Diamonds in the rough

By Rene Torres
Special to the Advance

After the day of infamy — Dec. 7, 1941 — there was a new “normal” imposed upon the United States people as the country reeled from the surprising and devastating attack by the Empire of Japan at Pearl Harbor.

The country buried and mourned the loved ones lost as people set out to try to live their lives again.

Uncertainty ruled.

After this point, people in America prepared themselves to live with less of everything. During the chaos of war, “Citizens wondered if there would be enough to eat when soldiers needed food, or if there would be a way to travel when army tanks needed gasoline,” wrote one historian.

Amazingly, baseball provided the balm that brought back a certain degree of normalcy. As Philip K. Wrigley, owner of Chicago Cubs and chewing gum factory, made sure that the love for baseball was not lost during the war — he wasn’t alone. Rio Grande Valley fastpitch softball organizers also ensured that the national pastime was at the forefront of entertainment during the trying times.

By the summer of 1940-1941, the base paths and diamonds of the Valley were once again groomed and pruned for another softball season. With white chalk lines, restraining ropes, wooden bleachers and the best chicken wire to protect spectators — the Valley girls of summer were waiting on the sidelines for the call of “Play Ball.”

With the depressing, daily casualty lists of our fighting men overseas — RGV women and girls were providing the much-needed entertainment on the homefront. Perhaps for that moment, the game of heroes, home runs and hotdogs, would temper the sounds and sights of war.

The season began just like any other year — with the girls from across the region showing their skills at the plate. In Brownsville, the Bakers sisters — Aurora (Gole), Josephine (Pere), Lydia (Lily), Ofelia (Tiny), “Pime,” and Bertha were consistently good and a fixture at the “36” Diamond since the 1930s. With the largest crowd to see a softball game in Brownsville, the stage was set for the La Feria Bombers to make their debut in the Border City.

The Pan American boys were also part of the doubleheader, but the girls were given the credit for drawing the crowd that filled the stadiums to full capacity.

On this day, Martha Stallings, the ace for the La Feria girls, was too much for the Coca-Cola girls from Brownsville. La Feria went on to win the game by the score of 12 to 6 and recorded their 23rd victory before 500 border fans.

In San Benito, Frances King was the star of the Resaca girls team. A Brownsville Herald report read as follows, “San Benito Flash: Hurler Blinds Sebastian Girls in No-Run, One-Hit Game.”

Facing only 26 batters in seven innings, 15-year-old King, San Benito’s Kiwanis cannonball hurler, threw her team into the limelight by becoming victorious over a good Sebastian team. The win over Sebastian was Frances’ 17th victory of the season. The La Feria girls were the only ones to solve her speedball delivery.

The San Benito lineup included three Bertram sisters and three Jones sisters. Sebastian had in their record books, the Schultz sisters and a set of twins — the Morrow girls. Perhaps, the biggest game that season was when the San Benito girls traveled to La Feria to face the mighty Martha Stallings and the Bomber girls.

It was a standing-room only crowd. On that day, the population in La Feria grew by 3,000. The Valley softball faithful were all there to witness the most-anticipated pitching duel of the season.

Doing the catching for tiny-mite King was Evelyn Bertram — while Geraldine Dillard was behind the plate for the Bombers — two catchers who knew how to work the game. The “Play Ball” call was made at 8 p.m. at the Rotary Park in La Feria and the crowd was not disappointed.

The pitchers were at their best for most of the game as King, the tiny Kiwi, allowed the powerful hitters from La Feria only four singles. She was the crowd’s favorite and the fans were smelling upset. But unfortunately, a wild pitch was the difference in the game as the Bombers took the contest 1 to 0 — it was a thriller.

In the Mid-Valley

The Mercedes Green Hornets were as tough as any team in the Valley.

They too, were attracting thousands of fans to the ballpark just like the La Feria girls. The Hornets had a strong lineup that included Bertha Garza Lozano, Elanor Lewis, Helen Gomez, Oralia Cano, Ninfa de la Cruz Zuniga, Odilia G. Champion, Tommie Tamez, Irene Solis, Carol C. Tovar, Julia Burst, Francis Strickland, Viola Anzaldua, Santos Cadena Garibay and Lucy Ramirez.

They didn’t disappoint the capacity crowd.

The Hornets did a number on Harlingen, and again, the Brownsville Herald wrote the following, “Mercedes Runs Riot over Harlingen as La Feria Blasts McAllen Team.”

The Texas Amateur Athletic Federation girls’ softball state tourney was in its semi-final stages on a Thursday with the La Feria Bombers, the San Benito Kiwanis and the Mercedes Green Hornets being the center of attention for all fans’ eyes and speculation.

It was a packed house with no ticket left unsold as 3,000 fans packed the bleachers to see the Hornets and the Bombers beat the De la Rosas of Harlingen and McAllen respectively, by scores that were in double figures.

The Green Hornets scored 20 runs to Harlingen’s one. “Baby Ruth” Ramirez from the Hornets was the hitting star of the game with four singles in as many trips to the plate. Leading hitter for the Bombers for most of the first half of the season was Agnes Zimmerer — batting at a .520 clip. It was obvious that the Valley Girls of Summer could play a good brand of softball. But it was vividly clear that the La Feria Bombers were the team to beat.

By mid-July, the Bombers had racked up 35 straight victories with no defeats. The girls were not only dominating RGV teams — but doing the same to anyone who dared stepped up to the plate against them.

The Corpus Christi girls were stunned by the Bombers. After a doubleheader, the newspaper headlines read, “La Feria Bombers Blast Top Corpus Christi Team Twice In Great Softball Show — Martha Stallings Does Iron Woman Stunt for Both.”

The squad from La Feria was under an enormous amount of pressure. Protecting the most amazing winning streak in Valley softball history, the Bombers did it again and again: at the Rotary Park in La Feria to gain their 34th and 35th straight victories by baffling Ethel’s Café of Corpus Christi.

Fans from across the region were there to support the teams. The crowd was so large that umpires stopped the opening game several times to move spectators behind the first and third base lines. The ace, Martha Stallings, pitched three-hit ball games.

By early August, the Bombers were ready to try their playing skills outside the Valley.

The undefeated, untied and unshaken Bombers scheduled games in Shiner, Houston and New Orleans. With their 43-winning streak on the line, the girls from the Rio Grande Valley saw their first defeat in Houston. From there, the story read, “A stunning last frame rally by Jax Beer of Houston shattered a 43-game winning streak of the La Feria Bombers girls’ softball team here Friday night, 12 to 11.”

The team from Houston went on to defeat the Bombers two more times by scores of 8 to 0 and 6 to 0. These were tough losses for the Valley girls. Bouncing back from these two defeats proved to be difficult — as they suffered two more losses at the mitts of the powerful New Orleans Jax.

But the losses away from home did not end the season of dreams — the team of La Feria returned to the RGV to win the District Championship of the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation State Tournament.

They took the crown by defeating the Mercedes Green Hornets, 4 to 1.

Manager C. E. (Toady) Vail put together one of the strongest teams in Valley diamond history — a team that was breaking records with every game. No team — men or women — in RGV history had yet to match the amazing 43-game winning streak.

The team roster included: Mary Dickie, Juanita Brooks, Martha Stallings, Billie Stallings, Geraldine Dillard, Doris Lewis, Mildred Myers, Erma Cloud, Evelyn Vail and sisters Agnes, Catherine and Helen Zimmerer.

Their season ended, but not before they demonstrated that they owned “home” in more ways than one, as well as first, second and third base.

Somebody once said, “In this game, there is always a tomorrow.” For the girls of then, there will always be another day.

As history marches forward, it’s important to remember the creed: "Play Hard, Play Together, Play Ball!”