Virtual Lecture – When the Negro Leagues Came to Chester County

The 1920 Parkesburg Iron Company (PICO) baseball team was one of the Philadelphia area’s most successful semi-pro clubs. They were led by slugging third baseman Henry “Ted” Baldwin (West Chester), center-fielder Herb Steen (Coatesville), second baseman Joe Peploski, pitcher Vernon Touchstone, and player-manager Simon “Si” Pauxtis. Their schedule featured games against regional teams from Pennsylvania and neighboring states, as well as some of the most prominent East coast Negro League teams: Hilldale Daisies, Brooklyn Royal Giants, and Cuban Stars East (Hilldale was a Darby, PA powerhouse club that would win three Eastern Colored League Championships and the 1925 Negro World Series.) Michael Peich will discuss the 1920 PICO season that enabled Chester Countians to watch some of the finest Negro League teams in the country.
About the Speaker: Michael Peich’s baseball research focuses on the Negro Leagues and Chester County. He is currently President of the Ephemera Society of America and is an ardent baseball card and ephemera collector. In addition to being a devoted Phillies fan he is Professor Emeritus (English) at West Chester University.