Results tagged “Pioneer League”

How much do I love these ads from 1953?

It's May 2nd, 1953. The Pioneer League. Your Salt Lake Bees are taking on the Magic Valley Cowboys from Twin Falls, Idaho at Derks Field, and KDYL-TV has its cameras there for a live telecast.

Derks Field -- look at it here -- was built in 1947, so it was relatively new in 1953. It was pretty basic -- a sort-of art deco entrance, but a basic grandstand with no roof, that's it, built in a hurry after its predecessor burned down. It housed Salt Lake teams from 1947 through 1992, in the Rookie classification Pioneer League as well as the Triple A Pacific Coast League. In 1953, the Bees were in the Pioneer League, the Phillies' affiliate, and the park was tiny, a grandstand behind the plate and some bleachers down the lines. When the team moved up to the PCL, the place was expanded, first to seven sections between the bases, then by extending the concrete stands down the line.

The 1953 Bees had nobody of whom you've heard. The star hitter was first baseman John Moskus, .317 with 28 homers. Clyde DeWitt went 19-8 and 36 year old Burt Barkelew, briefly the manager, was 12-3. THe club finished 4th in the regular season but managed to win the playoffs and the league championship. Magic Valley's one star was Dolph Camilli, the former major leaguer, but he was the manager. The game the night before was postponed due to rain.

What happened? Who won?

I have no idea. I couldn't access a paper for May 3rd. Later papers don't mention what happened. There's no other evidence, unless I go to Salt Lake and check the microfiche.

Someday, I will find out who won that game. There HAS to be a record of it someplace.