The Newsletter of America’s Oldest Ballpark Volume 1, Issue 3

June 5, 2020 R ICKWOOD T ALES

OSTPONES HE TH NNUAL ICKWOOD Rickwood Calendar COVID - 1 9 P T 24 A R 1/6/11/20 to 9/11/20: C LASSIC AND THE J ERRY M ALLOY C ONFERNCE

• All Events have been can- All previously scheduled events Please check Rickwood.com SABR’s Jerry Malloy Negro and Rickwood’s Facebook page League Conference, which celled until further notice. at Rickwood Field have been cancelled or postponed due to for developments. If the Barons was announced for June are able to have a partial sea- 11-13, 2020 has officially • Please like our Facebook the COVID-19 pandemic. The have post- son, and decide to go forward been rescheduled for June Page for updates about poned the 24th Annual Rick- with the Classic at a later date, 10-13, 2021 at the Shera- the ballpark, including wood Classic, which had been we will make the announce- ton Hotel in downtown Bir- the public reopening: scheduled for June 8, 2020. ment immediately. Meanwhile, mingham. h t t p s : / / www.facebook.com/ friendsofrickwood.com T HE 17TH A NNUAL S OUTHERN A SSOCIATION Get Your Rickwood Gear! B ASEBALL C ONFERENCE WAS A B IG S UCCESS

• The Friends of Rickwood The 17th Annual Southern Asso- other league members, includ- ation. However, it was in are excited to announce ciation Conference ing the Knoxville Smokies, Bir- Nashville where he had his that caps, t-shirts, post- was held on March 7, 2020 at mingham Barons, and New Orle- best memories. He was ans Pelicans. Several years ago, named Most Valuable Vol in ers, books, and other Rickwood Field. The event, which was put on by the Friends Glock’s memorabilia came up 1956 and his manager, Ernie Rickwood merchandise of Rickwood and the Rickwood for sale. Among the more inter- White, called him “’the hus- are available for purchase Field SABR Chapter, was a tre- esting items was Glock’s annual tlingest player’ he ever saw.” on our website. We have mendous success attracting season budget, in which he some great new items, nearly 40 attendees; this was allocated funds for his equip- Following a break, John which we are excited probably the last public baseball ment, transportation, tips, tax- Guinozzo closed out the about. Please visit our event at Rickwood Field for es, and insurance. The budget morning session with a shop to browse and order: 2020 given the current pan- was a reminder that while base- presentation on “Nicknames demic. ball remains a pastime for most https://rickwood.com/ of us, it was also a job for play- for Teams and Players of the ” while shop/ ers in the Southern Association. After morning coffee and wearing a 1944 Memphis snacks, Clarence Watkins, a Chicks uniform. According to native of Memphis, Tennessee, Gregory Bennington, who trav- John, “the Memphis franchise and the Executive Director of eled from Louisville, Kentucky listed more nicknames than the Friends of Rickwood, for the conference, then pre- any other Southern Associa- opened the conference with sented on his uncle, Bobby tion member. As the custom introductory remarks. While Durnbaugh, who played profes- (in Memphis) in the early wearing a Memphis Chicks jer- sional baseball from 1951-61, days, the team was called sey, he introduced each speak- hitting a respectable .272 as a whatever color uniforms they er throughout the day and kept middle infielder. wore. Hence, Memphis was attendees on their toes with called the Reds, Blues, Browns and Grays.” trivia questions. Durnbaugh appeared in two games for the in 1957, but spent most of his Memphis briefly used the Clarence then presented on Charles Glock, who played in career in the minors, including Egyptians, and later the Tur- the minor leagues from 1937- five seasons in the Southern tles, before adopting the 52 posting a .285 lifetime bat- Association. He played four name Chicks in 1912. The ting average with 1,622 hits. years for the nickname was short for Chick- Glock spent a decade as a mid- (1955-56 and 1958-59). He asaws and named after the dle infielder in the Southern then spent the summer of 1961 Chickasaw Guard, which was Association, primarily as a mem- with the and a para-military drill team. In ber of the Crackers. Shreveport Sports during the addition, the Chicks nickname However, he also played for final act of the Southern Associ- Continued on Page 2 Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 3

S OUTHERN A SSOCIATION C ONFERENCE

Continued from Page 1 the Durham Bulls of the Pied- on the New York Giants 1954 mont League. He died in Savan- World Series championship nah, Georgia in 1977. team. Everyone knows Willie was also short for the Chickasaw Mays, but many people con- Tribe of native Americans, who fuse Rhodes with a profes- live in the Memphis area. John’s Bill Plott, a former reporter, sional wrestler who used the research also uncovered proba- columnist, and editor with The same name. bly the most bizarre team nick- Anniston Star and The Birming- name in Memphis baseball histo- ham News presented next. Bill ry: The “Fever Germs,” which is a longtime SABR member, Dusty Rhodes was born on reporters began calling the club and has written two books May 13, 1927 in Mathews, after a Yellow Fever epidemic in about the Negro Leagues. His Alabama, which is an unincor- Memphis. topic was on Ferguson “Fuzzy” porated community in Mont- Woodruff, the Southern Associa- gomery County. He played tion’s League Historian. for 16 Following the morning session, seasons, including 7 with the attendees were treated to a deli- New York and San Francisco cious barbeque lunch, which was Fuzzy gained notoriety as a Giants from 1952-59. In the catered by Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q. sportswriter in the early 1900s, minors, he played for the and was a veteran of World War Nashville Vols in the Southern I. In 1919, while working for The Association in 1952. Terry Sloope, a SABR member Birmingham News, Fuzzy began with the Magnolia / Georgia writing a 19-part series of Sun- “Planning is already Chapter, opened the afternoon day columns entitled “Story of Rhodes was a natural pull session with an interesting the Southern League.” The se- hitter, which made Sulphur underway for the 18th presentation on William Virgil ries began with league’s for- Dell’s short right field fence “Jumbo” Barrett. During his 9- edition of the Southern mation in 1885 and continued especially tempting. He batted year professional career, mostly through 1915. However, the .347 and socked 18 home Association Conference, during the 1920s, Jumbo batted columns ended abruptly with runs in 90 games for the Vols. .311 as a power-hitting catcher. the 1915 season. According to Of course, the In 1927, he .360 and set a Bill Plott, “Woodruff, who had a similar configuration which will take place in record worked for 12 newspapers in down the right field line. With March of 2021.” with 39 home runs while playing 22 years, got itchy feet and the Giants, Rhodes became for the Knoxville Smokies before moved to Atlanta, joining one of one of the most dangerous finishing the season with the the papers there.” pinch hitters in the game. In Memphis Chicks. the ‘54 World Series, Rhodes batted .667, hit 2 homers, Woodruff’s articles are filled In 1928, Jumbo spent spring and drove in 7 RBIs while with clichés, but also “include winning MVP honors. He was training with the New York Giants fascinating anecdotal infor- in Augusta, Georgia competing to presented with a new car for mation on cantankerous Char- his efforts but wrecked the replace veteran Zach Taylor as ley Frank.” Frank was a south- the backup catcher to Shanty vehicle several weeks later. ern baseball legend, who played Rhodes was out of baseball Hogan. However, he failed to from 1899-1902 and managed after the 1962 campaign. make the squad and remained in the Southern Association with the Chicks following an exhi- from 1901-1921, including bition game in Memphis. Accord- stints with Memphis, New Orle- Clarence almost met Rhodes ing to Terry, “Jumbo hoped to ans, and Atlanta. in 2008 or 2009 at his moth- use the ‘28 season as a spring- er’s retirement home, but board to a spot on the Giants’ unfortunately Rhodes’ health roster the following season. Woodruff died in Atlanta at the took a downward turn and he [However, a] badly broken leg age of 45. He was buried with cancelled the visit. Dusty [suffered] during a bitter, hard- full military honors. Rhodes died shortly thereaf- fought four game series at Ponce ter. De Leon Park against the that August brought Clarence Watkins was the final speaker and presented on those dreams to an end.” Planning is already underway “Dusty Rhodes, A Childhood for the 18th edition of the Memory”. When he was growing Southern Association Confer- During his career, the native up in Memphis, Clarence re- ence, which will take place in Georgian also played for the At- called asking his grandfather March of 2021. lanta Crackers and Mobile Bears who his favorite player was. He in the SA. Jumbo’s career ended replied, “Willie Mays and Dusty in 1931 following a season with Rhodes,” who were two heroes - Jeb Stewart Rickwood Tales Page 3

“Members of the Above: Fellow Memphians Clarence Watkins (L) and John Guinozzo (R) at the 17th Annual Southern Association Baseball Conference. Below: Attendees listening intently to one of the presentations. Rickwood Field SABR Chapter are currently voting to determine the best team in Rickwood’s proud history.”

T HE R ICKWOOD S A B R C HAPTER IS V OTING ON THE B EST T EAM IN R ICKWOOD ’ S H ISTORY

In our last issue, we featured teams were selected from the each team’s pitching staffs and a story about the best players Barons, Black Barons, and A’s player rosters. We expect to at each position in Birming- based on record, winning have the complete results of ham’s Rickwood-era (1910- percentage, regular season the voting in our next issue of 87) as voted on by the Rick- pennants, post season perfor- Rickwood Tales. For more infor- wood Field SABR Chapter. mance, statistical evidence mation, please like the Rick- Members are currently voting (Team ERA, Batting Average, wood Field SABR Chapter on to determine the best team in and Differential), and Facebook. Rickwood’s proud history. 16 anecdotal evidence based on Page 4 Volume 1, Issue 3

M ILES AND M ONTEVALLO M ET IN A M EMORABLE M OUND D UEL ON M ARCH 11 The 24th Annual Rickwood Clas- with a . DH Ben Teel’s moved pinch runner Matt sic is unlikely to take place this sacrifice bunt moved Awbrey Simon to second on a sacri- season. With all events post- to third. Mitch Fleming, the fice bunt. Simon got to third poned or canceled there is little Falcons first basemen then on a wild pitch, and scored baseball news to report. How- reached on an error, which when Jake Smallwood hit into ever, on March 11, the Miles scored Awbrey. Miles pitcher a fielder’s choice to give the College Bears hosted the Mon- Matthew McDonald was able Falcons a slim 2-1 lead. tevallo Falcons at Rickwood to escape further damage. Field in what was probably the final game at the ballpark for In the bottom of the ninth, The score remained tied at 1- pinch hitter Gage Humphries the 2020 season. 1 as the teams entered the singled to center to open the eighth inning. With one out In inning, and lift the Bears’ In the bottom of the second, the top of the frame, Awbrey spirits. However, he advanced Miles second baseman Cody doubled again, but Bears no further as Montevallo’s Hamilton was hit by a pitch. pitcher Kolton Easterwood reliever Chandler Ingram shut William Johnson’s base hit stuck out Montevallo’s Riley the door. moved him to second. DH Cain with two on and two out Presston Hope then singled him to end the threat and keep Chandler induced a fly out home to give Miles a 1-0 lead. the score tied. and struck out the next bat- “On March 11, the ter. With two out, Will Canty In the top of the sixth, Monteval- In the ninth, Evan Liddie drew grounded out to short for the Miles College Bears lo tied the score. Left Fielder a walk to open the top of the final out of the game, as Mon- Asa Awbrey opened the frame inning. Ryan Brooks then tevallo won, 2-1. hosted the Montevallo Falcons at Rickwood DID YOU KNOW ? Field in what was probably the final game at the ballpark for the 2020 season.”

From 1948-52, the Birmingham Barons were an affiliate of the . The partnership was a successful one as Birmingham had an overall record of 409-354 (.535). The Barons also won Southern Association playoff titles and Championships in 1948 and 1951. Rickwood Tales Page 5

100 YEARS AGO AT R ICKWOOD On August 18, 2020, Rick- Rock fell in 6 games in the about to end. The Travelers wood Field will celebrate its Series. got hot finishing 21-9 to take 110th anniversary as Ameri- the flag. Meanwhile, the ca’s oldest ballpark. As long Barons scuffled down the For the Barons and manager as people care about keep- stretch with an 18-19 finish. Carlton Molesworth, 1920 ing Rickwood alive, we be- was a very good season. lieve the ballpark will last. Attendance increased from The Barons had some nice 93,661 from the previous individual performances. But this got us thinking year to 172,475 and the Outfielder and Third Base- about the 10th anniversary club played well on the field. man Clyde Barnhart bat- of the ballpark back in 1920. In fact, Birmingham was in ted .322 with 25 doubles That anniversary went unno- the pennant race for nearly and 17 triples. First Base- ticed by The Birmingham the entire summer. After a 4- man/Catcher Al Bernsen News, perhaps because the 7 start, which plunged them hit .320 and socked 8 home Barons were busy sweeping into seventh, the Barons runs to tie Thomas Steven- a doubleheader from the went 10-1 and surged into son as the team leader in Crackers in Atlanta’s Ponce first place by early May with round trippers. Alfred Ellis de Leon Park. a 14-8 record. Birmingham and Bert Griffith batted .316 remained on top for the next and .304 respectively. The 2 months. On July 3, the Barons also added young The Barons were competitive Barons led the league with a Stuffy Stewart, who would in 1920 finishing with a rec- record of 38-29, but Little become an important cog in “For the Barons and ord of 85-69 (.552). Howev- Rock was right behind them. the Barons back-to-back SA er, Birmingham finished in On July 10, the Travelers championships in 1928-29. fourth place 6.5 games be- manager Carlton overtook the Barons. hind the Molesworth, 1920 was a (88-59), New Orleans Peli- The pitching staff had two cans (86-62) and Atlanta Still, Molesworth’s men kept starters who threw over 300 very good season. Crackers (85-62). In winning fighting. On the morning of innings and two others with the Southern Association, August 21, the Barons were over 200 innings. Johnny Attendance increased the Travelers also won the 67-50 and were tied with Morrison led the Barons and right to represent the league Little Rock for second place. tied for the league lead in from 93,661 from the in the first ever Dixie Series Both teams trailed New Orle- wins (26-13). Whitey Glazner against the Fort Worth Pan- ans by only two games. Bir- went 24-10. Thomas Gal- previous season to thers. Unfortunately for the mingham fans didn’t know it, lagher and Joe Coffindaffer SA, and the Travelers, Little but the pennant race was combined for 29 wins. 172,475 and the club played well on the field.” B ECOME A FRIEND OF R ICKWOOD

The Friends of Rickwood is a “Veteran” for a $50 dona- 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organiza- tion (and also gets a patch); tion, which was formed in and (4) Level 4 is a “Gold 1992, and is dedicated to Glover” for a $100 donation preserving America’s Oldest (and also gets a Rickwood Ballpark. Anyone can become shirt). a Friend of Rickwood by mak- ing a donation to the Friends. To join, please visit

https://rickwood.com/ We have four levels of mem- membership/ bership for individuals and each level will receive a certif- or write us at: icate, a window sticker, and The Friends of Rickwood 10% off Rickwood merchan- Rickwood Field dise: (1) Level 1 is a “Little Leaguer” for a $10 donation; 1137 2nd Ave West (2) Level 2 is a “Rookie” for a Birmingham, AL 35204 $25 donation; (3) Level 3 is a The Friends of THE RICKWOOD LIBRARY: Bases Loaded With History Rickwood You know a ballpark has reached a vintage age when even the books chronicling its long history are Rickwood Field themselves old. Such is the case with Tim Whitt’s 1995 book, Bases Loaded With History: The Story 1137 2nd Ave W of Rickwood Field, America’s Oldest Ballpark, which was published just a year before the first Rick- wood Classic. Whitt, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, was a member of the Ballparks Committee Birmingham, AL 35204 of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) when he authored the book. He generously 205-999-5742 donated the net proceeds from its sales towards the restoration of the Rickwood.

Whitt’s story of Rickwood’s history moves quickly through the pages of Bases Loaded With History. He Email: begins with the formation of the old Southern League in 1885, and the increasing popularity of base- [email protected] ball, as Birmingham grew to become the industrial center of the South. By 1909, the Slag Pile (also known as Park) and its dilapidated wooden grandstand, was outdated. The Barons new owner, A.H. “Rick” Woodward, made plans for a suitable replacement, which would not simply be an improvement, but would be the finest ballpark in the south, and the first minor league ballpark with a grandstand made of concrete and steel. Whitt tells the story of the ballpark’s construction and the influence of , the owner and manager of the Athletics, who traveled to Bir- mingham to help design aspects of the grandstand and the playing field. Rickwood, which opened on https://www.facebook.com/fri August 18, 1910, was an unmitigated success for both Woodward and the Barons. endsofrickwood/ Carlton Molesworth, the Barons legendary manager from 1908-22, skippered the club’s first South- ern Association pennants won at Rickwood in 1912 and 1914. After a period of sagging attendance and competitiveness, the Barons enjoyed their most successful campaigns from 1928-31, when the team won three pennants and two Dixie Series titles over clubs.

Whitt also delves into the early history of the Birmingham Black Barons and its stars, Satchel Paige and Mule Suttles. The team was a member of the Negro Southern and later Negro National Leagues before joining the Negro in the late 1930s. The Black Barons rented Rickwood Field when the Barons were on the road. With Piper Davis, Artie Wilson, Double Duty Radcliff, Bill Powell, and teenage Willie Mays (1948-50), the Black Barons won three Negro American League pennants in the 1940s, but lost in the Negro League World Series each time to the powerful Homestead Grays.

After Rick Woodward died, the Barons came under new ownership. Whitt documents the Barons’ most successful clubs in the 1940s and 50s, as well as the collapse of the Southern Association following the 1961 season. He briskly tells the story of the Barons rebirth in 1964, the formation of

the new Southern League, the rebranding of the Barons as the A’s, and ’s red-hot summer of 1967. However, declining attendance foretold the team leaving Birmingham after the 1975 season. Rickwood stood empty for the next five years until Art Clarkson brought the Barons back to Birmingham in 1981, which probably saved the ballpark from destruction. Whitt then recalls Rickwood’s sunset seasons, which included Southern League titles for the Barons in 1983 and 1987.

Tim Whitt successfully managed to squeeze Rickwood’s then 85-year history into just 108 concise, but well-written pages. The book is still regarded by most researchers as the starting point for any Rickwood-related research project. Unfortunately, the book is out of print and must be purchased used on Amazon or eBay. Whitt closes his book with the birth of the Friends of Rickwood and credits the Friends’ progress in restoring the ballpark. As to Rickwood’s legacy, he writes, “You can hear the echoes of ten thousand games if you listen with the heart of a fan.” - Jeb Stewart