From the end of World War II to 1956 baseball in the small towns of Nebraska was centered around three semi-pro leagues. The Nebraska Independent League, The Pioneer Night League and the Cornhusker League were all active. Team rosters combined local baseball stars, up and coming college players, hired hands and baseball bums. An excellent book on the history and tenor of baseball in small town Nebraska is Take Two and Hit to Right by Hobe Hays . Hobe and his brother played in the Nebraska Independent League and his portrait of the towns, the baseball and the players is the perfect book for the hot stove season.
1951-7-08 Rain and money problems have taken toll on NE semi-pro ball this summer.
1951-7-15 (Lincoln) Smoky Molden pic.
1951-7-22 Lin Vrbka pic. (Vrbka accidently shot himself in the left foot the other day.) Colorado-Nebraska League all-star team named. Each time in the PNL is allowed six out-of-town players. There've been charges that Fremont's been loading up with outsiders - short profile of each Fremont player disproves claim.
State tournament
1921 Wilber
1921-8-02 Preview. Will be at Lincoln fair.
1921-8-12 (Lincoln) Begins 9-5; entries close 8-20; will be at least four Lincoln teams
1921-8-31 (Lincoln) Preview - looks like some high powered players will come. $850 prize money, 16 teams.
1921-9-04 (Lincoln) Nebraska's first state tournament. Rosters. Beatrice has Blodgett, Lotz, Fussell, and Scotty Dye. Opening rounds' schedule.
1921-9-18 Tourney stats.
1921-9-06 Fussell will face Harry Smith, former Lincoln WL pitcher & usual David City hurler, of Weeping Water. Levi Knapp, another former Lincoln WL player, will also be in Weeping Water line-up.
Omaha general
1910-6-26 (World-Herald) Team pictures of the Farrell Syrup and Hanscom Park teams, + Joe Lotz.
1910-7-31 (World-Herald) The Midway Giants of Omaha, a colored team, have a 31-6 record this season. They just completed a successful tour of NE and SD.
1918-5-20 Two local players wear glasses - highest attendance yesterday was 4K. Brandeis club claims semi-pro championship of Nebraska; 500 ATT.
1929-8-25 Really good. Batting & pitching (final) for American & National Leagues, and almost final for Metro League. Good information.
1934-7-29 top batting of leagues
Butcher Workmen's League
1919
1919-6-08 Five players lost. Local No. 33 lost three players to Tennessee Rats. Local 602 lost Andy Graves who joined Armours. Local 44 lost its shortstop.
City League
1919
McKain, Harwood In 1937 in NESL was 14-7 and hit .381. 1934 Hughes Motors
Cornhusker League
1949 Utica
1950 Sutton
1951
Bornschlegl, Jake p 1941 WL 3g 1950 Geneva Hit 6th.
Kamler, Jerry 1b-of WL regular 1950 Geneva
1950-5-14 (Grand Island) VG box.
1950-7-20 (Grand Island) Box + standings.
(1950-9-07) Sutton, which came in third in the regular season, won the play-offs. They played to more than a thousand fans at Sutton, and 1600 at York. Sutton boxes. Retrospective on team.
1950-1-11 (Grand Island) Grand Island will enter league with $60 entry fee. Fee must be posted by some organization like a civic, commercial, or veterans' club. "For the most part, teams in the Cornhusker league operate under a system where players do not draw salaries but earn a share of the profits at the end of the season."
1950-4-23 (Lincoln) Local merchants are tired of being bled dry for hired teams, and fans are tired of foreigners. The Cornhusker League will focus on local youth this year. Aurora is managed by the "popular Clarence Mitchell," who spent 20 years in the majors. A number of American Legion stars may join Aurora's line-up this year. Many veterans will remain to work alongside the youth. "Smoky Molden, the Lincoln printer, has signed to pitch for Shelby." What he's lost in stuff he's gained in savvy. Various players listed. The season will run from 5-14 to 8-17, and each team will play 28 games.
1950-4-23 (Lincoln) Smoky Molden.
1951-7-15 Lincoln) Smoky Molden.
https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?date-end=1950&date-start=1950&keyword=%22cornhusker+league%22®ion=us-ne
Elkhorn Valley League
Elkhorn Valley League
1921
1921-6-21 League broken by strife and reformed. Dodge left out of reorganization. Aamteur league/ Sad that the first league organized in these parts in a long time should be ruptured.
1921-8-11 Umpirial strife
1921-10-06 (North Bend) Ad for season-ending double-header. Admission 50 cents.
1921-10-20 Poem written by O.O. Ladenburger, Morse Bluffs manager.
1921-9-29 Fussell k's 20, Harry Smith k's 19. Standings.
https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?date-end=1921&date-start=1921&keyword=%22elkhorn+league%22
Greater Omaha League
Greater Omaha League
1916 Luxus
1917 Armours
Play was poorest in league's history, due to war.
1918-9-22 Murphy-Did-Its and Armours competing for league title
1919-6-28 The Murphy-Did-Its are about to leave on their western trip. Roster with full names listed.
1919-9-07 (Grand Island) Murphy-Did-Its v. Grand Island team
1927-6-20 Joe Prerost pic - hitting about .600
Independent League
Schnebly, Herschel - black c - Lexington 1938-41
Metro League / Metropolitan League
1925 Murphy-Did-Its (3.5K ATT at other game)
1926
1929 Murphy-Did-Its 8-25 standings
1930 7-03 standings
1934
1935 8-11 batting
Prendergast, Mike 1929 Pioneer Cords 8-6 as of 8-25 1930 Union Pacific
Barney, Charles 1934 City Clubs vg pic
Omaha City Amateur Championship Series
1915 Luxus
1916 Armours
1919 Murphy-Did-Its (A)
1929
Nufer, Walter long-time WL 1919 Union Outfitting
1919-8-02 plans
1919-8-06 steps taken to prevent teams from replacing "injured" players with stars
1919-8-24 game previews
1919-9-13 Gordon-Fergusons, class AA St. Paul champions to arrive tonight. Murphy's have best Omaha club since 1915 Luxus team which played in NBF finals to crowd of over 100,000. Reports what former Luxus players are doing now - none are playing Omaha amateur baseball and only three are still on the diamond at all. Roster of Murphy's listed.
1929-8-25 Will decide "who will represent Omaha at the 13th annual Baseball federation tournament at West Baden, Ind, Sept. 21." Pics of four pitchers.
1916-9-10 Armours 5, Luxus 3.
1916-9-13 Armours 10, Luxus 3. Andy Graves pitches Armours to city championship.
1919-8-25 lesser classes
Omaha Commercial League
Nebraska State League (D)
1911 BR
1922
1922-4-20 "Smackem" Schoonover is a holdout for more money. Bert Slattery also will pay semi-pro baseball instead of league ball. The salary limit is too low for these high-salaried semi-pro kings.
1922-4-20 Alt (shorter)
Pioneer Nite League
1941 David City
1950 Fremont Final standings
Brewer, Sam p WL 1950 Pender
Molden, Howard "Smoky" p 1940-41 David City
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Vacanti NFL QB. 1950 player-manager.
1950-6-11 (Lincoln) Lines.
1950-6-15 (Blair) Box. Two pics. Over 100 Herman fans went to the Pender game on three chartered buses. Detailed write-up.
1950-7-04 (Fremont)
1950-7-14 (Omaha) Lines.
1950-8-15 (Oakland) Box. Two combined errors.
(1950-8-16) (Columbus) Columbus boxes, lines for others.
1950-9-17 (Lincoln) Post-season exhibition. Line. Bob Cerv, former Cornhusker ace, homered for Wahoo.
1950-9-24 (Fremont) Post-season exhibition. Fremont Hawks 2, David City 1. Bob Cerv, former Nite Leaguer, went 0-for-5. VG box.
preview. Admission is 74 cents for adults, 25 for children.
1950-4-12(Fremont) Pender is getting team together. Lists some 1949 batting averages.
1950-5-02 (Pender) League rosters, with full names.
1950-6-16 (Pender) Ernie Grant pic. Lefty Schroer signed by Wakefield for the balance of the season, along with catcher Jim Anderson. Should give Wakefield one of the best batteries in the league. The 13 ballparks in the league have an average attendance of 700 each game. Pender, with a population of 1160 and league player limitations, has to use batboys to warm up the pitchers. Fremont has enough talent for two teams.
1950-6-22 (West Point) Box. Standings. North and south all-star teams listed, with full names. Lines for non-local games.
1950-9-28 Scribner athletes who number among the town's all-time greats include Al Parr, who pitched great this season.
FINANCIAL REPORTS
1950-9-21 (David City) Team had deficit of $679.10 for season. Expenses were down from last year - bad weather and five rained-out games accounted for the deficit. League operation last year had a $10.95 profit. 1949 receipts: $9467.55. This year, receipts and expenses were $8507.03 and $9186.13 - expenses were $244.42 less than last year. Donations were the same as last year - decline was in gate receipts. David City paid its players $6357 this year.
1950-9-21 (David City) More detailed.
In 1941, the league decided teams could not hire players, but they could have up to three outside players. Local players had to reside in the town for 30 days before the season began.
Dizzy Dean pitched for West Point in a league game played at David City in 1941 - adult paid admission at the game was 2784, not counting the hundreds of children - David City's population was 2272 at the time. Dean received $420 of the aprox. $1100 raised. Dean pitched the first two innings. Molden won the game 9-0, k'ing 14. Molden was 19-2 for the season and David City won both halves of the league schedule. Instead of a league championship series, David City played Kearney, champs of the Independent League. Kearney won three games to two.
Molden pitched for an independent team, Smoky's, in 1946-48. The Nite League barred black players in 1946 - David City argued against the ruling but it stood.
Wheatbelt League (Cheyenne County League before 1932)
1930 Potter
1931 Potter
1932 Potter
1933
1930-3-02 (Dalton) 8 teams, 21 game schedule. Dalton will charge 35 cents admission but ladies may walk in free.
1932-4-08 (Dalton) League formed.
1932-4-29 (Potter) Roster notes.
1932-5-06 (Potter) The league is an enlargement of last year's Cheyenne County League. Potter won last year's pennant. Admission for all games will be 25 cents for men & free for ladies and children. Gives full names for players.
1930-6-25 (Dalton) Dalton has the best attendance in league; this game probably had the highest attendance of any game in the league this year.
1932-5-15 (Potter) Potter box and scores & standings for whole league. Dalton lost 23-22. The high wind helped the score along. Gives season schedule for whole league. Potter averages.
1932-5-22 (Dalton) High wind made playing almost impossible. Anderson's feat is made credible but not proved by box. Not mentioned in account.
1932-6-12 (Dalton) Dalton box - scores for other games.
1932-8-14 (Potter) Will resume league play after two week furlough.
1932-9-04 (Dalton) Potter 20, Dalton 2. Box. Close of schedule for Dalton which won one league game. Potter is now tied for 1st with Peetz. Dalton made eight errors.
1933-4-14 (Potter) 10 teams & 18 game season instead of the 8 teams & 14 game season of last year. Admission will be the same as last year. The top 4 teams will make the play-offs.
1933-9-15 (Dalton) Play-off starts 9-17; admission 25 cents.
1932-8-20 Strange As It Seems reports that catcher Gaylord Anderson caught three outfield flies in 5-22 game.
1932-9-01 Explains balls were blown back by wind. Has quote from Dalton Delegate implicitly confirming story.
1919-3-28 Quoted in 1934 1923-3-30 1923-4-13 1927-6-17 1927-8-19 1927-9-02 1927-12-16 1928-7-13 1928-9-07 12th grade 1928-11-23 1928-12-14 1929-2-08 1929-4-12 1929-5-03 The Dalton team that will play in the Central League is made of youngsters. 1929-5-10 1929-6-21 1929-7-05 1929-7-19 1930-3-14 1930-6-20 1930-9-19 1930-12-26 1930-12-26 Dance 1931-1-02 1931-3-13 1931-6-12 1931-8-28 1931-9-04 Schuler 1932-8-05 1932-8-26 Delegate on cartoon. 1932-3-18 1932-6-24 1933-5-26 1933-6-16 1933-6-30 1933-7-28 1971-2-02
1933-9-15 (Dalton) Gaylord Anderson's navy application was accepted; he is supposed to report in Denver.
Pros:
MLB:
Gene Packard, most of 1920s, up to at least 1932
Lotz, Joe p also called Latz & Letz 1910 Plattsmouth 16K no-hit no-walk game. Won first place in tournament. Play by play. alt 750 ATT.
1910-10-05 Descr. Never played ball until last summer. In a game this summer, pitching for Pomeroy, IA, he k'd 36 batters in 20 innings.
1910 Omaha Storz Triumphs alt 2 1910-9-11 Is joining the club
1910 Lemars won 2-0 for 1st prize in tournament. Umpire sent a batter to first on three balls - misused his indicator for once in four games.
1910 Pocahontas, IA K'd 14 in 6-1 win in tournament.
1910 Omaha Farrell Syrups The Syrups and the Storz Triumphs are rivals because both have Quigley brothers as captains. 17K 0H 22K beat Triumphs
1919 Remsen 4 wins in a week 1919 Moville no-hitter 1919 Denison 15K 1920 Wagner (SD Sunshine League) 14 inning win 12-1 record 1920 Beresford 1921-1-30
1922 search 1922 retired 1922 Modale alt incredible 1924 search 1933 won game on his day 1933 220 lb.
Merz, Otto 249W 1919 Armours will play Lincoln Cleaners, 1917 Western Amateur champs
milb:
Molden, Howard "Smoky" p 1919-1971 1949 Lincoln Merchants black team 1946 sports column in Lincoln Voice
1919-7-26 Armours will oppose Chicago Union Giants - have signed Wild Bill Donovan.
V. St. Louis
Vance, Dazzy 1924 Murphy-Did-Its k'd 18 v. St. Louis amateur team
Fred Fussell
Also him https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=fussel001--- 1g 1922 NESL
1914-7-30 Will pitch for Bruning v. Deshler today at Woodman picnic
1915-6-18 (North Platte) Ogallala has strengthened team by getting Fussell of Geneva, who's been making a good record with Big Springs.
1915-7-01 (Ogallala) Scores for trip to North Platte valley; quite successful. Fussell hit two triples in a game v. Scottsbluff
Ogallala stock is about to due for payments - would not need them if not for bad weather
1915-9-30 (Chappell) Has a steady job as school inspector
1916-5-11 (Scottsbluff) Will face 19-year-old Fussell. If as good as reported he may be as good as Mapel was last year. Scottsbluff has all local players to start season. "no reason or necessity in importing players"
1916-7-14 (Bridgeport) Returned on Monday7-10 - had been visiting friends & relations in Big Springs
1916-8-01 (North Platte) Bridgeport was to have played here 8-06 to 8-08 but have canceled as Fussell is ill with rheumatism.
1916-8-17 (Geneva) At Bridgeport we met a former resident of Fillmore County, Fred Fussell. "Pitcher Fussell is drawing a salary with the Bridgeport ball team. He was recovering from a very serious illness of three weeks duration caused by taking cold after getting very warm in a hotly contested game."
1916-8-18 Bridgeport disbands - not enough $ to keep the salaried players. Fussell is going to Sterling.
1917-4-26 (Julesburg) Have signed Fussell, who has a made a good rep over the last few years, and Tolly Tollefson to catch him. Tolly comes here from LuVerne MN. Tollefson has played with state league teams.
1917-5-17 Worth price of admission to watch Fussell the wonder pitch
1917-5-17 Fussell k'd 8 Haxtun batters in 3 innings before rain came. Tollefson is team captain,
1917-5-24 Walter Law pitched - beat Pumpkin Vine 2-0. Much praise for Tollefson.
1917-5-31 Game w/ Haxtun called for rain.
1917-6-07 Went to Scottsbluff over bad roads - were tired at arrival but it was game time - only time to grab a bite and put on uniforms. Tollefson used Reeves because he said he had to get back to Sidney that night.
A man named Reeves pitched the 1st game v. Scottsbluff - he represented himself as a "pitcher of wide renown" when we met him in Sidney but was probably making his first appearance on mound - gave up 15 runs.
g #2: Fussell "pitched a real good game considering the fact that he had to use a wet ball, part of the time covered with mud, and it was difficult for him to use much of his famous curves and slants."
Good things to say about Scottsbluff team - good and courteous.
1917-6-07 (Scottsbluff) Beat Julesburg 18-6 with Fussell in left field.
1917-7-26 Beat Sidney 8-3 w/ Beam on mound
1917-8-09 Ogallala canceled game without notice, merely not showing up, disappointing a large crowd
1917-9-13 Julesburg has disbanded - 18-4 record for season. Opponents did not score in 5 last games.
1918-3-07 (Keith County) Down from Big Springs - expects to play ball in army this summer.
1919-4-17 (Julesburg) "Fred has recently returned from military service in France, where he saw several months of actual fighting, being wounded by a machine gun bullet through the ankle. He relates some very interesting and thrilling experiences which he encountered in numerous battles with the Germans."
1919-5-29 (North Platte) Julesburg is a fast team; has secured Fussell, a "pitcher of considerable note."
"Kirshner, a fireman on the U.P. of western league experience has joined the local staff and from indications North Platte will once more shine as the premier of the valley in the ball line."
1919-7-24 Still laid up w/ bad finger but recovering nicely from what may have been "serious complications caused by blood poisoning."
1919-8-07 Will probably be back after three weeks' absence with bad hand
1919-8-29 (Potter) Denver Post tournament lines for Potter team.
1919-9-02 (Scottsbluff) Fussell has signed with Wichita WL on the strength of his tournament pitching.
1920-4-22 (Julesburg) "Mrs. Fred Fussell has assumed the management of the Remington hotel during the absence of her mother, Mrs. M. C. Remington."
1920-5-06 (Julesburg) Called "old favorite of Julesburg fans." Had offer from PIT which he refused "on account of his interests in this community."
1920-9-23 (Julesburg) Left w/ wife on Sat. 9-18 for Central City. Mrs. M.J. Fussell left for Lincoln after a three month stay with her son.
1921-8-18 Of Big Springs, formerly of Geneva - purchased a pool hall in Exeter and has moved there. Will pitch with Exeter for the rest of the year.
1921-8-18 "F.O. Powell sold his pool hall to L.A. Tollefson and Fred Fussell of Big Spring, the new proprietors taking possession Monday [8-22.] These two young men make valuable additions to the local ball team as Tollefson is the regular catcher and Fussell one of the pitchers."
1921-8-25 (Lincoln Star) Tiger scout will watch him at Friend tourney. Great profile. Making $450 for Exeter in August.
1921-8-26 (Lincoln Star) Tiger scout signed Exeter player Dick Wood for tryout; made Fussell an offer which he is considering.
1921-9-01 Was going to pitch for Neligh but game was rained out
1921-9-02 (Friend) Tom Wood is one of the few players with class in this section
1921-9-04 (Beatrice) Either Roy Sanders or Fussell will face Fairbury today. Fussell is the "great Emery ball artist."
1921-9-07 Beatrice preview.
1921-9-08 23K game. "Before the game had gone two innings the Wausa boys found that Fussel was throwing an emery ball and filed a protest. The umpire threw out the balls as fast as they were found mutilated, and finally told Fussel that he would bench him if he found any more in that condition. It is said that the Plainview second baseman did the mutilating."
1921-9-09 (Beatrice) "According to the dope, the Knights of Columbus offered $500 for a lineup consisting of most of the Weeping Water importations. If this is true, the winners of yesterday's game must have up put up some real coin for their team."
1921-9-16 (Tilden) Has signed for rest of year with Plainview.
1921-10-13 (Madison) "And Fussel should have won for with the aid of the shine ball he smoked out 17 of the hired hands single handed. However, a near-norwester swept across the field, its raging obscuring both player and ball alike at inopportune times and the excusable blunders which occurred within the dust folds lost the money for Plainview."
Plainview laid many bets on false representation.
Fussell = "king of Nebraska amateur pitchers"
1921-10-20 (Grant) Ad for 10-23 game; Paolia CO, Interstate League champs, v. Grant NE, southwestern NE champs. Fussell will pitch for Paolia. (Doesn't look like he did.)
1922-6-19 Both Hastings and Lincoln of the NESL want him. Lincoln has right to him if he should enter OB. Called Lefty Fussell. Harry Smith is Hastings manager.
1922-6-21 Scheduled to pitch for Lincoln tomorrow.
1933-8-04 (Potter)
Beatrice = Queen City
(Julesburg is in CO)
1919-6-22 (North Platte) K'd 18 for Julesburg in 3-2 defeat of North Platte; opponent k'd 17. 1st game of North Platt's season. 400 ATT
1919-7-13 (Potter) For Julesburg beat Potter 5-4. Fussell k'd 15 and Davis k'd 14.
1919-9-14 (Lodge Pole) Won 1-0 for Lodge Pole in 5 innings; gave up just two hits to Peetz. Last game of Lodge Pole season.
1922-6-22 Stopped the league-leading Fairbubry's winning streak 7-1 with 12K
Andy Graves
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113691671/andrew_julian-graves
https://www.newspapers.com/search/?city=omaha&keyword=%22andy+graves%22®ion=us-ne
https://www.newspapers.com/search/?city=omaha&keyword=%22andy+graves%22®ion=us-ne
1905-6-08 Has been playing ball at Colon - returned to Bellevue
1915-5-25 Pic. Hit grand slam yesterday. Has made a homer in every Sunday game this season. Has been with Armours since they were organized. Is about to leave to pitch for the Lake View, IA independent team - his brother, Alva Graves, manages them.
1917-9-15 Minneapolis Amateur Baseball Association has organized day's program for visiting teams from Omaha.
1918-5-20 Won game for Armours with two homers - called "grandpa Andy Graves"
1919-8-25 Beat Colored Giants 9-4 - Colored Giants had at least one NLB, McNair.
1919-9-14 v. Kansas City Armours - with brother.
1919-10-19 Last doubleheader of season - Armours will battle Murphy-Did-Its
1920-5-03 No-hitter against All Nations
1920-5-06 Pic
1920-9-06 Hit homer - lost 3-2 to pitcher who won 25 games last year
1920-10-04 No-hitter against Plattsmouth
1921-7-18 Pitched for Murphy-Did-Its v. Chicago Browns before 1.5K ATT
1923-6-01 k'd 14 last Sunday
1924-5-26 Loses to seventeen-year-old
1924-8-08 Will play with Bellevue in Southwestern Iowa tournament
1924-8-17 Will pitch for Bellevue v. the Sioux City Stockyards.
1924-10-13 Pic. Has been playing since 1890. Was given tryout for Omaha in 1910 and made good but smashed finger on eve of departure for Denver.
1925-8-02 preview
1925-8-03 Won game for Bellevue 8-3 v. Council Bluffs Legion on 49th birthday
1926-1-06 Pic. Elected director of athletics for Bellevue Athletic Club.
1926-7-11 Pic + profile. Gives account of genesis of career. Has been playing for 36 years. Once pitched six games in six days.
1927-4-10 Last year managed & pitched the Bellevue Athletics to the Sarpy-Cass County League pennant. Was going to retire this year but they convinced him to play first base, at least.
1927-6-20 Emerged from retirement to pitch in relief in epic loss - did pretty well.
1927-7-17 Will pitch for Bellevue in Sarpy-Cass County League game.
1928-7-23 Beat Council Bluffs Athletics
1936-6-01 Retired five years ago
1939-4-09 W/pic - still pitching and managing in sandlot leagues. Is a road overseer in Sarpy County. Played some for Bellevue last year. Is 62.
1939-5-01 Managing United Plumbers in Community League
1945-7-27 Condition improved. His right leg was recently amputated.
1951-10-31 Comments on obit notice of a few days ago; many people did not know he was a noted amateur pitcher.
1954-1-19 Elected posthumously to South Side Spavs HOF - brother accepted in his place.
"Dusty" Miller
"Dusty" Miller
1917-9-23 Threw a 1-hit shutout for Best Laundry.
The Detroit Maxwells have only Lincoln Best Laundry standing between themselves and the amateur championship.
1918-4-28 Will pitch for the Lincoln Cleaners & Dyers, 1916 amateur champions of the world, vs. the Colored Wonders.
This is also the opening of Charlie Moon's new park, which can sit 1800.
Expected lineups listed.
How well Lincoln supports its semi-pro and amateur teams this summer will have a bearing on whether it will get a Western League franchise.
1919-9-17 Expected Cleaners lineup - officers of the Western Amateur Baseball Association sent them a picture of the Cardozos and they look formidable.
1919-9-18 Dusty Miller, about to pitch for the Trenton team in a tournament in Culbertson NE, swooped down upon Lincoln and carried off most of the Lincoln Cleaners & Dyers team. The Cleaners and Dyers, local city league champs, will have to rebuild their line-up for their upcoming date with the Cardozos of St. Paul.
1920-4-05 (Lincoln) Dumright, OK WA offered him a contract. Dusty pitched for Trenton NE last year, and that team has offered to raise his salary to $225 a month to pitch for them again this year. Dumright will have to better that to earn his signature. Dusty spent 2-3 years in the Lincoln City League.
Scotty Dye of Lincoln refused his contract offered by Moline CENA - for which he has been put on the suspended list. "Scotty's present plans are to stay in Lincoln as manager for Charley Moon at the Saratoga billiard parlors, but to keep himself in trim for an occasional ball game in semi-pro circles."
1922-6-22 Lost for Lincoln Links, though his knuckle ball was working well.
Arthur "Chief" Provost
1905-5-11 (Lyons, NE) Is playing ball for the Sioux Indian team. Wrote from Denison, TX, "that the team is winning right along."
1905-11-23 (Lyons, NE) Has returned from Kansas.
1906-4-05 (Lyons, NE) Report of boxing bout he lost.
1906-4-26 (Lyons, NE) Reports that he was involved in the shooting are false.
1906-7-05 (Lyons, NE) Is in Pierre, SD
1909-9-03 (Walthill, NE) "Walter Hamilton and Arthur Provost went to Lyons today to help the Lyons team out in a game of ball against some Omaha team."
1910-5-31 (Lead, SD) Played 1b for Deadwood and went 0 for 4 at the plate.
" 'Big Chief' Provost is old enough to know how to play the first sack without the rough-house feature."
"That one-handed stab of Provost's drive to the fence won him a home with the fans." (?)
"People without the price made the fences look like a crow's roost until the police chased them off. It is understood the council is to be asked to rent a three-foot strip all around the ball lot and any trespassers will be dealt with as such."
1911-4-21 (Walthill, NE) He is the son of William Provost of Walthill. Gives a report of a wrestling match he won in Hiawatha, Kansas.
1912-3-02 (Junction City, KS) Will play first against for Junction City this year.
1913-10-31 (North Topeka, KS) Arrangements for wrestling match discussed 11-10.
1913-11-10 (Junction City, KS) " 'Chief' Provost, the former Junction City ball player, is back in the wrestling game again. He lost a hard match to Louis Hoffman of Topeka on Saturday night."
1920-9-16 (Wakefield, NE) "Arthur Provost, ball player with the Thurston team, which played ball here last Friday [9-10] received a broken leg near the ankle. He was making a base when the accident occurred, the bone being split in two places. A purse of $83.35 was raised for his benefit."
1920-10-14 (Wakefield, NE) Prints letter from him:
"I wish to thank the people of Wakefield and community and the Wakefield ball club for the generous contribution given to me when I broke my leg in a ball game at Wakefield.
"Arthur Provost, Thurston ball player."
1924-6-05 (Hartington, NE) Profile - with funny story about him pitching. Is about 40 years old. Calls him "Big Chief" Provost.
1924-8-26 (Council Bluffs, IA) Pitched in relief for Underwood in Southwest Iowa tournament yesterday and did well.
1924-8-30 (Council Bluffs, IA) Ditto. Got save and was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored.
1926-6-13 (Council Bluffs, IA) Goes through team's roster. Mentions Provost's "big bat, smudged eyes, and copious cud of tobacco"
1926-6-17 (Glendive, MT) Is the first baseman for the Sioux City Stockyards. Last year the Stockyards won 65 games and lost 15, and had a winning streak eighteen games long at one point. Arthur is described as " 'Chief' Provost, Sioux Indian first baseman and heavy hitter."
1950-7-15 Tom Kelley's Council Bluffs Rainbows turned two triple plays in one game. Detailed box.
https://www.milb.com/news/the-nine-highlighting-the-omaha-rockets 1947-49 good black club
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