Graphic “retro” baseball card created in 2020 by Wildcatville using a photo (cropped electronically out of 1952 Drain Black Sox team photo) provided by Ad Rutschman.
Drain is a small town (1,151 at the 2010 census) in southern Oregon’s Douglas County, about 22 miles from Cottage Grove and about 35 miles from Roseburg.
The Drain Black Sox (1952-1961) semi-pro baseball team was sponsored by Harold Woolley who owned the lumber mill in Drain and mills elsewhere.
Sox played in the Southwestern Oregon League, also known as the Sawdust League since teams in the league were sponsored by lumber mills/sawmills in various southwestern Oregon towns.
"In the 1950s, small-town semi-pro baseball reached a pinnacle of popularity nationwide." writes author Joe R. Blakely in his book “The Drain Black Sox of Oregon vs The Alpine Cowboys of Texas; The Glory Days of Semi-Pro Baseball 1930-1960.”
There were Linfield connections to some of the Black Sox teams. Some of them:
=Ad Rutschman played (second, center field and a few at shortstop) 1951-1957 for the Drain Black Sox.
Source: Wildcatville
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=Joan Mason and Ad Rutschman began dating at Hillsboro High School in 1948. He went on to Linfield and was a student-athlete in football, basketball and baseball. During the summer he played for the Roy Helser-coached Drain Black Sox in southern Oregon. They married June 7, 1952, after Ad's sophomore year at Linfield, in St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Beaverton. The timing was right. After the wedding, they drove to Coos Bay so he could play in a Black Sox game. And, he played again on the next day. Then, they went on their honeymoon. Such is the life of "Team Rutschman."
Source: Joan Rutschman, Linfield Athletic Hall of Fame bio
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=After graduating from Portland's Grant High School, Jack was thinking of attending Washington State University or Lewis and Clark College. He was playing in Coquille in the old semi-pro State League. Roy Helser was coach of the Drain Black Sox.
“Linfielder Vern Marshall told Roy about me,” said Jack Riley. “I joined the Black Sox a week later and I decided to go to Linfield. My coach at Grant, Paul McCall, was not a Linfield grad, but convinced me to go to Linfield over WSU by asking me if I wanted to be a little fish in a big pond or a big fish in a little pond. It was good advice."
Source: Jack Riley, Linfield Athletic Hall of Fame bio
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=The athletic career of Vern Marshall Sr. continued beyond his Linfield playing days. He won five gold medals at the Softball World Senior Games, earned a spot on the All-World team four times, played for the renowned semi-pro Drain Black Sox, played in the Canadian League and earned a spot on the All-America Semi-Pro team.
Source: Vern Marshall Sr., Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame bio
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=But if Don Porter signed a professional baseball contract he would lose his amateur eligibility and no longer be able to play basketball or any other college sports. What to do? He discussed his options with Linfield Hall of Famer Roy Helser, Wildcat baseball coach and a former professional pitcher. Porter remembers, "He advised me to continue as an amateur, play basketball at Linfield and baseball for Linfield and the Drain Black Sox semi-pro team.”
Source: Don Porter tribute from Linfield Athletics
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=Do you know what positions Ad Rutschman played in baseball in high school, Hillsboro/Hilhi Spartans, Linfield College Wildcats and summer semi-pro Drain Black Sox? Answer from Ad R in June 2018: Second base in high school. Center field in college. He played both (second base and center field) for Drain. He also played a few games at shortstop.
Source: Wildcatville
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=Roy Helser also made a mark as a semi-pro player and manager in a time when that carried considerable weight, first with the Silverton Red Sox, then with the Drain Black Sox where he won three consecutive Southwestern Oregon League baseball championship in 1952, 1953 and 1954.
Source: Roy Helser NORKA bio
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=Upon Bill Croco’s (Linfield Class of 1957) release from the Navy, he attended Linfield College from 1954 through 1958, earning his master’s degree in education. While at Linfield, he played baseball for the legendary coach Roy Helser, earning all-league and all-district honors as a pitcher. He was known for his submarine-style delivery and biting curve. Bill finished his playing days as a Drain Black Sox and then a Woodburn Tanker.
Source: William Irmen Croco obit
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=Headline: ‘Roy Helser Signs With Drain Sox Hurler Wil Be Manager And Player.’ Story text: The Drain Black Sox raised their stock In the surprising Southwestern Oregon semi-pro baseball league this week by signing Roy Helser, hot from the Pacific Coast League.
Source: Roseburg, Ore., News-Review May 17, 1952
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=Roy Helser knew Dwight Umbarger, Linfield Class of 1958, because Dwight played for a team against the Black Sox” of Drain (Oregon) team of which Helser managed and played of the southwest Oregon Sawdust League.
Source: Wildcatville
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=Ted Wilson played semi-pro baseball for the Drain Black Sox in the 1950s. At one point he was the team’s business manager and utility outfielder. He also served as player-manager at times.
Source: Wildcatville
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=In an exhibition game Wednesday night in Forest Grove, the Drain Black Sox will play the Forest Grove team. Pitching for Linfield will be Roy Helser, Linfield coach and formerly of the Portland Beavers. Also playing for Drain will be Ad Rutschman, ex-Linfield and Hillsboro High star; Ted Wilson, McMinnville High basketball and baseball coach and Chuck Bafaro, Linfield catcher.
Source: Oregonian August 3, 1952
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=Played in McMinnville on Aug. 5, 1952, the Drain Black Sox beat the McMinnville Townies, 16-4. For Drain, Ad Rutschman had three hits in six trips, including a triple, to pace the Drain nine at the plate.
Source: Oregonian Aug 6, 1952
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N-R's Memory Lane July 4-July 10,
2004 ... 50 years ago "The Drain
Black Sox left town with a 17-1 win over the Mac Townies, with Del Coursey
taking the win on the mound in the makeup game for the one postponed about a
week earlier."
N-R's Memory Lane June 27-July 3,
2004 ... 50 Years Ago "Gene
Peterson of the Mac Townies baseball club got the starting nod to take the
mound against the visiting Drain Black Sox, coached by Linfield's Roy Helser and
featuring several Mac and Linfield players. Then the June 30 contest was rained
out."
N-R Oct 16, 2001 -- Linfield grad Charles R.
"Chuck" Bafaro (Class of 1953) died April 2, 2000. He was
"drafted into the Army during the Korean War and never got to play in the
major leagues. He did go on to play for years for the renowned Drain Black
Sox."
Source: McMinnville
N-R/News-Register
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