Odell Norris This talented ballplayer who grew up in the late forties, then in the mid sixties he decided to play baseball. But with the former Negro League baseball teams beginning to crumble as more and more "black" ball players being signed by the major Leagues, Mr. Norris had to find a team that could be strong enough to support him. He did. The famed Indianapolis Clowns. This team, where management and ownership were solid, saw Norris and immediately signed him to a contract at the ripe old age of eighteen. He played two seasons for the Clowns beginning in 1966, where he then became their starting first baseman. Today Mr. Norris is a member of the Jacksonville Fire Department and a strong supporter to the Durkeeville Historical Society - home to the former ball yard of the jacksonville Red Caps and the Jacksonville Tars - where Hall of Famer Hank Aaron once roamed the outfield. Or as Mr. Norris wrote in a special Jacksonville, Florida "Durkeeville Historical Society Magazine titled, "Forever Famous Celebration," Honoring Bob Hayes: NFL Great and Olympic Medal Winner."
An essay written by Mr. Odell Norris..................
PLEASE JOIN ME IN A JOURNEY BACK IN TIME....
THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO, ON A HOT JUNE NIGHT IN THE WINDY CITY OF CHICAGO, TWO BARNSTORMING BASEBALL TEAMS, PREPARED TO CLASH AT THE FAMED COMISKEY PARK - HOME TO BOTH THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX AND THE FORMER NEGRO AMERICAN LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM, THE CHICAGO AMERICAN GIANTS.
OVER THIRTY THOUSAND MOSTLY BLACK BASEBALL FANS - JAMMED COMISKEY PARK BUT ON THIS NIGHT IT
WAS NOT TO SEE THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED CONTEST BETWEEN THE NEW YORK
YANKEES AND THE HOME TOWN WHITE SOX, BUT INSTEAD IT WAS TO SEE WHAT WAS THEN KNOWN AS THE, "POST NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL
CLASSIC" THE GAME BEFORE THE GAME.
ON THIS NIGHT, THE WORLD FAMOUS INDIANAPOLIS CLOWNS WERE THERE TO FACE THE BALTIMORE STARS AND ARGUABLY THE MOST FAMOUS NEGRO LEAGUE BALLPLAYER, PITCHER LEROY "SATCHEL" PAIGE.
AFTER BOTH COMPLETED BATTING PRACTICE AND INFIELD WARM-UPS, THEY GATHERED ALONG THE FENCE TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AND SOCIALIZE WITH THEIR MANY FANS. AMONG THOSE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS WAS THE LEGENDARY PITCHER, DRAWING THE LARGEST CROWD - THIRTY DEEP ALONG AN ENDLESS LINE.
MOST OF THE NAMES THAT WILL BE MENTIONED SHORTLY, OTHER THAN "SATCH" SUCH AS BIRMINGHAM SAM, AND DERO AUSTIN ARE NOT BE HOUSEHOLD NAMES, INCLUDING MINE, ODELL NORRIS. OTHERS YOU MAY NOT KNOW INCLUDE; LEWIS SKINNER, SAMUEL PEYTON, AND JIMMY BRADLEY WHO WAS BEING SCOUTED BY THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS ON THIS NIGHT.
OTHERS WHO WERE BEING LOOKED AT FOR A POSSIBLE JOB IN THE MAJORS WERE LEE SPANN, RICHARD WEBSTER, ROBERT PORTER AND MYSELF. HAVING ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD FAMOUS YANKEES DURING THE MANY GAMES WE PLAYED ACROSS THE NATION SINCE APRIL. EACH ONE OF US HAD SOMETHING OTHERS WANTED. FOR MICKEY SELLERS IT WAS HIS SPEED, GLOVE AND FLASHY STYLE OF PLAY THAT ATTRACTED A SCOUT FROM THE CINCINNATI REDS.
BUT FOR ME IT WAS THE BIGGEST NIGHT EVER FOR THE LIFE OF A NINETEEN YEAR OLD FIRST BASEMAN, THE SON OF A BAPTIST MINISTER AND A HOUSE WIFE.
INSIDE OUR DUGOUT TO VISIT AND WISH US LUCK WERE CHICAGO CUBS STARS BILLY WILLIAMS AND ERNIE BANKS.
THEY MET WITH BOTH TEAMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DUGOUTS AND THESE TWO STARS GAVE US THEIR BLESSINGS.
THIS NIGHT MY MEMORIES WILL ACCOMPANY ME INTO ETERNITY AS I WENT 2 FOR 3 AGAINST THE LEGENDARY SATCHEL PAIGE.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, THIS PIECE IS DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED SUCH AS PAIGE, SAM, LEWIS (GOAT) SKINNER, AND HERBERT BARNHILL, (SATCHEL'S CATCHER FOR MANY MANY YEARS INCLUDING THE TIME THEY PLAYED IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES WITH FOR THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS).
THESE FOUR MEN WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY MENTAL BOOK OF FOND MEMORIES. PAIGE WAS ALWAYS A GENTLEMAN'S GENTLEMAN. AND TO ALL THE PLAYERS IN THIS CLASSIC WHOSE NAMES WERE NOT MENTIONED, THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE/
ANY OMISSION ON MY PART OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE. HOWEVER, YOUR NAMES HAVE BEEN ENGRAVED ON A PLAQUE THAT WAS DONATED BY ME TO THE NEW DURKEEVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. -- by Odell Norris
