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Donalsonville Joins The AFL
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On Friday, March 11th, 1955, a group of Donalsonville citizens met at Moseley
Hall to finalize a decision on whether their town should support the formation of a baseball team to join the Alabama-Florida League. The AFL was down to 5 teams as a result of Andalusia-Opp ceasing operations after the 1954 season. Clarence « Mutt » Hodge had resigned his post of League President, and new Prexy, Sam C. Smith, was given the task of finding a new city to host the 6th franchise. Smith was a successful Dothan businessman, and he brought that business savvy to his new office. His pre-season search for a city to replace Andy-Opp seemed to be over quickly when a investors in Pensacola expressed interest in joining the AFL. Pensacola had been a Class B city for a number of years, and was the kind of city that the AFL would have loved to include. Unfortunately, no suitable facilities were available in Pensacola, and the group interested in moving a team there withdrew their offer. Smith needed a team quickly: The season was only a month from opening and the league’s best option had just disappeared. The group meeting at Moseley Hall in Donalsonville knew that the opportunity to join the league was upon them and the need to raise capital was urgent: They had only one week to raise the cash to cover the league entry fees. Donalsonville had been home to a team in the top quality semi-pro Flint River League in the forties, and the local investors felt that fans interest would be high for professional ball at the local stadium, Gibson Field. The cost of proceeding would be great and the organizers knew that securing a franchise was just the beginning of the expenses: They would have to recruit and sign a team of players, and refurbish the aging fences and grandstands of Gibson Field. The week prior to the meeting had been a positive one, with over $4,000 dollars in pledges being raised to help get the ball rolling, but the organizers now needed hard cash. This Friday night meeting would determine whether they would proceed or give up on the idea of fielding a team. |
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Long discussions and probably a bit of arm-twisting filled the meeting, but
by the end of the evening, one of the local investors had agreed to cover the remaining amount needed to get started. At meeting’s end, an excited group of citizens knew that baseball would be coming to Donalsonville. The group tasked with running the team was elected that evening, and Merchant C.L. « Windy » Bivings was selected to be Donalsonville’s club president. Other officers selected were Dr. E.E. Moseley, first vice-president; Dennis Sheffield,second vice president; Howard Rogers, secretary and treasurer; and Y.L. Roberts, business manager. Early the next week, the Alabama-Florida League office accepted Donalsonville’s entry fees, and the team was officially in the league. The pursuit of a manager was next on the agenda, and in less than a week, Donalsonville had found a superb choice in Charlie Grant. Grant was 30 years old at the time, and had played in the AFL in 1941. He had gone on to a successful minor league career after serving in the military, playing in the Texas League and the Pacific Coast League. Grant was a local product too, growing up in nearby Graceville, Florida. |
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Charlie Grant
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Grant was signed to both play and manage, and his experience would be crucial in
a league where at least 10 of the players on each team had to be rookies. With less than a month before opening day, the first two « experienced » players were signed: Rich Follies, 18 and Dale Sanburn, 19. Follies had caught in the Sooner State League and Wisconsin State League and Sanburn had played for a short time in the Mountain State League. A couple other players with some semi-pro experience signed on, and then a bunch of kids to fill the rookie spots, most just out of high school. The Donalsonville Indians were ready to go. Campaigns were started to sell advertising on the outfield fences, and local fans were pressed to buy season tickets for the games. The league had a team salary cap of $3200 dollars, and the active player limit was 16. The Indians had been conservative in their signings, and probably didn’t threaten the cap with a bunch of very green kids signing on. |
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J.B. Gibson Charlie Grant
Windy Bivings |
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The season was a reasonable success: The Indians averaged 400 fans per game,
4th best in the league, even though they only won 47 games and ended up dead last. What offense there was came from Charlie Grant, who batted .328 with 37 homers and 98 RBIs. Grant’s homer total set a league record that would only stand one season. Neb Wilson would come to Donalsonville in 1956 and lead the team to a league championship and a league high in attendance. Wilson took Charlie Grant’s place, both as main offensive threat and as manager. Big Neb hit the 40 homers for the Seminoles in 1956 (the team was renamed in the off-season) to set the AFL all-time record, and only missed a triple crown season because of one batter: Graceville’s new second baseman and former Donalsonville manager, Charlie Grant. |
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I grew up here (in Andalusia) as a young boy hearing tales of you guys, many of you
were my heroes growing up. Many of you were baseball coaches, guys like Chick Earle and Marvin Walker, and you were wonderful inspirations to us here in Andalusia, as the rest of you were in your home towns. I was too young growing up to go to some of the games here but I heard stories about the games, particularly about Belair Crudup and Robert O’Neill. One of them would get on the first base side of the dugout and the other on the third base side and they both had very loud voices. They learned to whisper in a saw mill! Well, they would comment on every pitch from the opposing side and every call from the umpire. That was great entertainment, I understand. You players have left a great tradition here in Andalusia and it’s wonderful to have you back with us. We still remember you guys and we still talk about you. We sit around the coffee table or the domino table and talk about the baseball team and some of the good times that people remember here. – Earl Johnson, Mayor of Andalusia, addressing the 2000 reunion |