McGlothin keeps Williams hitless in 7 plate appearances

Ezra "Pat" McGlothin, Knoxville lad, spent time at the University of Tennessee and then in the low minors before he was in the Navy.

As a recreational specialist and morale booster he played for the Corpus Christi Naval Training Base All-Stars.  LT Ted Williams and his Pensacola Naval Training Base All-Stars played the Corpus Christi team.  And lost.

McGlothin struck Ted out once and held him hitless in 7 plate appearances.  Pat went 3 for 8 himself and drove in the winning run.  In the 19th inning.

The Sporting News - October 12, 1944

The Sporting News - October 26, 1944

After the war he spent a few more years in the minors and finally made it to the Dodgers in 1949.  He pitched in 7 games that year and just 1 the following season.  A few more years in the minors and then he managed the Smokies in 1954.

After baseball he ran a successful insurance company in Knoxville.  When I spoke with Pat in 2012 he was very proud of that day in September, 1944.

Pat passed away in 2014 in Knoxville.

I thank him, and other veterans, for his service to our great country.

Knoxville Municipal Stadium Opens

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - April 22, 1954

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - April 22, 1954

The Smokies fell to the Rock Hill Chiefs, 7-4.

When the Chicken came to town

TAMIS, the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound, presented this wonderful ad from 1988.

Knoxville Blue Jays Welcome the San Diego Chicken from TAMIS on Vimeo.

Promotions are nice, but who won the game?  The K-Jays, at that time, were a farm club of the Toronto Blue Jays.  They beat Huntsville 3-1, sweeping that series.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - June 4, 1988

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - June 4, 1988

The K-Jays finished that 1988 season with a 75-69 record, but that was only good enough to be the third best team in the Southern League, Western Division and the fourth best team in the whole of the league.

That season they had 23 players who were, or would be, in the majors.  If you were there that evening you saw the following previous or future major leaguers:

• Kevin Batiste
• Francisco Cabrera
• Steve Cummings
• Junior Felix
• Webster Garrison
• Darren Hall
• Shawn Jeter
• Domingo Martinez
• Tom Quinlan
• Alex Sanchez
• Matt Stark

These two players did not make the show:

• Jimmy Kelly
• Tom Malave

A hot and tragic day in July 1932

It was just past the middle of July, 1932. A heat wave was enveloping Knoxville. On Sunday the 18th, the high was 92 and it didn't hit the low of 80 until midnight. Monday would reach 93.

The Smokies were in Chattanooga where they had split a double header with the Lookouts of the Southern Association. As a matter of fact, all the league teams that played that day split their doubleheaders. The Smokies were trying to climb out of the bottom of the standings. After Sunday's games they were in seventh place, 41-56. Only the Crackers of Atlanta had a more dismal record at that point in the season.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - July 18, 1932

Howard Freigau hadn't played in a major league game since September 29, 1928 for the Boston Braves.  That day he pinch hit against the St. Louis Cardinals\, the major league team that he started with in 1922.  He didn't collect a hit.

In the early morning hours of Monday, July 18th R. H. Griffith. a resident at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club invited Freigau to escape the heat of the day in the club's pool.  Freigau dove into the pool from a 20 foot tower and hit his head on the concrete bottom.  He was stunned and drowned.  He was pronounced dead by the Lookouts' team physician, Dr. H. Quigg Fletcher.

The story was reported on page one of The Knoxville News-Sentinel that very day.

There was an article on the sports page about Freigau hoping to get back to the big league.

His wife, the attractive Mrs. Mildred Freigau, left her home in Knoxville to tend to her husband's body in Chattanooga.

The Arkansas Gazette reported that at the time of his death he was batting better than .340.

The Smokies beat the Lookouts in the game that Monday by a score of 5-2.  The Knoxville club finished at the bottom of the Southern Association with a 60-93 record.

Howard Earl Freigau is buried at the Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.


NOTE: It was the sudden and unexpected death of José Fernandez of the Miami Marlins that spurred this post.

Zeke Frumin - Knoxville Jewry's baseball hero

The Jewish Post - December 28, 1945

I'd never heard of Zeke Frumin, so off I went to my usual research haunts.

I was able to find a Seamore Frumine and his family living in Chattanooga at the time of the 1930 Census.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee; Roll: 2250; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 0008; Image: 806.0; FHL microfilm: 2341984 Description Enumeration District : 8; Description: CHATTANOOGA CITY, WARD 2 (PART), BOUNDED BY (N) W. 6TH; (E) MARKET; (S) W. 9TH, CARLILE PL., WARD LINE; (W) BOYNTON TR. Source Information Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

I found Seymore Frumin in the Chattanooga High School annual for 1937.

The Dynamo (1937)
Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Various school yearbooks from across the United States.

Why the change of names from Seymour (and variants) to Zelig/Zeke (and variants) I cannot explain.

I was able to find Zelik and his family living in Chattanooga at the time of the 1940 Census.

Year: 1940; Census Place: Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee; Roll: T627_3951; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 96-16 Description Enumeration District : 96-16; Description: CIVIL DISTRICT 1, CHATTANOOGA CITY WARD 4 (AREA A - PART) Source Information Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

His player page at Baseball-Reference doesn't list a place of birth.  The census images above indicate Poland.

After his baseball career was over Zeke was in Knoxville, playing basketball for the Jewish Community Center.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - February 17, 1947

Zeke passed away in 2015.  Below is his obituary as it appeared in The Knoxville News-Sentinel.

FRUMIN, ZELIG (ZEKE) - 94, formerly of Knoxville, passed away Saturday, January 17, 2015, at his home in Sarasota, FL. He was a long time member of Heska Amuna Synagogue. Zeke was a loving husband to Rosie Cooper Frumin (deceased), and a devoted father and Papa to his family. He was a lifelong sports fan having played second base for the Chicago Cubs minor league from 1943-1947. In later years, he was an avid tennis player, a devoted UT fan, and a dedicated cheerleader for the Atlanta Braves. Zeke is preceded in death by his parents Dora and Sol Frumin; sister, Ann Busch, and brother, Walter Frumin. He is survived by his brother, Isidore Frumin of Chattanooga, his daughters and sons-in-law, Joani and Gary Leeds and Ardell Terry and Jim Atsaides; grandchildren and spouses, Jennifer Zlotogura (Pete) Littleton, Michel Zlotogura (Ken) Morrow, Jonathan (Carmen) Terry, and Ben (Lynn) Terry; great-grandchildren Zoe Littleton, Lauren Knight, and Emma and Dustin Terry. Family and friends will meet Wednesday at 9:45 AM at the New Jewish Cemetery for a 10:00 AM graveside service with Rabbi Alon Ferency officiating. Pallbearers: Jim Atsaides, Arnold Cohen, Gary Leeds, Pete Littleton, Ken Morrow, Ben Terry, and Jonathan Terry. The family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Pat Summitt Foundation at patsummitt.org, Heska Amuna Synagogue at heskaamjna.org, or Tidewell Hospice at tidewell.org. Online condolences may be sent to www.rosemortuary.com. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Knoxville News Sentinel (TN) - Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Maps of The Negro Southern League

William J. Plott wrote a wonderful book, The Negro Southern League - A Baseball History, 1920-1951.

Using the data in his book I've made maps of the cities in the league by year.  Limitations in Google Maps forces me to have no more than 10 layers (seasons) per map.

1920s (1920-23, 1926-29)



1930s (1931-36)



1940s & 1950s (1945-49, 1950-51)

On this day - 71 years ago

71 years ago today the Indianapolis Cardinals played host to the Knoxville Grays.  Both teams were members of the Negro Southern League.

Prior to the game Knoxville was ahead of Indianapolis in the standings.  This is for the second half of the season.  The New Orleans Black Pelicans dropped out of the NSL and the Indianapolis Cardinals stepped in.

Indianapolis Recorder - July 28, 1945

Indianapolis Recorder - July 28, 1945

A full page ad / scorecard in the paper.

Indianapolis Recorder - July 28, 1945

Indianapolis Recorder - July 28, 1945

A week later it was reported, in the next to last paragraph, that the Cardinals were victorious by a score of 10-3.

Indianapolis Recorder - August 4, 1945

Tony LaRussa comes to Knoxville

Tony LaRussa was in town 50 years ago today, as a member of the Mobile A's of the Southern League.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - July 22, 1966

Joining the future Hall of Famer was Sal Bando.  The each got three hits in the A's romp over the Smokies.

Tony LaRussa would later help guide the 1978 Knoxville team to a Southern League championship.

But was this Tony's first trip to Knoxville as a baseball player?  He played in 75 games for Birmingham in 1965, so it is possible that he played in our fair city that year.

Yep.  On August 25, 1965 he played for the Barons in a double header, first as an infielder and then as a pinch hitter.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - August 26, 1965

He was liked much better in 1978.

images from the Knox County Public Library

Knoxville Giants play double header on July 4, 1933

July 4th. A time to celebrate Independence Day. A time to play baseball. In 1933, the Knoxville Giants, part of the Negro Southern League, played a double header against the Alcoa Aluminum Sluggers.

Knoxville News-Sentinel - July 4, 1933

The story in the next day's paper shows that the Giants won both of the games.

Knoxville News-Sentinel - July 5, 1933

So where was Leslie Street Park?  From Ronald Allen's book, Same Old Smokies:

The Knoxville Giants, a black Knoxville baseball team, played their games at the Leslie Street Park.  The field was located on Leslie Street, south of Western Avenue and north of University Avenue. The field was long a playing field for local African American teams, and also by neighborhood youngsters.

Google Maps locates it where the Knoxville New-Sentinel building is.  Some of the street names have changed over the years.

Ray V. DuPue - minor league short stop, physician

While looking through the digitized archives of the Knoxville News-Sentinel for Frank Moffett, I came across the obituary of Dr. Ray V. DuPue, physician.

Knoxville News-Sentinel - December 22, 1974

... and later played semi-pro baseball for Frank Moffett's independent ball club, where he played second baseman and shortstop.

Frank Moffett was involved in quite a few baseball enterprises, as a player, manager, promoter, league organizer, and scout, among other things.  When could Ray have played for Frank?  According to his obituary, Ray was 88 when he died in 1974.  That would put his birth around 1886.  I found his World War I draft registration card on FamilySearch.org.

"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images,
FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25096-64212-38?cc=1968530 : 14 May 2014),
Tennessee >Knoxville City no 1; B-Millett, Pat J. > image 2121 of 5964; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509
(Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

The birth year is confirmed.  Since he graduated from LMU's medical school in 1910, I'm going to assume that he had a window from 1906 to 1908 to play for Frank.

There is just one DePue listed at Baseball-Reference.com.  He played in 1907 for the Darlington/Florence Fiddlers of the South Carolina League.  Maybe he's our man?

Oh, look.  Frank Moffett is one of the managers.  I'm feeling better about this.

Here's a newspaper article from that season:

The State (Columbia, SC) - June 27, 1907
image from GenealogyBank.com

And here's the end of season average for DuPue.

The State - September 29, 1907

From the info I've gathered we can add a few more details to the BBref listing for DuPue.
He had 11 Runs, 1 Sac. Hit, and 2 Stolen Bases.

But how is it that Moffett and DuPue came to Darlington?  It looks like Frank Moffett had a good team that played in Chattanooga but Darlington purchased them.

The State - June 22, 1907

I don't yet have any info on Moffett's Chattanooga team.

As mentioned in his obituary, Dr. Ray V. DePue was buried at Knoxville's Greenwood Cemetery.  Here's a link to his FindAGrave memorial.

If this DePue is Ray V. DePue, then we can add a birthdate: Oct 21, 1886, birthplace: Stillwater, NJ, death date: Dec 20, 1974, death location: Knoxville, TN.

I don't have 100% proof that the DePue with no first name is Ray V. DePue, but I'd bet my paycheck on it.

The half-named players of the 1929 Knoxville Smokies

Baseball-Reference.com does good work. But some of their data is lacking. Not surprising when one considers the thousands of players that have suited up professionally.  I'm going try to correct some of the missing info.

Here's bbref.com's page about the 1929 Knoxville Smokies.  I've snipped a portion of the roster and will try to determine if I can find more info about these half-named players.

Players are listed with limited info, most noticeably no first name.  Digging into the newspapers reveals a bit of info about some of the players.

Brillheart (Sabr ID: 9994f9b9).  That would be Walter Brillheart.  Now we've got a first name.  And we know that he was a right-handed pitcher.

Dietrick (Sabr ID: e9e69bc3).  That would be Bill Dietrick.  Or as spelling sometimes gets mangled, Bill Deitrick.  I think that these two players need to be combined.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - April 13, 1929

Erwin (Sabr ID: 625ec687).  That would be "Babe" Erwin.  I couldn't find a real first name for him.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - June 18, 1929

Fowlkes. That would be Hi Fowlkes. 

Baseball-Reference already has a Hy Fowlkes.  Based on other newspaper accounts I would bet that these two players are one in the same.  Time for a merge.  That would be unnamed Fowlkes (Sabr ID: 8335997c) and Hy Fowlkes (Sabr ID: e43c5e32). 

Top center (2), is Hi Fowlkes.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - March 31, 1929

The Fowlkes family has a website featuring Hy Fowlkes, complete with a different photo.

Gore (Sabr ID: 36fe0a97).  That would be Joe Gore.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - April 29, 1929

Could it be that this Gore and Joe Gore (Sabr ID: 2b5a9b36) are the same player?  The scant info in the newspaper article hints towards it.  And we know that this Gore was a right-handed hitter.


Since this was a test run or exercise, I didn't fully pursue Johnston (or Smith, Stafford [Harold Stafford, probably this Harold Stafford], Tashjian [it is Bert T. Tashjian], or Turner [Glenn Turner, probably this Glenn Turner]).

There's a lot more biographical info to be researched.  Dates and places of both birth and death.  School and burial info.  But this is a start.

Newspaper images from the Papers to Pixels campaign of the Knox County Public Library.

1929 East Tennessee Colored League

In 1929 Professor James Beck became the president of the East Tennessee Colored League, an eight team amateur loop in the greater Knoxville area.  The Park City Cubs, managed by Cicero Frazier, won the championship at the end of September.  In July of that year there were at least 11 amateur leagues in and around the city.

From census records and WWI Draft Registration Card,  we see that Cicero Frazier was born about 1895, was a tile layer for a furniture company and lived on Martin Mill Road with his in-laws (1920 Census).  Ten years later he was a laborer in the construction industry, living on Bethel Street (1930 Census).  He died on January 19, 1944, at his home on Bethel Avenue in Knoxville (death certificate which states his year of birth as 1897).

From the Papers to Pixels Project of the Knox County Public Library.

1934 Southern Association Schedule

From the Papers to Pixels Project of the Knox County Public Library.

1950 Tri-State League Schedule

From the Papers to Pixels Project of the Knox County Public Library.

Appy League Schedules from the Knoxville News-Sentinel

Through the efforts of the Knox County Public Library the archives of the Knoxville News-Sentinel are coming on line. I've found a few of the schedules of the Appalachian League.