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First aidHayward Sullivan and the Birmingham Barons 1964 LbNA #68346

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Apr 17, 2015
Location: Dothan City Cemetery, East Main St.
City:Dothan
County:Houston
State:Alabama
Boxes:1
Planted by:DorothyGayle
Found by: gmommy
Last found:Jun 25, 2016
Status:FFF
Last edited:Nov 13, 2015
Hayward Sullivan moved to Dothan as a child with his parents, who both worked at Blumberg's Department Store in downtown Dothan. He became an outstanding athlete at Dothan High, captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. At the University of Florida where he went on scholarship he was elected captain of the football team as a junior. After college he was drafted by the Red Sox where he never achieved stardom but learned the game from behind the plate as catcher. In 1964, Hayward's role shifted from playing baseball to managing, a challenging role as his team, the Birmingham Barons were the first integrated sports team in the South. This was only a year after the 16th St. Baptist Church bombing in which 4 young girls were killed. The Barons led the league until their last series with Lynchburg where they lost 2 out of 3 and thus lost the pennant race. Sullivan later managed Kansas City and Boston and eventually became a part owner of the Red Sox. When he died in Florida in the 90's ( I have forgotten the date), he chose to be buried next to his parents in Dothan near the home where he was raised.
I highly recommend the book The Southern League by Larry Colton which tells the story of the 1964 Barons.
To find the letterbox travel east on Main St. from downtown Dothan until you reach the cemetery on the north side of the street. Go down to the last lane (Lane 1) on the farthest east side of the cemetery. As you drive down the lane, look east until you spot "Sullivan". From the gravesite look to the north. There are two clumps of trees to the north. In the one closest to the street the letterbox is located under leaves. Please cover it carefully
(and yes I know the B prints backwards, you don't want to know the whole story of how that occurred.)