Backroads and Ballplayers #8
Stories of the famous and not-so-famous men and women from the days when baseball was "Arkansas' Game." Always free and always short enough to finish in one cup of coffee.
Welcome to the “Show” Gavin Stone, a Big League Cup of Coffee, and Clearing My Desk.
Later this week: Subscribers’ Pick the World Series Champ Contest.
On May 3, 2023, Gavin Stone of Lake City, Arkansas, started a mid-week game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, becoming the 163rd Arkansas-born player to reach the major leagues.
On May 5, Stone joined a much smaller group of Arkansans when he was demoted to Oklahoma City. On that date, he became to 14th player born in Arkansas to appear in one and only one big league game. The career of those who bear this distinction is often described as having had a “Cup of Coffee” in major league baseball.
Despite today’s noticeable trend that favors young men from larger cities with the advantages found in those locations, the Gavin Stone story is similar to the background of most Arkansans who have reached the highest level of America’s Pastime. He hails from a farming town in rural Arkansas, he was a five-sport star for a high school that plays in the state’s smaller classifications, and he pitched for one of the original AIC colleges rather than the Razorbacks.
Ironically, Stone’s profile is similar to the majority of Arkansans who have reached the big leagues. About 75% of Arkansas major league players were born in farming communities before 1940. Gavin Stone’s background is Lon Warneke, Preacher Roe, and Johnny Sain. He is not A. J Burnett, Cliff Lee, and Drew Smyly.
Gavin Stone is 24 years old. He graduated from Riverside High School, a Class 2A school on the St. Francis River in Craighead County, about 15 miles east of Jonesboro. Although he did not pitch in one of Arkansas’ larger schools, Stone did not go unnoticed. He was a two-time All-State selection, four-time All-Conference choice, and voted the Most Valuable Player of the Arkansas High School All-Star Game.
In three years at the University of Central Arkansas, he posted a 9—6 win-loss record with a 2.43 ERA. Unfortunately, his last season with the Bears was in 2020, a season virtually lost to the Covid Pandemic. Despite the abbreviated season, Stone was chosen by the Dodgers in the 5th round of the 2020 MLB June Amateur Draft.
On May 22, a little over a week after his demotion, the Dodgers recalled Gavin Stone. That evening, before 40,000 fans in Atlanta, Stone started his second big league game. After a rocky start, he settled down to toss three scoreless innings before being relieved in the fifth. He remains on the active roster, but he no longer carries the Cup of Coffee label. After Stone’s second major league appearance, the list of Arkansans who played in one and only one big league game returned to 13.
As I am writing this, I am following his third start on Sunday, May 28. Once again Gavin had a rough outing, giving up seven runs in two innings of work. His minor league record is excellent, and it is only a matter of time until he becomes a successful big leaguer. Hang in there Gavin we are solidly in your corner.
A Cup of Coffee in the Show…
"If I had not become a doctor, now that would have been a tragedy."
—Bert Lancaster as Dr. Archibald Graham Field of Dreams, 1989
In baseball jargon, “A Cup of Coffee” in the major leagues is a phrase applied to players who appear in a relatively small number of games. The extreme examples of the unfortunate description are players who played in only one major league game. Thirteen Arkansans carry this relatively unfortunate distinction.
Chasing Moonlight
The most famous Cup of Coffee in the annals of major league baseball is the tale of Archibald “Moonlight” Graham. While in college, Graham played two innings of one game in the outfield for the 1905 New York Giants. W.P. Kinsella used Graham’s story in his best seller, Shoeless Joe, which was adapted, with some poetic license, for the movie Field of Dreams. While the movie Field of Dreams is “historic fiction,” with a pronounced lean toward “fiction,” Moonlight Graham is very real and his story is more remarkable for his career as the town doctor in Chisholm, Minnesota, than his “Cup of Coffee” in major league baseball.
The person most qualified to tell Archibald Graham’s story from his “Moonlight” Graham days to his career as the beloved Doc Graham of Chisholm, Minnesota, is Dr. Robert Reising of Conway, Arkansas. “Dr. Bob”, as his baseball friends identify him, co-authored Chasing Moonlight with Robert Friedlander in 2009. Chasing Moonlight remains the definitive work on Moonlight Graham’s life story.
Reising has lived a baseball life, but like Archibald Graham, his story goes far beyond the game. Dr. Reising played on Michigan State’s Big Ten Championship baseball team in 1954 and later served as head baseball coach at Duke, Furman, and the University of South Carolina. Later in a long career in higher education, he was a mentor to hundreds of aspiring writers. Reising retired from the University of Central Arkansas in 2013, but continues to publish articles on Arkansas baseball history in 501 Life and other publications.
The movie Field of Dreams and research by Dr. Reising and his colleagues have made Moonlight Graham’s career the most memorable Cup of Coffee in big-league history. The names and stories of most other one-game major leaguers are lost in the pages of baseball’s voluminous history. That poignant obscurity includes 13 young men from Arkansas who realized a dream to play big league baseball, only to see that dream vanish after one game.
Baseball Reference (baseball-reference.com), the accepted source of baseball statistics for every player in major league history, lists approximately 22,000 men who have participated in major league baseball since 1871. Of this total, 160+ were born in Arkansas. Thirteen of these Arkansans played in only one game. Their Cup of Coffee in the major leagues was lamentably brief, but their stories are an integral part of Arkansas’ baseball history. A brief introduction to each of these 13 men is included below:
Arkansas Cup of Coffee List - Arkansans who played in one and only one major league game:
1912 - Charles Herbert Tompkins - Prescott, Arkansas One game - 6-25-1912
Chuck Tompkins attended the University of Arkansas and Washington and Lee University law school in Virginia, excelling on the baseball teams at both schools. He pitched in one game for the Cincinnati Redlegs (Reds) in 1912. In three innings Tompkins did not allow a run, but he never pitched in another major league game.
Herbert Lee Herring - Shark, Arkansas One game - 9-4-1912
A boastful and brash spitball pitcher, Lee Herring was one of the most colorful baseball players of his time. In an irony that befitted his name, Herring was born in Shark, Arkansas, in Yell County. In his one inning pitching for the Washington Senators, he held the Red Sox scoreless.
Alfred Boyd Cypert - Little Rock, Arkansas One game - 6-27-1914
Boyd Cypert was recommended to the Cleveland manager by a former teammate at the University of Arkansas. He rode the train from Little Rock to St. Louis to meet the Cleveland team on April 26, 1914. The next day he struck out in his one and only plate appearance.
Sidney Wright Benton - Buckner, Arkansas One game - 4-18-1922
Sid Benton had been team captain at the University of Arkansas during the years before World War I. His career was interrupted by the war and his best years were behind him when he finally got a chance to pitch in a major league game. He faced two batters and walked them both.
Joseph Henry Brown - Pulaski County, Arkansas One game - 5-17-1927
“Sawmill” Joe Brown bounced around the minor leagues for several years and got his one and only shot in the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox in 1927. He faced three batters, gave up three runs and did not get anyone out.
Silas Albert Williamson - Buckville, Arkansas One game - 4-27-1928
In an era when baseball nicknames were the norm, “Arkansas Al” won close to 100 minor league games, but only had one major league opportunity. He pitched two complete innings and gave up one hit.
Sherman Stanley Edwards - Mount Ida, Arkansas One game - 9-21-1934
“Sherm” Edwards spent most of his career pitching for the El Dorado Lions of the Dixie League. Cincinnati gave him a major league tryout late in the 1934 season. In his one opportunity, Edwards pitched three lackluster innings in a meaningless game, entering in the 6th inning with the Reds trailing 15-0.
Mays Copeland - Mountain View, Arkansas One game - 4-27-1935
Mays Copeland and his twin brother Hays traveled from their home in Mountain View to Springfield to try out for the minor league Springfield Cardinals. The big league Cardinals soon had Mays in their long-range pitching plans. Arm problems reduced what looked like a successful major league career to less than an inning in 1935.
Marion Brooks Tobin - Hermitage, Arkansas One game - 8-21-1941
One of the most acclaimed pitchers in the city leagues of Central Arkansas, “Pat” Tobin was past his prime when he got his only major league chance in 1941. The opposing St. Louis Browns sent 10 men to the plate in Tobin’s only inning in the big leagues. He gave up five runs on four hits and two walks.
Otis Allen Davis - Charleston, Arkansas One game - 4-22-1946
Arkansas’ version of the Moonlight Graham story, Otis “Scat” Davis appeared in a major league game but did not bat or play in the field. He was inserted as a pinch runner in his only appearance in a big league game.
Next week’s post will highlight Davis’ poignant story.
William D, Bradford - Choctaw, Arkansas One game - 4-24-1956
Bill Bradford was part of a well-known baseball family in Van Buren, County. In 1956, he made it to the major leagues with the Kansas City A’s. Bradford gave up two hits in his one game, but both were home runs.
Charles Edward Daniel - Bluffton, Arkansas One game - 9-21-1957
“Chuck” Daniel was a semi-pro sensation in Western Arkansas and a successful college pitcher for the College of the Ozarks. Arm problems stalled his career after his one major league outing, but a comeback with the Travelers ended his career on a high note.
Leroy Reams – Pine Bluff, Arkansas One game - 5-7-1969
Reams was known to his teammates as “Cat Man.” He was the last Arkansan to appear in only one game at baseball’s highest level. Reams struck out on four pitches, but he took great pride in his opportunity to wear a big-league uniform.
From the pile on my desk…
Reunion:
A subscriber found this photo.
May 11, 2023: Connor Noland pitching for the South Bend Cubs, strikes out Robert Moore of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The catcher for South Bend is Casey Opitz. Christian Franklin (Cubs) also played in the game.
Great Play Go Unseen:
A Twitter post that was shared by a friend.
In my piece on Brooks Robinson, I mentioned that millions were watching on TV when Brooks made several amazing plays in the 1970 World Series, going to his right behind third base.
On September 13, 2020, with virtually no one in the park due to Covid restrictions, Brain Anderson made a play behind third that ranks among the best of all time. A ground ball by Andrew Knapp of the Phillies hits the third base bag and takes a sharp left turn. Anderson somehow anticipates the carrom and backhands the ball going toward the dugout. Falling backward, he gets enough on the throw to nip Knapp by a step.
Cardinals Bad Start
I realize that most of my readers are Cardinals fans. This is Arkansas after all. On May 10, after 28 games the Redbirds were 13 and 25, surely the worst start in Cardinals’ history. Actually, it wasn’t the worst 28 games to start a season in St. Louis Cardinals annals. Just 98 short years ago the 1925 edition of the Cards were 13—24 on May 30 and recovered to finish 77—76, fourth in an eight-team league. Luckily, I did not have room for the Cardinals’ obituary. Since their historically bad start, the Redbirds have recovered their mojo and are now third place in the weak National League Central. Baseball-Reference gives them a 66% chance to make the playoffs.
Later this week I will send all subscribers an invitation to pick a 2023 World Series Champion. All correct entries will win a prize, and one lucky winner with receive my new book, Hard Times and Hardball. It is not too late to subscribe.
GO HOGS!
Very interesting!