Young Man in McIntyre Baseball Uniform

Baseball was very important in McIntyre as well as in other coal towns. The Coal Company formed and sponsored baseball leagues consisting of men from its various mining towns. A former resident confirms the fact that the Coal Company gave hiring preference to those workers who were good ball players. Fifty cents a month was deducted from the miners' paychecks to help maintain the teams. Although baseball games continued after the sale of the coal towns in 1947, contributions were voluntary and, within a decade, the games ceased. This photo is from the early 1950s. 

Photo: collection of the author.