Hail Chattanooga!
Hamilton Bush here, and yes, your history hound is dredging up the past again – but in a much more pleasant manner than your spouse or significant other may do from time to time. Fact of the matter is, no fury on earth is quite as dramatic as one partner who has come unhinged due to some action or inaction on the part of the other.
Now, dear reader, this brings Old Hamilton to the grinding of his seasonal axe. You see, the mental image of Elin Woods wielding a wedge as her husband fled down their posh driveway last November is only the tip of the iceberg. Your scribe’s gripe du jour transcends marital infidelity. It goes beyond simple bad behavior. What, pray tell, has happened to our sports heroes?
Seems our icons of the gridiron, links, court and diamond are not always what they seem; whether musing the tearful steroid confession of Mark McGwire, the gambling guile of Pete Rose, the locker room gunplay of Gilbert Arenas, the self-inflicted wound of Plaxico Burress, or other sad circumstances, the perspective is the same. The list is endless, but, dear reader, you get the idea. While these sports stars may not have asked for close scrutiny, may not have signed up to be role models, and may not have even considered their actions or attitudes wrong at the time, the fact is that living in a fishbowl goes with the territory.
The mantle of fame and fortune must certainly be difficult to bear, and the limelight must at times be blinding. Old Hamilton has no idea how that feels … still waiting on those Pulitzer people. Regardless, each of us has come up short in the character column at some point, victimized ourselves with a dubious decision, and been guilty of a thoughtless word or deed.
Dirty laundry seems all the dirtier when it involves those who throw, catch, swing, shoot, putt or run. Whether it involves the refusal to sign an autograph or a much more serious transgression, the sensationalism is heightened. Come to think of it, bad behavior among sports stars is really nothing new. Think back to those who hawked Brylcreem and drank to excess or those who shaved points, threw games, brawled and caroused in decades past.
Perhaps there is a lesson in all this for you and me. Chances are, if we are tempted to engage in an activity that our grandmothers would disapprove of, it isn’t a good idea in the first place.
Dear Hamilton Bush,
What’s this I hear about a woman playing baseball in Chattanooga and actually striking out two of the game’s greatest legends, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig? I have heard tidbits here and there over the years and love to attend Lookouts games at AT&T Field, but it is a bit far-fetched to believe that such an event could take place. Is somebody trying to reel me in?
Sincerely,
Three Strikes and I’m Out
Dear Three,
One of the greatest showmen and promoters in the history of our fair city was none other than Joe Engel, a one-time major league pitcher with the Washington Senators. Turns out that Engel’s ability to see talent in others became more valuable than his own prowess on the mound. He became one of the most successful major league scouts in the first half of the 20th century. Engel later proved that his “screwball” antics had nothing to do with a delivery to home plate.
Joe’s arrival in Chattanooga in 1929 was at the request of the owner of a brand new minor league franchise, the Lookouts, and Engel took to his management responsibilities like the proverbial duck to water. He oversaw the construction of a fine new ballpark, which would later bear his name, and promoted his team tirelessly. His baseball games were “happenings” and included the giveaways of a house and several automobiles. Engel, it was said, traded a lackluster shortstop for a turkey, cooked the unfortunate animal, and then served it to local sportswriters, whom he said had been “giving him the bird.” Canaries sang in the grandstand, and people came from miles around.
Sounds somewhat familiar, doesn’t it? If Engel had been able to find a camel, chances are good he would have been the first to bring one to a ballgame. Actually, current Lookouts owner Frank Burke takes that honor. Burke doesn’t look half bad in a suit of armor either.
Engel’s crowning promotional achievement, though the few already described are difficult to top, occurred when the powerhouse New York Yankees visited Chattanooga to play a preseason exhibition game on April 2, 1931. The Lookouts boss had located a 17-year-old pitcher who was known to be good -- Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell, who was also a female.
Mitchell had grown up with baseball. Her father introduced her to the game at a young age, and by her teens, she was playing with a women’s team in Chattanooga. She supposedly attended a baseball school in Atlanta and caught the eye of Engel, always the talent scout, while there.
Five days before she took the mound against the Yankees, Mitchell signed a contract with the Lookouts while a beaming Engel looked on. Mitchell had already become known locally for her outstanding drop ball. When the starting pitcher gave up two hits, she was called from the bullpen. Up strode Babe Ruth, who took ball one, swung at the two subsequent pitches, and then watched as the ump called strike three. Gehrig followed and fanned on three pitches. Ruth was reportedly quite displeased and argued a bit before heading to the bench. He later told a Chattanooga newspaper that women were “too delicate” to play baseball every day.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis must have agreed with Ruth. He later voided Mitchell’s contract. The young athlete continued to play professional baseball, including a stint with a men’s team called the House of David, which was famous for its long hair and Biblical-style beards. When women’s professional baseball was revived during World War II, Mitchell remained in retirement. She was honored at a Lookouts game in 1982, throwing out the first pitch on opening day. She passed away in 1987 at the age of 74.
What a combination – the peerless Joe Engel and the 17-year-old left-handed pitcher, who just happened to be a hometown girl.
Dear Hamilton Bush,
As someone who works downtown and often eats lunch in Miller Plaza when the weather is warm, I am intrigued by the elaborate stone building that stands alone at the edge of the parking lot near Market Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard. It appears to be quite old, and surely its history would be of interest to your readers. What do you know of the fine building located at 817 Market Street?
Regards,
Looking Around At Lunch
Dear Look,
The historic edifice to which you are referring is popularly known around these parts as the Burchay Building, which dates to the late 19th century. More specifically, it is what remains of the original structure. Some years ago, local real estate developers and historic preservationists from Cornerstones worked to stabilize and maintain the tower, while the rest of the building was demolished to facilitate redevelopment.
The Burchay Building was designed in the Richardson Romanesque-style by Chattanooga architect Samuel McClung Patton and constructed in 1890. Patton, originally from Mississippi, also designed the Masonic Temple that once stood at the corner of Seventh and Cherry streets and the Richardson Building at Seventh and Market. Tragically, the Richardson Building burned to the ground in 1897. Two people, one of them Patton himself, were killed in the blaze.
Early occupants of the Burchay Building included the now-defunct Merchants National Bank, Joy’s flower shop, a music teacher’s studio, Cumberland Savings and Loan Association, and the Marble Hall Saloon, which enjoyed brisk traffic.
However, the occupant with the longest tenure was a local furrier enterprise founded in 1932 by Edwin Burke, a native of Manchester, England. It seems that Burke had learned his trade from his father-in-law, Louis Chajage. In homage to the elder gentleman, the company name “Burchay” was formed by combining the last names of the two men – and throwing in a “y,” of course.
For 62 years, Burchay’s Furriers occupied the space at 817 Market Street and prospered. The furrier was recognized for its fine quality, and many local citizens were loyal customers. Among the items recently auctioned from a local estate was a blonde mink jacket purchased from Burchay’s during the company’s heyday.
However, a period of unseasonably warm weather, trends leading consumers away from animal fur, and the departure of many retail businesses from the downtown area compelled the business to close in 2000. Perhaps in the not too distant future, the Burchay Building will once again house business ventures or be converted into residential space, as downtown living continues to be in vogue.