The 1955 Keokuk Kernels: Three-I League Champions

Jim “Mudcat” Grant. (SABR-Rucker-Archive)

 

The spring of 1955 found minor-league manager Pinky May walking around Indianville with a list of players in his pocket.1 May, a journeyman third baseman who put in five years in the majors as a player with the Philadelphia Phillies, had been a manager in the Cleveland Indians farm system for the previous three years.2 He was named manager of the team’s Class-B farm team in Keokuk, Iowa, for 1955, succeeding Joyner “Jo-Jo” White, who had moved on to manage Class-A Reading. May was looking to staff his 1955 Keokuk team with players who could win and had identified 36 players to select from.3 Competing with other Cleveland minor-league managers for the same players, May did such a great job identifying his players that 46 years later, in 2001, baseball historians Bill Weiss and Marshall Wright named the 1955 Keokuk Kernels the 30th best all-time minor-league team for the 100th anniversary of minor-league baseball.4

The 1955 Keokuk Kernels roared to a record of 92-34, a .730 winning percentage. They won the Three-I League by 22 games over second-place Waterloo.5 The team breezed through the playoffs, defeating Peoria three games to none and Burlington three games to one. Led by Three-I League batting champion and future major-league catcher Russ Nixon, they hit for a .292 team batting average. Jim “Mudcat” Grant (19-3) headlined the pitching staff.

Of the 17 players assigned to Keokuk at the end of spring training, 11 had been on manager May’s list. Four went on to play in the major leagues. A key to the team’s success was that this core group stayed together virtually the entire campaign, as 13 of the players on the Opening Day roster spent the entire season with Keokuk. Of the 24 players who appeared on the Keokuk roster for 1955,12 were identified in the first dispatch from Indianville.

The stability of the 1955 Kernels contrasted with an uncertain financial future. Professional baseball in Keokuk had always lived on the edge financially. Franchises had come and gone since Keokuk first fielded a team in 1875. In 1954 the franchise finished $20,000 in the red.6 The current edition of the Kernels was operated by the Keokuk Baseball Association, a group of local businessmen headed by team president Roy Krueger. Prior to Opening Day, Keokuk vice president and business manager John Burress said, “This is the year Keokuk is on the spot. Unless it makes the grade at the box office Keokuk will not be able to hold onto its Class B franchise and playing independently would be impossible.”7

The Season

The team was scheduled to leave Indianville on Friday, April 22, stop overnight in Alabama, and arrive in Keokuk early Sunday morning. The team would sleep Sunday during the day, have an afternoon breakfast, and conduct an 8:00 P.M. workout at Joyce Park that would be open to the public.

The 1955 baseball season opened at Joyce Park on a chilly Monday night as the Kernels took on the Terre Haute Huts. A brief pregame ceremony began with short speeches by Krueger and Burress. Keokuk Mayor Hubert Schouten threw out the first ball to starting pitcher Wally Harr. The Keokuk Municipal Band played the national anthem, while the National Guard Company of Keokuk raised the flag and fired a series of flares into the sky.

With 1,176 fans looking on, Harr, a right-hander, struck out the Terre Haute leadoff batter, Sam Davis. Harr induced the next batter to ground out but then issued a walk, and Dick Camilli’s double to the leftfield fence scored the run. Three consecutive walks by Harr forced in the second run of the inning before Bob Newton fanned to end the inning.

The Kernels scored their first run of the season in the second inning on a single by Bob Stephens and an error by Terre Haute second baseman Sam Davis. Both teams scored runs in the fourth before the Kernels scored four in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-3 lead. Manny Fierro came on to pitch the final four innings, allowing only two runs while the Kernels added three for a final score of 9-5.

The following evening right-hander Bill Dailey pitched a five-hitter and struck out 11 in a 5-1 victory over Terre Haute. Enrique “Hank” Izquierdo led the offense with a home run, and shortstop Bob Pedigree had his second three-hit game. Attendance for game two of the series dropped to 329, an ominous sign for the season. Keokuk did not have another crowd that exceeded 1,000 until August.

Keokuk beat Terre Haute again the following night to sweep the opening series, then lost two of three to Evansville before embarking on its first road trip.

Keokuk was immediately hit by the injury bugaboo. Left fielder Gordy Coleman underwent an emergency appendectomy on May 2 and missed the next 27 games. Right fielder Mitchell June was in the hospital with an infection that developed after he slid during the Terre Haute series. Keokuk headed to Peoria tied for the league lead with Evansville, both with 7-2 records.

Catcher Russ Nixon suffered a shoulder separation in Peoria on May 7 and missed 23 games. The only other catcher on the roster was Armando Flores, the sole returnee from the 1954 Kernels. Flores, along with utilityman Izquierdo, handled the catching duties while Nixon was on the disabled list. Upon Nixon’s return in early June, Flores was released to the Mexican League.

By the middle of May, the Kernels stood at 8-8 and in fourth place. The Indians sent Bob Truss from the Class-A Reading farm club as a short-term replacement for Coleman.10 Then, on May 21, Dick Hofleit was sent to Keokuk from Spartanburg, South Carolina, a Class-B farm club of the Indians, returning Truss to Reading after he played 11 games for the Kernels. Hofleit, who had been released from the Army in April 1955, had played only a few games with Spartanburg. He would be the primary right fielder for the remainder of the season.

While the outfield was in flux, the infield was a constant for manager May.

Once Gordy Coleman recovered from the appendectomy, he was back in the lineup. Coleman would hit .349 with 16 homers and 77 RBIs. When Mitchell June returned, he took over center field from Billy Williams, who was sent to Fargo. With Dick Hofleit arriving from Spartanburg to take over right field, the trio of Coleman-June-Hofleit manned the outfield for the remainder of the season.

Beginning May 15, the Kernels went on a 10-4 run and climbed to second place by May 31. In June the team went 19-7, taking over first place for good on June 15. A 26-8 record in July left them 63-27 on July 31. The Kernels clinched the Three-I League pennant on August 21 with a 14-4 victory over the Burlington Bees before 541 fans at Joyce Park. In August they finished 29-7, ending with a 92-34 season record.

Since taking over first place on June 15, the Kernels had gone 65-18. Only twice during the season did Keokuk lose four consecutive games.

The Super Sub

Hank Izquierdo, from Matanzas, Cuba, was in his fifth minor-league season. He had played the 1954 season with Winston-Salem of the Carolina League. A versatile player, Izquierdo was able to catch and play any of the infield or outfield positions. He played 119 games for the Kernels, filling in wherever he was needed. For the season, he batted .302 with 7 homers, 55 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases.

Izquierdo had played every position except first base and pitcher going into the September 2 game with Waterloo. Keokuk took a 10-0 lead into the top of the eighth when Izquierdo, who started the game at shortstop, traded places with first baseman Bob Stephens. In the top of the ninth, Waterloo’s Deacon Jones homered over the right-field wall, ruining the shutout. Pitcher Bill Dailey walked to first base and traded mitts with Izquierdo. Izquierdo got three groundouts sandwiched around a walk and an error to end the game as the fans went wild.13 Izquierdo had achieved his dream of playing every position during the season.

By a vote of the fans, he was named Keokuk’s most popular player for the season and received a wristwatch. In 1999 Izquierdo recalled: “My year with the Kernels ended with our team being champions. When I left Keokuk I felt like a champion myself, not only because of the championship but because of the way the people made me feel, they were a very special group of fans.”14

The Pitchers

The Kernels started the season with seven pitchers: Jim Grant, Wally Harr, Lev Spencer, Bill Dailey, Manny Fierro, Bob Yanen, and Dick Hemmerle.15 They ended the season with seven. The only roster change on the pitching staff occurred on June 2 when Hemmerle was sent to Class-C Sherbrooke and Bobby Locke was sent to Keokuk from Class-A Reading. Hemmerle, the sole left-hander, had made three starts and five relief appearances for Keokuk. After his departure no left-hander threw a pitch for Keokuk for the remainder of the season.

Mudcat Grant, with a record of 19-3, was the ace of the staff. After losing his first start, on April 29, he won six in a row before losing his second game, on June 30. Grant won the next two before losing at Peoria when the Kernels were shut out 5-0. He then won 11 in a row to end the season and followed up with two wins in the playoffs.

On July 4, when Grant pitched a three-hitter against Cedar Rapids, he hit three home runs, in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

Bill Dailey ended the season 17-4, nearly matching Grant’s record. Dailey led the Three-I League with a 2.52 ERA. Bob Yanen and Lev Spencer provided solid starting pitching and the occasional relief effort for the Kernels. Yanen started 24 games and went 15-5, while Spencer started 19 games and finished 13-5. After arriving in Keokuk in late June, Bobby Locke went 8-4, starting 18 games. Steve Jankowski said of Locke: “Very funny and always complaining about his sore arm and would rub his elbow.” Locke went on to pitch nine years in the major leagues.19

Manny Fierro and Wally Harr provided solid relief pitching as well as the occasional start. Harr, who had played in the minors from 1949 to 1952 but spent the next two seasons in the military, relieved in 25 games and started five. Fierro, a 24-year-old Californian who was in his sixth minor-league season, relieved in 25 games and started 12. The Kernels pitching staff had 68 complete games, so the bullpen was often well rested.

The Three-I League All-Star Team

The Three-I League all-star team was announced by league President Hal Totten on August 26. Hank Izquierdo, Keokuk’s leading vote getter, was named to the first team as the utility player. Left fielder Gordy Coleman was the only other Kernel named to the first team.

Keokuk dominated the second team, with Larry Spinner at third base, Mitchell June in center field, and Russ Nixon as catcher. Bill Dailey and Mudcat Grant were named as right-handed pitchers. On the third team were Steve Jankowski at second base and right-handed pitcher Bob Yanen.

Pinky May was named the manager of the year. Steve Jankowski reflected on May’s managerial style: “Pinky May was a very easygoing manager, but strict when it was necessary. He was a very smart baseball man. I felt very confident while playing with the ‘55 team. You could count on the guys to come up with the big play.”20

Bob Stephens, Bob Pedigree, Dick Hofleit, Manny Fierro, Lev Spencer, and Bobby Locke were named honorable mention.

The only man on the roster not given all-star recognition was pitcher Wally Harr.

May Honored

Pinky May was honored with a day at the end of the season. May recalled the day some years later: “The ballclub in a generous gesture presented me with a fine Hereford heifer and helped in the transportation of her to our farm in Indiana.”21

Hank Izquierdo recalled: “On that day I was playing 3B. He was presented with a gift (the heifer). His gift decides to run towards third and relieve himself right on the base. Well, they tried cleaning up as much of the mess as possible, but some was still left with the very unpleasant smell to go with it. After the game started, a ball was hit towards third causing me to dive right smack in the mess that Pinky’s gift left behind. Talk about a third baseman that smelled great for the rest of the game.”22

The Playoffs

The season wrapped up with a 9-4 Labor Day victory over Burlington, which knocked the Bees into fourth place, allowing the Kernels to face Peoria in the first round of the Shaughnessy playoffs beginning on Wednesday, September 7. Tuesday was a day off for the Kernels on but not off the field. A championship banquet was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

C.R. “Doc” Logan, the master of ceremonies, welcomed Mike McNally, director of the Cleveland Indians farm system, Steve O’Neil, assistant to Cleveland general manager Hank Greenberg, and Laddie Placek, chief of the scouts for the organization.23 All three remained in Keokuk to attend the opening game of the playoffs on Wednesday.24

Bill Dailey gave them something to see, as he pitched Keokuk to a 6-1 complete-game victory, allowing only four singles. The lone run for Peoria was unearned. In Game Two on Thursday, Mudcat Grant pitched Keokuk to a 12-3 complete-game victory, allowing all three runs in the seventh inning. (Only one run was earned.) Attendance for the first two games was 719 and 688.

The series moved to Peoria on Friday night, and the Kernels finished off the Chiefs with a 9-7 victory. Keokuk bolted to a 9-3 lead after seven innings, only to see Peoria add four runs in the final two innings on three home runs.

After a day off on Saturday, Keokuk met the fourthplace Burlington Bees in the first game of the championship series on a chilly Sunday evening at Joyce Park. The Bees touched four Keokuk pitchers for 18 hits in a 16-6 Burlington victory. The Daily Gate City reported that more Burlington fans were on hand than Keokuk fans. The attendance was 580.

On a cold Monday night, the Kernels turned the tables. They walloped the Bees 14-1 as Bill Dailey pitched a complete-game victory. This was the final home game of the season at Joyce Park. The concession stands made things even more enjoyable for the 598 fans at the game. Beer was sold at 10 cents a bottle and the Swift Company gave all the ice cream left in the freezers to the children attending the game.

The series moved to Burlington, where the Kernels continued to hit. They finished the series with 18-9 and 13-9 wins to take the Three-I championship and the $1,250 that went with it. The $1,250 was split among the team members. Burlington, the runner-up, received $750 to divvy up.

Mudcat Grant’s Experience with Racism in Keokuk

Recalling his time in Keokuk, Grant concluded: “From a baseball point of view, my time in Keokuk was very successful.” He went on to describe the significant challenges faced by the African American players on the team:

From a personal point of view, Keokuk was a little bit more prejudiced than Fargo, North Dakota. In Keokuk they didn’t want you in some places if you were black. That year there were only two of us on the team, me and Mitchell June.16 The Kernels’ team office was in the Metropole Hotel, but they didn’t want us there. They had a place for us to stay with a black lady that had been renting out rooms to ballplayers for a number of years, we stayed with her instead of staying at the hotel. And they didn’t want us using cabs and public transportation used by the whites, so they gave us a station wagon to use for transportation to go to the ballpark come downtown, eat, etc. One place where they didn’t want us to eat was the Wagon Wheel, a restaurant near the Metropole Hotel. … But, since we were paying to eat, we just didn’t eat in there anymore. They won on that one but they lost because we were customers like everybody else. That’s the way we looked at it.17…

Believe me, the racial thing was a brutal psychological war between me and the people out to bury me. … From the time the Keokuk team photographer said, “You black boys do strange things to the lighting,” I was ready to explode. I thought once I signed a pro contract I’d be able to eat where I wanted, or live peacefully like any other human being. It wasn’t to be.18

The Legacy

The 1955 Keokuk Kernels tied a league record for most games won in a season with a 92-34 record.25 Their winning percentage (.730) and their lead (22 games) were both league records. The team led the league in batting (.292), runs (813), hits (1,277), and fewest opponents’ runs scored (531). Seven of the players went on to play in the major leagues.26

But the team was not successful at the box office. Keokuk finished seventh out of the eight teams in the league with a home attendance of 39,179.27 Keokuk was able to field a Class-B franchise for the 1956 and 1957 seasons but dropped to the Class-D Midwest League for the 1958 season. Poor attendance continued to bedevil the franchise. In midseason of 1962 the Keokuk franchise folded and moved to Dubuque, Iowa. Professional baseball has never returned to Keokuk.

STEVE SMITH is a retired CPA who has been a SABR member since 2000. His primary passion is researching the baseball history of his hometown, Keokuk, Iowa, where in his youth he attended many minor-league games. He spends his winters in Englewood, Florida, near the Tampa Bay Rays’ spring-training site in Port Charlotte.

 

Acknowledgments

This article was edited by Cathy Kreyche and fact-checked by Ray Danner.

 

Sources

Sources for this chapter include the Daily Gate City of Keokuk, Baseball-Reference.com, and the players’ correspondence with Shane Etter, a dedicated Keokuk baseball historian.

 

Notes

1 Merrill “Pinky” May is the father of former major-league catcher Milt May; Indianville, located in Daytona Beach, Florida, was the spring-training base for the Cleveland Indians’ minor-league players.

2 May joined the Navy after the 1943 season and never made it back to the big leagues.

3 “Spring Training Roster of Kernels Narrowed to 36 Players,” Daily Gate City (Keokuk, Iowa), April 5, 1955.

4 “100 Best Minor League Teams,” Baseball Reference, BR Bullpen, last edited August 4, 2012, https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/100_BestMinorLeagueBaseballTeams.

5 The Three-I League included teams from Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.

6 The Sporting News, March 2, 1955.

7 “Lions Tell Burress Play Ball,” Daily Gate City, April 20, 1955.

8 Dick Hofleit to Shane Etter, June 1, 2001.

9 Steve Smith, “An Encounter with Joe Morgan” (unpublished).

10 Robert Maley Truss, also referred to as Maley Truss.

11 Handcock had played in the Negro Leagues and was recommended to Cleveland by Larry Doby while barnstorming with Roy Campanella’s all-stars.

12 “Club to Arrive in Keokuk Next Sunday; Season Opens Tuesday,” Daily Gate City, April 16, 1955.

13 “Hank Pitches, Plays First in Circus Contest,” Daily Gate City, September 3, 1955

14 Enrique Izquierdo correspondence with Shane Etter, July 12, 1999.

15 Richard Bruce Hemmerle, also referred to as Bruce Hemmerle.

16 African Americans Billy Williams and Leroy Handcock were with the team briefly early in the season.

17 Jim “Mudcat” Grant with Tom Sabellico and Pat O’Brien, The Black Aces: Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners (Chula Vista, California: Aventine Press, 2007), 206-207.

18 Edward Kiersh, Where Have You Gone Vince DiMaggio (New York: Doubleday, 1983), 90.

19 Steve Jankowski to Shane Etter, June 6, 2001.

20 Jankowski to Etter, June 6, 2001.

21 Pinky May to Shane Etter, ca. 1999.

22 Enrique Izquierdo to Shane Etter, July 12, 1999.

23 Logan, a longtime Keokuk baseball booster, was a member of the Keokuk Baseball Association Board of Directors.

24 Greenberg was scheduled to attend the dinner and game but was called to New York for a meeting with Commissioner Ford Frick.

25 In 1912 Springfield won 92 games in a 137-game season.

26 Izquierdo, Nixon, Dailey, Williams, Grant, Coleman, and Locke all played in the major leagues.

27 Burlington led the league in attendance with 91,946. Keokuk finished seventh with an attendance of 39,179, edging Quincy with 39,081.