SPRINGDALE -- Burl Lyons, a Gentry Navy veteran and former player on the semi-pro Gentry Baseball Team, threw out the first pitch at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale at the game between the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Springfield Cardinals on Wednesday, July 13.
Lyons, who played in the outfield on the former Gentry baseball team, wound up and threw the ceremonial pitch to the catcher before a large group of Gentry residents in attendance at the game on Gentry night in Arvest Ballpark. He wore a dark-blue Navy veteran's cap and had his shoes shiny enough to pass uniform inspection. He was applauded by all in attendance.
It was during the 1950-51 seasons that Lyons played baseball on the Gentry team, a traveling team which played other semi-pro teams in the region. He played outfield, mostly in centerfield, he said. Lyons then served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1974 and later worked for Walmart.
"There were a lot of really good players on the team," Lyons said of the Gentry baseball team, "and some of them were older, in their 40s or older," he said.
The team was managed by Clyde Glass. Joseph Clyde Glass was a professional baseball player for more than a decade -- from 1923 to 1934 -- in the minor leagues and later managed several teams in the Cotton States League and the Arkansas State League. The Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia lists him as a star player in the Western Association and as a player in the Arkansas League. He is listed as having played on a team for Baton Rouge, La., and having managed a team from Lake Charles, La. On baseballreference.com, he is listed as having played outfield, third baseman and shortstop. The Journal-Advance listed him as team manager and also as catcher in a game.
According to Lyons, attendance at Gentry's home baseball games could easily be between 1,000 and 1,500 people at each game.
"We didn't have TV back then, and everybody came out to watch the games," Lyons said, calling it what everyone did for entertainment.
Old issues of the Gentry Journal-Advance give reports of games played several nights per week during the summer months, with teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and beyond coming to Gentry to play.
Lyons said he remembers playing a Tulsa Team from the Negro League that was always a tough team to beat. He recalls losing several games to the visiting Tulsa team but also winning a few.
One of those teams, the Tulsa T-Town Clowns, is listed as visiting Gentry and losing a game in September of 1948 by a score of 8-4. It was the first game the Tulsa team had lost in two months according to the Tulsa announcer at the game.
Not only did Lyons get to toss out the first pitch at the Naturals' game, he was there to see youth teams from Gentry honored. Gentry Pride, a 11 and under softball team, was photographed behind home plate and honored at the game.
And, to top off the evening, the Arkansas Naturals came away with a big win, defeating the Springfield Cardinals by a score of 6-1.
Sports on 07/20/2016