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FeedFeb 8, 201203:10 PM
The Madison Heights Baseball Team — Where Are They Now?
By Vance Lauderdale
Feb 8, 2012 - 03:10 PM
Photo courtesy C.L. Mullins
In the past few weeks, I've devoted a good bit of space here to the old (and now gone) Madison Heights Methodist Church.
My pal C.L. Mullins sent me this interesting photograph, showing the church's baseball team. He points out, "Madison Heights shared a sports program with St. John's Methodist. So, who got the uniforms?"
Good question. I wouldn't mind having an old Madison Heights baseball jersey, though I doubt if I would be able to fit into any of these. Because of my tremendous muscles, you understand.
We can easily date this photo to 1963 or 1964, since in the background the Mid-South Coliseum is under construction, and it opened in 1964.
Does anybody recognize any of the fellows in the photo?
Ask Vance is the blog of Vance Lauderdale, the award-winning columnist of Memphis magazine and MBQ: Inside Memphis Business. Vance is the author of two books: Ask Vance: The Best Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History and Trivia Expert (2003), as well as Ask Vance: More Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History Expert (2011). He is also the recipient of quite a few nice awards, the creator of several eye-catching wall calendars, and the only person we know with a vintage shock-treatment machine in his den. 
The golden days of Memphis.
I think the kid second from the reader's right is at the Wall Street Journal now. Check with your broker.
the kid in the middle (3rd from the right) with the black hair is Randy Ross. His family lived on Peabody near Central High. He attended Grace St Lukes, Belleve Jr and Central. Always wondered what happened to him after high school as we went to school together all those years. A couple of the other kids look familier but I can't put a name to them.
The biggun has to be Joseph Battle, professor of Geology.