Jerry Summers
In a well-researched and documented article, the Gig City/Hamilton County duly appointed Historian (Linda Moss Mines) on March 14, 2025 wrote a glowing article about the 1910 Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game against a Memphis team (Chicks?) at local Andrews Field (now razed) that turned out a crowd of more than 10,000.
This attendance record would stand until May 2, 1936, when owner Joe Engel (JE) in partnership with the local newspaper, The Chattanooga Times, agreed to raffle a house to one lucky ticket winner in the crowd.
The overflow crowd of 26,639 purchasers of the tickets (cost?) that would allow them to own a home in the post-depression era resulted in the fans filling the stands, standing along the baselines, and sitting near the outfield walls.
As a preventative effort to prevent a spectator from getting killed or maimed, Engel froze all the baseballs to make sure they were too heavy for any powerful hitter to knock any ball into the crowd.
As all local fans eagerly await the 2026 season’s opening day game, primarily as an economy boosting environment solely for the benefit of the 15,000 expected home game season ticket purchasers for the minor league rabid fanatics in Double A baseball. (However the original 20% stockholder may have to miss throwing out the first pitch in 2026!)
In 2005, author Stephen Martini wrote a 284 page history of the Chattanooga Lookouts that covered the ownership of the club by legendary promoter, former major league player, and philanthropist Engel from 1930 to his death in June 1969.
“The Chattanooga Lookouts and 100 Seasons of Scenic City Baseball,” is an intriguing baseball history that supplements LMMs article on the 1910 game.
On March 9, 2025 the Sunday Chattanooga Times Free Press sent to its subscribers a well documented historical article by staff writer Cameron McKeon, “Diamond Getting Rough” which accurately points out that years of inactivity have left Historic Engel Stadium in a deteriorated state in the next to last step to get rid of the ugly eyesore on E. 3rd Street since its birth in 1930 by “the self proclaimed king of baseball” (Engel).
Then came the March 31, 2025 grand finale announcement of a game-changing gift for a future UTC womens athletic complex that is the last overt act in the well planned conspiracy over the years to raze the field where Satchel Paige, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew, and the thousands of members (?) of the Knothole Gang and other young athletes who got to play/walk on the same field as the cherished greats named above.
(The generosity of the donors of the substantial gift from the descendants of the waterfall on the hill is acknowledged and appreciated!)
The all ladies athletic complex is now scheduled to be built on the grounds.
A die hard Knothole Gang graduate naysayer from the past has raised the question of whether a Title 9 male reverse discrimination legal suit might be valid since the Moc administration did away with the successful varsity baseball scholarship program in favor of the “lesser gender.” (wow!) A club program with a 25 game schedule in the non-scholarship National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) in the 126 team circuit in the South Atlantic Division, is a small consolation prize to many.
A trip to Joe Engel’s final resting place in Forest Hills Cemetery in beautiful St. Elmo at Plot 22, Section Y, Grave E130 may answer an important question?
Has the grass and dirt been disturbed where Joe is rolling over in his grave with laughter/tears with the latest destructive gesture to eliminate rather than preserve one of the most historical sites in Choo Choo City?
(PS: Any bidders for my framed 10 shares of the Engel Foundation Inc. capital stock of the Historic Engel Stadium purchased on September 13, 2013 in another futile effort to save Joe’s life works?)
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If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact him at jsummers@summersfirm.com)