In the ’30s and ’40s, right up to the start of World War II, baseball was the one true pastime. Chester was a baseball town, as were Centralia, Winterpock and others. Vernon Dance, 87, who lives on Ecoff Avenue, said, “We would travel all over the county. Powhatan, Claremont, Amelia. We would play wherever we would find a team.”
Dance started playing in 1932 with the Chester Athletic Club. There were four teams in the Dutch Gap League from 1932 to 1933. The teams were Winfree Motor, Colonial Heights, Shields A.C., and Goyne Chevrolet. Dance played right field for the Shields team. “That league broke up. I then went to an independent league,” said Dance. “I played up until 1939. That would have been right before the war broke out.” He played on the Chesterfield League in 47 and 48. Their home games were played behind what is now Chester Middle School. One of his leagues played on a field where the Flagstop car wash is now.
Mr. Dance started playing baseball when he was 10. They would play every day after school, as long as they could get enough players. He was 22 or 23 years old when he began playing on the independent teams. He said he played for 15 to 20 years. Affectionately, he says, “I still have my old glove.” When asked to name the players on his late ’40s team, Dance started just as you would have imagined them to be announced: Roy Terrell, catcher; Wesley Cunningham, first base; Noel Shelton, second base; Hoye Tiller, third base; Vernon Dance, outfield; Sidney Goodwyn, outfield; Bobby Floyd, pitcher; Wilson Yager, pitcher; Skeeter Womack, utility; Joe Eyler, utility; and Eugene Fowlkes, first base. Dance was able to name all the players on his 1932 to 1933 team, as well as his late ’40s team.
A 50-year reunion of the old Chesterfield County Baseball League was held July 12, 1997 at Fort Clifton Park in Colonial Heights for the teams, fans and supporters during the years 1947 to 1956. The Chesterfield County League began during the summer of 1947, and most games were played on Sunday afternoon. Players came from all around the Tri-Cities and Chesterfield County. There was no charge to see the games, but a collection was taken up by passing a hat through the crowd in order to pay the umpires and to purchase new equipment as needed. Besides the Chester Athletic Club and its 11 members in attendance, other teams represented were Centralia Athletic Association, Ettrick Athletic Association and Dorset Athletic Association. Let’s…..Play…..Ball…..
