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Outlaw Carolina Baseball League 1936 - 1938

William “Bill” Robert Steinecke (1907 - 1986)

Bill Steinecke (aka Bill Selph) seen here when he played catcher for the Williamsport Grays of the Class A New York-Penn League in 1936.  Steinecke played catcher for and managed the Concord Weavers under the name of Bill Selph to avoid detetection from Judge Bramham. He led the team to a league win in 1937. Some local fans blamed Steinecke for contributing to the break up the Carolina Outlaw League through his many fights and his departure from the team before the playoffs.

James Virgil “Coddle Creek” Taylor (1910 – 1970)

    Growing up on a farm along Coddle Creek in western Cabarrus County, “Coddle Creek” Taylor developed his pitching skills by knocking out knotholes inside the family’s barn. Winnie Taylor Watkins often traveled with her husband.

Norman "Butch" Woodnutt Small (1913 - 1995)

Born in the small New York town of Glen Cove, Norman "Butch" Small began his professional career as a pitcher in 1934 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals's farm system with the Martinsville Manufacturers. In 1935 he joined the Asheville Tourists in the Piedmont League and played in two other leagues before returning to Martinsville. 

Robert "Bobby" Elwood Hipps (1904-1980)

Born in Canton, North Carolina, Hipps received numerous awards in 1926 while playing baseball at Furman University. Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics signed Hipps to play with a number of  AA ball clubs. By 1929, Hipps was teaching and coaching baseball in Weaverville, North Carolina. Between 1927 and 1934, Hipps played for eighteen different ball clubs.  By 1935 at the age of 30, Bobby Hipps joined the Coolemee Cools but transferred to the Kannapolis Towelers, first as a player then as a manager.

Edwin C. “Alabama” Pitts (1909 – 1941)

Probably one of the most unusual stories to come from Hank Utley’s research is the story of Edwin C. Pitts (1909 - 1943), known to his fans as “Alabama” Pitts. Born in Opelika, Alabama, Pitts joined the Navy at 15. Four years later, Pitts, like so many young men at that time, struggled to find work. Arrest and conviction for a holdup at a grocery store landed Pitts in Sing Sing Prison. 

Harry "Slim" Ingram (1909 - 1951)

At six-foot-four, Concord first baseman, “Slim” Ingram was a power hitter with a batting average running from the high .390s to the low .400s. This photograph was taken in 1935 at home plate in Concord’s Webb Field. The new 1200-seat grandstand in the background had been built with federal emergency relief money. (Note visiting team bench on extreme right.)  

The Visionary: Aubrey Hoover (1882 - 1936)

 
 
Aubrey Hoover was the owner of Hoover Hosiery Mills, and President of the Concord Weavers in 1935. In the summer of 1935, Hoover realized the monetary potential behind leaving the Textile League and creating and independent league. Famous for his role in the "kidnapping" of young pitcher Carl Doyle in 1935, while he was on his way to report with the Philadelphia Athletics. Sadly, Hoover died before seeing his dream of come to fruition.

The Men Behind the Scenes: Owners and Managers

Some were textile owners,some lawyers, and others who had made their money in  furniture, but all were men of influence in their community. They were united in their love for baseball as long as it was profitable.   

Combining their business skills with their desire for a winning team, the owners managed to attract some of the most interesting and talented men in baseball to come south and become an “outlaw.”  The owners wisely hired managers with long experience in baseball. Some of the managers played alongside the men they hired.