The Beatrice Blues were coming off of back to back championship seasons. The Blues won the playoff series with Norfolk with the iron man pitching of Cotton Pippen in 1932. In 1933 they repeated the feat. Richard Brookhaus was the manager of the Blues in 1934. He managed in Grand Island in 1931 and 32, Beatrice in 1933, 34 and 36 and Fairbury in 1937.
They lost both Cotton Pippen and Mike Pociask to higher leagues after the 1933 season. Mike started the '34 season with Oklahoma City in the Texas League. He was released by Oklahoma City and returned to Beatrice for the season.
The year was one of frustration and losses for the Blues. The Blues opened the season on a positive note as over 1,500 fans filled the stands at Athletic Park to witness a 12-7 victory over Sioux Falls.
The Washington Post reported that 53 players completed Ray Donn's basseball school in Hot Springs Arkansas and that 12 of the graduates were being sent to Beatrice. Al Warneke was one of the grads from Mt. Ida Arkansas.
In August Beatrice used an illegal player named Dever. His real name was Doljack. The result was a giant bruhaha. According to James Beltzer, Beatrice asked to be allowed to play the illegal player as their manager, Brookhaus could not play due to injury. Beltzer felt that he had been blackmailed by Beatrice as the Blues threatened to forfeit games at Norfolk if their request was not honored.
Beltzer put the full authority of the presidents office against Beatrice. He forfeited all games in which the illegal player participated. He fined the Beatrice club $100.00 and levied other fines against the Blues.
Lincoln writer Cy Sherman, entered the fray in defense of Beltzer. Most of the time he just wrote that Lincoln should not be in such a "rookie" league but this time he defended Beltzer as fair and balanced. Needless to say, this did not go down well in Beatrice. The Beatrice paper called it "Lancaster County justice" and openly indicated that Beatrice would no longer continue in the league if someone from Lincoln was president of the league.
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball lists Roy Carter as president of the league in 1934, but the Lincoln and Beatrice papers clearly indicate that James Beltzer was president for the season.
Roster:
George Proost played in 62 games and averaged .328.
Richard Brookhaus was a regular at first, manager and averaged .306.
Carl Geist played in 93 games and averaged .300. He started his career in 1929 with McCook, played in North Platte in 1931 and Beatrice in 1933 and 1934.
Wilbert Swinger was a regular in the outfield and averaged .265. He led the league with 14 home runs. He played for Beatrice from 1932 through 1935 and moved to Omaha in 1936.
In left field was Ash Joerndt. He averaged .212 in 101 games. The 22 year old from Pontiac Illinois moved west to San Diego in 1936 and played on the left coast through the 1936 season.
Pete Filbert was a 20 year old 1st baseman. He played in 57 games and averaged .231.
Justin Keenoy was a 20 year old who played short for 111 games and average .245.
Cutter also played in the outfield and averaged .220 in 55 games.
Danzell Mitchell played for Beatrice and for Bentonville (Arkansas State League) in 1934. In 10 games with Beatrice he averaged .223.
Frank Gannon tended the garden for 35 games. He averaged .369.
LaVerne Staples played for Sioux Falls, Norfolk and Beatrice during the year and averaged .225 in 85 total games.
Putting on the tools of ignorance was William LeMay he caught 109 games and averaged .264.
Pitchers:
After two all star years Mike Pociask started the year with Oklahoma City of the Texas League. He returned to Beatrice and had a rough year with the Blues. He pitched in 39 games and was 15-13 for the year. He was second in the league in strike outs with 217 k's for the year and averaged .272 while playing in 72 total games..
James Linson was 12-14. He was picked up by the Cards at the end of the year and sent to Houston.
Laterno was 2-3 in 11 appearances.
Anthony Tuma was 4-9.
Robert Swan was 6-14. The 19 year old played through the 1941 season with six different teams.
Vogeler was 2-2, Heussmann was 0-1, Joe Mysza was 2-1, Robert Amos was 0-2, Cook was 0-1, Bergen was 0-1, Shannon was 2-5, Vogeler was 2-2 and Starr was 0-3.