Timberjacks vs. Havana Cuban Giants
Posted By admin on June 11, 2009
It was about this time in 1958 that professional baseball visited Stevensville.
The Missoula Timberjacks, in their third season of Class C Pioneer League play, played a 5 p.m. exhibition against the Cuban Giants, a traveling team from Havana (I’m guessing it was the last summer such a thing occurred, as Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution was raging even as the Giants played here).
A cold front passed over Stevensville during the game but 400 fans stayed and watched the Cubans win 5-4 in 11 innings. Timberjacks left fielder Chuck Weatherspoon muffed a short fly to allow a Giant identified only as Lescano to score from third base with the winning run.
One night earlier, the same teams met before a capacity crowd at Griffin Park in Kalispell. Billy Sheffield and Willie Jones combined on a six-hit shutout and the Missoula team won 5-0 to hand the Giants their first loss in 29 games.
The Timberjacks returned to the Pioneer League wars one night after their foray to Stevensville. Lefty Jim Kaat, a future major league hall of famer, struck out 11 but the Magic Valley Cowboys of Twin Falls, Idaho, won 4-3.
Meanwhile, the Cuban Giants were due back for some more exhibitions with the Timberjacks — in Missoula, Hamilton and Ronan in July and back to Stevensville for a game during the Creamery Picnic on Aug. 9.
I’m working on a book about Chuck Weatherspoon and his family and am looking for photos, stats, stories and memorabilia from his time in Missoula (1956-58). Charles (as we knew him) played 16 seasons of minor league baseball, set the all-time grand slam record of 7 in the 1961 season while playing in Wilson, NC. He hit three in one ball game and came to bat a fourth time with the bases loaded only to bounce a long fly off the outfield fence. His daughter, Teresa, had a hall-of-fame caliber career in basketball. Any information or photos on his Missoula years would be appreciated. 409-381-1900
Fidel Castro still have some good legacies despite his not so good repuation.`*.