1908 Salt Lake Occidentals Baseball w/Boxing Legends Sam Langford & Joe Gans

[pariah1107]

This may be the hardest hitting team in baseball history, not with the willow but with their fists. I ran across this article about the 1908 Salt Lake City Occidentals, a black baseball team. When going over their roster I see noted heavy handed boxer Sam Langford in right. Langford also pitched for the Occidentals for at least two seasons (1908 & 1910), and hit fourth or fifth in the batting order.

Reading down the roster of this game on September 19, 1908 between Salt Lakes' white and black baseball teams, I see "Gans" at first. Could this really be Joe Gans? He fought Battling Nelson in Colma, CA September 9, 1908. If it is Gans and Langford on the same team, I'd dare any team to charge the mound.

Bud Clark took the mound this day for the Occidentals. Looking for opinions....

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w415/pariah1107/Cropped%20Ogden%20paper_zpsof5vawec.png

[Dto7]

1911 Occidental team

[D. Bergin]

Likely they were different people who re-named themselves after more famous black athletes.

Sam Langford was mainly an East Coast guy. I don't think he would be mucking around in Utah for very long.

Now Joe Jeannette, he was one of the Big 4 Black Heavyweights of the time, known to play baseball.

[pariah1107]

Great, great, great 1911 image Don! I see Vern Mooney, Tullie McAdoo, Chet Bost. Some California Winter League regulars.

You're right Dave, the 1911 team photo almost assuredly has the same "Langford". He tussled in the ring, but does not appear to be the same great boxer. After searching boxrec a little closer I see a "Young Joe Gans" from Idaho, and another "Joe Gans", whose real name was Arthur Williams from Denver. Could be anyone.

Too bad. Thank you both for the help and clarity.

[Chris Counts]

In searching Google, I found a mention that Gans' father was a professional baseball player, but that must have been in the 1880s.