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The Best Little Baseball Town in the World

The Crowley Millers and Minor League Baseball in the 1950s
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The Crowley Millers were the talk of minor league baseball in the 1950s, with crowds totaling nearly 10 times Crowley's population and earning Crowley the nickname of "The Best Little Baseball Town in the World." The Best Little Baseball Town in the World: The Crowley Millers and Minor League Baseball in the 1950s tells the fun, quirky story of Crowley, Louisiana, in the fifties, a story that reads more like fiction than nonfiction. The Crowley Millers' biggest star was Conklyn Meriwether, a slugger who became infamous after he retired when he killed his in-laws with an axe. Their former manager turned out to be a con man, dying in jail while awaiting trial on embezzlement charges. The 1951 team was torn to pieces after their young centerfielder was struck and killed by lightning during a game. But aside from the tragedy and turmoil, the Crowley Millers also played some great baseball and were the springboard to stardom for George Brunet and Dan Pfister, two Crowley pitchers who made it to the majors. Interviews with players from the team bring to light never-before-heard stories and inside perspectives on minor league baseball in the fifties, including insight into the social and racial climate of the era, and the inability of baseball in the fifties to help players deal with off-the-field problems. Written by respected minor-league baseball historian Gaylon H. White, The Best Little Baseball Town in the World is a fascinating tale for baseball fans and historians alike.
Gaylon H. White was a sportswriter for the Denver Post, Arizona Republic and Oklahoma Journal before working in the corporate world for nearly forty years. He is the author of The Bilko Athletic Club: The Story of the 1956 Los Angeles Angels (2014) and Singles and Smiles: How Artie Wilson Broke Baseball's Color Barrier (2018), and co-author with Ransom Jackson of Handsome Ransom Jackson: Accidental Big Leaguer (2016), all published by Rowman & Littlefield and featured on White's website, www.GaylonWhiteBaseball.com.
Crowley, Louisiana, has produced national political figures and personalities on every level, world-class athletes in every sport, along with many other interesting and successful people in all walks of life. This uniquely written and detailed book reveals how minor league baseball in the early fifties was another piece of Crowley's colorful history. It is an entertaining and enjoyable book, whether you are a baseball history buff or just looking for an intriguing read. The Best Little Baseball Town in the World is a true story wonderfully written by Gaylon White that you will not want to put down!--John Brady, head basketball coach, Crowley High School (1977-1982), Samford University (1991-1996), Louisiana State University (1997-2008), and Arkansas State (2008-2016) Gaylon White's great book brings back memories of my childhood and how much minor league baseball meant to large and small communities all over the country. Gaylon paints such a great picture of the Evangeline League and Crowley, Louisiana. All of us owe Gaylon a debt of gratitude for keeping alive the great names and memories of minor league baseball.--Dave Smith, host, SportsMap Radio Network Gaylon White's latest book is a great read about the game that has been so good to me. I live just a few miles away from Crowley, Louisiana, but I learned a lot of new facts about the Evangeline League and some of baseball's true old timers, many of whom became prominent citizens of our area. The Evangeline League provided Southwest Louisiana with unique entertainment at a time when other sports weren't present.--Ron "Louisiana Lightning" Guidry, three-time 20-plus games winner, New York Yankees, 1978 American League Cy Young award winner I've been around professional baseball seemingly forever and yet I learned some things I didn't know from The Best Little Baseball Town in the World. The book is full of interesting stories such as Crowley Millers centerfielder Andy Strong having a premonition something bad was about to happen just before he was struck and killed by lightning during a game. Baseball in Crowley was special in the 1950s and worth re-visiting.--Eddie Robinson, four-time American League All-Star, former coach, farm director, general manager, scout and consultant In Field of Dreams, character Terence Mann famously said, "But baseball has marked the time." It's true and, yet again, Gaylon White is here to chronicle what happened, this time in The Best Little Baseball Town in the World. Gaylon brings to life the glorious unknown stories of America's pastime.--Preston R. Scott, host, The Morning Show with Preston Scott, WFLA-FM - Tallahassee/Panama City, FL The wild and raucous Evangeline League in Louisiana survived swarming mosquitos, an outrageous gambling scandal, crooks, crazies, a deadly lightning strike, riots, torrential rain, floods, sweltering heat and humidity, but in the end, it couldn't overcome the Bermuda Triangle of television, integration, and Hurricane Audrey. Gaylon White looked at this mess and saw Crowley, Louisiana -- The Best Little Baseball Town in the World. This book is so Dixie that it even has a recipe for biscuits. By the time you reach the final chapter about 1950s ballplayers attending Millers reunions in Crowley at the turn of the century, you'll feel like you belong.--Bill Swank, baseball historian, author of Echoes from Lane Field: A History of the San Diego Padres 1936-1957 This book shares a time in the history of Acadia Parish and Acadiana that many of us have forgotten or never knew. Thank you Gaylon White for bringing to life a great time in our history.--Lewis Cook, legendary football coach, Notre Dame High School in Crowley, Louisiana, member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Very interesting read, and very nice to bring out athletic heroes in small towns!--Eric Hetzel, born and living in Crowley; pitcher, Boston Red Sox, 1985 first round draft pick out of Louisiana State University WOW, how exciting to read about the rich tradition of pro baseball in my hometown! Many childhood memories and my dad's stories were brought to life as I read about familiar places and baseball heroes. All of this laced with the shocking suspense of an eerie death and a psychotic murderer! Thank you, Gaylon White, for a book that encapsulates a small town's baseball history with comical, emotional, and thrilling storytelling!--Alyson Habetz, associate head softball coach, University of Alabama, first female to play prep baseball in the state of Louisiana, Crowley's Notre Dame High School
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