Old timers 50 years ago made an all day event of the first baseball game in Harlan County on Skidmore Park with "dinner on the ground." Some of them recall the first game as vividly as if were played yesterday.

The boys from "Mingo Holler" near Middlesboro journeyed across the mountain on mules down Catrons Creek. Amos Shope, now living at Stanfield recalls almost every play of the game.

He was the manager of the Yellow Creek store at the time. H.C. Rice, Harlan, was the umpire for the game.

A fight broke out in the eighth inning with the Mingo Reds leading 6 to 1. The game was called off. Some of the spectators offered $20 an inning to finish the game but it ended just like that.

Hard Road To Travel

It was a long, hard road to travel just to play a ball game but the people of Harlan County wanted a Fourth of July game. It was a big celeberation. The people from town brought baskets of food for everyone at the game.

The food was spread under a big tree. There were tubs and tubs of free lemonade too. The women folk invited everyone to eat and most of them did.

Amos Shope and his boys left Middlesboro by train at 6 a.m., July 3 and rode to Hagan, Va. They hired mules for their journey and arrived in Harlan about 3 p.m.

They came into town to find a place to stay and rest up for the big game and the Fourth of July celebration. Baseball then was just as exciting as it is today. Most of the women sat in the shade while the men watched the game.

Few Changes Made

An old timer said the game has been changed very little except for a runner who was caught in a "horsie."

"If a runner was trapped off of first base then only the first and second baseman could get in on the play," an old timer said.

In addition to Boyd Kelly, other members of the Mingo Reds were Charlie Elbey, a pitcher and D.D. Shope the catcher. Other visitors were Forester Hill, first baseman; Bruce Hill, second base; C. Milum, third base; Amos Shope, shortstop, George Luke, centerfield; Frank Penrod, rightfield; and John Shope, leftfield.

Publisher Among Players

One of the Harlan players had a "trick" knee and sometimes it would jump out of joint when he was running. Of course they called time out and "fixed" it.

A few of the Harlan players were W.W. Lewis, John Lewis, Jim Harris, Dave Lankford and Billy Gish. Gish was one of the first newspaper publishers in Harlan.

The team pictured played on Skidmore Park about 15 years after baseball made its debut in Harlan County.

picture......THE BEGINNING OF BASEBALL---The team shown here is the Harlan Tigers approximately 15 years after baseball made its debut in Harlan County. The Tigers played 38 games and lost only 5 that season. They are left to right, top row: Bill Green, left field; Dick Gurley, shortstop; Elmer Hall, right field; Nobe Ballou, pitcher; Owen Kelly; first base; Lee Ward, catcher. Second row: Hayward Hall, bat boy; Fred Williams, second base; Cam Smith, catcher, manager; Harold Whitehead, third base; and Coy Singleton, utility.

Sunday August 9, 1953

Volume 52 Number 184

page 1 & 8

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