As spring returns, the winter wanes, the smell of freshly mowed grass, the crack of the bat, the pop of the mitt and the sweet fragrance of a new baseball out of the box point to a glorious moment in time: the coming of a new baseball season.
Oklahoma has a rich tradition of excellence in the professional game, with Hall of Famers like Johnny Bench, Mickey Mantle, Carl Hubbell, Willie Stargell, the Waner brothers, Iron Man McGinnity and Negro League star, Joe Rogan.
A Buffalo, New York, transplant, Warren Spahn, made his home in Hartshorne. Others who hailed form the Sooner State include Bobby Murcer, Darrell Porter, Bob Johnson, Harry “The Cat” Brecheen, Allie Reynolds and, more recently, Matt Kemp and J.T. Realmuto.
Of course, the American Indian super athlete, Jim Thorpe, himself a Catholic, spent some time with the New York Giants when not winning Olympic medals.
Many of the stars from the turn of the century through the 1930s played on town teams that were a source of entertainment and community in small towns throughout the state. Sunday afternoons were usually the time to gather and watch the local nine battle visiting teams.
Sometimes the “battle” was not just on the diamond. It is believed the first organized game of baseball in the state occurred on July 4, 1882, in Krebs as they were pitted against Savanna; both were coal mining communities and more than a bit rough and tumble. Apparently, violence broke out in the crowd and gambling was rampant no doubt fueled by Choc beer. Since most were immigrants playing, it is safe to assume that many were Catholic.
Catholic parishes also fielded teams that were competitive and sources of pride for the people they represented. In the archdiocesan archives, there are ten photographs of different teams, including the American Indian school at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Anadarko.
Truly Baseball was the national pastime and quintessentially American. Immigrants gravitated toward the game to prove in some way their loyalty to the United States and the love they possessed for its strategy, nuances and sensibility. A team game that also entailed individuality (the struggle between pitcher and hitter), it symbolized the American experience.
With the new season of Major League Baseball upon us, and a myriad of new rules in place that were designed to speed up the action in a culture requiring immediate satisfaction, the brisk yet leisurely pace that is baseball at its best should return.
Games will no longer take three hours to play, and we might be reminded of the legendary pitcher Bob Gibson who worked quickly. Vin Scully, the great Dodger broadcaster for 67 years, once noted that Gibson pitched like he was double parked. May it be so again.