| The Junior All-Star team would travel 1,170 miles to Wyoming to play thirteen games against the team from Heart Mountain in September, 1944.This team is not to be confused with the Butte High Eagles team that had some of the same players on it.
“The Gila Junior All Stars were the team assembled to make the trip to Heart Mountain in 1944,†wrote Bill Staples, jr., in 2022.“Many of the 1945 Butte High Eagle players were members of the 1944 Gila Junior All Stars, but not all of them.â€
Harry Kono is sometimes credited with being the manager of this team, but he did not play a large role inits organization or management. Kenichi Zenimura was the driving force of the team.
Translation of Japanese writing on the back of the original photo:To: Teacher Morita, In memory of the excursion to the Santa Fe camp, September 1944. Takashi Nagata 65-9-D Rivers, Arizona. Takashi Nagata sent this photo to his instructor, Takuritsu Morita, who was in the Santa Fe, New Mexico camp during World War II. |
