By Marilyn Miller
How many baseball fans have stretched out in Griffith Stadium in Minden over the years and pondered just how many players’ cleated feet once touched the base paths there before progressing on to a higher level of play, whether in college sports or professional ball??
Minden attorney Paul Kitchens, a longtime baseball fan who played varsity for Minden High School, was the attorney on record for the Webster Parish School Board during the recent “land exchange” with the City of Minden. Tracing the history of Griffith Stadium, therefore, fell to him.
The lots that were exchanged were the property that is presently Griffith Stadium on Constable Street (which the City donated to the Webster Parish School Board), and property located on the southeast corner of the former (razed) Lowe Junior High School on Clerk Street (which the WPSB donated to the City of Minden).
“In the early 1900s, B.F. Griffith ran a quarter horse racing track on the property where Griffith Stadium now stands,” Kitchens pointed out. “In 1906, he organized the Webster Parish Fair Association, which functioned until 1917. But there was a gap in there when the American Legion used the facility to play baseball.”
Kitchens attributed most of his information to Dean Francis, son of the late Charlie Francis, who had been given a scrapbook, clippings and photos from the late T. C. Bloxom, Sr., who was president of the Minden Redbirds, a semi-professional team which played in Minden for many decades, at one time operating as a quasi-farm team for professional baseball.
Charlie Francis was one of those whose feet once flew down the base paths of Griffith for several years as a Redbird, before being called up by the St. Louis Cardinals. “Charlie saw a little minor league play at second base,” Kitchens noted, recalling having seen Charlie hit a homerun at Griffith Stadium that went over the fence and traveled halfway up a huge pine tree.”
Griffith Stadium was donated to the City of Minden on June 2, 1947. During the 1950’s it was used as a municipal stadium, home to the Minden Crimson Tide, the American Legion, and the Redbirds baseball teams. It also hosted rodeos, the Webster Parish Fair, and political rallies, such as the one featuring Alabama Gov. George Wallace. And it wasn’t a surprise to have Louisiana Governor Robert Floyd Kennon (of Minden) throw the first pitch to start a new season.
“In about 1950 or ’51, the Big Eight League was created, with Homer, Haynesville, Ruston, Farmerville, Bernice, Minden (Redbirds), Dubach and sometimes Delhi and Rayville or Sterlington,” Kitchens said. “They had some great crowds…sometimes with as many as 2,100 people…having 2,100 people was not uncommon.”
“And, of course, Minden won the award for having the biggest crowds.”
So, who were the best-known athletes to play (for or against, or both) for the Minden Redbirds?
- Benny McArdle, Homer 1952, Minden 1953, never made the majors, but had a small impact in the minors. A two-sport athlete, he was a point guard on the LSU basketball team which made it to the Final Four in 1953. He played with Bob Petit, who was very successful in pro basketball. McArdle was All-SEC in both baseball and basketball. He is a member of the LSU Sports Hall of Fame, he was voted the league’s MVP;
- Al Doggett, played for the ‘Birds in ’52; was a running back and quarterback for LSU;
- Gerry Marchand, played for the ‘Birds in ’53, a two-sporter, he was a fullback for LSU and was catcher on the LSU baseball team, making All-SEC;
- Charlie Francis;
- Ty Pendergrass, Sr., played for the Big Eight semi-pro team in Dubach in 1952;
- James Farrar, played catcher and manager for the Redbirds one or two years. Coached at Centenary and then became a scout;
- Jackie Moreland, 6’7” three-time All-State in basketball; fourth all-time high scorer in the US with 5,030 points; went to NC State, which was penalized for recruiting violations. Went to Louisiana Tech where he was All-American, a tremendous rebounder. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA (7 years), then New Orleans in the ABA three years. He was an excellent first baseman for LA Tech and batted .400 one season. He played for the Redbirds in 1958 and 1959. Kitchens played a pick-up game with Moreland at the MHS gym. His brother, Ed (Ginger) Moreland, lives in Minden;
- Marvelous Marv Throneberry played for 8 different teams in the major leagues, including first baseman and outfielder for the NY Yankees; 40 homeruns, probably hit a few out of Griffith in 1951, spent 7 years in the major leagues;
- Ralph Terry, an Oklahoma boy was signed by the ‘Birds in 1952 and pitched in ’53. Played in the majors from 1956 to 1967, was World Series MVP. Played in the minors from 1954-56. Probably best known for throwing the pitch (for the NY Yankees) that Bill Mazeroski hit over the fence to win the 1961 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1952, the baseball-loving City of Minden went to the polls and approved a one-mill tax to build what is the present Griffith Stadium. Quoting Times sports writer Jimmy Leach in an April 28, 1953 article, “The baseball-conscious city of Minden, probably one of the staunchest supporters of the ‘national pastime’ that you can find, invites this area tonight to view a comparatively gigantic achievement.”
“Minden’s $45,000 baseball plant, a new concrete-steel layout, will receive its opening test tonight as the Fair Park High School nine engages in a game with the Minden Crimson Tide. The new park, which replaces Hunter’s Playgrounds, has been used for approximately 10 years by the Minden semi-pro club, and the high school and American Legion teams,” Leach said. “The new stadium will seat up to 2,200” and “the lighting system will be runner-up to few in the country.”
“In addition to tax money, contributions of cash and materials by Minden business firms enabled the city to construct a plant worth nearly $65,000 for an actual outlay of $45,000,” Leach pointed out.
Today, the Webster Parish School Board owns and will operate Griffith Stadium. In a mild state of disrepair, the 71-year-old complex needs some TLC. With the new girls’ softball complex looking like a shiny, newly-minted penny just a block away, it probably won’t be too long before the sounds of renovations start reverberating along Constable Street again!
