The Bob Cobb story-Part 3

Note: My next book, No. 6, may focus on Bob Cobb, the owner of the legendary Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood and a Billings man who played a key role in the city getting a professional baseball team 78 years ago. I’ve written a chunk of text for a possible manuscript, and I’m be sharing that during coming weeks. In case you missed Part 1 or 2 or both, they’re available on my website, www.treasurestatepress.com

Your comments are welcome!

The groundwork had been laid for Billings’ entry into the ranks of cities with professional baseball by 1947. That year saw planning for the new baseball club take off–but not without some local doubts about the wisdom of what seemed in store.

For much of that year, however, Cobb was in Los Angeles, more than 1,200 miles from Billings. Divorced from his first wife in 1940, he had remarried Sally Wright, and together they owned and operated the famed Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, a favored place for movie stars, film directors, and others in the growing circle of silver screen fame to gather to dine and gossip.

And Cobb also indulged his love of baseball by overseeing the Pacific Coast League team in which he had a controlling interest, the Hollywood Stars.

So he probably was only dimly aware of the machinations going on in Billings involving the effort he led to bring professional baseball to the Magic City.

Cobb’s efforts took place against the backdrop of Billings’ growth by 37 percent in the 1940–1950 decade, from about 23,000 people to almost 32,000 in the 1950 census.

When he and local backers asked the city government to lease the city’s baseball field, Athletic Park, as the home base for the embryonic pro baseball team, it took three City Council votes before aldermen approved the deal.

And even then, dissent on the idea surfaced.

The council voted, 7–1, in favor of leasing Athletic Park, built in 1932, to backers of the team, which they envisioned as a member of the Class C Pioneer League.

Fourth Ward Alderman John Newman cast the dissenting vote, according to an article in the November 1, 1947, issue of the Billings Gazette.

Newman said he believed the city’s rapid growth required the council to preserve all of its present park space as recreational facilities for residents.

“The parks belong to the people, and it is my belief that the city does not have the right to lease, sell or give away any part of the park properties,” he said.

And Newman’s concerns weren’t the only ones percolating in Billings.

Although no one knew it, Billings was on the verge of having the dominant American Legion baseball program in the state–and one of the premiere junior baseball programs in the country. That would be evidenced by a string of 14 straight championships that the Ed Bayne-coached Legion Post 4 team would win in the 1950s and 1960s. Legion Post 4’s excellence would go on display nationally, too, as the squad qualified for four Little World Series tournaments, highlighted by what the 1960 team accomplished. That team, led by future major league pitching star Dave McNally, finished second in the country to a New Orleans-area team led by future major leaguer Rusty Staub.

Back in November 1947, Jack Peckham, representing Legion Post 4, asked the City Council to clarify the section of the lease providing American Legion junior baseball teams with use of the park.

Archie Cochrane chaired the special organized baseball committee of the Midland Roundtable. That group led local efforts to support and promote amateur and, later, professional sports in the city.

Cochrane said junior players would have use of Athletic Park whenever the professional Billings team was on the road and also until 4 p.m. on days when the team was home.

Russ Hart and Robert Cooke, two other prominent business executives on the committee, elaborated that officials proposed a sprinkler system for the park to replace its existing irrigation system. That would result in two extra days per week when baseball could be played there.

Cochrane explained how that would benefit the American Legion team.

“According to the present outlook, there will be 66 open dates during the months of June, July, and August–the time covered by the junior baseball program. On those days the team will be out of town, and no possible conflict can occur,” he said.