Sports Shorts: Before the Crusaders, there were the Belleville Turner Girls, city champs of 1927
Last weekend's IHSA state tournament and the Althoff Crusaders’ championship has put me in mind of my all-time favorite basketball team.
That would be the Belleville Turner Society all-girls team, city champions of 1927.
I can't tell you too much about the team, like its record or top scorer. I only know for sure that the Belleville Turners were, in fact, city champions and that they had a spirited little guard named Leona Shade (pronounced “sha-DAY” in its native French, “SHOT-ee” in the harsher tongue of Belleville's Vaterland).
You'll see her in the photograph — top row, last player on your right, standing by the coach. That's my grandmother.
Grandma was proud of the team and even kept this photo in a gold frame on her kitchen table. What little I know about the team and her playing career came from my regular Saturday visits to that same kitchen on Bristow Street.
▪ Grandma, who would have been 25 years old at the time this picture was taken, had a crooked pinky finger on her left hand. This was not unusual for a woman of her advanced years so it was never a topic of conversation until she revealed one day that the digit was broken in a fight for a loose ball and was never properly set.
Can your grandma say that?
▪ Her playing career ended with a career shooting percentage of 100 percent. That's right, she made the one and only shot she ever took, but was soundly rebuked by her coaches for even attempting it in the first place.
In those days, guards were for defense and defense alone. Their job once they had the ball in hand was to pass. Period.
Grandma usually spoke of this rather matter-of-factly. Once, however, she likened this limitation of her skills to my grandfather's refusal to allow her to get her driver's license. During that particular instance, she was indignant. "I don't think that was very fair," she said.
▪ The player on the top row, third person on your left — the only person wearing glasses — is grandma's sister, Marie. She was the principal at Henry Raab Elementary and, as I recall, one of the first female school administrators in the state of Illinois.
I've never bothered to verify that particular claim because, frankly, I just prefer to assume it's true and not spoil family legend.
▪ Grandma and Great Aunt Marie were part of the Turnverein ladies team that reclaimed the city championship in 1928.
▪ Finally, this has nothing to do with the basketball team, but has a sports-related ending if you can hang in there with me through a brief tour of the Eschman’s extended family tree.
Grandma was, in fact, not my dad's biological mother. Pop was born in February of 1931 and his mother died on Christmas Day of 1934. In 1938, Auggie Eschman, my grandfather and owner of the former Eschman-Schmidt Lumber (current site of Liese No. 2), got remarried to Leona, the former Belleville Turner's guard.
Leona had a sister, Elsa, whose granddaughter Ann went on to marry the most reviled sports franchise owner in the history of town villains. That's right, Ann (nee Walton), Grandma’s great niece, is the wife of the evil Stan Kroenke — he of the massive bank account, crummy Los Angeles football team, even worse comb-over, and tar-stained heart.
Grandma was fiercely guarded against her status as a so-called "step." But, she's the only mother my dad knew and was completely adored by her grandchildren. Besides, she had game. She's an Eschman because some things are thicker than even blood.
But, her lousy great nephew? Forget it.
Sorry, Stan, the Eschmans can't claim you. In fact, your deceptive hijacking of the Rams to Tinsletown and related trashing of the city of St. Louis have left me no choice but to write you out of my will.
State Title Trifecta
After the Althoff Crusaders defeated Lincoln-Way West for the Class 3A state basketball championship, buddy Gary Gansmann emailed to ask if any other Illinois high school has won state championships in all three of the traditional boys’ sports — football, basketball and baseball.
The Crusaders completed the triple crown last weekend after having already brought home the big trophy in football (1980, ‘90 and ‘91) and baseball (1991).
More research needs to be done to compile a complete list, but close to home, the Carlyle Indians have completed that trifecta as well. The baseball trophy came first in 1981, followed by football in 1988 and basketball later that same school year in 1989.
Rest in Peace, Joe
The baseball world and Cardinals Nation lost a gem with the passing of Joe Garagiola at the age of 90 Wednesday.
Many knew him best for the work he did on national baseball broadcasts and NBC's Today show. But I tend to remember Garagiola first as the guy Branch Rickey thought was a better catcher than Yogi Berra.
Garagiola and Berra actually were best buddies growing up across the street from each other in The Hill neighborhood of south St. Louis. After having both tried out for Rickey, the legendary executive, the Cardinals offered Berra $250 to sign with the club. They offered Garagiola, just 16 years old, $500.
Garagiola made his big league debut in 1946, the tail end of the "St. Louis Swifties" era, and earned a World Series ring. He hit .237 in 211 at-bats, with 3 home runs and 22 RBI.
After five and half years with the Cardinals, he was traded to the Pittsburgh and wrapped up a nine-year career as a lifetime .257 hitter with the Pirates, Cubs and Giants. And we all know how Yogi’s Hall of Fame career panned out.
On his friendship with Berra, Garagiola was famous for reminding his amused audiences "Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street!"
Baseball Upon Us
We’re less than a week away from big league baseball. The defending National League Central Division champions St. Louis Cardinals open in Pittsburgh Sunday at 12:05. In case you didn’t see our special season preview section Sunday, here are some links to the stories you missed:
Cardinals believe they still set the standard in the National League
Pitching staff should remain one of the best in baseball
COLUMN: Should Cardinals just concede NL to Cubs now?
It’s their time: Piscotty, Grichuk embrace new roles
Power Parade: Will Carpenter maintain his long-ball swing?
What the experts say about the Cardinals
COLUMN: Gyorko adds depth to improve Cardinals infield
Baseball Birthdays
▪ Monday would be the 118th birthday of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, Moses J. “Chief” Yellowhorse, the first full native American in the big leagues. He lasted two seasons from 1921-22, finishing at a career 8-4 with a 3.93 ERA.
▪ Tuesday marks the 49th birthdays of former Cardinals Brian Jordan and Geronimo Pena. Both of these guys were a part of Joe Torre’s 1993 team that most fans have likely long forgotten. With Gussie Busch gone, the brewery got suddenly cheap and was actively pursuing a buyer for the club. But those no-name Cardinals won 87 games that year, which in the current three-division, wild-card era would have been good enough for a playoff berth, if not a divisional title.
▪ There is no bigger birthday Tuesday that that of Denton True “Cy” Young, born 1867. The Cyclone won a record 511 games to go with a record 316 losses — still good enough for a .618 winning percentage and a 2.63 career ERA. He holds six other pitching records and was in the inaugural induction class in Cooperstown. You may not know that he spent two years in St. Louis, including the only year the club was called the Perfectos (1899) and the first year it was called the Cardinals (1900). In those two seasons he was 45-29 and led the league with 40 complete games once.
▪ Friday is April Fool’s Day and, appropriately enough, the birthday of Hall of Fame knuckle-baller Phil Niekro. That pitch kept Niekro in the big leagues for 24 years until he retired at age 48 in 1987. He’s 318-274 lifetime with a 3.35 ERA, having averaged 233 innings pitched per season. He also has 3,342 strikeouts.
▪ Three more Hall of Famers celebrate birthdays Saturday including pitcher Don Sutton (71), who won 324 games, mostly with the Dodgers. Long-time White Sox shortstop Luke Appling (b. 1907) hit .310 in his career, including a year missed for military service during WWII. Finally, 18-year infielder Hughie Jennings (b. 1869) hit .312 lifetime for five different teams, notably the old Baltimore Orioles. He also led the league five times in getting hit by pitches.
Don’t forget
I want your feedback. Got a question or a comment? Email me at teschman@bnd.com; call me at (618) 239-2540; or write me at BND Sports, PO Box 437, Belleville, IL 62222.
This story was originally published March 26, 2016 at 12:54 AM with the headline "Sports Shorts: Before the Crusaders, there were the Belleville Turner Girls, city champs of 1927."