1939---THE CLOVIS PIONEERS PLAYED
AT BELL PARK...
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Time was, in the good old USA, when a dollar was
a dollar, some coins were real silver, and you could
buy a new car for $1000.
It was time of hard work, frugality---the country was
just beginning to recover from the clutches of the Great
Depression. There was little entertainment. Movies
were big attractions.
Baseball was big in my hometown of Clovis in 1939.
The Clovis Pioneers played at Bell Park. They were
in the West Texas/New Mexico League.
There were eight teams in this league; along about
1939-40. I remember seven of them. They were:
Clovis Pioneers, Lubbock Hubbers, Borger Gassers,
Pampa Oilers, Amarillo Gold Sox, Abilene Blue Sox,
and Albuquerque Dukes. The eighth WTNM team I
have been unable to remember.
There was at least one other league operating then or
a bit later. Its name I can't recall, but Roswell, Hobbs,
Lamesa. El Paso, Odessa, Midland, and San Angelo
may have been in this one.
Dad took me to Bell Park once, when I was very small,
and we sat in the first base "bleachers"---splintery seats
as I recall.
Maybe it was the bright lights, the green grass (mowed
so nicely), the fresh air, the pop of the bats, the jargon
flowing from the first base seats to the players, the raunchy
cigar-smoking fans...or even the cigar smoke itself...but
I was forever hooked on baseball!
Alas, I may have been a young burden...Dad didn't take
me often. We lived behind the rustic laundry at 417 W.
Grand, and had an old Philco table radio. KICA broadcast
the games and I hooked a wire to the back of the radio
and to the window screen, trying to cut out the static,
so prevalent in those days....while my dad was out there
on the first base line. Having fun.
I remember a few Pioneer player names from the early
forties--- Manager Grover Seitz; Dick Woldt, CF and
heavy hitter; Ray "Power" Bauer, RF, and home run
hitter. There was a really good pitcher named Blackwood
who pitched for the Dukes.
KICA broadcast some away games, using some sort of
teletype whereby the barest fact came through and the
announcer added filler details to make it sound as if he
were there. Like: "The pitcher steps off the mound and
rubs up the ball...and now he goes to the resin bag..."
One could always tell these games--there was no crowd
noise.
Later on, as we got older, and went to the games more,
we kids wanted to get a foul ball...but the team owners
had fast, mean kids recovering the balls landing on car
tops, out behind the stadium. Few balls were ever lost.
Bell Park, which seemed so big once--- seems so tiny
today.
The Albuquerque Dukes' stadium of the 70's seemed so
big in comparison and it was remodeled and enlarged
circa 2000 and is a beautiful minor league stadium.
All us old Pioneer/Dukes fans out here in Albuquerque,
have had to become Isotopes fans.
Growing up in Clovis, before TV, we didn't pay much
attention to the Major Leagues. Our loss.
(As late as 1949, I remember seeing the friendly lights
of Bell Park shining brightly as we drove back toward
town from Broadview, after plowing all day in the hot
summer sun. The Pioneers were still operating...and it
gave a warm, friendly feeling...as we headed for home...
and supper...and some corn bread.)
*******30******
BY MIL
8/6/14
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