate such perceptions, what would you have to say? With this distorted impression lasting for over one-hundred years, please take your time while sharing your thoughts.

"A ball player cannot afford to be thin skinned. His work is done so much in the public eye, that he himself becomes in a sense a public personage. To that extent, therefore, he must expect to hear himself and his work commented upon. And since comment can never be one hundred per cent favorable, he must be braced for criticism. All this is a part of the game and just as natural as strike outs or base hits. But I must confess that in the past two years I have been pretty well fed up on criticism.

People that I never even heard of seem to entertain a bitter enmity for me which is surprising to say the least. While a good many persons with whom I am obliged to come in contact and with whom I should prefer to feel on a friendly basis, have let me see all too plainly that they are no friends of mine.

Now, I ask for no man’s friendship, if he does not choose to give it voluntarily. Friendship is a thing which can not be had for the asking. Friendship is a thing which can not be explained on a scientific basis. If a man with whom I am continually thrown in contact does not view me as a friend, it means that there is no mutual attraction between us. But it means nothing else. It is no fault of his. Neither is it necessarily any fault of mine.

There is such a thing as popularity. We all know people who are popular without being able to explain why they should be. We also know people who are not popular, and yet they may be even more deserving of respect. Popularity does not necessarily rest on merit. Nor is unpopularity necessarily deserved. Both are merely the reaction of a man’s fellow associates to his own personality. If that reaction is favorable, he is popular; if not, the reverse is true. Where does the fault lie? With the man himself, or with his associates, or with both, or with neither? Personally, I am inclined to the latter view. I don’t think it is the fault of either party. It is just one of those things that exist and that you can’t explain on any tangible grounds.

It was long ago made very apparent to me that I was not one of those individuals who were not fated to be popular. It used to bother me some, for I suppose there are none of us who wouldn’t prefer to be well-thought of. But I was naturally independent and if I found that a fellow held aloof from me, I was not likely to run after him. Evidently I didn’t impress people favorably at first sight. After they knew me better, I was generally able to be on friendly terms with them.

When I first broke into baseball, I discovered that there seemed to be a feeling against me, even from the players on my own team. When I was with Boise, Idaho, I didn’t have a pal on the Club until the season was half over. Then the fellows seemed to warm up a bit and we were on very good terms for the balance of the season. When I went to Portland, Oregon, I got the same cold shoulder until the fellows understood me better and then we hadn’t a bit of trouble.

When I came East and joined the Providence Club, I got a still bigger dose of the same unpleasant medicine and that began to get on my nerves. I had about concluded that if baseball was a game where you had to swim continually against the current, I had perhaps better get out and see what I could do in some other profession where the waters weren’t quite so deep. My fellow players on the Providence team didn’t seem to like me and I wondered why. I always have wondered why I have encountered this antipathy from so many people wherever I have been. And I have never been able to explain it even to myself, though I have one or two theories on the subject. I did get genuinely discouraged at Providence and, of course, feeling as I did, was unable to do good work. In fact I lost all interest in my work. I wrote to my Uncle telling him I had about decided to give up baseball. He is no doubt responsible for my being identified with the game at present, for he replied with a mighty stiff letter in which he handled things straight from the shoulder and without gloves. In brief, he told me if I failed to make good, he would consider me a quitter and that is a word I never liked to take from any man. So I decided to brace up and see what could be done. About that time we played an exhibition game with Washington. I was called upon to pitch and for once that season I really worked. I held Washington to three hits, which was considered quite an accomplishment for a Minor Leaguer, and easily won my game. After that the fellows seemed to think more of me and I proceeded to have a good season for the balance of the year.

But the unpopularity which had come to be as natural as my own shadow still continued to follow me. I know when I had won 12 straight games and lost my 13, after an extra inning struggle, one of the local newspapermen, who knew me well and hated me cordially, came out with a story in which he panned me for what he called my poor work.

When I went to the Red Sox my experience was much the same, but I had grown somewhat accustomed to that reception and besides I realized that a Minor Leaguer had to fight for recognition on a Major Circuit. Slowly, however, I won my way and when I left the Club, although there were several men who disliked me, there were others with whom I was on good, if not intimate terms.

Up to two years ago I had no just complaint to offer against my experience as a professional ball player. It is true, I had never been popular, but this had ceased to bother me. And if I was not popular, I was at least rated as a successful pitcher. In other words, I had made good in my chosen profession.

I remember a conversation I had with my wife about this time in which I told her my baseball career had been singularly free from trouble. I said to her in a joking way that perhaps it would be necessary for me to do something out of the ordinary to get my name in the papers. But I needn’t have been impatient. For could I have looked into the future, I would have seen trouble enough headed in my direction to satisfy the most ambitious trouble seeker who ever lived.

About that time things commenced to happen to me. I had a very nice home, of which I was extremely fond and not a little proud. We fitted it up in a manner which was pleasing to us both and I put into that home most of my earnings as a base ball player. Furthermore, I stored in that home all the little mementos and souvenirs that I wished to preserve, and my wife did also. But about the time we had everything settled to suit us, the house caught fire and burned to the ground. Everything in it was totally destroyed and as it was insured for but a fraction of its true value, I found myself practically wiped out. Later in the season I became involved in a disagreement with the Boston Club which culminated in my transfer to New York. I am not going to enter into a discussion of that particular episode. It was not a pleasant experience for me, but I have never regretted my part in it. And I am willing now to state openly that if I ever faced a similar situation again I should do exactly the same."

Mr. Mays, I personally thank you for sharing such an in-depth perception of your private life and the causes of struggle faced while working towards becoming one of baseball's best pitchers of all time.

Next, I call before the Early Era Baseball Committee former San Diego Hoover High School baseball player Charles Johnson.

Mr. Johnson, will you please share with the Early Era Committee the details of your personal relationship with Carl Mays?

"Carl Mays came down from Oregon to help out with our high school baseball team in San Diego every spring for four consecutive years through 1971. He spent a lot of one-on-one time with us. Not only did he teach the pitchers a lot of important things, but helped teach hitting and strategy. I can remember spending hours in the batting cage while Mr. Mays would sit in a folding chair analyzing my swing and giving helpful tips."

So, Mr. Johnson, do you care to briefly share with the Early Era Baseball Committee what Carl Mays meant to you as a young gentleman eager to learn the game of baseball?

"Back in 1969 we had no internet and the only way of getting baseball history information was to read a book. We did appreciate Mr. Mays, but we really had no idea of the magnitude of who this man was. He had to walk with a cane and looked older than his 78 years when we knew him. He was my connection to baseball history."

Thank you Mr. Johnson for your contributing testimony in regard to the persevering character of one Carl Mays up to, and, until his death on April 4, 1971.

With permission from the committee, I, Mark House, now offer, from evidence and testimony gathered with respectful intent, closing arguments on behalf of Carl Mays. This with enthusiastic ambitions of convincing the Early Era Committee to include Mr. Mays on the upcoming Early Era Baseball Hall Of Fame Ballot within this particular year of 2020. As well, this done with enthusiastic ambitions of procuring a most honorable and posthumous 2021 Baseball Hall Of Fame induction for a misunderstood and misjudged human being who remains, to this day, one of Major League Baseball's greatest pitchers.

Within his fifteen (15) year early era Major League Baseball career, Carl Mays won 207 games while pitching for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants.

In comparison to current Baseball Hall Of Fame pitchers, Mays won the same number of major league games as Bob Lemon and Hal Newhouser and more games than Jack Chesbro, Candy Cummings, Dizzy Dean, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Lefty Gomez, Goose Gossage, Roy Halladay, Trevor Hoffman, Addie Joss, Sandy Koufax, Rube Marquard, Hank O'Day, Satchel Paige, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter, Dazzy Vance, Rube Waddell and Hoyt Wilhelm.

Within his fifteen (15) year early era Major League Baseball career, Carl Mays only lost 126 games while pitching for the Red Sox, Yankees, Reds and Giants.

In comparison to current Baseball Hall Of Fame pitchers, Mays 126 losses is less than that of of 80% of Baseball's Hall Of Fame pitchers including Grover Alexander, Chief Bender, Bert Blyleven, Mordacai Brown, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Jack Chesbro, John Clarkson, Stan Coveleski, Don Drysdale, Dennis Eckersley, Red Faber, Bob Feller, Pud Gavin, Bob Gibson, Tom Glavine, Burleigh Grimes, Lefty Grove, Jesse Haines, Waite Hoyt, Carl Hubbell, Catfish Hunter, Fergie Jenkins, Randy Johnson, Walter Johnson, Tim Keefe, Bob Lemon, Ted Lyons, Greg Maddux, Juan Marichal, Rube Marquard, Christy Mathewson, Joe McGinnity, Jack Morris, Mike Mussina, Hal Newhouser, Kid Nichols, Phil Niekro, Jim Palmer, Herb Pennock, Gaylord Perry, Eddie Plank, Old Hoss Radbourn, Eppa Rixey, Robin Roberts, Red Ruffing, Amos Rusie, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, John Smoltz, Warren Spahn, Don Sutton, Dazzy Vance, Rube Waddell, Mickey Welch, Vic Willis, Early Winn and Cy Young.

Within his fifteen (15) year early era Major League Baseball career, Carl Mays maintained a 2.92 ERA while pitching 3,021.1 innings within a total of 490 games.

In comparison to current Baseball Hall Of Fame pitchers, Mays' 2.92 career ERA tops that of nearly 60% of Baseball's Hall Of Fame pitchers including Bert Blyleven, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale, Dennis Eckersley, Red Faber, Bob Feller, Tom Glavine, Lefty Gomez, Goose Gossage, Burleigh Grimes, Lefty Grove, Jesse Haines, Roy Halladay, Waite Hoyt, Carl Hubbell, Catfish Hunter, Fergie Jenkins, Randy Johnson, Bob Lemon, Ted Lyons, Greg Maddux, Rube Marquard, Pedro Martinez, Jack Morris, Mike Mussina, Hal Newhouser, Kid Nichols, Phil Niekro, Hank O'Day, Satchel Paige, Herb Pennock, Gaylord Perry, Eppa Rixey, Robin Roberts, Red Ruffing, Amos Rusie, Nolan Ryan, Lee Smith, John Smoltz, Warren Spahn, Don Sutton, Dazzy Vance, and Early Wynn.

Within his fifteen (15) year early era Major League Baseball career, Carl Mays only hit 89 batters.

In comparison to current Baseball Hall Of Fame pitchers, Carl Mays' 89 hit batsmen is less than that of Hall Of Fame pitchers Chief Bender, Bert Blyleven, Jim Bunning, Jack Chesbro, Don Drysdale, Red Faber, Bob Gibson, Clark Griffith, Burleigh Grimes, Randy Johnson, Walter Johnson, Tim Keefe, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Joe McGinnity, Kid Nichols, Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry, Eddie Plank, Amos Rusie, Nolan Ryan, Rube Waddell, Vic Willis and Cy Young. Baseball Reference's "Career Leaders for Hit By Pitch" reflects 127 Major League pitchers hitting more batters than Carl Mays including Walter Johnson with 205, Randy Johnson with 190 and Cy Young himself with nearly double that of Mays at 161 hit batsmen.

Carl Mays is a four time early era Major League Baseball World Series Champion (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923). Mays is credited with three World Series victories and compiled an overall 2.35 ERA in eight individual World Series appearances. Mays completed five of the seven World Series Games he started for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
 
Within five twenty plus win seasons, Carl Mays led the Major Leagues with 27 victories and 7 saves in 1921 while pitching 336.2 innings in 49 games for the New York Yankees. His winning percentage this particular early era season is documented at a league leading .750. In this same year, Mays batted .343 with 49 base hits, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 22 RBI's.  

A major key to Mays' success on the mound was found in his ability to create an incredible amount ground ball outs. Historically, Mays still holds the Boston Red Sox record of 122 assists in 1918. He recorded 117 and 118 within the two previous seasons. Mays was considered the ace of the Red Sox staff in 1918 as he won 21 games with a 2.21 ERA and tied Walter Johnson for a league leading eight shutouts while also tossing a league leading 30 complete games.

As witnesses looked upon Ray Chapman crowding the plate on August 16, 1920, Mays sidearm slung a fiery fastball into what he fervently claimed was the strike zone with Chapman's head hanging within said strike zone. The impact of the ball struck Chapman with such force that Mays thought it hit his bat and had no clue it hit him in the head. While thinking it was in play, Mays picked the ball up and threw to first for what he thought would be an out.

Meanwhile, Chapman falls down twice during his attempt to walk to first on a hit by pitch call by the umpire. Chapman, unable to get up, is taken to the hospital where 1920 era surgeons diagnose a skull fracture. After what looked to be a good chance at recovery after surgery, Chapman died the following morning on August 17, 1920.

Where do we go from this tragic death blow to professional baseball which is time stamped and paralleled with the suspicion escalating with the breaking news of Chicago's infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal?

Researching deep into "The Baseball Chronicle," uncovered is a "to-his-dying-day" statement from Carl Mays. Mays adamantly insists that "the pitch that killed Chapman would have been called a strike had he managed to duck out of the way." Chapman was historically noted for hugging the plate so closely when batting that his head was usually in the strike zone.

Like any pitcher worth a grain of salt, early age, golden aged or modern day, the plate belongs to me mentality rules the standard mind set. Was this disastrous death toll event within the world of professional baseball so shocking that everyone, for near a century and counting, has literally continued to dismiss the fact that it was considered an accident?

An average legal intern would have sense enough to argumentatively question that if a pitcher is supposed to throw a strike and the batter's head is in the strike zone, who is truly at fault? We can all join a ghost jury of this Early Era time frame and make judgement for ourselves. Mays himself chose to express regret but stated he "did not feel any guilt because he had not hit Chapman on purpose."

Furthermore and despite many time paralleled American soldiers being intelligent enough to wear a helmet in World War I, baseball leadership of the moment seemed to possess no inclination or proactive thoughts about head protection or batter safety in 1920 when Chapman was struck and killed. This even after a minor league batter, Mobile (Alabama) Sea Gull John Dodge, was struck in the head and killed by Tom Rodgers in a Southern Association League game four years earlier in 1916. Rodgers was quickly exonerated after being arrested by Mobile authorities. Dodge and Chapman are the only professional players known to have died from being hit by a pitch. Chapman to date, being the only one at the major league level.

We do have to ponder if the U.S. Army can foresee the great need of head protection, and, considering baseball had already incurred such a devastating death blow to the head, why then, at the least, were some protective measures not already implemented by Major League Baseball when Ray Chapman stuck his head out over the plate and died in 1920?

Chronicled and serious early era skull fracturing Major League Baseball incidents previous to Chapman's death include the one Carl Mays spoke of previously. This being Brooklyn's Jeff Pfeffer striking Yankee "Chick" Fewster on the head in 1915. Fewster was in the hospital for several weeks and had to undergo an operation for a fractured skull.

In another "widely known case" of this early ear time involved New York Nationals and Baseball Hall Of Fame pitcher Amos Rusie who hit Hall Of Fame shortstop Hugh Jennings of Baltimore in the head on June 24, 1897. Jennings lay unconscious for quite some time after being hit by Rusie. Jennings did recover and ironically was discovered, in the spring that followed, to be holding out for a "higher salary" from his Baltimore club as he personally noted that request in an interview with contents published in the March 14, 1898, edition of the Freeland (Pennsylvania) Tribune.   

On June 9, 1911, Roy Corhan of the White Sox was knocked unconscious and "hovered between life and death for three days." This after being hit in the head by Yankee spitballer Russell Ford. On June 10, 1911, the Norwhich (Connecticut) Bulletin noted that "Corhan was in great pain and unable to eat or to talk coherently and was under medical care at a local hotel."

Hall Of Fame Baseball pitcher Rube Waddell is recognized as throwing the pitch that hit Harry Gleason, brother of "Kid" Gleason, on the head in which "the accident ruined Gleason's baseball career." Further early era irony includes Hall Of Famer Waddell's recognition in the August 26, 1903, edition of the St. Louis Republic for being immediately released by Philadelphia's Connie Mack. This for failing to show up and pitch in a game slated for the day previous. After "being out all night," Mack told Waddell to "turn over his uniform and go wherever he pleased, that his services were no longer required by the Athletics."

With the accidental death of minor leaguer John Dodge in 1916, the skull fracturing of Chick Fewster in 1915, the near death of Roy Corhan in 1911, the career ruination of one Harry Gleason in 1903 and the "knock out" of Hall Of Famer Hugh Jennings in 1897, all happening previous to the death of Ray Chapman, I ask the Early Era Baseball Committee to reflect upon whether or not the various pitchers involved had intent to kill but failed, and/or, whether or not Major League Baseball leadership, at the time, even thought of or cared to protect batters from what was quite obvious to be a real and present danger.         

Although Frank Mogridge was granted a patent (#780899) for a "head protector" in 1905, batter safety was ignored by Major League Baseball leadership for the next fifty-five years.

Although Hall Of Famer Roger Bresnahan developed a "leather-batting" helmet in 1908 after being struck in the head and severely injured, batter safety was ignored by Major League Baseball leadership for the next fifty-two years.

Ironically from the point of Chapman's death blow in 1920, it took baseball governorship near forty more years to even seriously begin to think about this problem. Headgear and helmets did not truly come into play in the major leagues until 1960 when Jim Lemon, taking the cause upon himself, became the first player to wear a "little league" helmet in a major league game.

So, I ask, why is Carl Mays, to this day, held personally responsible for what is clearly the fault of a variety of uncontrolled circumstances of his time. A batter who crowds the plate with his head attached to the strike zone, baseball's used past the point of decent discernibility, and, leadership that did not either comprehend, care, or, consider if said batter wore head protection or not. Again, I ask who is at fault?

It is most interesting to exhume and absorb news of one particular and dramatic incident from the 1915 season. It included the one they call Tyrus "Ty" Cobb dangerously tossing a bat towards a Red Sox rookie pitcher (Carl Mays) with a most stormy relationship being born in baseball. "Cobb is the greatest ball player in the world and also the dirtiest," said Mays in the November 30, 1915, edition of the Grand Forks Daily Herald.

Following this potentially lethal bat tossing by Cobb, Mays states Red Sox shortstop Everett Scott "picked it up and brought it in and I walked back to Cobb and shoved it out at him. Just as he reached for it I pulled it back. Again I stuck it out at him, and when he reached for it this time I let it fall to the ground. For a minute or two he refused to pick it up, but then did so when the umpire ordered," added Mays. "Cobb tries to get the goat of every young pitcher. If a look or hot words could have killed me, I would be inhabiting a wooden kimono now."

Such an incident compels a 1920 ghost jury or 2020 Early Era Baseball Hall Of Fame Committee member to question if Mays' courageous ability, as a rookie, to stand up to the world renowned toughness of Ty Cobb was the actual birth place of his own unpleasant public persona? Should a man and ball player from this antiquated window of time need room to be who he has to be in order to survive within such a distressed environment of this intemperate and unprotected baseball era?

Furthermore, we have the same Ty Cobb previously testifying here before you with honest assessment and stating "I believe it is for no one to say that there was purposeful intent behind that fatal pitch; there is absolutely no one, then or now, who could prove it."

I continue closing arguments with optimism that Carl Mays will now be seriously and sincerely considered with prompt recognition and decisions made based upon his on-the-field accomplishments and not just for the fatal accident that has created a personal and undeserved lifetime of infamy.

Two hundred and seven (207) major league victories with a 2.92 ERA is quite an achievement. A World Series victory is what all pitchers dream about much less than the three earned by Carl Mays. Although he carried somewhat of a harsh persona that endured and subdued the ferocious testings of Ty Cobb, I find it most hard to believe Carl Mays or any other pitcher in the entire history of the game of baseball would have or could have killed a man on purpose.

I personally and honestly believe there has never been a major or minor league ball player anywhere at anytime on any field that has ever carried the intent to kill another player. Common sense of statistically understanding the number of MLB players who have ever died from being hit by a pitch (1) while understanding the game, from a players viewpoint, is to be participated in competitively but with honor and respect for even the most hated of rivals. The literal nonexistence of any such Death Wish should be most scientifically time proven and most statistically apparent to anyone who has been, or is now, a part of our Great American Pastime.

The contest between the Yankees and Indians on August 16, 1920, was a baseball game not a war. It just doesn't seem there would be room for a Death Wish mentality from anyone involved. Yet, that undeserved death blow perception lives on in Carl Mays' posthumous infamy. This continuation is now approaching one-hundred years old as I request a "NOT GUILTY VERDICT" and complete exoneration as Early Baseball Era decision makers delve into the truly important elements of Mays' fifteen seasons under summer's sun.

While investigating documented statistics from Mays' early MLB career, I discovered that he had become a top rated submariner for the Boston Red Sox by 1917. He won a total of 22 games with The Baseball Chronicle recognizing a league leading 1.74 E.R.A. In a same season, when baseball great Ty Cobb was performing at his standard batting championship level, The Baseball Chronicle recognized "the young guns of Carl Mays and Babe Ruth were beginning to make their own championship noise."

Dazzy Vance was and is considered by many to be the "best" pitcher of the 1920's and most deservedly received induction into Baseball's Hall Of Fame in 1955. If comparing real time statistics reveals real truth, according to Baseball Reference, Vance's 197 victories (and 3.24 ERA) is quite magnificent but the statistical math falls ten short of Carl Mays' 207 career victories and 2.92 ERA. Mays earned 19 more career saves than Vance. Mays won three more World Series games than Vance.  

Again, I remind you Mays is a four time World Series Champion winning three with the Red Sox and one with the Yankees in 1923. His best season came about in 1921 when he led the American League in wins with a total of twenty-seven (27).

The clearly rebuked reasons that have delusionally existed for not admitting Carl Mays into baseball's Hall Of Fame versus the many reasons that have infinitely existed to induct Carl Mays into the prestigious Hall Of Fame are quite prevalent. We certainly cannot deny there were "rumors" and "suspicions" of difficulties within the long career of Carl Mays, but, early era media driven gossip and hearsay should no longer detour an official and most deserved induction for Mays. A long anticipated deliverance of justice and merited recognition of honor for one of Major League Baseball's greatest is crying out for exonerating rectification and for Mays' justifiable inclusion on the Early Baseball Era Hall Of Fame Ballot in the upcoming year of 2020.

Any genuine baseball historian certainly would possess knowledge of Mays forcing his way out of Boston in 1919 for which American League President Ban Johnson "secretly" suspended Mays while pursuing to ban Mays from the league. Political circumstances forced Johnson to "back down" and Mays, following his walk-out in Boston and friction with the league president, was headed for the Yankees. Just one year later, the very same Ban Johnson found himself under extreme pressure from several teams to literally toss Mays out of baseball following the Chapman tragedy. But Johnson, evidently with a changed heart towards Mays, chose not to give in to such pressure. Despite his earlier disdain for Mays' issues in Boston, Johnson decided Mays was worthy to continue a career which lasted up until 1929.

Within continuing closing statements shared on behalf of the late Carl Mays, I ask Early Era Baseball Committee decision makers to consider this fascinating case constructed with respectful request for a well deserved Early Baseball Era Hall Of Fame Ballot inclusion in 2020.

As well, I again ask consideration for, and of, a most historically known fact that the New York District Attorney's office of the time determined that the "Ray Chapman incident was an accident." There was and never has been any legal charges filed against Carl Mays. And, most every witness to the accident confirmed, at the time, that "Chapman never moved an inch and seemed to have never even saw the ball."

Should we question if there were any investigations relative to alcohol being involved as inebriation has been long proven as a common denominator respective to a person's ability to react or not react in general? Considering alcohol was an integral part of this early era of baseball for both players and fans alike, were any tests conducted to determine any potential levels of alcohol within Chapman? This question not being asked out of disrespect for Chapman but with effort to rule out such consideration related to his inability to react at the moment of impact.

From a medical viewpoint, would Chapman's chances to survive this accidental tragedy be considerably less in 1920 compared to modern times as it is most obvious the profession was not quite as advanced as it is today. If Chapman did survive this accident of tragedy, would Carl Mays be in Baseball's Hall Of Fame today?

The numerous and uninvestigated cold case factors now presented before the committee, if sincerely considered with genuine depth of assessment, should be enough to transcend this early era tragedy into a modern day public relations triumph.

I ask that Hall Of Fame decision makers consider Major League Baseball could have and should have carried either complete, or, at the least, partial burden of fault as this same incident has no chance of happening today. Literally because Major League Baseball would not even risk the legal ramifications of any hitter stepping up to the plate without protective head gear.

At this time, I share sincere and concluding thoughts from the 1920 Boston Red Sox manager Ed Barrow. Barrow states in The Cordova Daily Times, Cordova Alaska, September 28, 1920, that "Mays is a good fellow, and I don't believe he would try to hit a batsman any more than would Walter Johnson. Nobody ever questions Johnson's fast ball, although sometimes it speeds so close to a batsman's head that it looks intentional. It's unfair to charge Mays with such unsportsmanlike and cowardly tactics. He is a great pitcher and doesn't have to resort to intimidation."

At this time, I share sincere and closing thoughts from Baseball Hall Of Fame great Tris Speaker who managed the opposing team (Cleveland) and witnessed the tragic and accidental death of Ray Chapman. "It is the duty of all the players, not only for the good of the game, but also out of respect to the poor fellow who was killed, to suppress all bitter feeling caused by this accident. We will do all in our power to do nothing to aggravate the unfortunate impression in any way."  

With Mr. Speaker's powerful and closing introspection, and, on behalf of the family and friends of Carl Mays; Mays' hometown of Mansfield, Missouri; the 1909 Hennessey (Oklahoma) Sluggers; the 1912 Boise (Idaho) Irrigators; the 1913 Portland (Oregon) Colts; the 1914 Providence (Rhode Island) Grays; the 1915-1919 Boston Red Sox; the 1919-1923 New York Yankees; the 1924-1928 Cincinnati Reds; the 1929 New York Giants as well as devoted baseball fans past and present, I conclude with a respectful request that one Carl William Mays be added to the Early Baseball Era Hall Of Fame Ballot in 2020 and honored with a posthumous induction into Baseball's Hall Of Fame in the year of 2021.

Author's Note: According to the Society For American Baseball Research, after his retirement from the major leagues, Carl Mays pitched in the Pacific Coast League and American Association for two seasons. He then worked as a scout for 20 years for the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. Mays died on April 4, 1971, in El Cajon, California, at age 79. Mays is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. He was survived by a second wife, Esther, and two children.

Author's Note: Complete contents have been researched and compiled with confidence of accuracy without utilization for profit, but, with effort to gain the support of Baseball Hall Of Fame decision makers for consideration of a posthumous 2020 Early Baseball Era Ballot inclusion of Carl Mays and a 2021 Baseball Hall Of Fame induction of Carl Mays.

Author's Note: Quoted contents of all persons within have been documented word for word and were derived from viable research sources. Liberties with the words "yes" and "no" were only utilized when related, researched information led to a conclusion of those particular answers being most obvious beyond any question or doubt.

copyWrite by Mark House

"No Fear" is a yesteryear Nike slogan and a name brand clothing line created in 1989. This courage encouraging catchphrase has more recently evolved into brand identity for a high energy drink distributed by the Pespi Cola Company.

There's no human being I can think of that personally personified such "No Fear" and high energy branding to its fullest capacity other than my friend and former National Aerobatic Champion Tom Jones from Oklahoma City.

I write in past tense as Tom lost his life doing what he loved most near thirty years ago while performing in front of historically the largest air show crowd in Oklahoma City. This happening in 1990 as Tom served as the actual director and pinnacle performer within what was considered a top tier world class air show.

As that thirty years later makes an approach landing, it's tough to say, tough to remember, tough to write, but, I press on to document Tom's high energy success with honor and remembrance, and, with "no fear."

It is quite ironic that Tom's career was about to skyrocket in parallel fashion with the previous century "No Fear" slogan created in 1989. This being is the same year he was historically selected as Oklahoma's only member (ever) of  the U.S. World Aerobatic Championship team.

On October 4, 1988, Oklahoman staff writer James Johnson wrote: "Flying maneuvers that could have destroyed a lesser plane and pilot, Tom Jones has brought home the trophy proclaiming him the best aerobatic flier in America today." (Photo from the Oklahoman Archives/Oklahoma Historical Society)

If you start with the innovative aeronautical expertise of Wiley Post; blend it with the greatest of Oklahoma's ambassadorship found in Will Rogers; add a dash of "no fear" high energy courage larger than the greatest of any athlete, and, you get Oklahoma's only "Unlimited Category" National Aerobatic Champion in Tom Jones.

For visible proof of proclamations, just tap the play button above and discover a 1990 sky come alive with Tom Jones in a Rush'n Rage. A sky that has remained the same as the supreme legacy of Oklahoma's greatest aerobatic pilot.

Tom Jones harnessed the ultimate thrill and skill of flight in 1970 as a member of the Tinker Air Force Base Aero Club progressing into an active air show performer in 1981. Up to his untimely death in 1990, Jones flew over 75 different types of aircraft, accumulated over 4,000 flight hours and served as Director of Oklahoma City's Aerospace America Air Show which has been historically recognized as a top five air show worldwide.

With thoughts of the late Tom Jones being the most unique and fearless Oklahoma athlete to successfully compete and win on National and International levels, I respectfully request consideration for honorable and posthumous Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame induction. This for remembrance of his unique championship accomplishments within the realm of aviation sport. As well, to recognize his ambassadorship for, and contributions to, the great state of Oklahoma.