Bentonville has well over 100 years of baseball history. Bentonville has produced more than its fair share of major league players. By 1914, Bentonville had its own semi-professional team. Teams first played in the old Black Panther Park which was located east of where the Park Spring Hotel was located. Later, we had the Merchants Baseball traveling team in Bentonville. Baseball became much larger when organized baseball grew in the area. This is just a look at the many phases of Bentonville baseball over the years. Thank you to all who helped identify those who were in the more recent photos! We apologize for any misspelled names, and if you know the name of someone who is not yet identified, please let us know.
Bentonville Baseball Team, 1905. Back Row L to R : Fred Berry, Thurman Bohart, Lloyd Woods. Second Row: Charles Trone, Charles Hopkins, Roland Trone, Morgan McMichastain, Front Row: Frank Hamilton, Frank Thone, Charles Robinson.
Bentonville Baseball Club 1910 - Back Row L to R : Dr. C. E. Hurley, Nap Covey, Frank Hamilton, Grover Lindsey, Bill Cloe, Harry Sweeny, Dave Peel. Front row: Lloyd Woods, Earl Austin, Glover Orrick, Walter Wright, Jack Hutchinson, Red Dunley.
1909 Bentonville Baseball Team 1. J Nap Covey 2. Jeff Rice 3. Grover Lindsey 4. Jack Hutchinson 5. Glover Orrick 6. Walter Wright 7. Ed Swartz 8. Dave Peel 9. Bob Hamilton
Bentonville Black Baseball Team - From about 1911-1912. Players: Thad Whayne, Marion Finney, Lloyd Troutt, Yates Claypool, Virg Black, John Barker. The team would play other black teams in Joplin and Ft. Smith. The team went by two different names, Young Heads and Old Heads. In the early 1900s, there were quite a number of blacks in Bentonville. Most eventually moved, looking for better schools and jobs.
The two early images above are of Bentonville baseball teams. The years and the people in the photos are unknown
Bentonville Baseball Team, possibly 1913 - 1914? (Postmarked 1914) This may have been the Bentonville semi-pro team.
Pea Ridge Day doing one of his hog calls
Clyde "Pea Ridge" Day was one of the better known players from Benton County. He was known as a pitcher who would let out a hog call right before he would throw his fastball or screwball. This would many times unnerve the batter. His screwball and delivery left many a batter baffled. He pitched for the minor league Kansas City Blues when they won the American Association pennant in 1929. He also was drafted by Brooklyn and Minneapolis. He died in Kansas City in March of 1934 at the age of 32.
Bentonville Baseball Team 1951 - Back row L to R: Hugh "Tater" Black, C. L. Jones, Truman Boling , Unknown, Unknown, Brock Rowley, Ducky Moore, Gene Walker (bat boy). Front Row L to R: Robert Doolittle, Gene Kirby, ___ Bates?, Joe Cavness, Unknown, Bill Gailey.
Back Row L to R: Unknown, Gene Stephens (Played for the Red Sox), Raymond Edwards, Huber Edward, Ducky Moore, Unknown. Front Row: Bill Gailey, Hugh "Tater" Black, Unknown, Unknown, Chuck Potts, Bob Russell?, J. B. Sumner.
Back row, L to R: ___ Pratt?, Alfred Knox, Unknown, Frank Clift (Played for the Oklahoma Indians then the NY Giants), Unknown, Duckie Moore, Hugh "Tater" Black. Front row: Truman Boling, Joe Cavness, Unknown, Bob Brooks, Billy Seabolt?, Unknown
Back Row L to R: Brock Rowley, _____ Bailey (U of A pitcher), Ken Kearns (U of A player),Frank Clift (Manager), Buddy Bloomfield (Played for Minnesota Twins), Unknown, Front Row: Alfred Knox, Joe Cavness, Hugh "Tater" Black, Truman Bolinger, Ralph Horton, Robin Rowley
This is the Bentonville Babe Ruth League Indian baseball team - Back Row: Coach?, Jack Lawson, Wesley Johnson, Ronnie Loveless, Bill Davis, Gerald Edwards, Edwin Johnson, Jerry Strait, Manager Kent Deason. Front Row: J. C. Wright, Lonnie Grigg, Lester "Bobo" Glenn, Eddie Hill, Bat Boy Clay Hink, George Eldred, Charlie Hood , Unknown, Phillip Gregg
Back Row Coaches L to R: Unknown, Hudson McNalley and Everett Russell. Middle Row: Eddie Hill, Harold Armstrong, Jerry Jones, Ronnie Sims, Don Gore, Clayton White, Dale Ober. Front row, L to R: Kenneth "Ken" Miller, Larry Phillips, Bobby Williamson, Wayne Barnes, Batboy Gary Potts, David Cassidy, Richard Russell, (Date 1953-54)
1956 or 1957. Back Row, L to R: Coach Lester "Red" Moody, Jim Moody, Roger Anderson, Bill Criner, Robert Staats, Coach S. A. Coutchie. 2nd Row: Steve Coutchie, Gary Black, Don Overstreet, Fred Coffee, Mike Boling, Front Row: Jim Tinnin, Jay Powell, Gail Hines, Lanny Farrish, Larry Rogers. Front: Mike Tinnin (Batboy)
Tigers - Back row L to R: Coach Jack Gravette, J. C. White or Lane Rauch?, Jerry Dixon, Kenneth "Beefy" Miller, Tony Moore, Jerry Marple, Larry Shell, Gary Trook, Coach Bill Marple. Front Row: Donald Turner, David Johnson, Marvin Strange, Jerry Thomas, Donnie Gravette, Bill "Doc" McClain. Batboy (name unknown).
Dodgers - Back row L to R: Coach Sam Jackson, John Mclravey, Dennis Callis, Melvin Earl Coffelt, Johnny "Catfish John" Well, Steve Shepherd, Manager Hugh "Tater" Black. Middle row: Mike Johnson, Mike Rife, William Lee, Verlyn Peterson, Billy Joe Armstrong, Tommy Rife (standing). Seated at bottom, L.G. "Long Gone" Jones, Billy Shepherd, Mike Bishop, Mike Kirby, Greg Wall, Mike Tinnin. In the very front: Billy Crabtree, Unknown, J. E. Sumner.
Dodger Baseball Team 1955 - Top row L to R: Coach Sam Jackson, Unknown, Larry Red, Arthur Henderson, Manager Hugh "Tater" Black. Middle Row: Gary Wendike, Brian Seamster, Gene Butch Stagger, Fred Blythe, Harley Woods, Seated: Johnny Darrah, David Johnson, Joe Moore, Unknown, Jimmy Tinnin, Jasper Little . Batboys in front: Mike Johnson, Billy Woods.
Cardinals - Back row, L to R: Tony Moore, Ron Loveless, Jim Moody, Larry Shell, Albert Arnold, Gary Trook. Front Row: Coach Lester "Red" Moody, Larry Schell, Steve Coutchie, Kenny Palmer, Pete Hill, Jerry "Fireball" Lawson, Larry Joe Rogers, John Walton, Manager John Black.
Top Row L to R: John Walton, Mike Brewer, Larry Schell, Pete Hill, Darrell Coffee, Coach Don Landers. Middle Row: Kenny Palmer, Jim Walton, Johnny Sooter, Birdie Johnson, Steve Creek. Front Row: Ronnie Ames, Stanley Clanton, Tommy Ricketts, Jack Hill (Batboy), Bobby Robertson, Mike Mason.
Back Row L to R: Lewis "Sad" Beck (Coach), Ronnie Stowers, David Douglas, Gary Wendike, Curran Galyean, Bobby Cooper?, Ralph Cawood. 2nd Row: Sam Haden, Unknown, Alan Beck, Larry "Dusty" Rhodes, Johnny Barker. Front Row: David Scoggin, David Allmendinger, Mike Cawood, Johnny Covey
Cardinals Back Row L to R: Red Moody (Coach), Jim Moody, Bill Davis, Johnny Rollow, Raymond Hatfield, Gary Sullivan, unknown, unknown, John Black (Coach) Front Row: Tony Moore, Gary Trook, unknown, Jerry Lawson, Larry Joe Rogers, Gary Black, Bo Bo Glen
Giants - Back row, L to R: Everett Russell, Harold Armstrong, Jerry Jones, Bill Criner, Ronnie Sims, Max Thomas, Jerry Venters, Coaches Hudson McNally, _________Robbins. Second row: Richard Russell, Robin Fagala, Bobby Williamson, David Cassidy, Front row: Jimmy White?, Unknown, Wayne Shell, Larry Rakes
Back Row, L to R: Joe Knott, Gene Johnson, Rogers Anderson, Unknown, Rob Walton. 2nd Row: Charlie Hood, Joe Featherston, David Townzen, Johnny Puryear, Carl Gabbard, Marvin Strange, Bottom Row: Dick Rakes, Unknown (Batboy), Truman Boling, Mike Boling, James Jefferson.
Back row, L to R: Hugh "Tater" Black, Jerry Marple, Jasper Little, Ronnie Gaylean, Ken Priest, Robert Harris, Sam Jackson (Coach). Front row: David Douglas, Jim Tinnin, David Johnson, Bill McClain, Birdie Patterson, Delbert Patterson, Melvin Earl Coffelt.
Back row, L to R: Sam Jackson, Unknown, Larry Red, Arthur Henderson, Hugh "Tater" Black. Second row: Gary Wendike, Brian Seamster, Butch Stagger, Fred Blythe, Harley Woods. Front row: Johnny Darrah, David Johnson, Joe Moore, Unknown, Jim Tinnin, Jasper Little. In front: batboys Mike Johnson and Billy Woods
Coaches: ________McCurdy?, Hudson McNalley and Everett Russell. Back Row, L to R: Eddie Hill, Harold Armstrong, Jerry Jones, Ronnie Sims, Don Gore, Clayton White, Dale Ober Front row: Kenneth "Ken" Miller, Larry Phillips, Bobby Williamson, Wayne Barnes, batboy Gary Potts, David Cassidy, Richard Russell, (Date 1953-54)
Cardinals - Back row L to R: Coach Red Moody, John Rollow, Gary Sullivan, Ken Larson, Jackie Trook, David Martin, Larry Shell, Raymond Hatfield, Manager John Black. Front row: Jim Moody, Larry Joe Rogers, Gary Black, Ron Loveless, Bill Davis, Bo Bo Glen. Front: batboy Pete Hill
Back Row, L to R: Brewer? (Coach or Manager), Mike Johnson, Joe Knott, Donnie Short, Unknown, Clayton White, Truman Boling (Coach or Manager). Second row: Mike Knott, Charlie Hood, Kenny Priest, Dick Rakes, Steve Miller. Front row: Brian Seamster, C. A. Ivy, Marvin Strange, Mike Boling, Gene Johnson, Batboy?
Photo of all clubs together