Zephyrs induct latest Hall of Fame class

The Zephyrs will honor A.B. Freeman, Dave Malarcher and Butler Powell as the newest members of the New Orleans Professional Baseball Hall of Fame during the Saturday, June 6 game against the Nashville Sounds.

The Class of 2015 already includes former Zephyrs pitcher and current Major League Baseball analyst C.J. Nitkowski, who was inducted at the annual Evening with the Zephyrs reception in January.

Alfred Bird Freeman was a successful New Orleans businessman who established the Louisiana Coca-Cola Bottling Company in New Orleans in 1907, making it one of the largest Coca-Cola bottling operations in the country.

In 1937, Freeman headed a syndicate of local businessmen that included the mayor and the governor to purchase the New Orleans Baseball and Amusement Company - owner of the New Orleans Pelicans - for $203,000 from the estate of Cleveland businessman Charles Somers. This represented the first time since 1903 that the city's professional baseball club was locally owned.

For the next 10 years - including the turbulent years during World War II - the Pelicans produced a .500 winning percentage as a farm club for the Cleveland Indians, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox. Freeman and his partners sold the club in 1947 to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

David Julius Malarcher was born in 1894 in rural St. James Parish where he began playing on amateur sandlot teams at an early age before moving to the city to attend New Orleans University.

During his college career, Malarcher captained the school's varsity team to an unbeaten record over three years while at the same time competing for local semi-pro teams like the New Orleans Eagles. After graduating from NOU, Malarcher served in the Army during World War I and led an African-American camp baseball team to a title in Europe.

After the war, he signed with the Chicago American Giants of the National Negro League where he played third base and was heralded as one of the swiftest, savviest and most sure-handed and clutch-hitting third sackers in black baseball. It was as the team's player-manager that Malarcher blossomed into a Negro Leagues legend, leading the squad to multiple league titles and two consecutive Negro World Series crowns in 1926-27.

He continued as a manager for various Chicago-based teams into the 1930s before retiring from the game and devoting his time to his successful Windy City real-estate agency and community activities. Malarcher died in 1982 in Chicago and is buried in his hometown of Convent, LA.

New Orleans native Butler Powell prepped at St. Aloysius High School earning All-State honors and catching the eye of Loyola University skipper Rags Scheuermann.

Powell was the starting catcher for the Wolf Pack from 1956 until 1960. During his tenure at Loyola University the team compiled a record of 46-24. He finished the 1958-1959 season with a .354 batting average and was named team captain in his senior year, leading his club to a 16-2 record.

He was signed by the Milwaukee Braves and made his professional debut with the Boise Braves in the Pioneer League in 1960. Powell enjoyed six seasons before retiring from baseball and beginning a long and successful career in banking in New Orleans.

The Hall of Fame Night is set for 6 p.m. against Nashville, with a special fireworks show to follow the game, presented by Gulf Coast Bank. For more information or for tickets, contact the Zephyrs at (504) 734-5155.