A couple of years ago, I found a photo for sale on Ebay of a Monroe team called the “Monroe Outlaws”. I posted the photo and then the next day I had found and posted the above photo, stating I didn’t know who they were but wondered if they were also the Outlaws.
Last month the above photo came up for sale on Ebay and was identified as the Monroe Hill Citys baseball team. I bought it. Sure enough, I was able to find some Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi newspaper articles from 1904 – 1905 about the team! They almost won the Cotton States League that season! it looks like this was one of the earliest semi pro teams to play in Monroe.
Three of the players are nationally known in early baseball fan circles. Two of them were professional players!
- Louis Joseph “Lou” Schiappacasse , nicknamed Shippy, briefly played for the Detroit Tigers in 1902.
5. Thomas William Parrot, nicknamed Tacky Tom, played for the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Colts and the St. Louis Browns.
9. J. Ross Helm never made it to the pros, but his photo is included among the most sought after baseball card sets in history. You may have never heard about the T206 Baseball Card set published in 1909, but you have probably heard about one of the cards included, which has become one of the most valuable baseball cards in the world: the Honus Wagner card. Helm got his own card in the set, but at that time he was playing for the Columbus Senators. You can see it at the Library of Congress here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2008676933/ .
Ouachita Parish History Tidbits 