Adult Baseball, Basketball, and Softball
There were several basketball teams, called” outsiders”, that played other teams from the surrounding area. Both men's and women's teams were made up of individuals who had played basketball and baseball in high school and wanted to continue this type of activity into their early adult life. The Greater Chuckatuck Historical Foundation has a series of newspaper articles and pictures of some of those teams, including names like the Kirk Lumber Jacks and Kirk Lumber Jills. These two teams were supported by Kirk Lumber Company, which supplied uniforms and basketballs for their use. Mr. John Bradshaw and Mr. Freddy Heffington were two of the coaches of a team of ladies that played in the old city market, upstairs, in Suffolk, and Portsmouth at the Armory. Other local team names were the Chuckatuck Indians and Chuckatuck Alumni. In 1957 the Kirk Lumber Jacks of Chuckatuck took over sole possession of the Tri-County basketball league. Players were listed as Chapman, F. Oliver, J. Oliver, M. Winslow, Gwaltney, Moger, and A. Winslow. These events were well attended and gave the young adults a way to let off steam, even in times of poor economic periods, as well as the war years. (Show pictures of the Kirk Lumber Jacks and the ladies being coached by John Bradshaw)
In 1937, a newspaper article mentions an upcoming baseball game between the Suffolk Ramblers and the Chuckatuck Indians. This would have been the fourth in a five-game series, leading us to believe this was an outside team. Starting Pitchers for the Indians were Buddy Horne and Rossie Carr. In July of 1937, there was another article entitled “Ramblers, Indians to meet again”. Seems that rain had halted a contest, and although the Ramblers scored runs in the top of the sixth inning, the game was called while the Indians were at bat with one out. According to the rules, in such a case, the score would be the last full inning of play, which was a 2 to 2 game. Willard Freeman, manager of the Ramblers, and “Crip” Willoughby, booking agent for the Indians, decided to let the boys settle it on the field. These two teams continued to play each other in 1938 as well, and on July 25, in another article, Ernest Hazelwood or Buddy Horne would “toe the slab” (pitch) and Edward Willoughby would be back of the plate (catcher).
In Gloversville, just outside of Chuckatuck on Crittenden Road, was an African American baseball field. Just about every Sunday during baseball season, there would be at least two games between local teams in the area. There was no parking area, so the road was used as a parking lot. It is estimated that between the players and spectators, there would be 200-plus people in attendance at these events. What a great way to let off steam from a busy week and spend a Sunday afternoon in the country with a spectacular view of the countryside!
A 1940 article in the Suffolk News-Herald on March 23 discussed a basketball game between the City League All Stars and the Chuckatuck Alumni in which the Alumni won 40-35 after trailing in the first half. The article noted that the game was rough at times. This writer remembers a ladies’ basketball game in which Dorothy Bradshaw and Ruby Pinner were playing in the Chuckatuck High School gym. It seems that one member of the other team had taken some liberties with Ruby and the referee had not called a foul. Sitting on the bench after a timeout out Ruby told Dorothy to watch what she was going to do to the one who had fouled her. It was so quick that in the blink of an eye, Ruby caused this lady to do a pin (cart) wheel right in the middle of the court, landing flat on her back. Yes, a foul was called on Ruby, but she was smiling as she raised her hand to acknowledge that she had done it.
Adult softball was also a great entertainment, with many games being played between local teams during the summer months. (Oakland Christian Church sponsored one of those teams with names like Johnson, C. Bradshaw, R. Rountree, Tucker, Whitley, Winn, Knight, Mizelle, Saunders, Oliver, and D. Chapman. Not to be outdone, the ladies of Crittenden and Chuckatuck communities played each other, and in 1976, Frances Warren, Diane Gayle, Anne Marks Saunders, Arlene Oliver, Linda Glasscock and Lisa Glasscock were just a few of the many ladies participating. John Kelly was the coach of this fine team. Over the years, other teams were formed, including one which had five members of the Oliver family from Longview, namely sisters-in-law Mary and Arlene, Arlene’s two daughters, Theresa and Robin, plus a cousin, Marilyn Oliver. Among others who played were Marilyn Boyce, Dinah Johnson, Kay Bew, Lynn Rose and Brenda Wright.
In the 1980s, there was a Central Baseball League with teams from Chuckatuck (Trotters), Carrsville, Holland (Aces), Norfolk, Wakefield, Portsmouth, Franklin, and Sussex Central. A newspaper article on June 1, 1986, headlined “Trotters batter opponents”. They won three games over the holiday weekend with names such as Nelson Turner, Charles Uzzell, Ted Hargrove, Bernard Johnson, Larry Turner, Charlie Bullock, and Gavin Harris. They played on a field located off Route 10 in the Oakland community for many years.
Additionally, within the city of Suffolk, many volunteer-supported athletic associations on record covered virtually every facet of baseball, softball, football, basketball, and cheerleading for kids of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.
Chuckatuck High School Girls
Chuckatuck High School Boys
Donkey Baseball
At least once a year, the traveling donkeys would show up for a game of Donkey Baseball. The object of the game was to ride, without a saddle, or at least stay with your donkey while retrieving the ball and being on board when you threw the ball or caught it. Of course, to do this, you had to get the donkey to do/go where you wanted him to. In most cases, the donkey had other ideas, and even if you got off and pulled the donkey to the spot you desired, you had to remount to deliver the ball. In most cases, you could not get the donkey anywhere near your desired spot. Donkeys are known for their stubbornness, and in baseball, it is comical to see grown men trying to pull a small donkey around the field to get close to a ball. The donkey normally wins. No animals were hurt in the game, and the only thing that was hurt was the pride of some young guy who did not know about mules and farming, just could not understand how a donkey could be so hard-headed and stubborn.
Youth Baseball
In 1962 Mr. J. R. Kirk purchased land from Dr. L.L. Eley for a playground for the youth in the area. The land was located behind Dr. Eley’s home and was deeded in the name of the Chuckatuck Playground Corporation. The original directors were J. R. Chapman, Jr., Richard E. Carr, J. Samuel Glasscock, W. L. Whitley and Robert R. Allen. The management has been under the auspices of the Chuckatuck Ruritan Club, which has kept SCC filings and other matters up to date.
Between 1962 and 1974, many young people in the Chuckatuck community played ball on this field. J. R. “Sonny” Chapman, Jr., John Kelly, Billy Whitley, Larry Mizelle, Mack Wright, Jerrell G. Honeycutt, and many others were very involved in coaching the youth of the area during this time.
There was a rebirth of baseball on this field in 1976 when Margie Knight organized a t-ball team from the Chuckatuck area to play with the King’s Fork Athletic Association, which was affiliated with Pony League Baseball, Inc. Gary Berard and Charles Rose stepped up to help her with the coaching. Communities represented with teams other than King’s Fork were Bethlehem, Carrsville, Cypress, Holland, Nansemond Gardens, Smithfield and Suffolk Christian School. The boys did not have uniforms but wore blue jeans and green t-shirts with numbers. By the following spring, the field behind the firehouse in Chuckatuck was readied for play, and the Chuckatuck Sports League was formed with Charles as the first commissioner. By 1977, the t-ball team, Chuckatuck Braves, was joined by a Mustang team (ages 9-10) called the Chuckatuck Warriors. Efforts were made each year to add another age group as boys moved up from the current teams. A Bronco team, known as the Chuckatuck Chiefs, was added for 11-12-year-olds, and a team for 13-14-year-olds was added the following year. The last age group for boys organized under the Chuckatuck Sports League was 15 to 16-year-olds. Older boys from the Chuckatuck area were welcomed to play with the Bennett’s Creek Little League. Girls’ softball was added in 1980 for ages 8-17. Coaches included Marilyn Oliver, Lynn Johnson, Paul Gwaltney and Jack Knight.
During these years, the field behind the Howell house was cleared of fruit trees by volunteers and combined with the original field to accommodate more players. In 2011, this field was rented from Dr. Leroy Howell by the Galaxy Fast Pitch organization. Other teams have used the field since then.
Adults involved in the Chuckatuck Sports League as officers or coaches, in addition to Margie, Gary and Charles, included Fred Bew, Lynn Rose, George Youmans, Ann Berard, Linwood Owens, Paul Gwaltney, H. A. “Bud” Donnelly, Aleck Winslow, Cleve Johnson, Chris Jones, Bucky Kelly, Bill Whitley, John Sharrett, Bert Henderson, Robert Kinsey, Marilyn Oliver, Bill Harrell, Bob Everett and Billy Kessinger. Other adults contributed by conducting fundraisers and keeping the concession stand running.
Charles Rose and Gary Berard later handed the management of the sports league to Billy Kessinger and Marilyn Oliver. In approximately 2000, a flag pole was dedicated to two people in the community who were very involved with baseball in Chuckatuck, John Kelly and Marion Reid. Marion lived nearby and was in attendance at many of the games. She became known as “the dollar lady” because she would give $1.00 to any child who made a homerun for Chuckatuck. This money came from her meager income because of her love of the game and the children. By 2005 the number of eligible kids had dwindled or moved to Suffolk Youth Athletic Association activities, and the Chuckatuck Sports League became dormant.
In 2006 a girls’ fast pitch softball organization known as Galaxy Fast Pitch, comprised of girls from Suffolk and surrounding communities, began using the facilities. During the 2009-2010 season, the various teams, ages 8-23, played 352 games primarily in Virginia and North Carolina.