Hansen: Where have Tucson's sports fireworks gone?

Tucson's Fourth of July sports not what they used to be 

Saturday in the park;

I think it was the Fourth of July;

Saturday in the park;

I think it was the Fourth of July;

People dancing, people laughing;

A man selling ice cream;

Singing Italian songs ….

There will be no Italian songs in Tucson on the Fourth of July. There will be a soccer game, FC Tucson v. the Albuquerque Sol, at the Kino Sports Complex.

There will be no traditional ballgame. There will be the Firecracker 100 at Tucson Speedway.

That’s it. The great 1970s band Chicago would’ve never authored a song about the Fourth of July in Tucson sports. If it did, that song would be a sad one about how much we’ve lost across the last 100 years.

Here’s a look at Tucson sports on the Fourth of July, 1915 to 2015: 

1915

The banner headline in the Star sports section was “Ten Will Start In Vail Road Race.’’ Ten motorcyclists competed for a $40 first prize, riding from the downtown Carnegie Library to Vail and back. The winner required 44 minutes.

At 4 p.m., the Old Pueblos played Phoenix in a Rio Grande League doubleheader. (Note: game time for the nine-inning nightcap was 1 hour, 15 minutes). After the game, the league was dissolved. Players divided the uniforms, bats and balls in lieu of salary.

The fourth place finisher in the bike race got more: his prize was $10. 

1925

Tucson boxing legend Pat Lester fought Kid Logan at Pastime Park Pavilion. The day’s card was established by Joe Vesteau, described by the Star as “Tucson’s fistic impresario.’’ 

1925

The rest of the day was overflowing with sports. At the UA campus, a polo tournament began at 2 p.m. Horse races followed at 4:30. A swimming meet began at 5. UA coach Pop McKale ran a track meet at 6.

A bike race, from downtown to the airport, was won by Henry Pain. His prize? A gold knife. 

1925

The holiday’s featured event was a baseball game, Tucson Southern Pacific vs. Bisbee. Tucson’s starting shortstop was Roy Drachman, the man who would bring spring training to Tucson in 1947. Bisbee’s catcher was Button Salmon, who was tragically killed a year later, spawning the “Bear Down’’ legend.

The headline in the Star: “Bisbee Team and Two Umpires Beat Tucson.’’ 

1935

A swimming meet between Tucson, Phoenix, Globe, Douglas and the School for the Deaf and the Blind was held at the UA. Charlie Ott, who would become the school’s first-ever swimming coach, won the diving championship.

Tucson swim “star’’ Kenneth McVey won the 440-yard freestyle in 5 minutes, 15 seconds. Today’s top UA swimmers cover that distance in about 3:40.

The “130 Degree Open’’ tennis tournament was held on the UA tennis courts. Entry fee was 35 cents. 

1945

Brooklyn Dodgers infielder Gene Mauch, stationed at the Marana Army Air Field, was the player-manager of the Marana Hosses, who played a featured Fourth of July night game at Randolph Park against Davis-Monthan. New York Yankees scout Joe Devine was in the bleachers to watch Tucson High prospects Lee Carey and Bill Hassey.

In a ceremony at Arizona Stadium, the Marine bronze star was presented to the family of Arizona welterweight boxing champion Willie Cocio, who had been killed by Japanese forces in the battle of Saipan.

Entry fees for the Fourth of July Tucson Tennis Club Open increased to 75 cents. It was suggested tennis players phone tournament director J.D. Tickle at his home. The number was 2547-M. 

1955

Roger McCluskey, the most accomplished auto racer in Tucson history – he had four Top 10s at the Indy 500 – won the 50-lap Fourth of July race at the Rodeo Grounds on a quarter-mile dirt track. His pay: $65.

A brawl broke out in the Tucson Cowboys vs. Mexicali Eagles Class D baseball game, after Tucson pitcher Gerry Blackburn threw four pitches at Mexicali player-manager Art Lilly. Blackburn explained that he was naturally wild. The Cincinnati Reds signed him to a then-lavish $35,000 bonus but sent him to Class D Tucson to find home plate. He never got to the majors.

Pro wrestling, gaining traction on the American sports calendar, staged a Fourth of July event at the Tucson Sports Center. The Great Bolo beat Jesse James before a capacity crowd of 3,000. 

1965

The $22,500 Pro Bowler’s Tour finished on the Fourth of July at Cactus Bowl, as Harry Smith held off bowling legend Billy Welu to win the $3,000 first prize. The doors to Cactus Bowl were locked after fire marshals feared too many people would crowd into the bowling alley.

Tucson Dragway drew a capacity crowd of about 1,500 to watch Fourth of July drag races near the Fairgrounds. 

1975

The Tucson Toros drew 10,052 on a Fourth of July game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. A day later, at Hi Corbett Field, 4,812 attended as the Toros played the Sacramento Solons. The Solons wore shorts instead of full uniform pants.

Over the holiday, Tucson boxer and Arizona welterweight champion Johnny Rico, who had attracted near-sellout crowds of 8,000 at the Tucson Convention Center, underwent emergency quadruple heart-bypass surgery at TMC. He was only 28. He did not box again.

A day before the Fourth of July, former Toros owner Roy Jackson told the Tucson City Council he was bringing a Central Hockey League team, the Tucson Mavericks, to play in the TCC. The team went broke after one season. 

1985

Tucson Greyhound Park held a 15-race matinee at 1:15 p.m. on the Fourth of July. It also held a racing card that night. Total attendance was just 2,077, but fans wagered in excess of $260,000 on the dogs. 

1985

The Tucson Twilight Criterium Series began downtown with 33 Fourth of July racers. Dave Milne, who had won the first two El Tour de Tucson championships, won again. 

1995

The Toros roped off the warning track at Hi Corbett Field, allowing a spillover crowd of 10,952 to watch a Fourth of July game and fireworks show. It was the largest home crowd since 1984.

Tucson held its first Fourth of July Triathlon. UA junior Chad Carvin, the NCAA’s 1995 male Swimmer of the Year, led after the swimming and cycling stages. But he faded during a 10K run and finished eighth. 

1995

More than 6,000 attended the Fourth of July Tucson Raceway Park event, in which local racing legend Carl Trimmer won the Main Event. He won $500. 

2005

The pro fastpitch Arizona Heat drew just 425 for a Fourth of July game in which it beat Phoenix 16-3. Olympians Jessica Mendoza, Stacey Nuveman, Taira Mims Flowers and Lovie Jung, an Arizona second baseman, combined for 10 hits.

In the Tucson Summer Pro League, incoming UA freshman shooter Jesus Verdugo scored 51 points, a league record. He had averaged 2.3 points at Arizona before transferring to South Florida.

At the conclusion of the Rio Grande League baseball game 100 years ago, July 4, 1915, the commissioner of the league told the Star the league folded because of lack of interest.

“This year Tucson enjoyed Class A ball for Class C salaries,’’ he said. “So it seems there is no chance for organized baseball here.’’

It took Tucson about 100 years to absorb that truth.