The Washington times., 1936-04-01
New Stadium
:. T0We|C0n1e
Griffnnen
By FRANK "BUCK" O'NEILL

Gay OF Gays QaWneQ lOT OGeVS
Ship and Cordele this morning.
The Cincinnati Reds and the
Washington Griffs will play the
first major league ball game ever
played in this little community
where limited trains Of five trunk
lines thunder over it's right Of
ways.
Cordele is only q little town
of not more than 10000 folks on
Saturday night when the COM
.munity reaches out into the silent
places cloaked in darkness and
draws traders to its Main Street.
But today Cordele salute Atlanta
and Macon and those other cities
where baseball holds its place on
the calendar of sports; where
baxeball Is the harbinger OF
spring. Yes sir, Cordele has ar
rived in sporting way.
And Cordele is going in for
this game in a big way. A civic
holiday has been declared, and
the silver Trumpet Quintet, after
five weeks practice at the fire
house, will be on hand to play
THE Music Goes Round and
Round" All that is needed is
clearing skies and a sun to kiss
the peach blossoms, and we we'll
have $500 folks out to the ball
game and the gliSteing new
stadium.
Glistening and new this stadium
is in fact. It was built for the game
today. No team was allowed to as
much as practice on the field. No
one but the Waterman was allowed
to walk through the grandstand
after the cleaning crew had fin
iShed its chores.
Team Later On
Later on there will be a team
in one of the little leagues to
represent Cordele. 1t will be
manned by Cincinnati players
who lack major league form. In
return, Cordele will give the Reds
whatever options are requested.
Now we must whiSk over to the
minor league meeting at Dayton
last winter. A man in q high
Starched collar marched around
the lobby of the hotel that housed
the meeting, solitary figure in an
abode of conviviality. He finally
perked up courage and announced
to Charley Dresser that he was
Ship, of Cordele, Ca" and that
he wanted major league team to
play in his home town this spring.
He wouldn't take no for an an
Swer, and finally the deal was
made. Clark Griffith agreed to
play here. That night a telegram
chartered over the wires telling
this little town of it's good fortune.
The citizens wanted to run Shipp
for senator, but he has no time
for that sort of nonsense. Enough
galoots were making laws, Shipp
had to make ball park.
He didn't forget the possibilities
of night baseball this forward
visioned Mr.. Ship, and he at once
went to the utilities company,
which is controlled and operated
by the county. There was much
to consider in this lighting mat
ter, but when a man is fan and
wants to equip his ball park, diff
ficultieS only space the hours of
toll. Mr.. Shipp sought out the
manager of the power plant and
stated his case. There was a wag-
ging of heads on rates.
SCpuk han N1uph IN
play at night If we have to
play at night" insisted Shipp.
Gall right, you buy the re-
Electors and we'll supply the
current for you" said the utiIi-
ties manager. ITS yours, free
of charge"
And so that was arranged. Now
this little stadium is something
more than a pile of lumber. 1t
is the expression of mans
loyalty to an ideal. Shipp watched
every stanchion placed, almost
counted the nails as they were
driven into timbers that seemed
to spring into place.
Lays Out Diamond
Ship was out with the sur
veyors as they laid out the dia-
mond. He saw to it that the
pitchers box had just the right
height and that the rubber was
placed just in the right spot.
Nothing was left to chance. Why,
they almost coaxed the blades of
grass out of the earth, and made
it a matter of civic pride for
every blade to look it's best.
Coming into a town like this
changes the attitude of veteran
baseball men toward their game.
The daily grind makes baseball a
lack luster sport at times. You
crave for respite and nepenthe.
And then comes the refreshing
enthusiasm of a town like this
where a major league baseball
game is not just a passing show
on the sports calendar, but an oc-
casion which will be talked of in
the long winter nights when the
town sports gather around the
cracker barrel.
These GeUrgianS are proud II
Cecil Travis, the boy who left the
farm at RiVerdale and won rank
ing as a major league star. Travis
is the only Georgia boy on the
Griffs, and if he draws just a
little more applause than some OF
his contemporaries, no one will
haor1IdCe him the glory of his