Hollywood team brings flash to summer baseball

Tracking History

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Galesburg has been blessed with a multitude of semi-pro baseball teams that consequently attracted a colorful array of barnstorming opponents. Many of the outstanding teams from the Negro Baseball circuit, including the likes of Satchel Paige, have entertained area baseball fans.

Undoubtedly, the most unusual opponent to visit local ball fields was The Mahatma Gandhi Nudists traveling baseball team from Hollywood, Calif., that attracted much attention in the summer of 1934. The actual game with Johnny Johnson's Galesburg Merchants was played on July 4th at the Lincoln Park complex.

Needless to say, the Nudists had become one of the best drawing cards barnstorming across the country. They established themselves as both entertaining and skilled at America's pastime. Their record was nearly unblemished against some of the best hometown teams in their trek across the country.

The standard wearing apparel for the visiting men and women was shoes, caps and whatever the local laws deemed necessary. The California Nudists indicated that whatever clothing was necessary was not a handicap. Their appearances were preceded by much anticipation, however, their ability to play the game was the main attraction in most instances.

Amid much curious anticipation the actual game went off before hundreds of spectators on a sunny July 4th afternoon at Lincoln Park. The game was packed with excitement and dominated by superb pitching and sensational fielding. When it came to fielding, it was reported that the Gandhi outfit could do more tricks with the ball than a Houdini with a rabbit and silk hat.

Neither team had much luck at the plate and scoring was held to a premium. Eventually the Galesburg Merchants, led by the outstanding pitching of Bill Anderson, outlucked the scantily clad the Mahatma Gandhi Nudists by a 2-0 score. Anderson's pitching allowed only five singles, walked none and struck out nine.

All of scoring was staged in the fifth frame when a lone single produced Galesburg's only runs. Shragal lined a single, Stockton was safe on an infield error, Bohannon was plunked by a pitch and Boynton walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run. The second run crossed the plate for Galesburg via an infield hit by Gunther.

The female department of Gandhi's sun-worshipers consisted of a lone representative who was described as knowing as much about baseball as the newspaper's society editor. The young lady, named Zenda, was stationed in right field for two innings. She retired to the visitors dugout after batting and spent the afternoon applying sun tan lotion and posing for gawking fans.

The eventual absence of the female performer didn't result in much criticism, as the sparkling performance of both teams created enough excitement to satisfy almost everyone partaking of the spectacle.

Tom Wilson is a local historian. Write to him at wilsont29@insightbb.com or at The Register-Mail, 140 S. Prairie St., Galesburg, IL 61401.