On March 4, 1918, a newspaper article was published in the Los Angeles Times about the formation of baseball teams consisting of enlisted men at the Naval Training Station in San Diego. It was Ensign J.S. Conover’s plan. He was the adjutant and athletic officer of the camp. He hoped to form six teams and they would play twice a week.
Prominent baseball men were to be coaches. Art Shafer, who was a former New York Giants infielder, would instruct the infielders. The pitches would be coached by Louis Sepulveda and Bill Billings. The former captain of the University of California team would coach the outfielders. These experienced men would be great assets to the team and sure to find the best players.
Many enlisted men signed up including C.W. Hork, who I believe is Cyril William Hork.[1]
Checking the Statement of Service card for Cyril W. Hork, he enlisted at the recruiting station in Salt Lake City, Utah and the first training camp he was stationed at was Naval Training Camp at San Diego, from 5 January 1918 to 25 May 1918.[2] This fits in with the correct time frame. Did he make the team?
Before joining the Navy in 1918, Cyril played baseball as a pitcher and numerous articles were in the Hamilton and Anaconda, Montana, newspapers. See “Throwing Fastballs: Cyril Hork Was a Pitcher.” My guess is that he probably made a team. He was a good pitcher and the article said, “The coaches will also be on the lookout for pitchers as they are very much needed.” It is possible that Louis Sepulveda mentioned as a pitching coach was the same San Pedro man who played catcher for the San Francisco Seals in 1914.[3] A photo of Louis and another baseball player, Norman Boeckel was in the newspaper as two men who were at the naval training station in San Diego.[4]
This article was the best of two worlds. My love of baseball and my love of researching World War I records. My grandfather got to do both.
This is one day late for Veteran’s Day but it takes time to write up a story from just one newspaper notice. I want to locate other records I have, check other posts I made, and search for other supporting documentation. There are no San Diego newspapers at Newspaper.com where I found the first article. At GenealogyBank.com, I did find the same article in the San Diego Union on 27 Feb 1918. Other articles found in San Diego newspapers indicated the naval teams played civilian, college, and army teams and the money raised went to charity. Teams sometimes were listed by name and actual players were not listed. This all from a sampling of newspapers found by searching keywords “naval baseball.” I did find a lineup and Sepulveda was listed as catcher with Grimes or Carver as pitcher.[5]
[1] “Baseball
For All, Is Plan. Hundreds to Enjoy Sport at Balboa Park,” Los Angeles Daily
Times, 3 March 1918, p. 4, col. 7.
[2] Montana,
Statement of Service, Cyril Willis Hork, 173-64-55, digital image, FamilySearch
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3MM-J9JG-G
: accessed 12 Nov 2023), imaging film 008435602, image 1344 of 1858; citing
Enlistment cards of the Montana Adjutant General’s Office, Helena.
[3] “Sepulveda
may Be Star Back-Stop,” News-Pilot (San Pedro, Calif), 21 Mar 1914, p.
4, col. 4.
[4] “These
Two Baseball Stars Help Make Naval Training Team Champion Club,” The Morning
Press (Santa Barbara, Calif), 18 Sep 1918, p. 4, col. 3.
[5] “Army,
Navy Play Fourth Game of Series This Afternoon,” The San Diego Union, 10
Mar 1918, p. 1 (Sport and Auto Section).
I find they are adding newspapers all the time, so keep trying.
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