George Holmes
From SABR Encyclopedia
- See George Holmes in the index for other people with this or a similar name.
| George Holmes | |
| George Milton Holmes | |
| Bat/Throw: | R/R |
|---|---|
| Height: | 5' 8" |
| Weight: | 170 |
| Born: | 1929-6-20 at Mount Airy, NC (US) |
| Died: | 2009-12-31 at Winston-Salem, NC (US) |
| Interred: | Flat Rock Baptist Church cemetery in Hamptonville, NC (US) |
| More info | |
| SABR Searches: | Pictures of George Holmes | width:90% height:65% scrolling:auto | Pictures}} · Bibliography |
|---|---|
At his funeral this past Sunday, George Holmes was mainly remembered in a eulogy that lasted nearly two hours as a kind, caring politician.
But before his days as a state representative, Holmes was called “Georgie” within the pages of the Washington Post, which reported his exploits as a star athlete at Washington, D.C.’s Western High School, which has since been renamed Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He also spent a few seasons playing for the Mount Airy Graniteers minor league baseball club during summers while on a football scholarship at Appalachian State.
He was born in Mount Airy in 1929, but Holmes and his family moved to the D.C. area in 1942. As a high school star for the Red Raiders in both football and baseball, Holmes’ name appeared nearly as much as paper and ink in the local sports section.
In 1946, the Post described Holmes as a “shifty runner; expert punter; good receiver,” in a weekly football column.
The kudos did not end there. In fact, Holmes earned himself a headline that stated, “Holmes 25, Indians 19 in thriller,” after he single-handedly defeated Anacostia by running for three scores and firing the game-winning touchdown pass. That story also said, “spunky, speedy George Holmes (was) a big hero.”
Despite a small stature, Holmes always seemed to come up big. He was named to the Post’s all-high football team in 1946. His write-up included this sentence: “Equally talented at baseball, he plays every position on the diamond.”
Holmes would make the Washington Star’s all-high football team in 1947. Later that year, the Star called him a “slugging shortstop,” during the baseball season.
In 1948, Holmes graduated and sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at his commencement. From there, he moved back to his native state and attended Appalachian State.
During the summer and before football seasons from 1948 until 1950, Holmes returned to Mount Airy to play baseball for the Mount Airy Graniteers.
The Graniteers were a Class D minor league baseball team that played from 1946-50. They were a continuation of the Mount Airy Reds, a Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliate that played in the Bi-State League from 1935-40. That team suspended play due to World War II and resumed in 1946 as the Graniteers, although no longer associated with the Reds.
The Graniteers played in a Blue Ridge League that included Elkin and North Wilkesboro, and Virginia’s Galax, Wytheville and Radford.
According to a Sept. 19, 1948, issue of The Mount Airy News, Holmes was batting .304 near the end of the season as a leadoff hitter. As a middle infielder, Holmes was known for making slick plays.
“He was a good fielder,” said Stanley King, a former Graniteer. “He pulled some good plays all the time.”
Frank “Moose” Solters remembered Holmes as a hard-working player who kept to himself.
“I don’t know a whole lot about George because he was quiet. He wasn’t like me,” Solters quipped.
King said, “He was a good teammate. He was well liked by everyone. I thought a whole lot of him.”
His sister, Ronella Goad, said that since George had no car, he would hitchhike to Mount Airy and catch a ride with a mailman that would take him back to Boone.
Holmes was part of the final Graniteers team that won the Blue Ridge championship in 1950.
He is also remembered fondly at his alma mater for his efforts as both an athlete and politician. The Mountaineers named their convocation center in his honor.
Through the years, a new generation got to know Holmes the athlete. A yearly reunion of the Graniteers has become a summer staple in Mount Airy.
“My opinion of George is he always had a twinkle in his eye and a great, great story to tell about his years of playing baseball here for the Graniteers,” said Ann Vaughn, who organizes the Graniteers’ reunion. “He was always a spark and a sparkle in the group of Graniteers that gathered.”
David Beal, a Graniteers historian, said, “George Holmes was an outstanding person, he was a great athlete and he’ll be missed.” [1]
Sources
- "Obituary". Mount Airy (NC) News, 2010-01-01.
- "Obituary". Winston-Salem (NC) Journal, 2010-01-01.
Footnotes
- ↑ "Holmes Was a Two Sport Star". Mount Airy Times, -00-00. http://www.mtairynews.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Holmes+was+a+two-sport+star%20&id=5465329&instance=secondary_sports_left_column.
