Flint Baseball: Indians (Michigan State League, 1941)

This is the first minor league baseball program/scorecard I bought. I knew Flint had baseball teams for decades, but didn't think any programs existed. I actually have two scorecards from this particular franchise. Paid more than I usually do for the first one, but the second one wasn't that bad.

1941 Regular Season--Indians vs. Muskegon Reds

      Long before Flint became a minor league hockey town, it had a long tradition of minor pro baseball, dating all the way back to 1889. The eighth franchise in the Vehicle City's history arrived in 1940, with the revival of the Class C Michigan State League (MSL). The MSL had six teams, all in Michigan, including the Flint Gems. The Gems were a farm team of the Cleveland Indians and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. Atwood Stadium now exists, but replaced it's natural playing field with artificial turf in the early 1970s and is now primarily a football stadium.
     In their inaugural season, the Gems were the class of the MSL, going 67-41 and finishing in first place. However, in the playoffs, they were upset by the St. Joseph Autos. The Autos were supposed to face the Saginaw Athletics for the MSL Championship, but inclement weather forced the postponement, and eventual cancellation of, the series. 

Page 3, featuring the home schedule

     In 1941, the Gems would rename themselves the Flint Indians, a nod to their parent club. The MSL split
their regular season into halves. The teams that finished in first place in each half would meet to decide the league title.

     However, the Indians would make the playoffs unnecessary. A loaded lineup led by manager Jack Knight dominated the MSL all season. Flint finished in first place in both halves of the season, with a combined record of 70-38. The Indians finished 9-1/2 games ahead of St. Joseph at season's end, capturing the league championship.

     The Indians were, by all accounts, a very strong team. They even knocked off the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers, 5-1, in an exhibition game at Atwood Stadium. 

     The Gems/Indians franchise sent several players to the big leagues. Right-hander Steve Gromek pitched two years for the franchise, then had a 17-year career in both Cleveland and Detroit. In 1941, Gromek had a sparkling 14-2 record to lead the staff. Outfielder Gene Woodling hit an excellent .394 in 1941, then went on to a solid 19-year career in the majors. Other notable Gems/Indians include Cliff Mapes and Red Embree.

     There are plenty of advertisements inside this scorecard, which had eight pages. Some of the businesses

Page 7, featuring a list of MSL Teams

still exist, many are long gone. Coca-Cola has a nice ad on page 3, and I've heard of Vogt Flowers. I believe WFDF 910 AM is still around, but not sure if it's still based out of Flint. Again, I couldn't believe I found one of these scorecards, let alone two. Seeing that they are 72 years old, I didn't think any existed anymore. The second one is in even better shape than the first one I bought.

Back cover of the scorecard

     Aftermath: The Flint Indians were well on their way to building a Michigan State League dynasty. However, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II. Travel restrictions and a lack of players available forced the MSL to fold, never to return. However, Flint had not seen the last of professional baseball.

Sources:

Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns in Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. Pg. 51. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.

Gene Woodling Wikipedia Page: 

Flint Indians Trounce Tigers in Special Game. Ludington Daily News, August 9, 1941 (from Google News Archive).