Wyoming State Penitentiary All Stars

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Wyoming State Penitentiary All Stars
Wyoming State Penitentiary All Stars.jpg
Information
Location Rawlins
Ballpark Wyoming State Penitentiary
Established 1911
Disbanded 1911
Nickname(s)All Stars, All-Stars, The Cons
Last season4–0
MascotFelix Alston, Jr.
ManagerFelix Alston
CoachGeorge Saban

The Wyoming State Penitentiary All Stars [a] were a baseball team known for being made up of prison inmates.

Contents

Founding

In April 1911, Felix Alston replaced Otto Gramm as warden of the Wyoming State Penitentiary. [1] Alston then created the All Stars baseball team as an attempt to boost morale. The team consisted of 12 players from ages 18 to 39. [1] [2] Alston chose George Saban, who was convicted of murder in the Spring Creek raid, to be head coach and team captain because of their long-standing friendship; Saban was the Alstons' neighbor and guest at their wedding. Saban did not play as a result of prior finger amputations. [3]

Play

The All Stars only ever played games against the Rawlins Juniors, the company team for the Wyoming Supply Company. The All Stars won all four games they played. The All Stars debuted on July 18, 1911, defeating the Juniors 11–1 at home. Their second game, also at home, was played August 5 and was another 11–1 win. Their third game was played on August 13, the score being 11–4. Their final game was played on August 29 at Overland Park, with a final score of 15–10. [2]

Disbandment

In the days following the All Stars' fourth game, Alston began replacing baseball with education. [1]

Roster

Pos.NameInmate No.Crime(s)FateRef.
Coach Saban, George1441 Murder Escaped in Dec 1913 [2] [3]
P Cameron, Thomas1596 Sexual assault Sentence expired in June 1912
P Pendergraft, Harry A.1589 Larceny Granted parole in Jan 1912
C, RF Powell, James1532 Rape
1B Rowan, Eugene1489 Rape, Breaking and entering Granted parole in Nov 1913
2B Fitzgerald, Frank1481 Breaking and entering Released in Dec 1911
SS Guzzardo, Joe1341 Manslaughter Pardoned in July 1912
3B Crottie, John1569 Grand larceny Released in Nov 1911
LF Carman, Ora1508 Grand larceny Sentence expired in Sept 1911
LF Stone, Earl1480 Breaking and entering Sentence expired in Sept 1911
CF Potter, Sidney1477 Forgery Sentence expired in June 1912
RF, C, SS Seng, Joseph1612 First-degree murder Hanged in May 1912

Notes

  1. ↑ Also spelled All-Stars, and nicknamed "The Cons"

References

  1. 1 2 3 Getlen, Larry (14 September 2014). "The death-row inmates forced to play baseball for their lives". New York Post. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Nichols, Jake. "The 1911 Wyoming State Penitentiary All-Stars Was The Baddest Baseball Team Ever". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 Enss, Chris; Kazanjian, Howard (2014). The death row all stars: a story of baseball, corruption, and murder. Guilford, Connecticut: TwoDot. ISBN   978-0-7627-8756-2.
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