Hawes’ life story is all about perseverance

Roy Hawes’ life story is all about perseverance. Hawes, who was born and raised in Shiloh, proved how a lack of a high school baseball career could be overcome en route to a successful profesional career on the diamond.

“It was pretty remarkable,” said Hawes, who played 14 years of professional baseball, including three games with the Washington Senators in September 1951.

Just a year earlier, Hawes was playing in a Class D league, then the lowest rung in professional baseball.

Hawes remembered taking a cab to the ballpark in Washington D.C., and going to see then Lookouts owner Clark Griffith in his office after being called up from the Chattanooga Lookouts.

“His secretary told me that he was here,” Hawes said. “But I’d have to wait as he was busy listening to his favorite radio program, ‘The Lone Ranger.’”

Hawes played six years with the Lookouts, before he hung up his spikes for the final time after the 1960 season, when he was 33 years old.

Hawes even appeared on a 1955 Bowman baseball card. The card, however, came four years after the end of his major league career — a career that lasted only three games.

Despite what the back of his baseball card states, Hawes, who turned 90 on Tuesday, was born and raised in Shiloh, Ill., not in Shiloh, Texas.

He later appeared on a reprinted card issued several years ago. But Hawes doubted recently that he will appear on another card.

“That’s unless the Lord lets me live to I am a 100,” he said and laughed.

Growing up in Shiloh

While growing up Shiloh, Hawes played wth the Shiloh Blue Sox.

“We had a pretty good team,” Hawes said.

The Blue Sox played a number of area baseball teams, including the Belleville Edwards and Dahm Plumbers, who became lore.

“We always had a good time,” he said.

He lived in Shiloh until he joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. At the time, Shiloh’s population was about 300 and with one grocery store, Schneider’s Market.

“Shiloh didn’t even have streets in those days,” he said.

Hawes frequently rode his bike or hitchhiked to the market and to O’Fallon and Belleville, where he played American Legion baseball games.

Hawes, who last visited about eight years ago, can hardly believe Shiloh now has about 14,000 residents, and even a strip shopping mall.

Hawes, who is still known as Jimmy Hawes by some Shiloh residents, attended Shiloh Grade School, which at the time had one room.

He later attended Belleville High School, where he never played baseball because he felt like he was too small as he weighed only about 130 pounds.

“I was kind of frail,” he said.

His father, Marion Hawes, was a coal miner and a home builder.

Marion even built his family home, which is located near the new Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh.

Hawes spent many offseasons with his dad building houses. His mother, Katherine, was a housewife.

Hawes remembers his parents once saying they were 10 cents short of making some sort of payment during the Great Depression.

“That was a lot of money in those days,” he said.

But his dad, who made $7.50 a week as a coal miner, was able to make the payment after he found a dime in his pants.

Hawes said his dad played baseball with him, occasionally.

“He was a pitcher,” he said.

He, however, played a lot of catch with his older sister, Beatrice Kassebaum.

“She was I guess what you call an All-American,” Hawes said. “She was some kind of (softball) player.”

Hawes also had an uncle who played quite a bit of baseball. People always referred to him as “Hickle,” but his real name was Floyd Hawes.

“The Cardinals wanted to sign him and make a centerfielder out of him,” Hawes said. “I don't what happened, but he didn't go.”

Hawes said his parents later drove to see him play minor league games in Louisville, Ky., near the end of his professional career.

Serving his country

After Hawes graduated from Belleville High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, when he was 18. He said when he enlisted, most every young guy in Shiloh did the same thing.

Hawes served two years during World War II, where he made $35 a week. He received a battle star for the Battle of Okinawa. Also known as Operation Iceberg, the Battle of Okinawa took place in April-June 1945. It was the largest amphibious landing in the Pacific theater of World War II. It also resulted in the largest casualties with over 100,000 Japanese casualties and 50,000 casualties for the allies.

Hawes, who achieved the rank as seaman first class, never carried a rifle.

“I just helped with clean up,” said Hawes, who recalled driving officers around Guam in a jeep.

After the war ended, Hawes flew in a C-54 to Hawaii. Once in Hawaii, he was diagnosed with pleurisy and stayed in the hospital for about three weeks.

After his condition improved, Hawes moved back home. His interests had changed and so had he. He was now six-foot, two inches and weighed 180 pounds.

He recalled his dad also bought him his first car, a 1947 Pontiac, after he got out of the service.

“That was quite a prize,” he said.

Hawes attended Belleville Area College (now Southwestern Illinois College) for only one year when he had another calling: baseball.

A budding baseball star

Hawes caught the eye of a St. Louis Cardinals scout, while playing in American Legion baseball games in O’Fallon. He was later invited to a Cardinals’ tryout in Albany, Ga.

After the camp, Hawes signed with the West Frankfort Cardinals in West Frankfort, Ill. But Hawes didn’t make the team, and he went back to Shiloh where he was spotted, again by a New York Giants scout.

But he was never offered a contract by the Giants.

Overall, Hawes would be released four times during his baseball career. A lesser man perhaps would have looked for another profession. Not a determined Hawes, however, where back home in Illinois, he was asked to help the amateur Shiloh Blue Sox, who were playing a playoff game at East St. Louis.

“I kept trying,” he said. “I knew I could play.”

Catching a break

Hawes finally got his break in 1950, when he started playing with Vincennes Citizens, in the Mississippi Valley Ohio League he hit .328 (sixth best in the league) with 13 home runs (fourth best).

Ironicallly, a near tragedy on the field turned things around for Hawes. About his second or third week, Hawes, who was then 23, got hit for the first time in the head with a pitch while Vincennes played in Mattoon, Ill. Players in those days didn’t wear batting helmets.

“It knocked me out cold,” he said.

His teammates carried him to the hospital, where he stayed two nights and a day before Hawes hitchhiked back to join his teammates in Vincennes, Ind.

“In those days, the club didn’t come get you,” he said.

After Hawes rejoined the team, he remembers Vincennes manager Mel Ivy put him right into the batting cage.

“I was a little gun-shy,” he said.

Hawes responded with a vengance. He finished the year hitting .328, and earned a promotion to Class B ball at Sherman-Dennison in the Big State League. After Hawes hit .311 with 17 home runs, he was sold to the Washington Senators, who were looking for a left-handed power hitter to back up Mickey Vernon at first.

Vernon played for 14 full major league seasons (400 at bats or more) in his 20-year career. He batted over .335 twice, over .300 five times, and over .290 nine times. In 1954, he had a career high 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, a career high 14 triples. He led the AL three times in doubles with a total of 33. He also had 294 total bases, which was second in the American League, behind Minnie Miñoso.

The Washington Senators purchased Hawes’ contract in September 1951. He made his major league debut with the club on Sept. 23 in the first game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics. He hit for Connie Marrero. He hit a single up the middle off a Bob Hooper knuckleball for his only major league career baseball hit. He was forced out at second second on the play and the Senators lost 12-4. He lined out in the second game.

His only major league start came in the last game of the 1951 season, the second game of a doubleheader in Washington on Sept. 30 when he again faced Hooper. He went 0-for-4.

“It was quite a thrill,” said Hawes, who never appeared in another big league game.

Mister Lookout

In 1952, the Senators sent Hawes to Class AA Southern Association team at Chattanooga, where they planned to convert him to an outfielder.

“That’s where I found myself,” he said.

Hawes helped the Lookouts win the Southern Association pennant in 1952. Along the way, Hawes led the Lookouts with 20 home runs that season.

“Playing on that championship team is one of my favorite memories,” he said. “You know, (manager) Cal Irmer always said that several of us on that team would have made it to the majors if they had the same number of teams as they do now.”

Hawes played six years with the Chattanooga Lookouts, where to one generation of baseball fans, he was and still is Mister Lookout. Hawes still holds the club’s home run record (with 112) and RBIs record.

He was earlier hit in the head by a pitch in 1952, when he was hitting in the low .240s, was rushed to a hospital with a concussion. It turned out to be a blessing. He said he began concentrating harder at the plate.

Courting Jeanine Baxter

But as Bobbie Love Merritt stated in her June 26, 1995, column appearing in the Catoosa Scene, it was not because of Hawes’ concussion.

Rather, it was caused by a distraction in the bleachers. Her name was Jeanine Baxter.

He and Jeannine were married for 55 years before she died about nine years ago. Hawes said he was introduced to Jeanine at a resaturant.

Hawes will never forget his date with late wife on May 23, 1952. He was stabbed his jugular vein by a robber who tried to break into his parked car in front of Jeanine’s house.

Hawes said he punched the robber in the face when he reached for his wallet and chased him down the street.

Hawes said he can still hear Jeanine screaming and kicking at the dashboard.

“We weren’t hugging and kissing,” he said. “We were just talking.”

Hawes got knicked twice in the incident: Once when the assailant slashed at him, and the second time when Lookouts manager Carl Imer threatened to fine him for being out past the 1 a.m. curfew following a night game

Two months later, Hawes and Jeannie got married in Ringgold, Ga.

Hawes said he will never forget their wedding on Aug. 9, 1952. They were married in the afternoon, and he came straight to the park for a night game against New Orleans.

Hawes hit a walk off home run in the right-field stands in the 10th inning. After Hawes crossed home plate, he rushed to the first-base stands to give his wife a kiss.

“I’m sure I had some divine help with this one,” he said. “It was a great moment.”

The fans were so appreciative of his feat that they took up a collection after the game.

“I was making $125 a week,” Hawes said. “They passed the hat and I collected about three weeks of salary that night. It was quite an event. I still thank the Lord for bringing her into my life. She was a good woman and I loved her dearly. But the Lord wanted her and he took her home.”

Jeanine died from a massive stroke. They had two children, Craig and Lynn. Craig played one year of minor league baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lynn Hawes was a college basketball star.

Hawes still fondly and sentimentally calls Chattanooga “the greatest town in baseball.”

While with Chattanooga, he played with future Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew. Hawes and Killebrew share the Lookouts strikeout record.

In 1954, Hawes led the Southern Association with 38 doubles, and was voted the league’s Comeback Player of the Year.

“There’s a lot of memories there, good memories,” he said. “You can’t do it any more, but at the same time I still like to get out there and watch. It’s different, sitting in the stands and being on the field.”

Hawes said the days were fun, but they were not easy times. As he once said put it, “If you could play catch in those days without breaking a finger, you could sign with somebody.”

Hawes’ career was speckled with injuries, a broken hand, dislocated fingers, a knee injury, a back sprain and concussions after being hit in the head with a pitch five times.

Seeing his hard work pay off

Hawes hung around on for five more seasons playing AA and AAA ball in the Senators, Phillies, Tigers, Braves and Dodgers systems.

He recalled getting a telephone call from the Philadelphia Phillies in 1956.

“They said pack your clothes,” he said. “That was a real thrill.”

But at the same time, veteran Phildadephia rightfielder Elmer Valmo resigned with the Phillies.

“I thought I finally made it,” he said.

The Phillies had a change of heart after Valmo unexpectedly ended his retirement. Philadelphia sent Hawes to Miami instead.

“That’s baseball,” he said. “Sometimes all it takes is getting a break.”

That was the first year of the Miami Marlins of the International League, where he played with famed pitcher Satchel Paige in 1956.

“Satchel was a good ole’ boy,” he said.

Hawes earlier played in traveling exhibtiton games with Paige.

“It was a lot of fun,” Hawes said. “But you didn’t get too much sleep.”

Hawes made about $35 each night he played while barnstorming.

He later played with Louisville (a Class AAA affiliate of Washington) and Charleston (Class AAA affiliate with the Detroit Tigers) in 1956. While plaiying with the Tigers organization, he was invited to spring training.

The following season, he played with three more teams, including Austin, Charleston and Wichita. His wife stayed with thier kids in Georiga, while he played in Charleston, W. Va.

“I wish we had cellphone back in those days,” he said. “It cost too much money in those days to make a long distance telephone call.”

In 1958, Hawes played on three other teams, including Atlanta, Wichita and St. Paul. He was seriously injured when he was hit in the head during an Atlanta Crackers game.

He then played his final two years of his career with Chattanooga. In 1959, Chattanooga was a Class AA affiliate of Washington.

In 1960, Chattanooga was then a Class AA affiliate of Philadelphia. Hawes retired after the 1960 season, when he hit 16 home runs.

“I was getting old,” he said.

He finished his minor league career with 774 hits, including 154 doubles, 40 triples, 107 home runs, 436 runs scored, 449 RBIs and 14 years worth of memories.

“I met them all,” he said. “I played against Whitey (Herzog) when he was in the Yankees chain. We got to play each other three or four times a year.

“... I met (Ted) Williams. I met (Mickey) Mantle. I met (Stan) Musial. It’s a lot of wonderful memories.”

Post career

Following his retirement, Hawes moved back to Ringgold,where he was anxious to be a full-time father to his son, Craig, and his then 3-year-old daughter, Lynn.

He said the Dodgers (who moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958) offered him a managerial job, which he turned down because he was getting tired of living out of suitcases.

“I wish I would have taken it now,” he said. “I enjoyed my youth.”

Hawes’ activities after giving up baseball reads more like the activities of a corps of engineers than those of one man.

In 1960, he worked as a salesman for Industrial Chemical Corp., becoming Georgia sales manager in 1963.

In 1965, Hawes became a sales manager for Latex Company in Dalton, Ga.

Wanting to put something back to the game he so loved, Hawes collaborated with Doc Jay to form the successfull Ringgold Dixie Youth Baseball League in 1964.

90 and going strong

Hawes remains active today.

He works two days a week as a bailiff at Catoosa County Probate Court in Ringgold, Ga. He also is a square dance caller.

A couple times each year, Hawes drives up from Ringgold for a Lookouts game, where he has a lifetime pass. Last April, he even threw out the first pitch at the Lookouts home opener.

Coming home

Hawes now looks forward to returning to Shiloh in the next couple of weeks, where he plans to pay his respects to his parents.

He also looks forward to seeing how Shiloh has changed since he last visited about eight years ago.

“For crying out loud, I might have to bring a map with me,” he said and laughed.

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Hawes’ life story is all about perseverance."