tia: tAkE tWo

You Gotta Have Heart!

Every family tree has interesting personalities. I look at mine and it’s loaded with nuts! One of my favorites is my great grandfather, Roy. I would say the entertaining gypsy soul was fully evident in him. As a youngster, this six-foot, strapping bundle of energy and good humor, would ride the boxcars to get to different shows in the Carolinas. This caused no end to the hair pulling for his folks. I should add here that this is the same rascal who ran away and joined the circus before his dad found him and dragged him home. Story goes his shenanigans provoked his wiry, little 5’ 5” father into chasing him around the house with a broom. Of course, all my great grandfather could do is outrun him and laugh at the sight!!!





Well, in order to soar, even free spirits need anchors… her name was Jane. She was from Maryland. For her, he channeled his energies long enough to get through dentistry school. For him, she realized early on that she'd always need to wear her running shoes. They adored, respected and understood each other. They started out in the Carolinas, where their two daughters were born. Then they moved to several places around the great and sovereign state of Florida. They finally settled in Orlando, where he established his dental practice. These kinds of people don’t just settle down. While Janey went about the business of raising their daughters, entertaining the local society and keeping her sneakers dusted off... Roy balanced it out with dentistry, vaudeville and baseball. He would treat patients, whether they could afford to pay him or not, who would come from miles around because he had such a way with pulling teeth. I can imagine him being a great story-teller, because he apparently put patients at such ease he was able to pull their teeth without them even realizing it. Being a true hambone and hoofer, he also entertained folks on part of the southern portion of the vaudeville circuit and for various fund raisers. And if there was a baseball game going on a-n-y-where & he could get to it…? He was there! My great grandmother would drop everything at a moments notice to go with him.



Which brings me to this picture. I’d always wondered who the player might be and what the story was. I sent this to a friend the other day and it was enlarged just enough by iPhoto to where I could finally make out my grandmother’s handwriting on the lower half of the picture. The year was 1938, and the player was Wilbur Kincaid Rodgers, aka “Rawmeat Bill”. Rodgers was a backup infielder, playing mainly as second baseman. He made it to the big show for two seasons(1915-16) on three MLB teams: Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. His nickname came from his belief that eating raw meat gave players the energy boost they needed to play great ball. He went on to play in the minor leagues and eventually took up managing. In 1946, he managed the Peoria Redwings, a women’s professional baseball team. Tom Hanks’ character in the movie, “A League of Their Own”, may have been partially based on him! However, in 1938, he was manager for the Sanford Lookouts. A team based out of Sanford Florida, and part of the Senator's family of clubs.

This picture was most likely taken at Tinker Field. Tinker Field was the spring training home for several teams through the years... The Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins. The stadium was built in 1914 and used all the way up until 2000 when the Orlando Rays moved to Cracker Jack Stadium. Tinker Field was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The field was named in honor of Joe Tinker, of “Tinker to Evers to Chance” fame. He was the starting shortstop for the Chicago Cubs(’02-12) and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (‘46). He moved to Orlando in the 20’s and is buried(’48) in Greenwood Cemetery... same final resting place for my great grand folks.

Roy and Jane did a lot of living. WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, worked, raised two daughters, helped folks out, entertained and thoroughly enjoyed themselves and each other. I can so see them loading up their Model T and taking off to a game at the drop of a hat. I can almost feel the excitement; taste the hot dogs and beer; feel the sun on my face! Ending with that simple thing of carrying in sleeping kids and tucking them into bed. Building a life with a lifetime of cool memories both large and small. Taking a snapshot with a ballplayer that would wind up in the garbage bin 50 years later, only to be rescued by their great granddaughter who would want to know more... about teeth, hoofers and balls.