Cornfield Boys

by Frank M. Roberts

January 2017

This story is partly based on excerpts from, "They Called Us Cornfield Boys," by Raymond Whitehead, a former player in the Cornfield Boys League whose grandfather founded the Ahoskie War Hawks. It's also based in part on interviews I conducted with several of the players in 1995. At the time, most of them were in their 70s.

The other 'Cornfield' teams were the Como Eagles and the Chowan Bees, both of Winton, N. C. You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate this story - so - learn, be inspired, and enjoy. I hope the story of these determiined young athletes will be as inspirational to you as it has been for me.

FR.

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From the book: "The Negro major league teams rolled into Hertford County, N. C. and talked junk to the local teams, calling them such names as Cornfield Boys, Log Rollers, Watermelon Pickers, Hog Wrestlers, Brown Mules, and other trash." The three local teams responded by beating every team that faced them - first, with a look of scorn then, with a look of incredulity from their high-toned opposition.

The mainline press avidly covered the exploits of the American and National League teams; Black-owned newspapers covered such teams as the New York Black Yankees and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Locally, in northeastern North Carolina, coverage ranged from wee to zilch for the teams that went to bat for the home folks from 1940 to 1955.

A couple Cornfield players recalled a couple of the taunts by Negro major League players: "They play with funny-shaped baseballs (more on that later) in chitlin country;" and/or, "you can't play baseball 'cause you just put the mule up."

A standard Cornfield response was short and to the point: "Hey, we got nine players and you got nine players and we ain't afraid of nobody."

They made their point by embarrasing their mouthy opponents. "They thought we were an easy mark," said M. D. Canada who usually played first base for the Eagles. Like many of his friends he played with all three teams at one time or another.

The overall score in 50 exhibition games between the Negro Major Leagues and the Cornfield teams? Fifty - count 'em - 50 Cornfield wins. The locals also won every game played against semi-pro baseballers from such locales as Norfolk, Raleigh, Greensboro, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Newport News.

Still more - they won every game played against college teams, service teams, and prison teams. Records were kept and reveal the cold, hard facts: The Chowan Bees had a win-loss record of 245-8; The Ahoskie War Hawks had a record of 235-21; The Como Eagles win-loss numbers were 242-18.

Losses? "That was when they played against each other," Whitehead said.

During the workaday week these young men toiled in Hertford County - in the corn, cotton, and peanut fields, in the log woods and sawmills. Some were still in school. When the weekend came around, they became an unbeatable force on the baseball diamond - some of the best players in any league at the time. Their motto was, "hey, we got nine players and you got nine players and we ain't afraid of nobody."

They dodged taunts by embarrasing their mouthy opponents. They made their point by beating every team in the Negro Major League often going against the likes of Satchel Paige, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, and Willie Mays who, at the time was stationed at Fort Eustis and playing against a team of Cornfielders. It was easy pickings for the locals. The game was played before a crowd of 2,000. The score was 9-5. Pitcher Robert deberry put it succinctly: "We whooped a fit on 'em." Lotta fit.

"They thought we were an easy mark," said M. D. Canada who usually played first base for the Eagles. Like many of his friends he played with all three of the Cornfield teams at one time or another. The local black players' exhibition games against the Negro Major Leaguers wound up, statistically, with the score of 50 games, 50 Cornfield wins.

The locals also won every game played against semi-pro teams from such locales as Norfolk, Raleigh, Greensboro, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Newport News.

Still more - they won every game played against college teams, service teams, and prison teams. Records were kept and reveal the cold hard facts. The Chowan Bees had a win-loss record of 245-8; The Ahoskie War Hawks had a record of 235-21. The Como Eagles win-loss numbers were 242-18.

Losses? "That was when they played against each other," Whitehead said. Most of the players were, as noted, farm workers and, some were still in school.

Those who worked in the hot sun spent their off hours in the hot sun. They were the 'Davids' battling the Goliaths, usually with the same results.

The playing fields, their fields of dreams, were plots of lots. "We finished work then, it was play ball," said John Henry Parham who, while in the Army in '42 pitched for otherwise all-white service teams. At home, he was with the Bees.

The diamonds were crude, the equipment was crude. The 'baseballs' were cotton balls filled with nuts, usually black walnuts placed in the center. They would wad and twine them, then hit them out of the park with sticks, limbs, or peanut poles.

Avid players? Whenever they could they were at it from dawn to dusk, practicing so often, "it became harder to hit than to miss," said former Bees player, Dr. Dudley Flood, a Winston-Salem native who later became Associate Superintendent of Public Instruction for North Carolina. "We'd bat 50 or 60 times each."

It paid off, and their greatest joy was downing the big guys who dropped like flies, striking them out, and seldom letting them reach first base. Here is a 'for-instance'. The champion New York Cubans rolled into the area figuring on easy pickings against a team of Cornfielders. It was easy pickings -- for the locals. The game was played before a crowd of 2,000. The score was 9-5 in favor of 'you-know-who.' Pitcher Robert Deberry put it succinctly: "We whooped a fit on 'em."

At different times they went up against future major leaguers Satchel Paige, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, and Willie Mays who, at the time, was stationed at Fort Eustis, also playing with a semi-pro team, The Newport News Royals. Plymouth (cq) Williams, a big left-handed Hertford County pitcher kept striking him out," said Stephenson. (To editor: The names are correct).

Deberry, whose specialty was the knuckleball, had the same satisfying experience. "I pitched against Willie Mays and he never even hit a foul ball."

In the book Whitehead and Stephenson noted that the Cornfielders, "had the talent and the skill to play in the majors, but never had the opportunity."

They had the opportunity to travel, but that posed a couple of problems. "There was bad umpiring, ragged playing fields, and poor facilities," said Ahoskie catcher, John Thomas Bailey.

And, there was not enough money. On the home turf the winning team usually got 60 per cent of the gate receipts said Deberry who, at the time of the interview still had his old glove. "Most players got from $10 to $20 per game." He began playing when he was 13, "so young, I only got $5 per game."

Admission fees at the three parks varied from 50 cents to a dollar. Spectators coming in after the fourth inning got in for free. And, there were 'freebies' for those watching the games from treetops.

There were Saturday night games under crude lighting, and Sunday double-headers, usually involving just one pitcher for both games.

About those Sunday games! One player recalled, "I'd come out of the First Baptist Church at 12:30, in time for the games. A couple guys wouldn't get to the games on time - their churches went to 2 o'clock."

Some of the players sandwiched game time with singing in their choir.

The baseballers had neither the time or inclination for trouble. "There were no fights, no guns, no stealing," one of them said. "We just played. The only time the game was stopped was for home runs -- we had to go get the ball."

One player, a good hitter and pitcher said, "I did it all. In six seasons of play I often won my own games."

By the '50s, integration was becoming a fact of baseball life. Sherman Jones played with the Mets and Reds, eventually leaving baseball to go into politics. He represented the 14th District in the State senate in Kansas.

Two of the Cornfield Boys were called up by the Negro Major Leagues; Some were signed by Triple-A teams. Almost all of the players led successful lives, one of them noting, "I never knew anybody who came up playing baseball who didn't live a straight life. We played ball - we enjoyed fellowship."

The baseball gods knew they were avid performers on their crude sandlots. Whenever they could they were at it from dawn to dusk, practicing so often, "it became harder to hit than miss," Flood said. "We'd bat 50 or 60 times each."

And, of course, they enjoyed winning. Naturally - it was the only thing they knew. They were The Cornfield Boys.