The Lincoln franchise was ready for the 1923 season. Art Stokes returned to pitch for the Links and Fred Conkey and Dye also returned to form the nucleus of the team.

Lincoln Star Opening Day Ad

The season opened with much of the typical hoopla that surrounds a new season. The Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Lions, Pathfinders and Automobile club led the parade to Landis field. Governor Charles Bryan and Mayor Frank Zehrung were present as were the owners of the team the Beltzer brothers and Charles Moon.
The Links started the season with eighteen men on the roster and cut the number to fourteen after two weeks in order to stay within league rules. Lincoln won the first game from Norfolk by a score of 13 to 1. Pitcher John Eller from Geneva Nebraska made his professional debut. He pitched a seven hitter and had only one walk in nine innings of work. Pid Purdy, the young ball player from Beatrice had the first home run of the season at Landis Field in the first inning.

Lincoln sold Pid Purdy and Fred Conkey to the White Sox at the end of the year. Both were given tryouts with the Sox, Purdy eventually made it to the show with the Reds. Phil Tanner was sold San Francisco in the Pacific Coast League.

The 1923 season was a successful one for Lincoln as they won the pennant by three games over Norfolk.

Image courtesy Mike Huff

Outfield
Pid Purdy, a youngster from Beatrice started for Lincoln in left field. He batted .296 for the year. At the end of the year he was given a tryout with the White Sox but he did not stick. In 1924 he played for Beatrice and for Lincoln's Western League team and eventually made it to the major leagues with the Reds.
Bob Kinkel played for both Lincoln and Fairbury during the 1923 season. He batted .243 for the season.

Infield

Paul McCoy was a 17 year old from Prescott Arizona. He was in his second year of organized ball with Lincoln. He also played for Beatrice during the year. He averaged .261 in 100 games. He played in Beatrice and Salina in 1924, Los Angeles in the PCL in 1927 and Pomona in 1929.

Dick Cleveland played third base for the Links and finished the season with a .260 average. He played for Marshalltown in the Mississippi Valley league in 1924.
Dewey Bondurant held down the short stop position and in his 505 times at bat he had a .273 averaage. Dewey played for Omaha in the Western League in 1930.
Frank Cleve was a regular at second for Buck's boys.

He averaged a respectable .303 in 108 games. Frank started with Aberdeen in 1921.

Phil Tanner played 2nd base and the outfield. The young man from California hit .293 for the season.
Scott Dye averaged .315 as he played a variety of positions for the Links. He played for Clarinda, Maryville, York and Dubuque in addition to playing for the Links.
Catcher
Fred Conkey was one of the leaders of the Links. He batted .390 for the season and was also given a tryout with the White Sox at the end of the season. He played for Peoria and Lincoln in 1924. In 1924 Lincoln moved up to the class "A" Western League.
The backup catcher was Carmey DeButch. He batted .271 for the year.

Al Cassell averaged .271 in 82 games split between Lincoln and Hastings.

Harry Curzon averaged .228 in 27 games.

Paul McCoy averaged .243 in 100 games.

Pitchers
Art Stokes led the Links with a 6-0 start for the season. He wound up with a 23-13 record for the year and had 207 strike outs. He led the league in both wins and strike outs. He made it to the majors in 1925 with the Philadelphia (AL) team. He pitched in 12 games and had a lifetime 1-1 record.
John Eller was a rookie from Geneva Nebraska. He had a 13-12 season record.
George Stanton was 6-6 for the year playing for both Lincoln and Fairbury. HE payed for Omaha and Lincoln in the Western League in 1924 and Omaha in 1925.

Van Houtte was another transplanted Californian. He was 8-10 for the year.

Ed Zink was from Sterling Nebraska. He had a year of experience in the Canadian league before going to Lincoln to attend the University. He tried out for the State League team and managed a 12-11 record.

Clarence Darrough was 3-4 for the Links. He played for Lincoln, Omaha in the Western League and Wichita Falls in the Texas League in 1923.

Thomas Sullivan ws 2-3 for Lincoln.

This would be the last year of the Nebraska State League until 1928. The Beltzer brothers, who owned the Lincoln Nebraska League franchise was not happy as Lincoln moved to the Western League and Beltzer's team disbanded.

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