1950 Tri-State League All-Star Game

It is currently the All-Star Break for the Southern League. While doing some research for foreign born players for Knoxville teams I came across Jack Aragon.

Angel Valdes (Reyes) Aragon was born in Cuba in 1915.  According to Baseball-Reference.com his minor league career started with the 1937 Greenwood Giants of the Cotton States League.  He caught for the 1939 Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association.  He was back in Knoxville in 1950 and 1951 as a player / manager.  The following article lists Aragon's first name as Art.  I don't know why.

In 1950 his team went 0-12 to start the season.  By the time that the Tri-State League had their All-Star game in July the they had improved to a very respectable 49-36, hanging on to second place, right behind Spartanburg.

I'm not sure how the All-Star team was selected in that league, but it looks as if the first place team played the All-Stars.  Maybe a Best versus the Rest.

Greensboro Daily News - July 14, 1950

According to the newspaper Knoxville had four players on that All-Star team.  Al Neil and Harvey Gentry were scheduled to play in the outfield and Hugh Oser and Joe Asbill were lined up to pitch.


The reporting of the All-Star game was very slim at GenealogyBank.com.  This was the only note I found.  The All-Stars pummeled the Spartanburg Peaches 19 to 4.

Greensboro Daily News - July 18, 1950

The Sporting News, from the PaperofRecord.com site, came through with some game details.

The Sporting News - July 26, 1950

The only player of the Knoxville All-Stars to make it to the major league was Harvey Gentry who played in five games for the New York Giants in 1954.  He came to bat four times and got one hit for a .250 BA. 

Note: Selection to an All-Star game does not guarantee any future success in the sport.

Chattanooga sent a large sized pudding to Knoxville

I try to keep up with a "This Day in Knoxville Baseball History" to feed to Mick and Justin over at the Smokies Radio Network.  They like to add the stories to their pregame show for some color and stretch.

This post isn't exactly a "it happened on this date" but to celebrate the Lookouts are coming to town today.

Back in August of 1889, the Knoxville Reds hosted the Chattanooga team, at the time known as the Chattanoogas.

The local press tried to set the expectations, letting fans know the Reds would have a tough go with the visitors.

The Knoxville Journal - August 7, 1889

The press wasn't so kind after the games.

     The proof of the pudding is in chewing the string.  Last Thursday Chattanooga sent a large sized pudding to Knoxville, in the shape of a base ball team.  The Knoxville Reds sized up the pudding, gave it six or seven white washes and gulped it down with as much ease as an anaconda would swallow a mouse.

The Knoxville Journal - August 10, 1889

The Reds won all three games and the sportswriter saw fit to put their fielding and batting averages for the series in the paper.  He also included the a zinger to close.

     Following is the latest catechism that every Knoxville boy repeats before going to bed:
     "Where is Knoxville?"
     "Knoxville is situated in East Tennessee, of which is is the emporium, on the Tennessee river."
     "For what is it noted?"
     "For being the home of the Knoxville Reds, a base ball organization."
     "Where is Chattanooga?"
     "Chattanooga is a country village situated one hundred miles from Knoxville."
     "For what is it noted?"
     "It is chiefly noted for being the home of an alleged lot of ball players who were eaten up by the Knoxville Reds"

The Knoxville Journal - August 12, 1889

You may note several of the Reds players are the same as those featured in this photo, specifically:

• James Waters
• Please McClung
• Deadrick McClung
• Guy McCaffry

images from GenealogyBank.com

1930s Stein's Baseball Team

Earlier today MLB Historian John Thorn tweeted:

That reminded me of a team in Knoxville, probably in the early 1930s.  Stein's.

image N-4677 "Stein's baseball players showing backs of uniforms."

from The Thompson Photograph Collection

part of the Calvin M. McClung Digital Collection

The player on the front row, left (below), reminds me a bit of Ted Kluszewski, what with his torn sleeves and all.

image N-4678 "Stein's baseball players wearing uniforms with $12.50 on front."

from The Thompson Photograph Collection

part of the Calvin M. McClung Digital Collection

I haven't yet researched the team in the local newspapers.  My assumption is that it was one of many factory teams that played in the city leagues.

Another photo from the Calving M. McClung Digital Collection shows the Stein's store, but by 1937 the suit prices had risen to $16.50

image N-5904 "East side of Market Square from Union Avenue to Wall Avenue, Knoxville, TN. October 28, 1937.
Partial view of Market House at left. T.E. Bruns Co. in center. At left: Corkland's, Stein's All Wool Clothes, Miller's Annex, French Booterie. Trucks and cars parked in front of stores. Ordered by Wallace & Wallace."

from The Thompson Photograph Collection

part of the Calvin M. McClung Digital Collection

The 1933 Knoxville City Directory shows that Stein Brothers was located at 10 Market Square.

Knoxville, Tennessee, City Directory, 1933
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Stein's was a staple across the nation, at least in principal cities.

The Augusta Chronicle - November 1, 1931

A few years later we learn that Steins had two factories.  One in Knoxville and the other in Syracuse.  I have yet to determine the location of the Knoxville factory.

The State-Times (Baton Rouge) - April 18, 1933

If Stein's were around today, I'd support them.  A suit for $12.50?  And they have a baseball team?  I'll take two.

Newspaper images from GenealogyBank.com