The Oakland Oaks
The history of baseball on the West Coast begins during the late 1850s and early 1860s, when several teams were organized under colorful names such as “The Eagles” and “The Pacifics” to promote businesses in San Francisco.
The game of baseball had begun around 1839, and was already established on the east coast as an organized sport and a significant pastime by the 1860s. Like most things cultural, it was slow to cross the Rockies and catch on in the west. It took a professional team from the east to generate interest and hasten development of the game in California and adjoining states.
The Cincinnati Red Stockings. sporting stylish uniforms and equally impressive mustachios and side chops, paraded through San Francisco in 1869 and caught the fancy of hopeful ballplayers and adoring fans. Soon, as interest in the game picked up, rudimentary baseball diamonds were appearing on flat patches of land allover. Local teams emerged from a primordial stew of public interest, a need for recreation and entertainment, and available open space. Baseball’s blend of teamwork and individual performance appealed to the Californian mentality, and the game’s potential as an advertising medium was not lost on west coast entrepreneurs. The earliest teams were sponsored by well-known merchants and businessmen—and by those who desired to become well-known.
The progress of the game’s popularity was natural and predictable. The earliest teams pitted neighborhood against neighborhood—then district versus district-and eventually city rivalries were established. By 1887, the California League was organized, with member teams playing for hometown glory in Oakland, San Francisco, Stockton, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
In those early years, local games were played on a baseball diamond located at 13th and Center Streets in West Oakland. In San Francisco several parks were devoted exclusively to baseball—the most popular being Recreation Park at 8th and Harrison Streets.
The local game experienced a severe but thankfully nonfatal setback in 1893, when the California League disbanded over issues of administration and management. Not much ball was played during the following three years, but in 1897 full play resumed, only to end on a bitter note when the league failed once again from internal disagreements. Subsequently, stability and balance were restored, and organized baseball proceeded in a businesslike manner.
In 1902 the Oakland Baseball Club (not to be called the Oaks for another year) won the pennant in the reorganized California League—winning 108 games, and topping San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento in that order.
The Pacific Coast League
In 1903, the Pacific Coast League was formed, including teams from San Francisco, Seattle, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Portland along with the newly named Oakland Oaks; teams from Hollywood and San Diego joined later. Los Angeles took the first PCL pennant with an admirable won/lost record of 188/78.
From the turn of the century through the 1912 season, the Oaks played their home games in a beautifully laid out field called Freeman’s Park at 59th Street and San Pablo Avenue. Like most diamonds of that era, it was more of a ‘playing field than a spectators’ stadium. Its seating facilities were primitive at best. and limited to about eight thousand seats.
In those days the Oaks played two home games a week one on Sunday morning. and the other on Wednesday afternoon. The remainder of the week had the team catching a ferry for San Francisco and battling the Seals at Recreation Park at 15th and Valencia (the eventual site of Seals Stadium).
During this colorful era, the Oaks owner, J. Cal Ewing, (“Mr. Baseball” in these parts) worked hard to generate a vigorous rivalry with the San Francisco team. Old-time fans recall that the simmering feud between the Oaks and the Seals would boil over each ‘season in several healthy exchanges—illustrating that many ballplayers could quickly sway sports, performing crude but credible imitations of their athletic brethren, the boxers.
As baseball’s popularity spread. there were an ever-increasing number of talented athletes eager to play ball, and the Oaks established a formidable club. In 1912 they brought glory to themselves and the town by winning the pennant in a fight to the very end with second-place Vernon (L.A.’s version of Emeryville).
After the Pennant— “A Fabulous New Park”
The ambition of the Oaks was best expressed by their investment in a state-of-the-art stadium. In December of 1912, work commenced on a fabulous new park in Emeryville. The clearing of the grounds at San Pablo and Park Avenues began on December 15, at which time five houses adjoining the old Emery mansion, several barns and sheds. and over 50 eucalyptus and cypress trees were removed.
The building of the grandstands. fences. Clubhouse, and offices commenced on February 1, 1913, and was concluded in an amazingly quick six weeks by tradesmen from five local firms. When finished. the grounds were 465 feet square. with lawn covering all but a 60-foot-wide strip in foul territory. To keep the lawn green through the sunny East Bay summers, a sprinkler system powered by a Kewanee Electric Automatic Pump was installed instead of the water tower that was customary for large public facilities.
Shortly after the park’s completion. Chicago White Sox manager Mike Callaghan inspected the buildings and grounds and declared it to be “the finest minor league park west of Chicago.”
Baseball cards Introduced
About this time, a new form of promotion began to influence local baseball fans, boosting the game’s popularity—especially with the youngsters. In 1911. the Collins-McCarthy Candy Company of San Francisco began issuing cards picturing Pacific Coast League players. The cards were included in the company’s top three candy products. “Zee-Nuts”, “Home Run Kisses.” and “Ruf-Neks.” and were issued for the next 27 years-through the 1938 season.
The Oaks went on to open the 1913 season to a full house, but for the next fourteen seasons they watched as teams such as the San Francisco Seals, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Seattle Rainiers took the pennant.
Finally, in 1927, the Oaks won the flag with an enviable record of 120 wins against 75 losses for a .615 percentage. The Seals put on a strong battle and finished second, led by the powerful slugging of Smead Jolley and Frank “Lefty” O’Doul.
Oakland’s run-producing strength came from the longball hitting of Buzz Arlett and West Oakland-born Ernie Lombardi. Balancing their strong offense in ’27, the Oaks had a near-flawless infield combination of Lyn Larry at shortstop and Jimmy Reese at second base.
Both Larry and Reese were later signed up by the New York Yankees (as a pair. for $125.000!). as was often the case with outstanding Pacific Coast League players in the earliest years of the league. The major leagues had not developed minor league franchises in the west yet, but they knew where to look for top talent.
Baseball Rules!
The 1930’s were to see local baseball become an all-consuming interest in the Bay Area. The Oaks games were heard everywhere, thanks to the pioneer radio programming of Station KLX, which had begun broadcasting them in 1924.
With Preston D. Allen at the mike (Bill Andrews took over in later years), the excitement of the Oaks games filled Virtually every home in the East Bay. Adding momentum to baseball mania. the California State Semipro Championship Tournament was established in 1933 linking a collection of dozens of semi-pro teams whose season would end with a championship playoff in the Oaks Park.
The foremost promoters of the Semi-Pro Championship were the Oakland Tribune and the Northern California Baseball Managers Association. Also, a number of dedicated individuals and families began to provide generous and steady support to younger ballplayers. who in many instances would move up from factory and business-sponsored semi-pro teams to Triple-A teams like the Oaks. and even to the Majors. The Bercovich family, along with local sportsman Charlie Tye and former sporting goods businessman Abe Rose, assisted countless local ballplayers who were starting their careers.
The West of Market Boys
During this era of intense baseball activity, another group deserves mention as prominent Oaks boosters—The “West of Market Street Boys Club”—founded by longtime Oakland fireman Jess Church.
This association was made up of local ballplayers and businessmen who shared two common elements: an ardent love of the game and having been born and raised in West Oakland. Always fanning the heat of team rivalries, the gang from West Oakland generated large crowds whenever the Oaks and Seals met.
Not to be outdone, a compatible group from San Francisco formed the “South of Market Street Boys Club,” and needless to say, much good spirit (and spirits) flowed whenever these two organizations met. However, all of this vigorous support couldn’t put the Oaks into first place in the 30s, as the Seals and Portland led the league, each with a pair of pennants.
Postwar Boom
As baseball moved into the 1940s, the stage was set for the sport’s popularity to peak in the East Bay as several significant developments unfolded. In the fall of 1943, Clarence “Brick” Laws and his partner, Joe Blumenfeld, bought control of the Oaks. The new owners sensed, correctly, that baseball would boom once the war was over. Just how accurate they were was shown in the 1946 season, when well over 600,000 fans packed the park in Emeryville. That was the year in which Laws hired a new manager to put some gusto into the team’s performance. He was Casey Stengel, and he propelled the Oaks to a second-place finish. In the spring of 1947, the park reopened after extensive remodeling of the stands. They could now hold 12,500 spectators, including some who would stand on a roped-off area in the center and left field areas. Another addition to the Oaks’ lustrous image was the smooth voice of radio announcer Bud Foster, who called the games over KLX, ably assisted. by the club owner’s son, Bill Laws.
The “Nine Old Men”
Following a disappointing fourth place finish in 1947, the Oaks came out battling in 1948 with their strongest team since 1927, including one veteran of the ‘27 Club Ernie Lombardi. This team was affectionately called “The Nine Old Men,” and it also included Harry “Cookie” Lavagetto, Billy Raimondi, Les Scarcella, Mel Duezabou, Nick Etten, Brooks Holder and George Metkovich. Making his debut was a young second baseman from West Berkeley whose brilliance and drive would propel him to a great career as both player and manager—Alfred “Billy” Martin.
The ‘48 Oaks’ pitching was strong and deep, with the likes of veterans Charlie Gassaway, Ralph Buxton, and Aldon Wilkie, and with good relief from Earl Jones and Floyd Speer. This club won the pennant—the first since ‘27, and the town went bonkers. The Oaks’ victory parade through downtown Oakland culminated at city hall, where various notables addressed the crowd, Including that Horatio of baseball, manager Casey Stengel. (The text of Casey’s speech is lost to history, possibly to history’s advantage…)
After a seven-year absence, baseball cards featuring the Oaks reappeared in 1946, and were grabbed up quickly by fans of all ages. The cards were issued up into the early 50s by the Remar and Sunbeam Baking Companies, the Signal Oil Company, Mother’s Cookies and Smith’s clothiers. Collecting and trading these cards (which were issued on a weekly basis during the season) was an activity enjoyed by young and old alike.
Following the 1948 season, Casey Stengel and Billy Martin moved up to the New York Yankees and proceeded to win five World Series in a row. Meanwhile, Oakland grabbed hold of Charles “Chuck” Dressen as their new manager and he led the Oaks to another pennant in 1950, paced by the stellar pitching of ace Allen Gettle, who hurled 23 wins to lead the league.
Hard Times for Baseball
The 1950 season marked the start of a precipitous decline in attendance for the Oaks—a slide that continued for the next five years, until they were gone. Explanations for this trend point to several developments. First, television had begun to replace baseball as America’s favorite pastime; second, the Pacific Coast League went to a split week schedule. The fans never really accepted the change from a season of seven-game homestands to one that had the Oaks at home for three games and then on the road for a short series. Add to this the unsuitable Bay Area weather for night games, the obsolescence of the 50-year-old Emeryville facility, and a recession leading to a shortage of recreation dollars, and you’re looking at the last inning for the Pacific Coast League.
Faced with this decline, the owners of the Oaks formulated plans that were to lead to the club’s move to Vancouver, B.C. after the 1955 season, and to the end of the illustrious Oakland Oaks. Just in time, too. In their last year, the Oaks drew only 175,000 fans. Their last home game at Emeryville was played on September 4, 1955, before a sad-faced gathering of loyal fans. Across the Bay, the San Francisco Seals, in similar circumstances, lasted only one more season, ending their equally spectacular playing days by disbanding in the fall of ‘56.
About a dozen years were to pass before the huge sports void the Oaks left in the East Bay was filled. With the arrival of the Oakland Athletics in the late 60s, the sounds of the greatest American pastime once again filled the East Bay air from April to October with the tradition, hustle, and spirit that belongs only to baseball. While we’re thankful that the boys of summer have returned to the East Bay, there is no joy in Emeryville, since we are no longer at the center of pro ball action.
Although almost four decades have elapsed since the Oaks left town, a large following of devotees in the East Bay still cherish the rich collection of memories they generated and continue to celebrate the talented ballplayers who were the heroes of the era. Two annual old-timer gatherings bring together a sizable number of former Oaks and their followers. These luncheons are an opportunity for players and fans to reminisce and renew the bonds of friendship forged in a time when baseball was played in small towns by home grown heroes.
A more concrete recognition of the Oaks and their ballpark was dedicated on April 6, 1992. On that afternoon, the Alameda County Historical Society and the Berkeley Parlor #150 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West embedded a bronze plaque in a sturdy bench near the location of the old park’s entrance on Park Avenue.
The event drew a hundred or so enthusiastic fans and a half dozen former ballplayers, all of whom looked like they could still drag a bunt and beat it to first. Ballplayers, historians and Emeryville officials spoke in glowing terms of the sweet memories of professional baseball in our town and the pride and spirit it contributed to local life.
And while it’s been thirty-eight years since the Oaks left, it is still possible, when those of us fifty years of age and up wander past the site of the old park—usually on a Sunday afternoon as the crisp breeze comes in from the bay-to hear the faint but distinct sounds of a game in progress—“the batter…,” the CRACK! of ash on horsehide, a distant crowd’s roar—those beautiful echoes of the past…
This story originally published in 1996 for the Emeryville Centennial Celebration and compiled into the ‘Early Emeryville Remembered’ historical essays book.
