Looking Back: Setting the Mood for Baseball
Each March as I begin my transition from basketball to baseball, I do two things to set my mood for The National Pastime. I begin by watching my collection of old baseball movie DVDs such as The Winning Team (starring Ronald Reagan), It Happens Every Spring (Ray Milland), The Stratton Story (Jimmy Stewart), Damn Yankees (Tab Hunter), Eight Men Out (Charlie Sheen) and Alibi Ike (Joe E. Brown).
More movies from my collection: The Babe (John Goodman), Field of Dreams (Kevin Cosner), The Natural (Robert Redford), 42 The Jackie Robinson Story (Chadwick Boseman), The Pride of St. Louis (Dan Dailey), A League of Their Own (Tom Hanks), The Winning Season (TV movie-Matthew Modine), American Pastime (movie about baseball in a WWII Japanese internment camp) and The Pride of the Yankees (Gary Cooper).
My other annual mood-changer is sifting through newspaper clippings glued and loose in an old ledger; check book and box collected by Earl Brewer. These clippings go back to 1938-41. Mr. Brewer's baseball memorabilia came into my possession about 18 years ago when I began writing Nashville sports history stories for the late Tom Squires editor of Sports Nashville.
Mr. Brewer was delighted with the Nashville Vols' stories I was writing and gave his collection to Tom. Mr. Brewer said he had not read much about the Nashville Vols since their last season in Sulphur Dell in 1963. Tom was the Nashville Sounds beat writer for the The Tennessean covering the first five years. The 2012 Sounds Media Guide is dedicated to him. Tom eventually passed Mr. Brewer's collection to me.
At the beginning of the ledger book hand printed in bold black letters:
"Collecting Baseball Pictures by Earl Brewer"
"I started my hobby in April 1938. I first started collecting pictures of my favorite team, the Nashville Vols. Then I thought it would be interesting to collect pictures of the Major League clubs.
"I collect the pictures from magazines, newspapers, sports books and advertisements. I have pictures of all the star players in both American and National Leagues and the entire Nashville team for the years 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941. Earl Brewer Oct. 22, 1941."
I never met Mr. Brewer, but an old yellow faded business card found in the ledger revealed he was a retired real estate and insurance agent in Waynesboro, TN. There are literally thousands of clippings and photos cut from Nashville newspapers that focus mainly on the Nashville Vols. It takes me hours and hours each year to review all the clippings. I have several clippings to mention.
An original full front and sports pages of The Tennessean dated October 8, 1942 reports on the homecoming and celebration of Nashville-born Johnny Beazley, the 23-year-old pitching hero of the 1942 World Series. Beazley won games two and five as his Cardinals upset the powerful New York Yankees in five games. The celebration was held at the War Memorial Building with an estimated crowd of 2,300 that included Nashville Mayor Tom Cummings, city officials, and Beazley's family and friends.
Many photos include Beazley accepting a plaque from The Tennessean sports editor Raymond Johnson; "War Horse" Harry Rogers President of the Old Timers Baseball Association giving Beazley a travel bag; Dr. Sumptar of the Sulphur Dell Club presenting Beazley with a trophy; Beazley with his mother (Sue), aunt and The Tennessean sports writers Red O'Donnell and Raymond Johnson.
The first clipping in the ledger has a story about New Orleans Manager Larry Gilbert leaving his hometown to become the new manager of the Vols. Gilbert was a Southern Association legend having been in baseball since 1917. Gilbert's first season in Nashville was 1939 and in his 11 years as the Vols skipper, he won four pennants (1940, 1943-44, 1948). Countless stories of Gilbert and his players dominate Mr. Brewer's collection.
The gentleman must have cut out clippings just about after every home game as the years 1938-40 are covered extensively. I believe I can honestly say that every Nashville Vols player from 1938-40 is mentioned in this collection and/or has a photo printed. Both The Tennessean and Nashville Banner are represented.
Included are a photograph of Johnny Vander Meer who pitched for the Vols in 1936 appearing in 10 games with 22 innings pitched and a 0-1 record (7.26 ERA). Vander Meer is the only major league hurler to toss back-to-back no-hitters.
And a 1941 photo is displayed of Hollywood comic-actor Joe E. Brown with Nashville Mayor Thomas Cummings and Gilbert. Brown was known for making comic baseball movies and his role as Osgood Fielding III in the movie "Some Like It Hot." He was visiting the Vols at Sulphur Dell after Nashville retuned home from spring training.
Key Nashville position players from this era were: Bill Haas, Bill Rodda, John Mihalic, Charles Gilbert, Gus Dugas, Arnold Moser, Oris Hockett and Geek George. Prominent pitchers were: Ace Adams. Bill Crouch, George Jeffcoat, Boots Poffenberger, Leo Twarty and Johnny Sain.
The 1938 Vols were 84-66 and managed by Charles Dressen. Nashville was in second place when the season ended. The 1939 club managed by Gilbert finished 85-68 for third place. That club had a half-game lead in the final week of the season. The 1940 Vols were one of minor league baseball's all-time greatest teams with a 101-47 record that just dominated the Southern Association that season. It would be the Vols fifth overall title and first since 1916.
In Mr. Brewer's non-Nashville collection is a 1938 Life magazine with Joe DiMaggio on the cover. DiMaggio had two baseball careers; the first 1936-42 and 1946-51 with a three-year gap to serve in the military during World War II. The magazine story by Noel F. Busch is a comprehensive review of DiMaggio's life as a child to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League through his first two seasons with the Yankees.
Another DiMaggio article from an undated Look magazine features "The DiMaggio's of San Francisco" by Tom Laird tells the family's San Francisco life with brothers Mike and Tom and the fishing interest of the clan. Beautiful photos consist of Joe DiMaggio's Restaurant, his home, wife (Dorothy) and young children. DiMaggio collected a double and two singles in an April 1942 exhibition game against the Vols at Sulphur Dell. His team beat the Vols, 11-6.
Other magazine articles include Met Ott, Bob Feller, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, pitcher Carl Hubbell showing how to throw a screwball, curveball and a knuckleball and a story on the "Beanball Is A Dangerous Baseball Tactic." Another magazine story states that Cleveland is "Baseball Manager's Graveyard." And a story asks "Will Three Women Ruin The Powerful Yankee Club?"
That story reads, "That's the big question mark burning the nation's baseball fans as the major league teams are swinging along on another pennant chase. Helen Weynant, Mrs. Joseph Holleran and Mrs. J. B. Maguire, the new owners of the greatest club in the history of the game, haven't the slightest knowledge of baseball and its intricate policies and politics."
A beautiful Life cover dated April 25, 1938 (priced 10 cents) with Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams swinging a bat is suitable for framing for any Williams' fan. Williams played in an exhibition game against the Vols in April 1950 where he recorded a single in the Red Sox 7-5 victory.
Two lesser-known magazines American Boy has a feature story on Detroit Tigers' outfielder Barney McCosky and Sports Pic has a preview of the 1939 World Series with managers Bill McKechnie (Cincinnati) and Joe McCarthy (Yankees) on the cover. The Yankees swept the Reds in four games.
The 2016 Nashville Sounds will be competing in their 39th season and second in its new ballpark -- First Tennessee Park. And the grass still grows at old Herschel Greer Stadium on Chestnut Street with an undetermined future. The Sounds have an excellent promotions schedule this season and the best fireworks display in Nashville. Many new promotions have been added but have not been seen before in the city. New this year at each game are the "Sound Waves" and the "Country Music Legends Race."
I would like to give special thanks to Doug Scopel, Vice-President of Operations. Thanks to Doug's support, I am in my 13th year writing a weekly "Looking Back" story on Nashville baseball history. These stories will continue to be on the Nashville Vols, Sounds, certain events and early baseball history in the city.
I don't know what happened to Mr. Brewer, but I cherish his newspaper clippings collection that I know he worked on with pride and a devotion to baseball.
If you have any comments or suggestions contact Bill Traughber via email [email protected].