Kalamazoo Celery Pickers

Beginnings 1887 & 1888 During the early months of 1886, the "Kalamazoo Base Ball Association" was organized, with the intention of forming a baseball team in the city. The association accumulated $5,000 in capital stock. Future manager A.W. Murphy was a part of the association, as were Oliver G. Hungerford, and William A. Doyle. Doyle and Hungerford were both local business leaders and still active baseball players who spearheaded an effort to build a ballpark in Kalamazoo. Their efforts were successful when the Wheaton Avenue Grounds were established to host the Kalamazoo team, who played in 1886 as a semi-professional team with local players. Oliver Hungerford became the principal owner of the Kalamazoo team, which joined the Ohio State League for the 1887 season. A.C. "Al" Buckenberger, a third baseman from Detroit, was hired as the Kalamazoo player/manager. The local players from 1886 were replaced by professional players signed by Hungerford and Buckenberger. The Akron Acorns, Columbus Buckeyes, Mansfield, Sandusky Suds, Steubenville Stubs, Wheeling Nail Cities and Zanesville Kickapoos teams joined Kalamazoo in beginning league play on May 2, 1887. With a record of 73–34, the Kazoos finished the 1887 season in first place in the eight-team league, playing the season under manager Al Buckenberger. Kalamazoo finished 13.5 games ahead of the second place Zanesville Kickapoos as the Ohio State League held no playoffs. Kalamazoo pitcher Mother Watson won 29 games to lead the Ohio State League and teammate Bill Irwin had a league leading 283 strikeouts. Ed Stapleton hit 12 home runs and scored 121 runs, tops in the league in both categories. Following the 1887 Ohio State League season, Kalamazoo also defeated a team from Indianapolis for a mythical "State" title. The Kalamazoo Kazoos disbanded before the end of the 1888 Tri-State League season. On September 4, 1888, the Kazoos disbanded having posted a 62–37 record at the time the team folded. Kalamazoo played under managers Tip O'Neill and A.W. Murphy. After folding in 1888, Kalamazoo continued play in another league in 1889. On September 3, 1889, Kalamazoo (32–42) moved to Flint, Michigan and ended the season playing as the Flint Flyers. The Kazoos/Flyers team finished last in the standings with overall record of 38–59, ending the season in sixth place in the six-team league. Managed by James Lombard and Tim Manning, the Kazoos/Flyers finished 22.0 games behind the first place Jackson Jaxons in the final standings. Flint continued Michigan State League play in 1890 before the league folded. After five seasons, Kalamazoo resumed minor league play, joining as their former league reformed. The Kalamazoo "Celery Pickers" joined the reformed Class B level Michigan State League. The Adrian Reformers, Battle Creek Adventists, Jackson Jaxons, Lansing Senators, Owosso Colts and Port Huron Marines teams joined with Kalamazoo in beginning league play. The 1895 Kalamazoo team was known as the "Celery Pickers" for the first time and ended the season with a record of 55–41. Kalamazoo placed third in the Michigan State League, playing the season under manager Ed Mayo. Kalamazoo finished 9.0 games behind the first place Adrian Demons who had Baseball Hall of Fame members Bud Fowler and Honus Wagner on their roster during the season. The celery industry eventually faltered in Kalamazoo. Today, there is a historical marker with the heading "Kalamazoo Celery" and an inscription, located at South Pine Street and Balch Street in Kalamazoo. The Michigan State League did not return to minor league play in 1896 and Kalamazoo again hosted a local semiprofessional team run by Mayo and Folz. On July 12, 1897, the Kalamazoo team moved to Flint for a second time in their history, with a record of 23–41 on the date of the move. On August 16, 1897, the Michigan State League folded, with the Bay City team in first place and Kalamazoo/Flint in last place of the four remaining teams. The Kalamazoo/Flint team ended the season with an overall record of 32–51, as Fred Popkay and Ed Mayo served as the managers between the two locations. Just before the 1906 season, E.J. Ryan, who had earlier been appointed as the White Sox manager, was replaced as the Kalamazoo manager by Clarence Picknell. Managed by Clarence Pickell and Red Killefer, the White Sox finished 6.5 games behind the first place Mount Clemens Bathers, with a 63–41 final record. The Southern Michigan League became a Class B level league after it expanded to become an eight-team league, adding the Lansing Senators and Flint Vehicles teams to the league. With a record of 62–47, Kalamazoo finished in second place and played the season under manager Maurice Myers. The White Sox ended the season 6.0 games behind the first place Tecumseh Indians. Tecumseh won the league championship after the league played the remainder of the season with seven teams after Jackson folded during the season. The White Sox ended the season with a record of 70–56 and in second place. Led by returning manager Maurice Myers, Kalamazoo ended the season 3.0 games behind the first place Saginaw Wa-was, as the league held no playoffs. Leonard Cote of Kalamazoo had a batting average of .327 that led the Southern Michigan League, while teammate Belmont Method had 24 wins to lead the league pitchers. Kalamazoo ended the season with a final record of 64–60 to place fourth, playing the season under manager Harry Martin. The Kalamazoo Kazoos ended the season 8.5 games behind the first place Saginaw Wa-was. Playing under manager Charles Wagner, the Kazoos finished with a final record of 87-52 and ended the season in a first-place tie with the Lansing Senators, who had an identical record. The two first place teams ended the Southern Michigan League season 4.0 games ahead of the third place Adrian Yeggs. Due to the tie in the standings, a playoff series was held, and Kalamazoo beat Lansing 4 games to 2 in the finals to claim the league championship. Kalamazoo's Bradley Valliere led the league with 23 wins and teammate Berne Hughey led the Southern Michigan League with 193 strikeouts. With a record of 88–51, playing again under manager Charles Wagner, Kalamazoo finished 6.5 ahead of the second place Lansing Senators. With their first-place finish and no playoffs in the eight-team league, Kalamazoo won their second consecutive Michigan State League championship. Pitcher Beany Jacobson of Kalamazoo led Michigan State League 26 wins. In his career, Pipp became known as the player permanently replaced at 1B in the New York Yankees starting lineup by Lou Gehrig after taking a day off and Gehrig began his consecutive games streak of over 2,000 games. Due to the famous replacement by Gehrig, players began to say they were "Wally Pipped" when replaced in a lineup, due to a minor injury or a day off. The Kalamazoo Celery Pickers placed fourth in the 1912 Southern Michigan League standings. Kalamazoo ended the season with a record of 63–62, with Charles Wagner continuing as manager. The Celery Pickers finished the season 15.0 games behind first place Adrian Lions. The 1913 Kalamazoo "Kazoos" ended the Southern Michigan League season in seventh place in the final standings as the league became a Class D level league. The Kazoos ended the season near the bottom of the eight-team Southern Michigan League, with a 59–67 record. Charles Wagner continued as manager as the Kazoos ended the season in sixth place, 19.5 games behind first place Battle Creek Crickets in the eight-team league. The league expanded to become a ten-team league and Kalamazoo finished the season in last place. The Kazoos had an overall record of 49–97 record, as the team placed tenth in the ten-team league. The Kazoos were managed by Charles Wagner for the final time, with the team finishing 47.5 games behind first place Bay City Beavers. With their tenth-place finish, Kalamazoo did not qualify for the playoff final won by the Saginaw Ducks over Bay City. Kalamazoo finished as the runner up in their return to play in 1920. Vickers was released after a slow start to the season and replaced by Tomer, who played 1B for Kalamazoo. The league expanded from a four team to a six-team league in 1921, adding the Lansing Senators and Jackson Mayors teams to the league. The 1921 Kalamazoo Celery Pickers had a final record of 69–58 and again finished in second place in the final Central League standings. Kalamazoo ended the season 15.0 games behind the first place Ludington Mariners. The Celery Pickers did not qualify for the playoff final, won by the Grand Rapids Billbobs over Ludington. Kalamazoo replaced the Brantford Brants in the league play. In 1923, the Kalamazoo Celery Pickers placed fifth in their first season of Michigan-Ontario League play. The Celery Pickers finished with a record of 69–84, playing under manager Marty Becker. No playoffs were held, and Kalamazoo ended the season 12.0 games behind the first place Bay City Wolves in the final league standings. The Kazoos finished 39.5 games behind the first place Bay City Wolves in the eight-team league. With their last place finish, Kalamazoo did not qualify for the playoff, own by Bay City over Flint. On June 13, 1926, the league stopped play with Kalamazoo Celery Pickers in first place, with a record of 16–8. Kalamazoo finished 4.0 games ahead of the second place Ludington Tars in the Central League final standings, before the leagues merged. Boss Schmidt was the Kalamazoo manager as the team continued play in the newly formed league. Continuing play in 1926, the Celery Pickers finished in seventh place in the newly formed Michigan State League. Kalamazoo next hosted another minor league team when the 1996 Kalamazoo Kodiaks began a tenure as members of the independent level Frontier League. ==The ballparks==

In their seasons of minor league play, between 1887 and 1926, Kalamazoo teams hosted home games at four different ballparks in Kalamazoo. In 1887 and 1888, the Kalamazoo Kazoos played at Athletic Park. The ballpark was also called the Wheaton Avenue Grounds and was dismantled in 1888 after league play ceased. Athletic Park was located at Wheaton Avenue and Davis Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ballpark was originally called the Wheaton Avenue Grounds. Local baseball players Bill Doyle and Ollie Hungerford led the effort to build the ballpark on vacant land at the site. The ballpark opened on June 18, 1886, in strong fashion, with a game between a local Kalamazoo team and the Chicago White Sox. North Side Park filled the void created in the absence of the Wheaton Avenue Grounds and construction was spearheaded by Kalamazoo banker Ed Dayton. At the beginning of the 1896 season, the park was enlarged, and the original grandstand moved the south to accommodate a new quarter-mile plank bicycle track on the grounds. The Kalamazoo College played at the North Street field. Following the 1897 season, now without a professional team, North Street Park was abandoned and was dismantled in 1898, with the grandstand lumber sold at auction. From 1906 to 1914, Kalamazoo hosted home minor league games at Riverview Park. The park was located near the fairgrounds in the era with a capacity of 1,500. In April 1905, sitework began on a new baseball field, located on the north side of Lake Street. The site location was just west of Recreation Park on the south side of Lake Street and a short walk from the streetcar line. Riverview Park was the name chosen for the new park, due to being near the Kalamazoo River. constructed in 1921 and demolished in 2004. Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ballpark was so named after the Kalamazoo Stationery Company. The company had purchased an old circus ground, located at the corner of Harrison and Frank streets, with future plans to build a production facility on the property. In the meantime, a ten-acre parcel on the site was aside by the company for use as a baseball park. For construction of the new ballpark, Engineers Billingham & Cobb were hired to prepare the construction plans for the new ballpark and H. L. Vanderhorst was contracted to construct the new grandstand, bleachers, and ballpark fencing. Stationery Park opened in 1920, with costs of .75¢ for grandstand seats, .50¢ for bleacher seats and .25¢ for children's seats. Stationery Park was a few blocks from the streetcar lines, with special tracking to accommodate fans arriving on the Grand Rapids-Battle Creek interurban line. The ballpark also had five hundred automobile parking spaces. The ballpark was located at the North end of Harrison Street. The site on Harrison Street was between Walbridge Street and the Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo, Michigan. ==Timeline==

• Sam Barnes (1921) • Marty Becker (1912–1913, 1922, 1923–1924, MGR) • Lynn Bell (1907–1908) • Hal Bubser (1923–1924) • Al Buckenberger (1897, MGR) • Cupid Childs (1888) • Gowell Claset (1926) • Peter Connell (1887) • Bernie DeViveiros (1923) • Mike Donlin (1921) • Hal Elliott (1923–1924) • Harvey Freeman (1926) • Charlie Krause (1897) • Lou Criger (1895) • Vince Dailey (1888) • Hod Fenner (1920–1922) • Ed Flynn (1924) • Bill Geiss (1889) • Frank Griffith (1895) • Bill Hallahan (1924) • Billy Hart (1887) • Newt Hunter (1924, MGR) • Bill Irwin (1887–1888) • Beany Jacobson (1911, 1914) • Ben Koehler (1923) • Ernie Koob (1914)) • Charlie Krehmeyer (1888) • Bill Killefer (1906) • Red Killefer (1906, MGR) • Frank Lobert (1909) • Charlie Maher (1926) • Tim Manning (1889, MGR) • Bert Miller (1895, 1897) • Leo Murphy (1924) • Lou Nagelsen (1911) • Frank Naleway (1924) • Pat O'Connell (1924) • Billy Otterson (1887) • Wally Pipp (1911–1912) • Elton Rynearson (1924) • Boss Schmidt (1926, MGR) • Crazy Schmit (1889) • Bill Snyder (1924) • Dan Sherman (1923–1924) • Walter Thornton (1895) • George Tomer (1920–1921, MGR; 1922) • Bert Tooley (1909) • Jim Tray (1887) • Dick Van Zant (1887) • Clyde Wares (1906)) • Earl Wolgamot (1922–1923) • Gene Woodburn (1907) • Rube Vickers (1920, MGR) ==See also==