DEWAYNE'S CORNER - The Life of Eddie Palmer

Named after Edwin Henry "Eddie" Palmer, this park has developed many young Outlaws from T-ball to high school ball into winners. Owned by The City of Marlow, a division of Marlow Parks and Lakes, the City has been making some improvements. A new concession stand and many new lights. Back to Eddie. Who was he and why name a city park after him? Have you ever wondered?

Eddie Palmer was born in Texas on June 1, 1893. Way before my time on earth and most everyone today. His family moved to Stephens County in 1902. He spent his adult life in baseball. From 1914 to 1941, he played, was a player manager, scout, and umpire. In 1914, he started in Ardmore as a short stop. In 1915, Eddie and two other guys either owned or leased the Muskogee Mets. By 1917, he was in the Major League, with the Philadelphia Athletics.

After serving in the U. S. Army during World War I, he returned to baseball playing for the Texas-Oklahoma League at Muskogee for two years and then moved to Dallas and later Sioux City.

A contract was purchased by Fort Worth Panthers where in 1924 the "Cats" had a championship year. Eddie played second base in 1925 for the Panthers in the Texas League. Eddie spent 17 years in the Texas League with his team winning four pennants. He played with or against the likes of Dizzy Dean, Ty Cobb and knew Babe Ruth. In the off-season he always returned to his hometown, Marlow. He and his wife had four children, three boys and a girl. Wife Ethel took those kids and followed him, first to Monroe then for five seasons in Denver. The kids were always brought back to Marlow to go to school.

He played for the St. Louis Cardinals as 2nd baseman. He finished his career as player-manager in Monroe, La. (two years) and Denver, Colo. (five years). Then on to Minneapolis as a scout in 1931, and back to Texas League as an umpire until World War II.

After retirement, he could be seen at the Co-Op sitting with the men chewing tobacco and telling stories. Eddie could be seen at many Marlow Little League games out on the corner by the old city fair building. He would be helping boys with their batting stances, or helping umpire a game if need be. One Marlow youngster remembers Eddie helping him get a professional contract. Darrell Sparks provided me with an article from The Marlow Review Aug. 8, 1996, which tells the story in detail of Eddie. The Chicago Cubs signed Darrell to a contract to go to Scottsdale, AR. for spring training.

After the last week of training the team was to go to Flordia, but, Darrell had only been married four months and decided to go back home to Marlow. The hardest thing was to tell Eddie, Eddie just shook his head and said "Son, you were a ball player, you would'a made it."

Lots of Marlow men have fond memories of Eddie, just ask Phil Fleetwood or D. B. Green to name a couple. Edwin Henry "Eddie" Palmer passed Jan. 9, 1983, and is buried in Marlow Cemetery.