One glorious season: How baseball helped to integrate Decatur, Illinois

Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Spring 2003 by Chicoine, Stephen

The local editorial staff for the Decatur Herald deserved as much acclaim from the hometown fans as the Decatur Commodores themselves. An 11 September editorial boldly attacked Senator Joseph McCarthy's "irresponsible approach ... under the guise of patriotism."84 Meanwhile, the polio epidemic continued to ravage Illinois and the nation. Casualties continued to mount in the bloody fighting in Korea. Baseball remained a welcome distraction that fall of 1952.

The championship playoff was an improbable match-up between Decatur and Hannibal after the Stags shocked Danville three-games-to-one in their series. While perhaps not as formidable as Paris, Hannibal featured the power hitting of big first baseman Sam Wiggins and a solid pitching staff. Former Commie Nick Starasta provided solid catching for the Stags. Hannibal, not expecting to be in the playoffs, had leased out their ballpark to an outdoor show. Consequently, the entire series was played in Decatur at Fans Field.85

The opening game of the championship playoff between Decatur and Hannibal was a thriller. Neil Maxa, star pitcher for Paris, was allowed to sign and play for Hannibal in the series. He held the Commies to only six hits. Pete Naranjo was equally tough on the mound, giving up only six singles and not allowing a single runner past second base. He coolly worked himself out of several jams with base runners on first and second. Naranjo also hit a double in the sixth inning and scored the game's only run, as well as adding another double in the ninth. Decatur won 1-0 and Naranjo earned his fifteenth victory of the season.86 Millard wrote that Naranjo had the best control at his age of any lefty who had ever pitched for the Commies. The praise was particularly noteworthy, as Millard had seen thirty years of baseball in Decatur, including Hall-of-Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell. He suggested that he was not alone in considering Naranjo as the best Decatur prospect for the major leagues.87

Game two was another thriller. Decatur led early on 1-0. Hubert Brooks kept Hannibal scoreless for six innings until being knocked out in the seventh. Hannibal led 4-1going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Hannibal hurler Armando Diaz, a nineteen game winner with an earned run average of less than a run per game, seemed in complete control. When Gus Chenard grounded out for the first out, some fans began to head for the parking lot. That was when Bob Leonhard turned the course of the game, ripping a sharp single. Charley Paula also connected for a single to advance Leonhard and some of the departing fans in the aisles took a seat. Stag manager Nick Starasta ordered Diaz to walk Julio Acosta to load the bases and set up a double play. Andy Smith drove in Leonhard with a ground ball that forced out Acosta at second base. Jim Freeman stepped up to the plate with two outs and the Commodores behind by a score of 4-2. Millard recalled that Freeman "could not have looked worse on one swing."88 The veteran ballplayer dug in and waited for his pitch. He brought the crowd to its feet with a double off the center field fence that drove home two runs to tie the game and sent it to extra innings.