Appalachian League

All-Rookie Appalachian League Opens 1957 Minor League Baseball Season in Salem, Va.

6/1/1957

More than 1,200 fans fill the stands of Municipal Stadium in Salem, Va., to watch the 1957 opening game of the Appalachian League. The hometown Salem Rebels beat the Pulaski Cubs by eight to six. Rebels pitcher Jim Yarter shakes hands with another player. Important figures including Salem's Vice Mayor J. Leonard Shank, Chauncey DeVault, Howard Imboden, and Jack Dame are present on the field before the game begins. Players from the competing teams form two lines on the field; Shank throws out the opening pitch and the game begins.

Anchor Script

Anchor script text: The all-rookie league Appalachian League officially opened last night........(start film) and the Salem Rebels got off on the right foot by beating the Pulaski Cubs 8-6. (show film) More than 1,200 fans turned out to watch the 1957 opener at Salem Municipal Field. Winning his first game in organized ball was righthander Jim Yarter of Salem, on the left. Red Hickman was charged with the loss. Among the big brass attending the game were Salem's vice-Mayor J. Leonard Shank...the president of the revived Appy League, Chuncey DeVault...the president of the Pulaski team, Howard Imboden and the Salem club president--Jack Dame. He's the man instrumental in bringing organized baseball back to Salem. Vice Mayor Shank threw out the first ball to officially launch the season in Salem. Tonight the Rebels play at Pulaski. They return home Thursday against Johnson City. Four hundred season tickets have been sold so far by the Salem team, which is now a farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The club must sell 500 season ducats to come out on top. The cost is 10 dollars per book of 33 tickets..that's only 32 cents a game. Salem manager Larry Dorton has named righthander Tom Barndollar to pitch for the Rebs tonight at Pulaski.