Capahas have endured through the decades

Sports teams on all levels seem to come and go, which makes the longevity of the Cape Girardeau Capahas all the more remarkable.

The Capahas, named after the flour company and not the Capaha Indian tribe, are believed to be the oldest amateur baseball team in the United States. Cape Girardeau's original boys of summer go as far back as 1894, although it is not known for certain that it was their first year of existence.

What is certain is that by the time the Southeast Missourian began publishing in 1904, the Capahas had already been playing baseball for a minimum of 10 years.

What is also certain is that the Capahas have fielded and played against some outstanding players.

In early decades of the 1900s, many professional ballplayers would play on "barnstorming" teams and play against teams like the Capahas.

In 1908 members of the St. Louis Browns beat the Capahas 11-5, and in 1931 future Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean pitched a game for the Charleston team against the Capahas.

But Capahas manager Bill Sullivan landed a star of his own in Cape native and ex-major league pitcher Elam Vangilder, who stole the spotlight from Dean by striking out 22 batters and leading the Capahas to a 4-0 win.

The Capahas had their ups and downs over the years --there were golden years and not-so-golden years, and the squad was even disbanded a couple of times -- but the program endured under several managers before Jess Bolen, who had started playing for the team in 1959, took over as manager in 1967.

Since Bolen began running the organization, the Capahas have consistently thrived. Bolen has led the Capahas to a 1,229-314 record in 38 seasons, and they have made 23 consecutive appearances in the National Baseball Congress World Series while becoming one of the premier teams in the nation.

Bolen acknowledged that summer baseball has evolved over the years. Where at various times numerous communities in Southeast Missouri fielded teams to form leagues, that is no longer the case as the Capahas have to travel quite a bit in order to play a full schedule.

And the barnstorming tours are long gone, although the Capahas and teams they play against often feature ex-professional players. Over the years --even before Bolen took over as manager -- the Capahas often featured players either heading for professional ball or those on the way down, but still talented.

"It's changed a lot over the years," Bolen said. "There used to be teams all over the area, just about every town had one, and they were very good teams, with a lot of talent."

Bolen generally uses college players these days -- including several each year from Southeast Missouri State -- along with some ex-college players, and there are usually some ex-professionals sprinkled in. Many of the Capahas continue to rise to the professional ranks.

"I think the talent we're able to attract, most of it from right around here, is as good as there is in the nation," said Bolen, whose team has had several high finishes in the NBC World Series, with a top showing of fourth. "We've always competed well in the national tournament."

The Capahas have had various primary sponsors over the years, with the current sponsor being Plaza Tire, which joined forces with the Capahas prior to the 2004 season. The Capahas also raise money through various fundraisers, including an annual auction and youth baseball camp.

"Without a main sponsor, I don't think we'd have been able to make it all these years," said Bolen, who runs the Capahas with the help of his wife Mary, who serves in a variety of capacities, including business manager and publicity director. "It takes a lot of money to run the ballclub, especially these days when we have to do quite a bit of traveling to play a full schedule."

The Capahas have given fans plenty of summer thrills over the years. Bolen knows that will continue as long as he's in charge and hopes it keeps going even after he's no longer running the team.

"I'm going to keep doing this as long as my health allows and I still enjoy it, which I still really do," Bolen said. "And hopefully the Capahas will still be around long after I'm gone. I couldn't imagine Cape Girardeau without the Capahas."