One of the players on the 1946 G-Men team was Joe Eaton. In addition to playing ball, he also studied law at the University of Florida. Joe needed to study on team trips, but if you turned on one overhead light they all turned on. The other players covered the all the lights except Joe’s so that he could study and they could sleep. After he graduated in 1948, Joe went on to become a Judge for the Circuit Court of Florida and a Florida State Senator.
Image from the Elmer Harvey Bone Collection at the Matheson History Museum
“We were close. Like a family…we spent so much time together playing ball and riding buses.”
The bus itself was a sometimes difficult member of the family. On the way back from a game, the bus broke down in the Ocala National Forest. The team had to camp overnight before they could hitchhike back to Gainesville. On other trips, the bus drove into the ocean at Daytona Beach and into the side of a slow-moving train.
Image from the Matheson History Museum Collection
The wives of the players frequently attended games at Harris field. As one of them later recalled, “baseball was good back in those days and everyone went to ball games. You dressed up, you didn’t wear slacks or shirts, you dressed up in heels and a nice dress.” How is this different from baseball games today?
Image from the September 2, 1957 issue of Sports Illustrated in the Matheson History Museum Collection
1949 was a great year for the G-Men. They won the Florida State League Championship and their 87-50 record was the best ever for the team. Sadly, this was the beginning of the end for the team. It disbanded in 1952 and several of the players continued to play for the Barkely Motors team. In 1955 the G-Men came back for another round, but the team disbanded for good in 1958. As one player said in 1994, “Times change. By the end it was like beating a dead horse. But it was fun while it lasted.”
Image from the Matheson History Museum Collection
One of the most talented players to come through the G-Men was Myril Hoag. Before coming to Gainesville, he played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues. During his seven seasons with the New York Yankees, Myril played in the World Series three times. In 1946 he joined the G-Men as a pitcher/manager and played with the team for three seasons before retiring in 1951.
Image from the Matheson History Museum Collection