The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-31
Kites Club Highlighted
1915 Ball Season Here
BY ROY COOK
City SoftbaII Commissioner

past year. Being no different from
he rest and because the managing
editor asked me to, I have taken
On the job of trying to review the
softball and baseball picture of
l945.
We now have on the staff of The
5tar-News a couple of young sports
editors, fine young men who joined
our staff recently and who might
be a little rusty on the happenings
in the city during the early part
Of 1945. So, with apologies to Ed
Sachs of The Star and Jay Jenkins
of The News, I will try to en-
tighten the public on the events
of interest in the diamond circles
here in 1915.
Early in the season genial Bert
Kite, who has managed baseball
clubs in Wilmington for a great
of years, gathered togeth-
er a group of shipyard workers,
railroad men and others
to form the Wilmington Pirate
baseball club. The young fellows
were sent through strenuous train
ing periods at Legion Stadium in
the late afternoons after they had
finished their daily tasks and after
selecting his club, Kite opened the
season at Legion Stadium, meet
ing strong Camp Davis club
under the managership of Capt.
Ken Kavanaugh, a former all
American football player. The To-
Gals defeated the Soldiers in a
tight game, playing to a large
crowd. Then for the remainder
of the summer the Pirates played
two games each week under the
lights. Clubs from Camp Davis,
Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Cherry
Point, Florence, Raleigh, Swans
boro and other places were sched-
uled. All during the season the
Buccaneers displayed brilliant
brand of baseball.
Ending the season the records
show that Bert Kite and his Pirates
had played to large crowds each
game and had won over 20 games
with eight lost. Probably the
largest crowd of the season at
tended the Pirate-Fort Bragg Re-
ception Center game. Max Lanier,
former St. Louis Cardinal hurler,
stationed at Fort Bragg took the
mound for the Soldiers and the
Pirates were proud of the fact that
they drove the big Lacquer to the
showers in the sixth inning after
blasting out 10 hits off his fast
breaking curves.
So, to Bert Kite, goes the credit
of giving a baseball hungry city
swell brand of semi-pro baseball in
1945. Kite has not disclosed his
plans for 1916, but sports fans in
these parts predict that Whining
toms grand old man of baseball
will again be shouting orders to
his charges from the dugout at
Legion Stadium come this spring.
Another prominent figure in To-
cal baseball circles last season
was Frank Manor, manager of
the Masonboro Ramblers club. Or
ganizing group of men he round
ed out a well balanced baseball
club and played to large crowds
at Masonboro each Sunday during
the season. Manor has great plans
for 1916. According to his present
plans he will erect new bleachers,
grandstands and probably install
lights at the Sound diamond. Frank
reported large crowds at his games
last season and he is looking for
ward to having a better club when
the season opens in 1916.
Softball, a fast game that has
grown in popularity here in re-
cent years, made good progress
during 1s45. One fast league was
operated under the supervision OF
the City Recreation department.
Eight clubs comprised this league
and the competition was very
keen throughout the year. All
these contests were staged at Rob-
ert Strange park and were well
attended.
The City Optical club, managed
by Louis Keith, won the city cham-
pionship in a thrilling seven game
series with the Bluethenthal Army
Air Base club. The Opticians were
selected to represent the city in
the State softban tournament at
Greensboro and while playing there
they established wonderful rec
ord only to lose the final game,
2 to 1, to a fast Moore General
Hospital club from Mooresville.
The Mooresville club was compos-
ed of returnee soldiers and boasted
of several profession al softball
players.
1945 has been a good year for
baseball and softban fans in these
parts.
But, let's take peek under the
blotter to see what's in store for
diamond fans for 1946. We find
that local officials are still trying
to locate a professional baseball
club here. The Piedmont loop
chances vanished as did other
chances, but, being baseball
hungry town, Wilmington has not
thrown in the sponge yet. Efforts