Snyder: Baseball historians pull back curtain on Wizard of York

From Lori Snyder at Fox 43 on May 30, 2017, with mention of SABR member Ted Knorr:

He was known for his glove, his speed and his personality.  “Country Jake” Stephens was a two-time Negro League All-Star who spent practically his entire life in York County.  Yet most people have never heard of him.  A group of baseball historians decided it was time for that to change.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Mt. Zion Cemetery in York County, there’s a very ordinary-looking headstone that reads “Paul Eugene Stephens.”  But he was better known as “Country Jake.”

On a chilly weekend in April, several members of the Society for American Baseball Research gathered at the cemetery for a special presentation.  Ira Wolins from Philadelphia presented a permanent marker for Stephens’ grave, recognizing the Wizard of York as the greatest fielding shortstop in the Negro Leagues.

Read the full article here: http://fox43.com/2017/05/30/baseball-historians-pull-back-curtain-on-wizard-of-york/



Originally published: May 31, 2017. Last Updated: May 31, 2017.