POLLY’S PEOPLE: White, Black baseball players in 1960s Grayson Stadium wowed this kid

From 1960 to 1966, Buz Ellis lived the dream of nearly every American boy of that era. His father, Neal, was sports editor of the Morning News and Evening Press, and often brought along his young son when he covered baseball games at Grayson Stadium.

“I was his oldest son and was allowed to have the run of the (newspaper’s) sports department, as well as Grayson Stadium and Daffin Park,” said Buz, who is 69, retired and living in Birmingham, Alabama.

It helped that Buz’ maternal grandparents — Louis and Kate Roesel — lived on Washington Avenue in a tidy brick home facing the park.

“The park and house were the one constant in my life for a long time,” he said. “I was lucky in that (the early to mid-’60s) were very bright days at Daffin. (Those days) were really something.”

One date that stands out for Buz was Sunday, Aug. 21, 1960, when the Savannah Pirates (affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates) played Charlotte in a rare double hitter. Savannah won the first game with Donn Clendenon hitting a long home run to help.

“I spent the entire first game in the Savannah dugout,” Buz said. The second game was tied 0-0 late in the game when he climbed way up to the press box to join his father.

“Clendenon came up in the last inning and blasted a long homer that not only cleared the fence but left the park entirely,” he said. “He won the game, hitting home runs in both games.”

The “trajectory of the blast, from the press box, was like Robert Redford’s famous home run in the movie ‘The Natural,’” he recalled. “The quiet Grayson Stadium came alive.”

Buz tagged along with his father for Clendenon’s post-game interview.

“I’m glad I had a chance to sit down with him,” Buz said. “He was impressive physically and glad he sent the fans home happy.”

Clendenon finished the year with Savannah, hitting 28 home runs for the season and quickly became a star in the majors. In 1969, he helped lead the New York Mets with Casey Stengel to an upset World Series title and win the Most Valuable Player.

“Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and others played at Grayson Stadium but I’m not sure a future star ever had a better day than Clendenon did that Sunday,” Buz said.

Another standout game happened in the spring of ’62 when the White Sox played the Cincinnati Reds at Grayson. Buz recalls players like Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio and the “great Frank Robinson.”

“I somehow ended up with a stack of black-and-white photos from that game,” he said.

By far, Buz’ favorite ball player was an African-American player named Grover “Deacon” Jones, who was on the Savannah White Sox minor league team.

“I was actively trying to start my athletic career, playing little league and most days Deacon would go out of his way to ask me how I was doing and offer tips,” Buz recalled. “He always had time and a smile for me.”

“There were other stars on the team – Dave DeBusschere, Don Buford and Clendenon,” he added. “I would normally be in the dugout for home games and got to know many of the players.”

Jones is now in his late 80s and lives in White Plains, New York, Buz said. “He hurt his shoulder sliding but had a great run at Savannah. His Savannah stats were “very good.”

“He was a great hitter and if not for his arm injury would have spent much more time playing in the majors,” he added.

Looking back, Buz said he didn’t realize how difficult it was for African-Americans during the early ‘60s.

The minor league team moved away from Savannah because Black-player families had to sit in a small area down the first base side and experienced other issues that steadily grew, he said.

Years later Buz sat down and wrote a few thoughts about Deacon that he sent to an online site in hopes that his childhood hero would read his letter.

“In part it said: “Deacon was so kind and never offered me anything less than a handshake and positive conversation about the player I might become. I am retired now and will soon move to Amelia Island, Florida, from Birmingham, and look forward to visiting Savannah from time to time. I’m sure I will continue to cherish my memories of Deacon and the Savannah White Sox. That old stadium was something back then …Please give (Deacon) a big hello and (a thank you).”

Contact Polly at 912-657-3877 or pollparrot@aol.com.