Universal Baseball Encyclopedia: Cueball Ellis

Leland Wayne Ellis
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ellis-001lel

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L19W-6YK

Army records consistently list birthdate as 1899-4-04
Veterans Affair Master Index Three stints in army: 1917-8-08 to 1919-4-01, 1919-6-30 to 1920-6-29 (?), and 1928-11-13 to 1933-1-04. Says his birthdate was 1899-4-04.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hRvXCg2ukydgQMsyLXfMqvXGKX1XW2mg

1923: Led league in hits with 370 - tied for lead in ER with 139 and led in runs with 185. One of five pitchers to commit a balk - one of four who tied for 2nd most with one.

1923-3-21 Bill Henderson was 10-0 for the Tanks in 1921 and 35-4 in 1922. Two of the games he lost were to Cueball Ellis. A third was to Orioles and a fourth to the Marines.

"Henderson pitched in an amateur league in Pensacola, Fla., before joining the army two years ago, but he wasn't a star. He developed at Camp Meade after Barber Brown, a veteran of the Texas League, who had thrown his arm out, began to teach him some of the fine points of pitching. And then along came Buck Herzog and helped to finish the schooling."

1922-6-14 Buck Herzog is instilling a lot of spirit into his soldier-players. After just five days of training under Herzog, Camp Holabird has won four out of six games and they grumble at the two losses. They fear no greater army team.

1922-7-21 "The Southern division, Virginia section, has completed its divisional league season and is waiting for the upper tier in Maryland to decide the question of supremacy."

Buck Herzog has picked six members of the Fort Monroe team for his All-Third Corps team, "which will play a series of games in September and October with rather formidable opponents."

Private Leland W. Ellis is one of the soldiers picked to report for training for the team. "Fort Howard has been selected as the training center for the representative area team, and the 20 to 25 "

1922-7-06 Fort Monroe captures Virginia Army League title as Ellis wins 4-3.
Tanks = Camp Meade Tank Corps

preview Both teams have 5-0 records

1922-7-17 Tanks 2, Camp Holabird 1. "These teams meet on the Tanks' diamond at Camp Meade Saturday in the game which will practically decide the championship in the Northern League of the Third Corps." Bill Henderson called "Undefeated Henderson." Buck Herzog is Tanks' coach.

1922-7-22 Tanks 8, Holabird 1. 3K ATT. The Tank School of Camp Meade clinched the Maryland Army League title.

1922-7-30 Fort Monroe 4, Tanks 1. 1st game of championship series. Estimated 6K ATT.
1922-8-01 Tanks 2, Fort Monroe VA 1. Several thousand spectators. VG pics of Henderson and Ellis. Pic of Jimmy Hogan, Monroe coach.

"Ellis really lost his own game because he could not think quick enough." With Burke on third, a grounder was hit right back to Ellis by Williams - Ellis "had Burke off third" but decided to get the runner out instead. The first baseman tried to nail Burke but threw high and a second run scored.

1922-8-04 Fort Monroe 8, Tanks 7. 3K ATT. 12 innings. Deciding game of Third Corps Area championship - Fort Monroe received silver trophy.

1922-9-02 Third Corps Area 14, Washington Navy Yard 2. Team pic of Third Corps Area. Their 1st appearance in Baltimore.

1922-9-03 Yankees 12, Third Corps Area 3. 7K ATT. Baltimore native Babe Ruth hit three home runs. Ellis gave up 11 hits and 10 runs in 7 innings as starter, and allowed Ruth's first two homers. The nervous Third Corps Area made 9 errors.

1922-9-04 Third Corps Area 9, Marines 5. 1st game of annual series. The game didn't have the "spectacular setting and unrestrained enthusiasm of an Army-Marine gridiron clash," there "was plenty of spirit on the part of the fans and determination on the part of the players." Bill Henderson got the win.

1922-9-30 (Newport News) Fort Monroe 6, Phoebus Moose 4. 1st of a three-game series; poorly played. Seven players returned to Fort Monroe from "Herzog's Army Wild Cats," including Ellis who did not appear.

The teams will meet in a doubleheader today to close the season and settle the Virginia Peninsula championship, as Fort Monroe are the army champ and the Moose are the civilian champs. The game will be played "on the lot at Old Point, inside the fort enclosure." "Seats will be provided for more than 1,000 visitors on the sides of the diamonds."

1923-3-08 (Gaffney Ledger) Is spending a few days here with relatives before he reports to the Orioles on 3-15. "Since leaving Gaffney with the local company of Coast Artillery when that organization was called into service for the recent war Mr. Ellis has developed into an excellent twirler."

"Mr. Ellis completed his enlistment [sic] in the army a few days ago. He had been in the ordnance service at Fort Monroe, Va., after having been transferred from the coast artillery.
1923-4-06 Profile in Buffalo Courier. Is 6'1" 175 lb. BR TR. He had a 29-8 record for the Third Corps Area in 1922. He played for Charleston SC Peninsula League, 1917, and Ft. Moultrie 1917-21.

* 1923-4-27 Cueball Ellis released by Orioles on Jack Dunn's orders. Charlie Schmidt is acting VP of the Orioles but Dunn still calls the shots. "The Newark Bears were badly in need of pitchers and appealed to Dunn."

1923-8-20 A trio from the Newark Bears - pitchers Harry Baldwin, Cueball Ellis, and catcher Otto Greenae - played for South Orange 817 in their win versus Orange.

1923-8-21 Trio suspended

1923-8-22 Players reinstated after two days' suspension incurred for playing for an independent team. "The Newark baseball park fire caused a postponement of the doubleheader at that time and the players took advantage of the layoff to play with an independent team."
1927-2-10 Lists pro records. Born in Gaffney SC, 1901-4-04. BS, TR.

1928-6-26 (Gaffney Ledger) Returned home. Started season with Montreal but developed arm trouble and could not get going.

1928-7-03 (Gaffney Ledger) Recently returned home. Tried out with the Greenville Spinners of the class B South Atlantic Association but was hit hard.

1928-7-07 (Gaffney - Cherokee Times) Played right field for Gaffney.

1928-7-13 (Gaffney - Cherokee Times) Pitched for Gaffney in 12-6 defeat of Cherokee Mills. "At the continued requests of the fans, 'Cueball' Ellis pitched the last few innings of the game for Gaffney, and held the visitors practically hitless." Large crowd.

1932-6-28 The features of the clash between the Amateurs and the 31st Infantry were the spectacular and surprising twilling of Ellis, normally a first baseman, and a round trip blow by Neprud in the eighth inning. For some unaccountable reason, most of the Army team failed to show up, and Ellis asked for and received the pitching assignment. He held the Amateurs to three hits, and prevented them from scoring until the eighth, when a four-ply sock by Neprud averted a shut-out. Ousha started on the mound for the Amateurs, but was driven from the hill in the second inning, the doughboys by that time having a substantial five-run lead. Wever finished the game for the Shanghai team, and kept his opponents' hits well scattered, allowing them to score only once. Infantry 6: Amateurs 1.

1933-5-25 Ditto.

1933-6-03 Ellis may pitch for the Gaffney Manufacturing Company in Gaffney-Buffalo game.

Couldn't find box or account for either game.

1948-6-03 Of 318 Broad Street - a house painter. Fractured both his wrists and may have injured knee after falling off a roof."

1956-7-10 Obit. Of 316 Broad street; died at Johnson City, TN. "He had been in declining health for several months."

Eubanks, Paul (P.D.)
1973-8-13

"One of the most memorable recollections of my younger days are centered around Elm Street Park, that dusty baseball diamond which produced more thrills than even the instant replay could recall.

"The sound of bat hitting ball, the crack of a baseball bouncing off the rough boards of the outfield fence and the screams of youngsters chasing a foul in the swamp behind the stands, still ring in my ears.

"The old park is gone, but the memories return each time I hear one of the old ballplayers talk about those days or even the days when other fields and parks were used."

P.D. Eubanks sent in a list of local all-time greats. Lists Leland Ellis as one of three pitchers.

1973-9-07 Roy Hughey, one of the players listed on P.D. Eubanks' all-time all-star team, sends in a team of his own. Includes Leland Ellis as one of seven pitchers.

Roy Hughey catching for 1933 Ware Shoals - teammate of Eubanks
1973-9-21 Gaffney Ledger. All-star team. W/ full names but without Ellis.

1923 Newark Bears

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=94bbbcd3
https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-nb13310/y-1923 ATT was 105996 - 1317/g

http://www.luckyshow.org/baseball/trunkmakers.htm Harrison Field, home stadium, burned down 1923/8/18. Meadowbrook Oval became home field.

1922-6-29 (Baltimore) So far this season only eight home runs have been hit at Harrison Field. All players who have homered at Harrison Field listed - only two visiting players have hit one.

"Bernie Moan, vice-president of the Newark club, might also be termed the caterer of Harrison Field. Moan has charge of the refreshment dispensers and has been known to jump right in behind the hot dog counter and serve bow-wows himself in a pinch."

1922-8-02 Newark fans want to own their team. Hope to erect a "modern park within city limits." "It is understood that Ashton and Moan want $65,000 for their holdings. They were forced to assume a four-year lease of Harrison Park, held by the majors, before they could start the ball rolling this year."

1922-8-15 "A CROWD of 67 fans turned out to see Rochester and Newark in a double-header at Newark last Saturday. It was raining and Walter E. Hapgood, business manager of the Chiefs, tried to prevail upon Bernie Moan to postpone the contests and have the games transferred to Rochester.

At the time Moan and Hapgood started the argument there were 11 paid admissions in the ground. Later came the other 56. The Newark club lost around $650, it was stated in a Rochester paper.

THE Bears are growing more unpopular at home. One fan, writing to a Newark paper, calls attention to a nickname of "Hot Dogs, tacked to the Bears in certain towns on the road. He says it is a disgrace for a team to be known as the "Hot Dogs." He probably has the impression that baseball has gone to the bow-wows in his native heath.

"Hot Dogs" was tacked onto the Bears by a sporting writer in the North just to kid Bernie Moan, who looks after the business interests of the Newark club and also superintends the refreshment concession.

1923-3-31 "Bernie Moan, business manager of the Baltimore-controlled Newark club..."

"It appears once more that the controllers in the local club are willing to have an outfit represent the city merely in order to maintain for Jack Dunn a controlling vote on the league councils on the draft issue."

1923-5-19 "JUST YEAR AGO THAT LANDIS PROBED NEWARK

IT was Jack Dunn who got the Akron franchise for Newark. Later Dunn announced he had nothing in the club at all and that Billy Ashton and Bernie Moan were the owners.

Nevertheless considerable row was stirred up in this league and it led to an investigation that was conducted in New York last summer. No statements of that meeting ever were given out. But it is pretty well known that Judge Landis was there and that he sent for President John Conway Toole, Jack Dunn, Billy Ashton, Bernie Moan and others supposed to have connection with the two clubs, or knowledge of their affairs. The International League was represented by several club owners. I understand that Dunn was ordered to dispose of any interest he might have in the club.

Which is the only right way out of it. A club owner has no business being interested in another club in his own league.

NOW STALLINGS HINTS THAT ALL IS NOT WELL

THE question is whether Dunn did dispose of his interests. When the club was in Rochester George Stallings, of the Chiefs, hinted that all was not well and that a show-down was coming.

Dunn insists he owns none of the club. But Dunn sent Johnny Honig to Newark when the outfielder was reinstated. He sent Cueball Ellis, a promising young pitcher, to Newark before giving him a trial with the Birds. Joe Faber, a recruit infielder of the Birds, went to Winston-Salem, and Rabbit Whitman, a young outfielder, went from Winston-Salem to the Bears. Bill Clymer, not retained as manager of the Bears this year, was given a berth with Baltimore.

There certainly is a close connection between Newark and Baltimore, whether or not Dunn is owner of both clubs.

(1923-7-09 The Hot Dogs beat Rochester 9-6.

Bernie Moan is known as "Hot Dog." "Moan doesn't stand in with many of the players, who have been at loggerheads with him for the past two years"

1923-7-09 (Kitchener ON) "Mickey Devine is still manager of the Newark Bears even tho he was 'fired' by telegraph on Friday. Bernie Moan, Secretary of the club, failed to show up again to settle Devine's status."

1923-7-12 (Buffalo) "The story [of Dunn's ownership] was prevalent all last season." The rumor is still rife, tho Dunn, Ashton, and President O'Toole deny it.

"But the fact that Billy Ashton, who lives in Baltimore, is a close friend of Dunn's and that Bernie Moan, a former associate of Jack's, as business manager of the Bears seems to be able to hire and fire players over the head of Manager Mickey Devine and then to fire Mickey himself, makes some of the Int magnates and scribes smell smoke again. Mickey himself at least thinks he has discovered things that ought not to be, in the action of Moan in grabbing players he, Mickey, had recommended for his team and turning them over to strengthen the Orioles. There seems to be no doubt that Judge Landis can lay the facts of this case before the public and this seems a most desirable move. As Fred Tubbyville of the Baltimore Evening Sun puts it:

"If Jack Dunn really has no business connection with the Newark club he should aid Judge Landis in getting the mess cleared up at once. It doesn't add anything to the league's reputation to have these stories floating around and getting in print every time Bernie Moan and one of his athletes have a run-in."

1923-7-15 (Rochester) Mickey Devine backtracks

1923-7-22 (Rochester) More on Devine

1923-8-25 (Buffalo) "BERNIE MOAN, Newark club impresario pro-tem, is so tight, Bear athletes charge, that he can carry an armful of eels up a ladder and not lose a one, remarks Cray Remington.

When the Newark, stand burned Bear athletes saved nothing. They intimated Mr. Moan might pay for shoes, uniforms, gloves and hats. They merely intimated. Bernie has not taken a hint.

The athletes should not censure Bernie too much. Mr. Moan, too, suffered more than mere words can relate. His losses enumerated were: Two dozen hot dogs, one jar mustard, two dozen bread rolls, one salt receptable, one pepper receptacle, five dill pickles, one peck peanuts. The peck of peanuts is merely an estimate Mr. Moan thinks there were more peanuts. Indeed he's inclined to think, on second thought, there were two pecks.

While the fire raged the hottest Bernie rushed frantically around in search of peanuts. He saved one peck. The other peck was a total loss. If he had not been worried about the last peck of peanuts he would have stood in the burning aisle eating peanuts by the peck.

However, Mr. Moan is thankful. The full half dozen hot dogs were saved. And anyone can tell the world they were hot. The hot dogs were saved because they barked shrilly for succor."

1923-9-20 (Baltimore) Account of fight between Moan and player. Can cull colorful quotes.

1923-12-07 (Balt) Newark IL sold to group of local Newark businessmen. New York, Dec. 6.-The Newark Club, International League, changed ownership today when the franchise and players were sold to a syndicate of Newark purchasers, who will hire a baseball park in the city limits for the 1924 season and plan to erect a permanent plant at a convenient location the following year. The purchasers were Michael McTigue, real estate operator; Corbett McCarthy and Charles Gould, merchants.

William Ashton and Bernie Moan, of Baltimore, were the former owners of the Newark franchise, the purchase being engineered in the office of President John Conway Toole, of the International League, in New York, with Charles H. Knapp, who is also the legal adviser of Jack Dunn, president of the Baltimore club, representing the Ashton-Moan interests.

Knapp Goes To New York,

Ashton came to New York on Tuesday and Knapp followed yesterday. Rumblings of an impending sale came to a head when the syndicate made an offer for the complete rights to the club which was satisfactory to the Baltimore men.

Since the fire, which practically destroyed the stands at Harrison Field toward the latter part of last season, the Bears have been without a home, playing the remainder of their 1923 schedule at their opponents' parks. The club finished next to last, a high light in its somewhat sorry showing being the pitching of Harry Baldwin, a Baltimore product.

To Strengthen Bears.

It is the intention of the new purchasers to strengthen the club, and by 1925 to house the Bears in a modern baseball plant. The Ashton-Moan regime did not prove popular in Newark and criticisms were often leveled at the club for being owned and controlled outside of Newark.

Civic pride, as well as the belief that a good ball club conveniently located in Newark would make money, is said to have been controlling factors in the change of ownership.

Baseball enthusiasm for a good club at Newark run by local interests is reported high, and the fact that Jack Dunn, of the Orioles, was often accused of guiding the steps of the Bears did not serve to make the club popular when it was located at Harrison Field, the old Federal League Park.

Charged "Syndicate Ball."

"Often various owners of the International League have accused Dunn of being interested financially in the Newark club, and there have been charges of "syndicate ball." Only this week President Sam Robertson and Manager Hooks Wiltse, of the Newark club, were reported as ready to demand an investigation of the relationship of the Orioles and Bears, the change of ownership, of course, putting an end to such demands.

"Jack Dunn purchased the Akron franchise in 1919, transferring it to Newark. Later, Ashton was announced as the purchaser of the club from Dunn, and Bernie Moan became associated with him as secretary-treasurer.

Paid $25,000 For Club.

Dunn was reported to have purchased the Akron franchise for approximately $25,000, the terms of the sale to Ashton never having been disclosed. No price was named for today's sale to the Newark interests.

Ashton and Knapp will leave for Chicago Saturday to attend the meeting of the International League in that city Monday. They will be joined by Jack Dunn, and in case the new owners of the Newark club do not attend the league session their interests will be taken care of by President Toole.

Mickey Devine