Nebraska Minor League Baseball
Nebraska State League
Norfolk Elks 1938

Norfolk had a good team in 1938. Doc Bennett had a good set of players and the team won the first half of the season. The second half was taken by Sioux City. Norfolk won the playoffs behind the timely hitting of Ted Nighe.

Opening day saw Norfolk hosting Sioux City before 700 fans. John Kreevich hit the deciding home run as Norfolk won 4-2.

Four of the Elks were promoted to higher level clubs at the end of the season. Pitchers Johnny Orr and Kenneth Jacobsen along with outfielder Ned Tighe were promoted to Akron Ohio in the Mid-Atlantic League. Johnny Kreevich was traded to Joplin Missouri in the Western Association.

Roster:
First base for the Elks was held down by James Boyd who played first for 99 games and averaged .308 for the season. James played for Grand Forks and Crookston in the Northern League after his year at Norfolk.


Nebraska State League All Star 1938
In the dirt at second base was Ed Wernett . He averaged .295 for the season and was the best fielding second baseman in the league.

Third base for Norfolk in 1938 was held down by William Morgan who averaged .304 in 105 games. He also played some games in the outfield. He moved to Jackson to play in the Kentucky Illinois Tennessee League (KITL) in 1939.


Nebraska State League All Star 1938
A second all star in the infield, Tony Sams , played short stop and averaged .309.

Nebraska State League All Star 1938
Left field was yet another all star with John Kreevich (Krevitch) holding down the line. He averaged .319 for the year.

The center garden was tended by Ed Tighe. He led the league with 161 hits. He was promoted to the Yankees class "C" affiliate in Joplin for 1939 and to the class "B" Norfolk Tars in 1940.

The third outfield position was ?


Nebraska State League All Star 1938
Catcher for the Elks was Eddie Gibb He caught 106 games and averaged .316 for the year. The Reach guide identified Gibb as a catcher for Beatrice at one place and Norfolk in two other places. The papers of the era indicate that Gibb played for Norfolk.

Wendell Finders hit .266 in 62 games.

Everett Silvey hit .273 in 16 games.

Pitchers:
Kenneth Jacobsen led the staff with and 18-5 record in 31 games. He had 169 strike outs for the year.

John Orr played in 23 games as a pitcher and 66 games total for the Elks. He had a 17-5 record.

George Verbeck was another player who both pitched and played in the infield. He pitched in 22 games, had a 12-9 record and 147 strikeouts.

Leonard Bobeck managed an 11-7 record in 28 games and Dewey Derry was 4-6 in his 16 appearances.

Berbeck was 12-9 in 22 games.

Dewey Derry ws 4-6 in 15 games.

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