History Of Soft Ball In City
By SOL Z. BERNSTEIN
The Gleaner • Sun, Jun 5, 1938
July 27, 1934 – A meeting was called of all who were interested in lighting the baseball field at Sixth street for night baseball. Olive Trible reported on a call made to Mr. Kimmell about renting the field. He will rent it with a five-year lease. It was agreed to pay him half of the amount as the Y. M. C. A. has assumed responsibility for the first half. Dade Griffin reported that the city would put up posts, wire the field and furnish the current free if we would buy the reflectors and globes. It was decided to call the organization, “The Henderson Recreation Club.”
Thus was unostensibly founded the now large and important Henderson Recreation Park. This date marked the first time that Henderson had ever had a really organized ball league or park. Henderson has been interested in baseball continuously for the past ten years and spasmodic attempts were intermittently made to further the game throughout that period but it remained for the self-organized board of the Recreation club to put it over in the style as of the past five years.
Softball was introduced in Henderson in 1929.
Up until that time no one had heard of such a game and that year proved a revelation to local sports fans.
Dade Griffin, recently referred to as the “Father of local baseball,” was instrumental in organizing two teams in this year. They were from the Heinz plant and the Post Office and played at the Cotton Mill field in the East End. The teams played every afternoon after work.
There was no organization, no fans, no bleachers, or out-of-town games. In 1930 they continued to play on the Cotton Mill diamond with four teams, Gleaner and Journal, Light Plant, Post Office and Heinz enternig.
Games were still played in the afternoons after work and there was yet no organization or seating facilities.
1931 saw the beginning of the first semblance of organized league. Six teams, Gleaner and
Journal, North Side, Light Plant, Heinz, National Guard, Post Office, entered that season. Games were played both at the Cotton Mill park and on an empty lot at Ninth and Green streets but the games were still afternoon contests and there was still no special provision made for spectators.
In 1932 the teams moved to the location of the present ball park, at Sixth and Ingram streets but it was a bare, weed-filled field and there was still little organization other than by individual teams. Here was formed what later became known as the “Twilight League.” These games were played after supper each evening and consisted of some 16 teams, made up of the various church, civic and children’s groups throughout the city.
This was the first strong display of public interest in the sport. In 1936 this number was accordingly thinned down to the best groups, the number of the preceding year being entirely too large for the facilities. This was still the twilight league and was the first time that a regular schedule was drawn up.
It was during this season too that the first out-of-town soft ball game were held, the first encounter being lost to the Mohicans of Evansville by a score of 23-2 in what was said to be one of the wildest, blood-and-thunder filled exhibitions ever played on a local diamond.
So for the “medieval period,” in ‘34, the Recreation Club was organized and Ben Bernstein elected to head the organization, a post which he has held ever since.
The first board included: Ben Bernstein, Dade Griffin, George Danheiser, Marlin Watson, Tam Burton, Miss Olive Trible, Miss Mary Anna Trible, Karl Hosbach, Rucker Posey, Al Stark, Jesse Hulse, Robert Posey.
At first there was discussion about playing at the fair grounds and putting the lights up there but because of its distance from town and the impracticability of skinning the football field the idea was abandoned in favor of the present location.
The formal opening of the park was held on Monday evening, August 20, 1934, and was preceded by a large and colorful parade. The season was started late and expenses were defrayed by collection at the games; there was no admission charge.
In 1935 a three-year lease was signed, a wire fence and parking lot installed, girls’ teams made eligible for participation and a five-cent admission charge started.
In 1936 Negro bleachers were erected, an assistant park manager engaged, a $10 registration fee imposed on all teams, and provision made for the National Youth Administration to fix up and use an extra diamond at the park.
In 1937 plans were drawn up for a regular six-team league and an additional girls squad. Parking facilities were improved and extra lights installed. Nightly attendance was large and the association had one of its most successful seasons.
From even less than the proverbial “shoestring” the Henderson Recreation Club has risen to a place of prominence in the community. By the work of a comparatively few men all the citizens of Henderson may now not only watch but participate in one of the most popular and wholesome of American sports.
Another milestone has been reached in our ever-stronger program for a “Greater Henderson.”
