Early Anniston baseball Anniston first hosted semi–professional teams as early as 1892. In 1892, the Anniston team played a team from
Atlanta, Georgia, winning by the score of 3–0 at Atlanta. Anniston was first named in minor league baseball when the 1903 Anniston "Invincibles" were one of four members of the independent Alabama–Georgia League. Official league records, standings and statistics for the 1903 league are unknown. On August 28, 1903, the Invincibles had a record of 42–11 as reported in the local newspaper. The 1903 Anniston roster was said to have been composed of college players who were housed with host families. "All the players were prefect gentlemen, during their stay not one of them was seen to enter a barroom,"
the Anniston Star reported. The team disbanded on August 15, 1903, due to not being challenged within their league. The local paper noted that "the boys will all return to college in September. The people of Anniston wish for them a successful year." Stouch signed Jackson for $75 a month, which was an increase over what Jackson made playing in the mill leagues. When the
Philadelphia Athletics of the
American League offered Greenville $900 for his contract, Stouch convinced Jackson who originally hesitated to play for the Athletics. The Anniston team folded from the league on July 9, 1912, along with the
Bessemer team. At the time they folded, the Anniston team had a record of 19–29, playing their shortened season under managers George Grove and Lindsay Scarborough. The
Decatur team eventually won the league championship with a record of 52–31 and were managed by Tom Stouch. The Tennessee–Alabama League folded following their one season of play and never reformed. stealing third base against
Jimmy Austin and the
New York Highlanders. Photograph by
Charles M. Conlon.
Ty Cobb began the 1904 season with the
Class C level
Augusta Tourists of the
South Atlantic League. Augusta released Cobb after playing the first two games of his first professional season, having signed a contract for $50.00 per month with Augusta. Cobb then was offered a contract by Anniston. He sought the advice of his father William Herschel Cobb, a schoolteacher, who told him "Go for it. And I want to tell you one other thing — don’t come home a failure." Cobb then played most of the season with Anniston before he returned to play for Augusta to conclude the 1904 season after Anniston had folded. Cobb had been released from Augusta along with
pitcher, Thad Hayes, who was a friend of the Anniston team owner and manager, L.L. Scarbrough. Hayes was invited to play in Anniston, and knew the team was also looking for an outfielder. He persuaded Cobb to go with him to Anniston and Cobb was signed by Scarborough to a contract for $65 per month plus room and board. On June 22, 1904, Anniston was in sixth place in the league standings with a 14–15 record. On that date, Cobb batted leadoff for Anniston and went 1-5 with a triple while playing centerfield in a 9–1 loss for Anniston at home. 200 were in attendance for the game, which was played in 75 minutes. Cobb hit .370 for Anniston with 6 stolen bases in 22 documented Anniston games. In 1905, Cobb made his major league debut with the
Detroit Tigers and also had personal tragedy. On the evening of August 8, 1905, Cobbs' father had suspected his mother Amanda Cobb of infidelity, and after leaving, secretly returned to their home in with a pistol. Shortly after midnight William Cobb climbed onto the porch roof and approached the bedroom window. With the course of events unknown, his mother Cobb shot William Cobb twice, killing him. Amanda Cobb claimed to have mistaken her husband for a burglar, but a coroner’s inquest led to her arrest on the charge of manslaughter. A grand jury was formed and indicted her. Amanda Cobb was acquitted at trial in March 1906. Cobb later said of his father, "My father was the greatest man I ever knew. He was a scholar, state senator, editor, and philosopher. I worshiped him." Today, a historical marker in Anniston, Alabama is placed at the former site of Cobb's residence, which was a boarding house. The marker was erected in 2009. The marker is located on the corner of 10th Street and Quintard Avenue in Anniston. The plaque refers to the team as the Anniston "Steelers." Cobb's residence was The Baker boarding house, which was located at 1010 Quintard Avenue, where Cobb lived with teammate Edwin Darden. Cobb would walk to the ballpark in Anniston on game days with local boys, giving them his shoes to carry to the ballpark. Upon arrival, he would have the children admitted into the ballpark. The scorebook has been on display in several public events. The first game recorded in the book took place in Anniston on May 16, 1904, which was the opening day game between the Anniston Noblemen and the Bessemer Marvels. The scorebook shows that Ty Cobb played left field in the game and batted fifth in the batting order, going 1-4 at the plate and committing an error while playing left field. Retiring as a player in 1928, Ty Cobb became a charter member of the
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Cobb joined
Walter Johnson,
Christy Mathewson,
Babe Ruth and
Honus Wagner as the first players to be inducted into the hall of fame. Cobb has the major league record for the highest lifetime batting average, .367, and is second in
runs scored with 2,245, being passed by
Ricky Henderson. Cobb is also second in career hits with 4,191 and triples with 297. Cobb is third with 897 career stolen bases. His 275 career assists as a centerfielder remain second in baseball history.
1911 to 1912 – Southeastern League In 1911, Anniston resumed minor league play when the Anniston "Models" team was formed and became members of the six-team Class D level
Southeastern League. Anniston won the league championship. In 1911, the
Gadsden Steel Makers and
Rome Romans teams were the only two teams returning to the league, as four new franchises were added. Gadson and Rome were joined by the Anniston Models,
Decatur Twins,
Huntsville Westerns and
Selma Centralites teams in the six-team league, which began play on May 8, 1911.
Clarence "Pop-Boy" Smith had grown up in
Birmingham, Alabama and was often in attendance at
Birmingham Barons minor league games as a youth. Smith soon was selling sodas and peanuts at the ballpark, working as a vendor. He eventually was allowed to shag flyballs during batting practice and in 1910, began to pitch batting practice for the Barons team. Barons catcher
Rowdy Elliott recommended that Smith be signed to a contract in a low-level league and Barons manager
Carlton Molesworth agreed. The Barons signed Smith and had him report to Anniston for the 1911 season. On May 10, 1911, Smith made his debut for Anniston, striking out 10 in a game against Selma. During the 1911 season for Anniston, Smith pitched both games of seven double headers at age 19. First place Anniston finished 3.5 games ahead of second place Gadsen in the final standings of the Southeastern League, which held no playoffs The 1912 Anniston Models continued play as members of the Southeastern League, but the league folded before the end of the regular season. The league began play on April 5, 1912. After beginning the second half of the split-season schedule on July 22 after Anniston folded, the league disbanded August 2, 1912. The league folded with the following official second half standings: Gadsden (7-4),
Talladega Highlanders (5-5), Selma (5-6), and Rome (5-7). Anniston ended the 1912 season with an overall record of 41–35, finishing in third place, as Thomas Fisher returned as manager. The Models ended the season 2.0 games behind first place Gadsden. in the shortened season.
1913 to 1917 Georgia–Alabama League Following the folding of the Southeastern League, 1913 Anniston "Moulders" began play as charter members of the newly formed, six–team, Class D level
Georgia–Alabama League. The
Gadsden Steel Makers,
LaGrange Terrapins,
Newnan Cowetas,
Opelika Opelicans and
Talladega Indians teams joined the with the Annison Moulders in beginning league play on May 5, 1913. The Anniston "Moulders' nickname corresponds to local history and industry. In April 1872, the Woodstock Iron Company was founded in Anniston by
Samuel Noble. The
molding process and
Metal injection molding were used to produce iron and iron products. Emile "Chick" Hannon became the Anniston manager for the 1913 season. Hannon had been a football and baseball player at the
University of Alabama and had subsequently served in the U.S. Army, stationed in France until his discharge as a second lieutenant. Hannon had moved to Anniston following his college graduation. When hired as the Anniston manager, Hannon was an assistant coach at the University of Alabama football and baseball teams. Hannon played
quarterback for Alabama during his football career. The Anniston Moulders placed fourth in the 1913 Georgia–Alabama League final standings. Anniston Moulders ended the 1913 season with a record of 45–45 as Chick Hannon served as manager. The Anniston Moulders finished 16.5 games behind the first place Gadsden team in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs. On July 4, 1914, Anniston pitcher
Whitey Glazner came into the game in relief in the top of the third inning with the game tied 5-5 tie and proceeded to pitch seven innings, allowing only one-run in his relief appearance. In the bottom of the fifth, Glazner hit a two-run homer to put Anniston up 7-6 en route to a 10-6 victory. After the home run with 1,300 in attendance at Anniston, the fans threw nickels, dimes, and quarters onto the field, giving Glazner "a purse of $29.32." The Anniston Moulders continued play in 1914, as members of the eight-team Class D level Georgia–Alabama League. The league expanded from six teams to eight teams. The Anniston Moulders, Gadsden Steel Makers, LaGrange Terrapins, Newnan Cowetas, Opelika Opelicans and Talladega Indians were the returning member teams and joined with the expansion
Rome Romans and
Selma River Rats in beginning league Georgia–Alabama League play on May 8, 1914. The Anniston Moulders placed fifth in the final standings as the Georgia–Alabama League expanded from six teams to eight teams for the 1914 season. The Newnan Cowetas team was in first place when the season ended and the Anniston Moulders placed fifth in the final league standings. The Anniston Moulders ended their shortened 1915 season with a record of 22–38, placing fifth out of the six league teams. Jack Steele managed the Anniston team in 1915. Anniston ended the season 17.5 games behind first place Newnan in the final standings. The Rome Romans captured the league championship, with the Anniston Moulders finishing in fifth place. The league folded on July 22, 1916, with Rome in first place in the league standings. Despite playing a shortened season in 1916, the Georgia–Alabama League continued play in 1917. The Anniston Moulders continued play in the six-team league and won the league championship in a brief season. On May 23, 1917, the Georgia-Alabama League folded. In the brief season, the Anniston Moulders finished with a record of 13–5 to place first in the final standings when the league stopped play. Playing the brief season under manager Bill Pierre, the Moulders finished 1.5 games ahead of the second place Griffin team in the final standings. The Georgia–Alabama League did not return to play in 1918 and there were only ten total minor leagues that played the season in 1918 due to
World War I. Anniston, Alabama next hosted a minor league team when the 1928
Anniston Nobles began a three-season tenure of play returning as members of the reformed Georgia-Alabama League. ==The ballpark==