Amateur Baseball League Organized 1945

The Pirates, Chuck Karuch coach

AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE
ORGANIZED IN OLEAN DURING 1945

Olean’s Amateur Baseball League actually got its start in the winter of 1943-44 although it officially did not come into being until one year later. Formation of the circuit was not motivated by any “cause,” nor was it meant to be a force against delinquency but was brought into being with the purpose of giving the Olean kid a chance to play sandlot baseball.

The first thought of those interested in the deal was to fill in the void cause by the lack of organized sport for the Olean boy. With war in full bloom and most of the athletic leaders of the city in the service, practically all sports had come to a dead stop. Weak efforts by the kids themselves were made to play sports: a Hi-Indie football team and a North Olean Rambler team had gone through a season of sandlot football. Basketball, in the form of an amateur league, struggled in the Armory to keep the sport up.

With an eye to the future, a meeting was held in the Y.M. C. A. in mid-winter to plan a program of summer sports for the Olean boy. Seven men attended the first meeting, two of whom were still active in the league, Howard Eyler, present president and the commissioner of baseball, Pat McPhillips.

The meeting was on the gloomy side when the lack of funds, the lack of playing facilities and lack of equipment was outlined to the men. The program appeared destined to be forgotten when the man adjourned, but plans were made for another get together early in 1945. The second meeting saw an upturn in attendance with a number of baseball men of reputation on hand. And at this second meeting, the value of Fraternal and Service Clubs was displayed when a group of representatives of the organizations came up with a challenge. If the men could present a strong, workable combinations to the clubs than the clubs would not only underwrite the endeavor but would guarantee to maintain the league.

The first officers elected by the group were: Harold A. Ducey, president; Brud Cruess, first vice-president; Tim Toomey, second vice president; Pat McPhillips, secretary; Joseph Murphy, treasurer; and a rule committee of Jack Sheahan, Waldo Burdick and George Finger.

That solved the first problem. Plenty of pick and shovel work on Franchot Field and Forness Park in North Olean followed and the second problem was solved. The men did the actual grading and cleaning of the fields under the supervision of Francis (Weenie) Flynn on two successive Sundays. Not one cent of paid labor or material was used. A clinic and recruiting class brought one hundred and ten boys out and signed to teams.

A “on the cuff” purchase of one hundred and ten sweat shirts, the same number of caps and the donation of name stencils by Waldo Burdick, plus eight hours of dyeing of shirts and labeling tem in the basement of the Ducey home and the league was ready. All that remained was approval by the Fraternal and Service Clubs but the leaders of the club group had anticipated the success of the move and had deposited $750 to buy baseballs, protective equipment and to pay umpires. A policy started at that first season opening season remains in effect today (1954); no one connected with the operation of the league received any pay other than umpires and scorers.

The first season of 1945 saw the teams named after National League clubs. Later the names were changed so that each team became the representative of one of the fraternal organizations. That custom remained in effect through 1952. Midway thought that first year, M. G. Fitzpatrick, publisher of the Times Herald, established a trophy for pennant winner. The first season was divided into two halves, with the winner of each half playing forth loop title. IN addition, a series of games between Olean and Bradford champions and the Olean and Crosby, Pa., champions was played. A banquet for all the boys was held in the Dining Hall at St. Bonaventure College with Eddie Mayo of the St. Louis Browns and a number of major league ball players in attendance.

Later years saw Rip O’Dea, Bill Whalen, Lefty Gomez, Ralph Hubbell and many other sports figures on hand as speakers. In 1946, the four-tam playoff system was established and the M. G. Fitzpatrick trophy became the prize of the play-off series. The Olean News established a season winner plaque in honor of Max Lown, new publisher. Another coveted trophy is the Most Valuable player award given in honor of Dr. Ronald Garvey, for many years president of the Grandstand Dads’ Club. This latter group is the club made up of persons who purchase a ticket to the annual All-Star Game, which is played each year between the ‘Odds” and the “Evens’ of the league. The All-Star night became the backbone of the financial ‘Angel’ of the league and enabled the association to become self-supporting.

It had taken over the summer activities of some two hundred young men and is done with no aid from the local treasury or playground funds. Many of the league’s original by-laws are still in effect, one being the rule that does not allow the season to open until Olean High School had completed its spring sport schedule. The boys are signed to contracts, are in most instances insured, and comply with most every rule of organized ball.

Over the years it relationship with the press, the local school system and the local recreation set-up as well as the many baseball and softball leagues, had been exceptional and deeply rooted in the Olean sport picture.

Olean Sesqui Centennial 1954
Edited

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