NO LONGER DO YOU HEAR THE CRACK OF A BASEBALL BAT, NOR THE BUZZ OF THE BASEBALL CROWD. A CONCRETE PARKING LOT AND BRICK BUILDINGS NOW OCCUPY THE AREA WHERE THE GRANDSTANDS ONCE STOOD -- THE HOME PLATE OCCUPYING THE AREA OUTSIDE THE SOUTH PARK SUB POST-OFFICE. AND THE ONCE EMERALD GREEN GRASS HAS BEEN COVERED WITH STEEL AND CONCRETE.
BUT ONCE ON THIS SITE WAS A CONCRETE
AND STEEL GRANDSTAND, FILLED WITH CHEERING BASEBALL FANS - ALL DRESSED IN THEIR
FINEST. THE LADIES WITH PRETTY HATS ON THEIR HEADS, AND THE GENTLEMEN SPORTING
THEIR STRAW SKIMMERS. AND THE ROAR OF THE CROWD COULD
BE HEARD ALL OVER THE
SOUTH PARK AREA.
A SIGN OUTSIDE TOLD THE WORLD THIS WAS "STUART STADIUM", HOME OF THE BEAUMONT EXPORTERS. IT WAS A TIME WHEN ENJOYING A BASEBALL GAME AT STUART STADIUM REPRESENTED THE BEST THAT THIS AREA HAD TO OFFER.
TODAY, IF YOU DRIVE TO THIS LOCATION, THE SIGN WILL READ - "STADIUM CENTER", AND ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE GRANDSTANDS AND HOME OF THE BEAUMONT EXPORTERS IS A PLAQUE EMBEDDED IN THE CONCRETE WALK IN FRONT OF THE SOUTH PARK SUB-POST OFFICE WHICH READS: "HOME PLATE - ON THIS SPOT THE BEAUMONT EXPORTERS TOOK THEIR FINAL SWING. RUBE STUART'S CONTRIBUTION IS FONDLY REMEMBERED AND APPRECIATED."
WHILE IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW THE EXPORTERS BASEBALL TEAM GOT THEIR START IN BEAUMONT (THERE SEEMS TO BE SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPINIONS), IT APPEARS THAT THEY WERE ORIGINALLY CALLED THE OILERS, AND WERE ACQUIRED BY A GROUP OF BEAUMONT BUSINESS MEN FROM A OKLAHOMA CITY GROUP WITH ED STEADMAN SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB. OTHER RECORDS STATE THAT IT WAS THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF B. A. STEINHAGEN THAT THE CLUB WAS OBTAINED, SO I LIST BOTH OPINIONS. FROM 1912 UNTIL 1929 THE EXPORTERS PLAYED AT MAGNOLIA BALLPARK, LOCATED ON MAGNOLIA AVENUE BETWEEN HAZEL AND LONG STREETS.
RUBEN L. STUART WOULD COME TO BEAUMONT FROM CALDWELL, TEXAS, WHERE HE WORKED FOR THE BURT REFINERY (LATER MAGNOLIA, SIGN OF THE FLYING RED HORSE - NOW MOBIL OIL) FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS. HE THEN STARTED DRIVING MULE TEAMS FOR HIS BROTHER, JESSE STUART, HAULING PIPE WITHIN MAGNOLIA REFINERY, AND ALSO WORKING ON PIPELINES. IN 1918 HE BECAME A PARTNER WITH BROTHER JESSE IN THE TEAMSTERS BUSINESS. RUBEN STUART WAS KNOWN TO BE A HARD WORKER, EXHIBITING PRIDE IN BEAUMONT AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. HE DIDN'T TALK MUCH, AND WAS STRICTLY BUSINESS, AND IT WAS EVIDENTLY THROUGH THE TEAMSTERS BUSINESS HE OBTAINED HIS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR HIS LIFELONG DREAM.
ALTHOUGH RUBEN L. STUART WAS NEVER INTO ATHLETICS HIMSELF, HE WAS AN AVID BASEBALL FAN, AND IN 1923 GOT INTO BASE-BALL AS A STOCKHOLDER IN A COMPANY FORMED BY THE YOUNG MEN'S BUSINESS LEAGUE TO PURCHASE THE FRANCHISE FROM B. A.STEINHAGEN, BUT THIS BUSINESS SUFFERED SOME VERY LEAN YEARS, FORCING THEM TO SELL SOME OF THEIR BEST TALENT.
IN 1925 RUBE STUART, ALONG WITH E.E. PLUMLY, PURCHASED THE BEAUMONT EXPORTERS BASEBALL TEAM, WHICH WAS A MINOR LEAGUE PRO BASEBALL TEAM PLAYING IN THE SOUTHERN LEAGUE, FOR $20,000.00, AND A YEAR LATER IN 1927, RUBE STUART BECAME THE SOLE OWNER OF THE EXPORTERS. THE TEAM WOULD LATER BECOME A TEXAS LEAGUE TEAM. IT ALSO WAS THE FARM TEAM FOR THE DETROIT TIGERS.
RUBE STUART WAS A VERY COMMUNITY MINDED CITIZEN, AND SAW THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AND BUILD A FIRST CLASS BASE-BALL TEAM, BUILDING A CONTENDER FOR THE TEXAS LEAGUE PENNANT, GIVING BEAUMONT A TEAM IT COULD BE PROUD OF.
AFTER ACQUIRING SOLE OWNERSHIP OF THE TEAM, RUBE STUART WANTED NOT ONLY TO BUILD A SUITABLE STADIUM FOR HIS EXPORTERS, HE WANTED TO ACQUIRE TALENTED PLAYERS, AND HE AND HIS MANAGER, CLAUD ROBERTSON STARTED ASSESSING A TEAM - MAKING TRADES AND VISITING CITIES IN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA, LOOKING FOR THE BEST FEATURES AND DESIGNS IN STADIUMS, AND THEY ALSO ASSEMBLED SOME GREAT TALENT.
THEY TRADED FUTURE HALL OF FAMER, CARL HUBBEL TO THE NEW YORK YANKEES GIVING RUBE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH NEW YORK AND STRENGTHENED HIS FINANCIAL POSITION. BUT "KING CARL" WOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE EXPORTERS BEST SOUTHPAWS WITH HIS ALMOST UNHITABLE SCREWBALL.
ALTHOUGH THE BASEBALL TEAM WAS NEVER A PROFITABLE VENTURE AND STRUGGLED TO KEEP OPERATING CAPITAL, RUBE STUART WAS VERY DEDICATED TO PROMOTING THE EXPORTERS..AFTER LOOKING AROUND BEAUMONT AT VARIOUS SITES, MR. STUART DECIDED TO BUILD HIS BASEBALL COMPLEX IN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING SOUTH PARK, WHICH WOULD DRAW DIVERSE ELEMENTS OF BOTH SOUTH PARK AND BEAUMONT TOGETHER. HE ALSO WANTED A LOCATION NEAR THE INTERURBAN STREET CAR INTERCHANGE THAT LINKED BEAUMONT WITH NEDERLAND, PORT NECHES AND PORT ARTHUR, MAKING THE BASEBALL GAME ACCESSIBLE TO SOUTH JEFFERSON COUNTY FANS.
AFTER CONSIDERING OTHER ALTERNATIVES, RUBE STUART PURCHASED 43 LOTS BELONGING TO CHAUNCY SHEPHERD WHICH LAY ALONG AVENUE A, 2 BLOCKS SOUTH OF WASHINGTON BOULEVARD, MR. STUART FEELING THAT AVENUE A CONSTITUTED "A GATEWAY TO PORT ARTHUR."
IN THE FALL OF 1928 AND WINTER OF 1929, STEEL AND CONCRETE GRANDSTANDS WERE CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE, WITH TEAMS OF MULES DRAGGING SCRAPERS TO FORM THE DIAMOND AND PREPARE THE CARPET OF GRASS. WITH THE HELP OF ENGINEER, JAMES HENSLEE, STUART INCORPORATED THE BEST FEATURES AND DESIGNS FROM OTHER PARKS ACROSS TEXAS AND OTHER STATES WHILE THE OLD MAGNOLIA BALL PARK ONLY SEATED 4,000 FANS, THE SEMI-CIRCULAR STEEL AND CONCRETE COVERED GRANDSTAND AT THE NEW PARK HAD A SEATING CAPACITY OF 6,000.00. BLEACHERS WERE PLACED IN RIGHT AND LEFT FIELD FOUL LINES, SEATING. AN EXTRA 2,500.
IN FRONT OF THE GRANDSTANDS WAS A 2 STORY OFFICE BUILDING AND TICKET BOOTH, WITH CONCESSION STANDS BUILT BEHIND THE OFFICE. THE PARKING AREA WAS LOCATED ON AVENUE B, WITH THE GRANDSTANDS FACING IN A NORTHEAST DIRECTION, SHIELDING PATRONS FROM THE AFTERNOON SUN. THERE WERE 68 BOXES BETWEEN THIRD AND FIRST BASES - EACH CONSISTING OF 6 FIXED SEATS. AND THE SMALL SET OF BLEACHERS ON THE FIRST BASE SIDE OF THE FIELD WERE RESERVED ON SPECIAL DAYS FOR YOUNGSTERS KNOWN AS THE "KNOT HOLE GANG." MANY A YOUNGSTER WAS THE HOLDER OF A SPECIAL KNOT HOLE GANG CARD.
THE RIGHT FIELD FOUL POLE WAS 330 FEET FROM HOME PLATE, WHILE LEFT FIELD WAS 338 FEET AND STRAIGHT AWAY CENTER FIELD WAS 420 FEET. A SHEET METAL FENCE ENCLOSED THE STADIUM, AND A VISIBLE BRAND NEW SCOREBOARD LOOMED ABOVE THE FENCE, JUST TO THE RIGHT OF CENTER FIELD. AND RUBE STUART DECIDED TO PAINT HIS BALL PARK A SOOTHING SHADE OF GREEN. WHEN THE PARK WAS FINISHED, RUBE STUART HAD INVESTED $120,000.00 IN HIS BELOVED BASEBALL PARK.
THE WEATHER HAD CAUSED MANY DELAYS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PARK, AND DUE TO THE HEAVY RAINS, THERE WAS AN OUTBREAK OF CRAWFISH MOUNDS IN THE OUTFIELD -- AND TO HELP ALEVIATE THIS PROBLEM, RUBE STUART PUT 4 DUCKS ON THE PAYROLL TO GET RID OF THESE PESTS.
MANY PEOPLE CONSIDERED SOUTH PARK "OUT IN THE COUNTRY" - TOO REMOTE - BUT RUBE STUART CONVINCED EASTERN TEXAS ELECTRIC COMPANY TO EXTEND STREETCARS 3 BLOCKS FROM PARK STREET TO THE NEW STADIUM - THE STREETCAR RIDE COSTING AN ADULT .06 AND CHILDREN .03 THE ELECTRIC TRAIN LINE FROM PORT ARTHUR AND MID COUNTY TO BEAUMONT COST A FEE OF .35. THE TROLLY LINE EXTENDED THEIR SERVICE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE BALL PARK.
ALTHOUGH THE NAME WOULD REMAIN EXPORTERS, MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT THE NAME SHOULD BE CHANGED TO REFINERS AS THE OIL INDUSTRY WAS OUR MAIN INDUSTRY. I UNDERSTAND IN 1950 THE NAME WAS CHANGED TO ROUGH NECKS - BUT ONLY FOR ONE SEASON..WHEN THE BALL PARK WAS COMPLETED, THERE WERE MANY CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PARK, AND OPENING WORKOUTS WERE HELD THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, 1929, WITH MANY CITIZENS SHOWING UP TO WATCH THE WORKOUT, THERE BEING NO CHARGE.
THE FIRST GAME WAS HELD MARCH 18, 1929 AGAINST THE NEW YORK GIANTS, AND ALTHOUGH THE EXPORTERS LOST, THE PAPER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT "EXPORTERS LOOK GREAT AGAINST GIANTS" WITH THE NEWCOMERS SHINING IN A LOSING SCRAP. THE REGULAR SEASON BEGAN APRIL 17TH WITH THE EXPORTERS PLAYING THE HOUSTON BUFFALOES BEFORE 8,500 EXCITED FANS, TICKETS TO THE GAMES COST .75 MANY BUSINESSES AND THE SCHOOLS CLOSED AT 2:00 S0 THAT FANS COULD MAKE IT TO THE 3:30 GAME.
GERALD "JERRY" MALLETT, (FATHER OF FORMER SOUTH PARK SUPERINTENDENT, JERRY MALLETT) WAS AN ARKANSAS NATIVE WHO SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THE EXPORTERS, AND ARRIVED IN BEAUMONT IN TIME TO PITCH THE OPENING GAME WHEN THE NEW STUART STADIUM WAS DEDICATED. JERRY MALLETT WOULD MARRY A BEAUMONT GIRL AND RAISE HIS FAMILY IN BEAUMONT.
IN 1931 WITH 94 WINS AND 65 LOSSES, THE EXPORTERS WERE PLAYING THE HOUSTON BUFFS FOR THE PENNANT IN A 5 GAME PLAY-OFF, BUT LOST TO THE BUFFS. DEL BAKER WAS THE MANAGER OF THE EXPORTERS AT THIS TIME, AND WITH DEL BAKER STILL AT THE HELM, IN 1932 THE EXPORTERS CAPTURED THE PENNANT, BECOMING THE FIRST BEAUMONT TEAM TO BECOME TEXAS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS. THIS TEAM INCLUDED FUTURE STARS SUCH AS HANK GREENBERG AND "SCHOOLBOY" ROWE.
"DUTCH" LORBEER WOULD BECOME MANAGER OF THE TEAM FROM 1934 TO 1936, WITH PLAYERS JERRY MALLETT AND AL VINCENT BEING A PART OF THE TEAM.
NOT ONLY DID "DUTCH" LORBEER MANAGE THE EXPORTERS BASEBALL TEAM, HE WOULD CONTINUE AS A PLAYER, BEING A CATCHER. IN 1934 WHILE PLAYING FOR THE EXPORTERS, HE SET A LEAGUE DEFENSIVE RECORD FOR BACKSTOPS WITH A FIELDING AVERAGE OF .995. HE ALSO CAUGHT 74 CONSECUTIVE GAMES THAT YEAR WITHOUT AN ERROR, AND THIS RECORD WAS NEVER EQUALLED.
A YOUNG AL VINCENT HAD COME FROM BIRMINGTON, ALABAMA TO PLAY SECOND BASE FOR THE EXPORTERS IN 1934. DURING THE OFF SEASON HE WOULD ATTEND LAMAR JUNIOR COLLEGE, AND ALSO HELP JOHN GRAY COACH THE LAMAR FOOTBALL TEAM.
IT WAS WHILE HE WAS ATTENDING LAMAR IN THE ZOOLOGY CLASS THAT HE WOULD MEET ALICE ROSE BAXTER, A YOUNG LADY THAT HAD GRADUATED FROM SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL IN 1933, RESIDING WITH HER FAMILY AT 590 IRBY, AND IT WAS THIS YOUNG LADY THAT ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1935 WOULD BECOME AL VINCENTS LIFE PARTNER, WITH LINDA, FRANCIS AND ALBERT, JR. BEING BORN TO THEIR MARRIAGE.
IN 1937 AL VINCENT WOULD TAKE OVER AS MANAGER OF THE EXPORTERS, ALSO PLAYING SECOND BASE, AND WOULD REMAIN AS PLAYER / MANAGER THROUGH THE 1939 SEASON.
IN 1938. THE EXPORTERS AGAIN BECAME TEXAS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS WITH DIXIE PARSONS, LYNWOOD "SCHOOLBOY" ROWE, DUTCH DIETZ, LES FLEMING, "DIZZY" TROUT, FRANK SECORY (WHO LATER BECAME AN UMPIRE), BARNEY MC COSKY AND MANY OTHER PLAYERS BEING A PART OF THE TEAM.
IN THE 1938 PLAYOFFS AGAINST SAN ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO WAS LEADING THE SERIES 3-2 GAMES, AND WERE AHEAD OF THE EXPORTERS IN THE 4TH GAME, 3-1 WHEN THE EXPORTERS CAME TO BAT IN THE LAST OF THE NINTH. WITH 2 MEN ON BASE AND 2 OUTS, "DINGLE" CROUCHER HIT A HOME RUN OVER LEFT FIELD FENCE, GIVING THE EXPORTERS A 4-3 WIN. THE FANS WENT WILD AND ALMOST DID NOT LEAVE THE FIELD THE CELEBRATION WAS SO GREAT!
THE NEXT DAY THE EXPORTERS WON THEIR PENNANT BY DEFEATING SAN ANTONIO 3-2, WITH AL VINCENT BEING THE DECIDING FACTOR BY BREAKING UP A DOUBLE PLAY BY SLIDING INTO SECOND BASE AND ALLOWING THE WINNING RUN TO CROSS HOME PLATE.
ALTHOUGH AL VINCENT'S CAREER WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE HE AND ALICE ROSE AND THEIR FAMILY FROM BUFFALO, NEW YORK, DETROIT, DALLAS, TULSA, BIRMINGHAM, FORT WORTH AND BALTIMORE, THEY WOULD ALWAYS RETURN TO THEIR HOME AT 260 MANOR IN BEAUMONT, WHERE THEY STILL RESIDE.
IN 1979 AL VINCENT WAS INDUCTED INTO THE TEXAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME. HE HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE WITH THE LAMAR UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAM, HELPING COACH JIM GILLIGAN IN ANY WAY HE CAN.
RUBE STUART RETIRED IN 1939, AND "DUTCH" LORBEER BECAME THE OWNER OF THE EXPORTERS THROUGH THE 1942 SEASON. THE EXPORTERS HAD FINISHED THE LEAGUE FIRST IN 1942, BUT LOST TO SHREVEPORT IN THE PLAYOFFS AFTER TAKING A 3-1 LEAD IN THE SERIES.
WHEN WORLD WAR II WAS DECLARED, THE TEXAS LEAGUE SUSPENDED ACTIVE PLAY, AND BEAUMONT'S BELOVED EXPORTERS AND STUART STADIUM WERE CLOSED.
IN DECEMBER, 1945, GUY AIRY WOULD PURCHASE THE EXPORTERS FRANCHISE FROM "DUTCH" LORBEER, AND RENT STUART STADIUM FROM RUBE STUART. WHEN GUY AIRY BOUGHT THE FRANCHISE, THERE WERE NO PLAYERS AND NO EQUIPMENT, GUY AIREY WAS A PRODUCT OF MOBILE, ALABAMA, HAVING GRADUATED IN 1914 FROM MC GILL INSTITUTE AS VALEDICTORIAN OF HIS CLASS. HIS EMPLOYMENT AFTER GRADUATION WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE HIM TO WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS WORKING AS CHIEF CLERK FOR GULF PRODUCTION COMPANY. IT WAS THERE HE WOULD MEET ALVIN GARDNER,WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS BASEBALL LEAGUE, AND IT WAS THIS FRIENDSHIP THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GUY AIREY ENTERING INTO THE BASEBALL PROFESSION.
AFTER MR. GARDNER PURCHASED THE WICHITA FALLS BASEBALL FRANCHISE, GUY AIREY WOULD WORK AS SECRETARY OF THE TEAM, AND WOULD LATER TRANSFER TO SAN ANTONIO,WHERE HE WOULD BECOME EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT. HIS EMPLOYMENT WOULD LATER TAKE HIM TO ROCHESTER, NEW YORK IN 1943 TO RUN THE CLUB FOR SAM BEARDEN.
IN 1928 HE HAD MARRIED RUTH SIMPSON ELDRIDGE, OF WICHITA FALLS, AND THEY HAD TWO SONS, ALL OF WHOM WERE VERY ACTIVE IN BASEBALL IT WAS THROUGH ALL HIS YEARS OF ACTIVITY WITH BASEBALL TEAMS, IN 1945 HE PURCHASED THE EXPQRTERS BASEBALL TEAM. MOVED HIS FAMILY TO THEIR HOME AT 1814 PARK STREET WHERE THEY RESIDED UNTIL 1973. THIS HOME QUITE MAJESTICALLY SUPPORTS TEXAS HISTORICAL MARKER, AND IS KNOWN THE HENCHEE HOME, BUILT IN THE 1890'S.
THERE BEING NO PLAYERS AND NO EQUIPMENT WHEN GUY AIREY PURCHASED THE EXPORTERS FRANCHISE, HE WAS FACED WITH COMPLETE REORGANIZATION OF THE BALL TEAM. HE MADE A WORKING AGREEMENT WITH THE NEW YORK YANKEES, AND THEY SENT HIM 40-45 PLAYERS TO SELECT THE BEST 18. JIM TURNER, FORMER PITCHER FOR THE NEW YORK YANKEES WOULD BECOME MANAGER, AND MR. AIREY AND MR. TURNER WOULD CHOOSE THE BEST PLAYERS FOR THE EXPORTERS. AND SO ANOTHER SEASON OF EXPORTERS BASEBALL WOULD COME TO BEAUMONT, OPENING. DAY BEING APRIL 16, 1946.
WITH THE HELP OF THE Y.M.B.L. AND A $15,000.00 NOTE, 53 GLOWING LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED AT STUART STADIUM, AND IN MAY, 1946 THE FIRST NIGHT BASEBALL GAME WAS PLAYED IN BEAUMONT, AND ALL GAMES THERE- AFTER WERE PLAYED AT NIGHT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY GAMES.
THE EXACT DATE IS NOT KNOWN, BUT IT IS SAID THAT MICKEY MANTLE PLAYED AN EXHIBITION GAME AT STUART STADIUM, BUT WAS NOT SELECTED AS ONE OF THE PLAYERS.
GUY AIREY BROUGHT SOME OUTSTANDING BASEBALL PLAYERS TO BEAUMONT. CLINT COURTNEY, DICK WAKEFIELD, RALPH HOUK, JOE COLLINS AND THE BIGGEST STAR OF ALL -GIL MC DOUGALD. IN 1950 GIL WAS VOTED THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE, AND IN THE 152 GAMES HE PLAYED AT STUART STADIUM HE HANDLED MORE CHANCES, AND TOOK PART IN MORE DOUBLE PLAYS THAN ANY OTHER SECOND BASEMAN IN THE LEAGUE. HIS BATTING STANCE WAS CONSIDERED UNORTHODOX, BUT MANAGER ROGERS HORNSBY (WHO HAD BEEN A SUPER STAR IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE) KNEW THAT GIL WAS GETTING RESULTS AND DID NOT TRY TO CHANGE HIS BATTING STANCE. IN 1951 GIL BECAME A NEW YORK YANKEE.
ALTHOUGH THE EXPORTERS DID NOT FINISH IN FIRST PLACE VERY OFTEN, THEY WERE OFTEN THE SECOND PLACE FINISHERS -- A FEAT WHICH SPEAKS FOR THE TALENT TO PLAY FOR THE EXPORTERS.
MR. AIREY'S SON, GUY, JR. WAS BUSINESS MANAGER FOR HIS DAD, AND HIS SON, GUY AIREY III IS A PHARMACIST IN BEAUMONT. IN MAY, 1946 GUY AIREY WAS SELECTED IN BEAUMONT AS "MAN OF THE MONTH."
ON OCTOBER 14, 1952 ALLEN RUSSELL, WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON BUFFALOS, WOULD PURCHASE THE EXPORTERS (THE TEAM HAVING BEEN RENAMED THE ROUGHNECKS) FOR $150,000.00, HIRING NICK CULLOP AS MANAGER HIS FIRST ACTION WAS TO REMODEL THE STADIUM AND HAVE A CONTEST FOR A NEW NAME FOR THE ROUGHNECKS. CHESTER FERGUSON WAS THE WINNER, RENAMING THE CLUB "EXPORTERS" FOR THE REASON -"TRADITION ALONE MAKES THIS NAME THE BEST. THE NAME IS EVEN MORE APPROPRIATE TODAY IN VIEW OF OUR INTER PORT ACTION AND OUR STANDING AS THE #1 GULF PORT." IN 1954 LES FLEMING BECAME MANAGER OF THE EXPORTERS.
IN 1955 ALLEN RUSSELL MOVED THE FRANCHISE TO AUSTIN, TEXAS DUE TO A DROP IN ATTENDANCE AND THE EMERGENCE OF TV. IT WAS WRITTEN IN A FORT WORTH NEWS-PAPER THAT BASEBALL DIED IN BEAUMONT BECAUSE THE MOSQUITOS ATE THE FANS.
THUS THE END OF A GREAT ERA IN BEAUMONT'S HISTORY, AS WELL AS SOUTH PARK. GUY AIREY DIED IN 1953 ALONE IN HIS HOME ON PARK STREET, AND RUBE STUART PASSED AWAY IN JUNE, 1962. I UNDER STAND THAT FRANCIS LORBEER, WIDOW OF "DUTCH" LORBEER RESIDES IN BEAUMONT.
ALLEN RUSSELL HAD OFFERED TO SELL THE
STADIUM TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, BUT THE VOTERS REJECTED THE OFFER. THE PROPERTY
WAS PURCHASED BY A LOCAL INVESTMENT GROUP AND DISMANTLED IN THE LATE '50's AND
THE STADIUM SHOPPING CENTER CONSTRUCTED. A PLAQUE
WAS EMBEDDED IN THE
CONCRETE OF THE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE HOME PLATE WAS ONCE LOCATED, AND "DIZZY"
DEAN DEDICATED THE NEW SHOPPING CENTER.
THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF STUART STADIUM AND THE EXPORTERS, AND IN THE FIRST YEARS THE GAME WAS ALWAYS SOLD OUT. THERE WERE PEAR TREES PLANTED AROUND THE STADIUM (BEING LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF THE AREA KNOWN AS PEAR ORCHARD) AND MANY YOUNGSTERS WOULD CLIMB INTO THE PEAR TREES TO WATCH THE GAME.
AT THE MAGNOLIA BALL PARK WAS A GROUP OF YOUNGSTERS KNOWN AS THE "KNOTHOLE GANG." THESE KIDS WOULD TAKE THEIR DAD'S HAMMER AND KNOCK OUT HOLES IN THE FENCE TO WATCH THE GAME THROUGH -- BUT SINCE THE FENCE AT STUART STADIUM WAS METAL, THEY HAD TO DEVISE WAYS TO CUT A HOLE -- AND ALL TYPES OF HOLES BEGAN APPEARING IN THE FENCE.
KIDS 12 AND UNDER GOT INTO THE BALLGAME FREE IF ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR DAD, AND BUDDY HEBERT MANAGED TO ACQUIRE MANY, MANY DADS DURING THESE DAYS. AND SOMETIMES, HE SAID, THEY WOULD EVEN BUY HIM A COKE. THE KIDS FOUND WAYS TO CLIMB THE FENCE AND SIT ON TOP TO WATCH THE GAME, AND BUDDY RECALLS WHEN "SCHOOLBOY" ROWE AND "DIZZY" DEAN PLAYED AGAINST EACH OTHER THE GAME WAS SOLD OUT AND THE GATES LOCKED, AND HE MANAGED TO HELP KIDS TO THE TOP OF THE FENCE FOR A CHARGE OF .25 EACH. SOME EVEN BROUGHT LADDERS TO HELP CLIMB THE FENCE.
BUDDY RECALLS THE DAY HE AND A FRIEND DECIDED TO WATCH THE GAME FROM THE SCORE BOARD, AND GETTING UNDER THE BOX LAID ON THEIR BACK AND KICKED OUT SOME BOARDS. TO THEIR DISMAY THEY DISCOVERED A YOUNG MAN INSIDE, "GUNSHOT" GIBBS, BUT HE AGREED TO LET THEM STAY AND WATCH AS LONG AS THEY WOULD NOT BE SEEN. THIS WAS THEIR SPECIAL WAY TO WATCH THE BALL GAMES FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS, AND BUDDY AND JENNINGS "GUNSHOT" GIBBS HAVE BEEN GOOD FRIENDS OVER ALL THESE YEARS. GIBBS WAS A 1938 GRADUATE OF SOUTH PARK..
THERE WERE MANY KIDS OUTSIDE THE STADIUM WAITING TO CHASE A FOUL BALL OR A HOMERUN, AND BUDDY RECALLS TWO EMPLOYEES OF THE STADIUM, "CRACKER" AND LAWRENCE WHO WERE HIRED TO GET THE BALLS THAT WENT OVER THE FENCE. BUDDY WAS EVEN CHASED HOME BY "CRACKERS" ONE DAY, TRYING TO GET THE BALL.
DAN EBERHARD (FATHER OF DEAN EBERHARD) WAS A WHEAT FARMER IN KANSAS, AND ENCOURAGED BY HIS BROTHER TO TRY OUT FOR THE EXPORTERS. DAN SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THE EXPORTERS AND FOR TWO YEARS WOULD CATCH A TRAIN TO BEAUMONT TO PLAY, LEAVING HIS FAMILY BEHIND, AND WOULD RETURN HOME DURING THE OFF SEASON. BUT THE THIRD SEASON HE BROUGHT HIS FAMILY WITH HIM, AND DURING THE OFF SEASON WOULD WORK FOR MAGNOLIA REFINERY, AND HE REMAINED IN BEAUMONT RAISING HIS FAMILY HERE.
DEAN ALSO RECALLS THAT HE AND HIS BEST FRIEND, GRADY HATTON (WHO WOULD BECOME A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER, AND ALSO MARRIED A SOUTH PARK GIRL, DORIS BRANNAN) LIVED NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS BETWEEN BEAUMONT HIGH AND GULF STATES AND THEY WOULD RUN DOWN THESE TRACKS UNTIL THEY REACHED THE WASHINGTON BOULEVARD AREA TO GO TO THE BASEBALL GAME. (THAT'S A LONG RUN!)
I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND OUT MUCH ABOUT THE RUBE STUART FAMILY, BUT IT IS KNOWN THAT RUBE STUART'S SON, JESSE WEED STUART WAS AN EXPERT AT RIDING A UNICYCLE AND GRADUATED FROM SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL IN THE LATE 1920's.
MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES OF STUART STADIUM WERE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH PARK COMMUNITY, AND DURING THE OFF SEASON, THE MAGNOLIA REFINERY WOULD EMPLOY THE BALL PLAYERS.
LABOR DAY WAS ALWAYS SPECIAL AT THE PARK, WHEN AT THE END OF THE GAME MEN WOULD SAIL THEIR SKIMMERS ONTO FIELD SIGNALING THE END OF SUMMER.
THERE WERE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS AT THE PARK, AND MANY PEOPLE IN SOUTH PARK WOULD CLIMB ON TOP OF THEIR HOUSES AND GARAGES TO WATCH THE FIREWORKS.
THERE WERE FUN GO CONTESTS, AND THROWING CONTESTS. A BARRELL WAS PLACED ON SECOND BASE, WITH THE CONTESTANTS THROWING FROM HOME PLATE TO THE BARRELL ON SECOND BASE. I UNDERSTAND THAT AL VINCENT WON THIS CONTEST MANY TIMES.
THE BEAUMONT EXPORTERS AND STUART STADIUM BROUGHT SOME THRILLING AND EXCITING TIMES TO SOUTH PARK AND BEAUMONT, AND WHEN I THINK OF THEIR DEMISE IT IS WITH REGRET. BUT I SHALL ALWAYS HOLD SOME WONDERFUL MEMORIES IN MY MIND - AS WILL SO MANY WHO GREW UP WITH THE EXPORTERS AT STUART STADIUM. THANKS, UNCLE RUBE WHAT GREAT DAYS THOSE WERE!!
THIS ARTICLE COULD GO ON AND ON WITH ALL THE MEMORIES I HAVE SHARED WITH THOSE WHO WERE A PART OF THE ADVENTURES AT STUART STADIUM, BUT IT HAS RUN LONGER THAN I HAD PLANNED -- SO FORGIVE ME FOR THAT!
THERE WERE MANY EXPORTER BASEBALL PLAYERS THAT WOULD GO ON TO THE MAJOR LEAGUE AND WOULD PLAY IN THE WORLD SERIES, ON ALL STAR TEAMS AND BE INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME. GIL MC DOUGLE, "DIZZY" DEAN, "SCHOOLBOY" ROWE, HANK GREENBURG PAUL DEAN, CARL HUBBELL, "DIZZY" TROUT, FRANK SECORY, BARNEY MCCOSCY, HAL NEWHUSER, AND MANY OTHERS.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WAS SO VERY HELPFUL WITH THE INFORMATION ABOUT STUART STADIUM. JONATHAN AND DAVID AT TYRRELL HISTORICAL LIBRARY, AL VINCENT AND HIS LOVELY WIFE (I WISH YOU COULD SEE HER SCRAPBOOKS), DEAN EBERHARD, BUDDY HEBERT, PAT GILBERT AND GUY AIREY III FOR THE INFORMATION ON THE AIREY FAMILY.
I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN FROM KEN POSTEN'S "STUART STADIUM - A TRIBUTE TO COMMITMENT" - FROM BEN WOODHEAD'S "BEAUMONT AT LARGE" AND JOHN WALKER'S "BEAUMONT'S PICTORIAL HISTORY" - AND THANKS TO JONATHAN AND DAVID AND PAT FOR POINTING ME IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT BEAUMONTER "DUTCH" BERNSEN (GRANDFATHER OF DAVID BERNSEN) WAS AN UMPIRE IN THE TEXAS LEAGUE, AND STEVE BASIL, GRAND-FATHER OF LT. STEVE BASIL OF THE BEAUMOT POLICE WAS ALSO A TEXAS LEAGUE UMPIRE AND IN 1936 WENT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES AS AN UMPIRE, AND TOOK PART IN THE WORLD SERIES AS AN UMPIRE.