Looking Back: Vols Fight Pelicans In 1959
"Tookie Gilbert's three-run ninth inning homer gave new Orleans a 7 to 5 victory over Nashville last night at Sulphur Dell and set off one of the liveliest free-for-all fights in years.
"Gilbert's taunts from the Pelican dugout so infuriated Nashville catcher Eddie Irons that he twice charged over to engage in fisticuffs. Once umpires and players stopped him, but after calm had apparently been stored, Eddie went for Gilbert again and the action was on.
"Frank Baldwin, who is Irons' counterpart for New Orleans, jumped into the front as Eddie neared the dugout and in the role of peacemaker, took most of the brunt of the attack. Baldwin wrestled Irons to the ground and both escaped damage.
"But pitcher Kelton Russell of the Pels, who was just before piling onto the melee, took a hard left to the ear thrown by Vol Manager Dick Sisler. So far as could be immediately learned, that was the only blow that did any damage.
"Tommy Dotterer, the young Nashville third baseman, was in the middle of the first swinging and was knocked around to some extent, but after the game Sisler cracked: "He looks okay to me."
The fight was spurred as a result of arguments that began in the first inning. The Pelicans complained bitterly about some of the calls by home plate umpire Bob Burns against their starting pitcher Angelo "Wimpy" Nardella. Nardella walked four Vols batters in that first inning.
In the second inning an incident occurred that involved Gilbert. With Vols' Phil Shartzer on first base, Nashville pitcher John Fickinger (yes that is his real name) attempted a sacrifice by bunting the ball towards Gilbert who was playing first base. Frank Baldwin, the Pelicans' catcher, along with Gilbert argued that Shartzer had interfered on the play.
Burns and fellow umpire, Ralph Daugherty, discussed the action and decided that Fickinger was out for running out of the baseline, but awarded Shartzer second base. New Orleans argued that Shartzer should have also been out for interference. They lost that argument.
On several occasions Irons and New Orleans batters were seen exchanging verbal blasts when he was behind home plate. After the game, Irons was asked what was going on between Irons and the New Orleans dugout during the game.
"Nothing except the usual jawing that goes on between ball clubs," said Irons. "Gilbert and the other New Orleans' players thought Bill Beck [Vols relief pitcher] was throwing at Joe Duhem (who followed Gilbert in the batting order). Actually Bill crossed me up on the pitch and it went over my head. But it wasn't close to Duhem.
"Gilbert then called me a frontrunner and challenged me and I went over to the dugout. I didn't get hit by anyone. Frank Baldwin wrestled me to the ground, but he was trying to stop the fight, not agitate it."
As for the game, it was a pitching duel between Fickinger and Nardella with the Vols heading into the eighth inning with a 2-0 lead. In the top of the eighth, Gilbert walked, Dunhem homered over the left field wall and Cob Jarvis stroked a dinger over the right field screen. The Pelicans led 3-2. In their half of the inning, the Vols roared back with a double by first baseman Marv Blaylock, walks to outfielder Crawford Davidson and Irons. With the bases loaded, outfielder Drew "Buddy" Gilbert (no relation to Tookie) clouted a double driving in a pair of runs to bring the score in the Vols advantage, 4-3.
In the top of the ninth, New Orleans put runners on base with an error, a strikeout and a hit-batter. With two on and one out, Pels Billy Reynolds singled in a run while Gilbert followed with his eventual game-winning three-run shot. The Pelicans lead 7-4. A Vols rally in the last of the ninth fell short after two outs when Blaylock crushed a home run. Then Davidson walked, Ultus Alvarez singled. But Haven Schmidt who had taken over for Irons after his ejection, grounded out to the pitcher. The Pelican won the game 7-5.
After the game Gilbert was seen laughing with his teammates. Said Gilbert, "We were just riding one another and Eddie {Irons] got mad. I don't suppose anyone is angry now. I know I'm not."
Umpire Burns said much of the same, "They had been riding one another all night and Irons got all he could take, I guess. "It was the worst fight I've been mixed up in a long time. We had it stopped that first time, but Irons wouldn't leave it that way. I had to run him from the game."
New Orleans pitcher Kelton Russell was also tossed from the game. Russell said after the game, "I guess someone had to be sent off our bench, and I was the guy."
(Harold) "Tookie" Gilbert was the son of the Southern Association's legendary manager Larry Gilbert of New Orleans (1923-38) and Nashville (1939-48). Larry Gilbert won four pennants in Nashville and later became president of the Vols before retiring to his home in New Orleans. His sons, Charlie and (Tookie) had played for their father in Nashville.
(Harold) Tookie Gilbert was 10 years younger than his brother and hit 33 home runs in 1949 for the Vols. On July 6, 1949, he became the 14th Vols player to hit three home runs in one game. Like his brother the year before, he helped lead the Vols to another championship.
Tookie was property of the New York Giants and spent parts of the 1950 and 1953 seasons with the big league team. In 183 games, his career average in the majors was .203. Gilbert retired from baseball and became a sheriff in New Orleans. He died in New Orleans in 1967 at age 38.
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