Community Baseball

   Almost from the earliest days of the county, every community had a baseball team, not an All-Star Little League team or a high school team but a town team consisting of the best players that could be pulled together.  Age was no factor.  Some teams played in uniforms, some in overalls.  And as Bill Livingston stated “The uniform didn’t make the ballplayer, but seemed to add to his ability.”  Results of games have been located between De Leon and Comanche as early as 1886.

    As the years progressed, more and more communities fielded teams and later, better ball players often played for more than one community.  Games were usually on Sunday afternoon but were occasionally played on Saturday.  Bill Livingston pointed out some of the outstanding families that made up community teams of the early 1930’s included the Thiebaud clan and John L. Emuel and sons Jack and Woody; and Gene Gary, Orvill Fair, and Thurston House from the Highland community. 

   Robinson Springs had the West boys headed by Curly and also the Shoemaker and the Park boys, L.V., Duckey and Norman.  Playing for Downing were the Loudermilks, Scotts and McGinnis boys but the McGinnis boys usually played for Roe McGinnis on the Suez team.   Sipe Springs featured the Cagles and Wink, Joe and Cotton Wallace, said to be the three best out fielders in this area.

    Perhaps the most unusual ball team in this area hailed from around the Duster area.  It was made up of the Joiner boys and you need a program that lists the given names as well as the nicknames to keep up.  All were the sons of Seborn and Eliza Jane (Coan) Joiner and there was a 22 year difference between Elmer who was born in 1896 and Hollice who was born in 1918.

   Melvin Raymon (Ramon) managed the team and he and Seborn Young (Baldy) were the pitchers and catchers.   Elmer Fernander, Fred (Fat or Fatty) and Abrey Hollice (Cotton) covered the outfield.  Edward Harvey (Pete) was the shortstop.  Talmage  Dewitte (Bill) played first base; Herbert Spencer (Shorty) was usually the second baseman; and James Perciville (Jim) handled third.

    The big game of that period took place on the Sunday following the Peach and Melon Festival probably in 1934 or 1935.  The game was arranged by Bill Livingston’s father pitting the Joiners against the De Leon team.  The word had spread and a great crowd was on hand for the game.  The Joiners took the P&M championship in what was apparently a close, well played game, but we don’t even have the score.  Ramon pitched in the game and Seborn was the catcher.  It marked the first and only time Mrs. Joiner got to see all of her son’s play as a team.

    Livingston said of the Joiner team, “These boys were very unusual ball players and could have made any professional club.  ...Seaborn did play some in the Southern Association.  The way I remember, he played for New Orleans.  He eventually came back to Texas and played for Iraan in the Permian Basin League.  The oil companies paid more money for players than some of the professional leagues.”  Five of the sons who played with the oil companies (Magnolia, Mid-Camey, El Paso Natural Gas) had lifetime jobs with those companies.  Elmer, Fred, Pete and Bill chose to come home and farm.

     Livingston also noted that in 1948, when De Leon played in two semi-pro leagues, Ramon Joiner at 51 years of age was one of De Leon’s pitchers and Pete was the third baseman, playing “a mean third base.  He was one of the best infielders that any team could want.  He could play shortstop and knew how to turn double plays with accuracy.  His excellent throwing arm was always accurate to first base.”

     As a side note, the five Joiner sisters played basketball about as good as the boys played baseball.  Had they played at a later time, five would have been enough for a team but in those days a girl’s team had six players.  The girls included Hesper Gray, Bertie McClellan, Arrie Dell Skaggs Henderson, Agnes Baker and Gearldean Singleton. 

Future De Leon mayor M.D. Stewart playing for De Leon at Sipe Springs around 1921.

The Joiner Team

Top (L-R): Elmer, Raymon, Talmage

Middle: Herbert, James Fred

Bottom: Seborn, Edward, Hollice

J.L. Lightfoot holding Ronny Lightfoot at a De Leon Brazos League game.