A historical page to commemorate one of the most successful Semi-Professional Baseball teams in Tenn
During the early days of organized sports in Benton County, Tennessee (prior to the 1940’s), baseball was the premier sport known throughout America. Although football was a long played sport beginning to rise with the emerging influence of the NFL in the 1930’s, baseball was still the preeminent fan followed sport. Since Little League and Babe Ruth were not in existence, baseball outside of the h
igh school level had to be organized via wealthy individuals, business or community organizations and the funding of such relied on nonsubsidized funds in most cases. These ball clubs were classified as “Semi-Professional” teams and there were numerous levels of classifications and leagues. You never knew if or when a town would field a competitive level team so following them historically can be a challenge. One year they are in existence and then dormant several years after and then spring up again years later! For a county as rural and less economically wealthy as Benton County, a semi-professional team was never of great interest prior to 1930. Comparing baseball as we know it today, the Semi-Pro athletic level would more than likely be the equivalent of Senior Babe Ruth or Single A level professional baseball. Due to many of these players being “home-grown” and having to help on the family farm or possibly still in their senior year of high school, seasons did not usually began until early May and went into late September and early October if the teams were playing into the championship level timeframe. In the rural areas where agriculture was king as well as being in the beginnings of The Great Depression, farm work was more important than baseball so local players constantly had to quit usually at the behest of their parents’ demands. Other players were interchanged from team to team, dropped or added multiple times over a season playing week to week depending on what team would employ them. It was not uncommon to play a team who on that particular day may not have enough players to compile a 9 man line-up. In such cases players were loaned out from their opponent’s roster just so they could play the game without forfeiting. A forfeit would mean no gate revenue and ultimately, profit was a primary motive in fielding a team for these were business ventures to a great degree. The more successful teams were from the urban areas simply because they had the means to conduct a well-funded, stable player roster, availability of a municipal ballfield and consistent team organization. Benton County had never seemed to be able to provide such a successful endeavor and no post high school baseball team was ever found to exist until 1930. In the early Spring of 1930 a most unusual event happened which would turn out to possibly be the creation of one of the most successful baseball teams in Tennessee history of any level! This semi-professional team would have a two year successful run unprecedented for an organization originating from, of all things, a Sunday School Class! Referencing the April 26, 1930 Camden Chronicle, the Camden First United Methodist Church’s “Volunteer Sunday School Class” decided to embark on an endeavor “to create a team that would make money for the church or for some interest of the church, and to promote good clean sportsmanship”. This team would be named after the Sunday School Class itself and shortened to “Vols”! Local merchants who attended the Methodist Church pitched in to buy uniforms while individual donations from area fans of the game went to procure new equipment. Participation was high on members willing to play and so possibly through Divine happenstance the Camden Vols were born!
28/05/2021