Baseball history in Big Spring Book signing set for 1 p.m. Monday at HC Library
While most may relate Big Spring history to Webb Air Force base, that’s not all Big Spring is known for. Big Spring history has roots in baseball history, and on Monday, June 10 the community will have an opportunity to find out more about that history at the “Left on Base in the Bush Leagues” book signing.
“This book tells the story of Tom Jordan Sr., the oldest living MLB player at age 99, and his son, Tom Jr., the star of the Roswell team that won the Little League World Series in 1956, both of these gentlemen will be at the book signings in Roswell and Artesia,” Gaylon White, author of Left on Base in the Bush League, said.
As part of the promotional tour for the book, White will be visiting Lamesa and Midland, the same week he arrives in Big Spring. The book signing will be from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. at the Howard County Library.
“The late 40s and 50s were the glory days of baseball in Texas and Big Spring was smack dab in the middle of it,” White said. “Six of the book’s 13 chapters are devoted to teams and players in the West Texas and New Mexico area, in the late 1940s and early 1950s; through their stories, the region’s remarkable baseball history comes to life.”
Big Spring takes up a chapter and a half, according to White. His inspiration for the book came when he came across numerous stories on the use of Cuban players by minor league teams, in the 40s and 50s.
Many of the Cuban players remained in the United States and made new lives for themselves and their families.
“One Big Spring resident, Tito Arencibia, was one of those players. He rescued his entire family from Cuba and lived in Big Spring, until his recent move to Midland,” White said. “He (Tito) will be at the Big Spring book signing. His story alone is worth getting a copy of the book.”
According to a book review provided by White, the book chronicles a handful of baseball's “leftovers”, those mysterious journeymen, showmen and drifters, who took their talents to the west, southwest and southeastern United States. The book introduces the reader to some of the game's greatest characters, which are not widely known.
The Bush Leagues (term coined early 1898) – the low minor leagues of professional baseball, Class D, C, and B. - spotlighted a different kind of talent, but talent nonetheless. The players included some of the greatest hitters and pitchers that no one ever heard of; they were too wild or too fierce or too thirsty to make it it in the majors, according to White.
“These local legends thrived, stirring and stretching their fan's imaginations, arousing curiosity and blurring the lines between work and play, fantasy and reality,” White said.
The community is invited to attend the book signing and learn about the baseball history rooted in Big Spring. For more information on the book or about White, visit www.gaylonwhitebaseball.com.
Amanda Duforat is the managing editor at the Big Spring Herald. To contact her, email editor@ bigspringherald.com or call 432-263-7331.