George Earl "Cowboy" Milstead: 29 Years in Pro Baseball

George Earl "Cowboy" Milstead spent 29 years in professional baseball. Three of them were spent pitching in the major leagues for the Chicago Cubs. From 1921 to 1950, "Cowboy" crossed the country hurling a baseball during a career that started in Bonham, TX and ended in Lake Charles, LA.



"Cowboy", as he was called, was the grandfather of Thomas Reprographics manager Johnny Milstead. Johnny remembers walking with him as a child through the cornfields on his grandfathers land in Cleburne, TX. Walk into Johnny's office in Dallas' Uptown and you will see memorabilia of his grandfather's playing days. Most notably is a team picture of him with the Cubs, newspaper clippings, and a baseball card.



George Earl Milstead was born June 26, 1903 in Cleburne. In 1921 he began his baseball career with the Bonham Favorites of the Texas-Oklahoma League. One June 27, 1924, one day after his 21st birthday, he made his major league debut for the Cubs. He would appear in 36 games wearing a Cub's uniform, pitching 106 innings over three years.



After his stint in the majors with the Cubs, "Cowboy" spent time with many teams all across the country. On December 7, 1928, The Nashville Volunteers purchased him from the Toledo Mud Hens. Then in 1931, "Cowboy" was the winning pitcher for the Vols in a game against the Mobile Marines. The signifigance of the victory: It was the first night win for the Vols in their historic home field, Sulphur Del. That season would see him go on to pitch a career high 246 innings.



In 1935, he would start 25 games and appear in another 10 for the famed Fort Worth Cats. That season he would throw 213 innings. The next four would find him pitching for the Tulsa Oilers of the Texas League.

In 1941, at the age of 38, "Cowboy" would have perhaps his best season in the minors. He posted a 19-5 win-loss record for the Cheyenne Indians of the Nebraska Western League. On a roster and in a league filled with players in their early 20's, "Cowboy" was named to the league's all-star team. Three of his teammates would join him. His 19 wins also led the league that year among all pitchers.



The following season woul see him make his managerial debut with the Wichita Falls Spudders. He would serve double-duty as a player/manager. In 1949 and 50, he would manage again, first with the Henderson Oilers, then with the Lake Charles Lakers.


1950 was his final season in professional baseball. After appearing in 36 innings in the majors and pitching over 4,000 innings in the minors, "Cowboy" retired to return home to Cleburne where he was born and raised. Here he would raise a family and farm until his death in 1977.



For more information on him you can visit the following:

• Major League Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milstge01.shtml
  
• Minor League Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=milste001geo

• Nebraska Minor League Baseball
  http://marian.creighton.edu/~besser/baseball/nsl1941.html

The above article first appeared in the January - March 2010 edition of TRTalk, a publication of Thomas Reprographics (www.thomasrepro.com).

Memories of Viv

I do not remember a time when Pistol and Viv were not a part of my life. It was probably not until the age of nine or 10 that I began sleeping over at their house when their nephew Scott would come over for the weekend or during the summer months. He and I would play from dusk till dawn in either their yard or mine. After the sun went down we would move into the den at Pistol and Viv's.

When it was too wet or too cold to play outside, we would take over the den in the back of their house. He and I would take sheets and bedspreads and anything else we could find and make forts, tents, or tunnels. Never once did I hear Viv complain. But we also knew that when we were through, we had to clean up the mess we had made and move whatever furniture back to its place.

When one of us would get a new Nerf baseball or bat, the den would be transformed into a baseball diamond complete with a base path and an outfield. Hit the wall with fireplace and you had hit a home run.

In the back of the house, Pistol and Viv kept their freezer and a refrigerator. It was always stocked with what growing boys wanted. I could not guess how many cold Cokes or Dr Peppers we went through. We would never go hungry either. If I slept over, Viv would be cooking bacon and toast for the boys when we woke up. Lunchtime and suppertime would find sandwiches or hot dogs.

Anyone that knew Pistol and Viv knew that they had two passions: Razorback football (the Hogs) and the Dallas Cowboys. I do not know how many Sunday afternoons I spent at Texas Stadium in section 30 rooting for the Cowboys. When I got my first camera (an Olympus OM-1)in 1979, I was there on row 4 shooting the action just like I was on the sideline. Never did Pistol or Viv ask me for one dime to cover the cost of the ticket, the popcorn and hot dogs, or the cold drinks.

Another time I got the opportunity to meet Roger Staubach, Tom Landry, Larry Gatlin and Spanky McFarland at the Gatlin Brother's Golf Tournament at the Las Colinas Country Club. One day Pistol even saw to it that I got to carry coach Landry's golf bag from his car to the club house. Later that day, Spanky hit an errant shot that went under a chain link fence and into a ravine. There was a gap large enough for me to fit under to retrieve the ball for him.

As Scott and I grew older and our lives become busier with school and later families, we grew apart. Our friendship never did. After Pistol died in the early '80's, I would see him from time to time when he came to check on his Aunt Viv. Sometimes he would bring his son. Whenever I would go by to replace a light bulb or to check the oil in her car, she would fill me in on how he and all the family was doing.

In 1985 when my own mother died, it was Viv that came to my office to tell me. Not wanting to tell me over the phone, my sister called Viv and asked that she come to work to tell me. Later that same year, a few months before Gayla and I were married, Viv was the one playing doctor to me at about 7 AM. I showed up at her front door wearing only a pair of shorts and shoes and with blood running down my face. When she opened the door, I asked for aspirin as if nothing were wrong. What had happened was a bird flew into the window above my bed. My cat was sleeping on top of my clock radio and was startled. She lept from it and it came down on top of my forehead. It had just enough cord to dangle and make three wounds.

There are two things I will never forget about Viv. The first was her red hair. Second was her contaigious smile. In later years we would be visiting in the back den with a ballgame on. I would be entertaining her poodle Sissy. She always had a smile on her face, no matter how bad her back was bothering her.

One of the few times I remember her not smiling was when I refused to accept something she offered me. She told me she may be old and have a bad back, but she was not too old to take me over her knee and give me a whipping. Then she smiled at me and said, "wouldn't you feel bad if I had to do that."

I had a special relationship with Pistol and Viv. After Pistol's death, my love and respect for her grew stronger. I credit both of them for helping to make me the person I am today. I cannot hear a child say huh, uh-huh, or unt-huh without thinking of Pistol. It has been an honor to to count both of them as friends.

People have asked me this weekend what relationship to Viv I shared. I would think for a minute and tell them we were neighbors, we were friends. But more than that, I considered her family. At times she was like a mother to me. Othertimes she was the grandmother I never knew or had. But the title I like best was Aunt Viv. I am going to miss Aunt Viv, as I know a lot of people will.