Kitty League Enshrines Six Into Its Hall of Fame
Six new members will be added to the Kitty League Baseball Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony at the Kitty League Reunion in Memphis, TN on July 22, 2005. A committee of 17 former players, sportswriters, broadcasters, and minor league baseball historians elected the new inductees on April 16.
The newest members to the Hall of Fame are three players, one manager, one executive, and one umpire. They are Clint Andereck, Earl Browne, Tony Kubek, Sam Lamitina, K.P. Dalton, and Ellis Beggs.
Clint Andereck spent six seasons in the Kitty League as a second baseman with the Union City (TN) Greyhounds, Lexington (TN) Giants, Bowling Green (KY) Barons, and Paducah (KY) Indians (1935-1940). His career batting average was .325 in 552 games. He was elected to the league's All-Star Team in 1938 and 1939.
First baseman Earl (Snitz) Browne was player/manager of the Owensboro (KY) Oilers and won two consecutive pennants (1946-1947). He led the minor leagues with a .424 batting average in 1946 and was awarded a silver bat by Louisville Slugger for his achievement.
Tony Kubek began his professional career as a shortstop with the Owensboro Oilers in 1954, batting .344 with a league-leading 18 triples in 113 games. He went on to play nine seasons with the New York Yankees (1957-1965).
Sam Lamitina was player/manager of the Fulton (KY) Railroaders and Lookouts for four seasons (1951-1953, 1955), winning 242 games with a .604 winning percentage. He was the only manager in Kitty League history to guide his team to three consecutive pennants (1951-1953).
K.P. Dalton served as president of the Fulton Baseball Association for 15 years, the longest tenure of any team executive in league history (1937-1942, 1946-1955). During that time, the team won four pennants, three of them consecutively (1951-1953).
Ellis Beggs served as an umpire in the Kitty League for 12 seasons, longer than any other in its history (1935-1938, 1940-1942, 1946-1950).
The Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee (Kitty) League was a Class D minor league baseball organization that fielded teams between 1903 and 1955 in Bowling Green, Fulton, Madisonville, Mayfield, Owensboro, and Paducah, KY; Cairo, IL; and Clarksville, Jackson, Lexington, and Union City, TN.
The Kitty League Reunion will be held in Memphis, TN July 22-23, 2005. Former players, managers, and fans are invited to attend. For more information about the reunion, please contact Kevin McCann at 615-740-0553 or e-mail