Diamond mine

It’s summer in Asheville, and that can only mean one thing: tourists — and lots of ’em.

Sure, the bulk of them come to Asheville for mansion worshiping and hippie-spotting (“Look, Marge, dreadlocks!”). But not all tourists are the same.

Summer, in fact, brings us an entirely different kind — one that’s beloved by locals and is an integral part of the city’s own history: The Asheville Tourists baseball club.

For well over 75 years, locals have converged on McCormick Field on the outskirts of downtown to watch our very own Boys of Summer wage battle with bat and ball. The roots of professional baseball in Asheville can be traced back even further, in fact, to the dawn of the 20th century.

And luckily for baseball fans and history buffs alike, local author Bill Ballew set out to blaze that trail through time.

Arcadia Publishing has just released Ballew’s Baseball in Asheville, a collection of more than 200 vintage images that capture the storied history of the nation’s pastime as it developed locally. Ballew, an avid fan of the game who’s authored several books and contributed articles to Baseball America, scoured the archives of the Asheville-Buncombe Library system, the Asheville Citizen-Times and several private collections to assemble an exhaustive montage of Asheville-baseball snapshots.

From the woolen uniforms of the early days to the bad hairdos of the ’70s, one can’t help feel a sense of civic pride in the big “A” that adorns so many of the players’ caps, regardless of the decade. Ballew’s images are as much a celebration of this town as they are a tribute to the young men who’ve summered here and entertained us.

Pictured are some of the biggest names in the game: a boyish Babe Ruth leaning against the dugout wall at McCormick, a confident Willie Stargell at batting practice and a cucumber-cool Eddie Murray proudly displaying his Asheville “A.” But also included are shots of players who never reached The Show — players whose names are but a footnote in a ledger. They’re now captured in Ballew’s book forever in their minor-league prime, with sinewy arms and eyes ablaze with ambition.

If there is an error in this book, it’s the way it leaves the reader wanting to know some of the stories behind the images. In one photo caption, we learn that a 53-year-old groundskeeper at McCormick once pitched five shutout innings in a game against the Smokies. No further explanation is offered. This is the stuff of sports lore, and Ballew merely teases us with this mere smattering of fact.

Baseball lovers, after all, need to get beyond second base.


Bill Ballew will sign copies of his book Baseball in Asheville from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at Mountain Lore Bookstore (555 N. Main St., in Hendersonville; 693-5096).

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.