Mayfield Clothiers
The Mayfield Clothiers played in the KITTY League during three stretches in the early and mid 20th century. The first stretch was 1922-1924. The second was 1936-1941. There was then a four season hiatus while the league shut down for World War II. The final edition of the Mayfield Clothiers took the field from 1946 to 1955.
Some sources indicate that the 1920’s Mayfield team may have been called the “Pantsmakers” instead of the “Clothiers”, but certainly both names seem to indicate there was a healthy textile/clothes making industry in the town.
Mayfield won the KITTY League title five times. The first two were in 1922 and 1923. The next two came in 1937 and 1941 when they were a St. Louis Browns affiliate. The last coming in 1950 as a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate.
Notable alumni that made it to the majors included Bob Skinner who was a two time MLB All-Star and leftfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit .277 collecting 1198 hits over a 12 year career with the Pirates, Reds and Cardinals. He was also a 2x World Series winner, first in 1960 with the Pirates and then in 1964 with the Cardinals. He would win one more ring in 1979 as a Pirates coach.
A player who looked to have a promising career ahead of him was Elmer Wright. Wright pitched for the Clothiers in 1937 compiling a 7-7 record with a 3.65 ERA. He recorded the win in the KITTY League All-Star game that year. Wright was a member of the Virginia National Guard with his local unit in his hometown, Bedford, Virginia. The unit was called up for World War II and became Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. Wright was a Staff Sergeant when he stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. Wright was killed in a hail of gunfire as soon as he hit the beach. Company A who would become known as “The Bedford Boys” lost 19 of 34 members on the beaches that day. Later four more would be killed in Normandy. Only 10 would make it back to Bedford. The sacrifice of the community of Bedford was such that The National D-Day Memorial is located in the town today.
Finally it should be noted that the Mayfield team was the first to integrate the KITTY League. On 26 June 1952 Mickey Stubblefield, a pitcher and Mayfield native became the first African-American to play in a KITTY League game. Stubblefield, who at least had traveled with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1948-49 and was said to have learned to throw a curve ball from Satchel Paige, started and won that game on 26 June and went on to post a 7-6 record with a 3.71 ERA. The next year he moved north to the Duluth Dukes in Minnesota. He had a 2-0 record when his arm finally gave out on him. His time as a player for his home town team was brief, but significant. Both Mayfield and the Stubblefield family can be duly proud of what Mickey accomplished.
