This snapshot from the late 1930s shows members of a semi-pro baseball team in Topeka. Players on the team include at least three members of the Coffman family, who later would become associated with the successful Topeka Decker Oilers semi-pro team. Of the players kneeling in the front, Ed Coffman is on the far left, and his brother "Pooch" (also known as Al or Vern) is second from the left. Kneeling on the far right is Junior, another Coffman brother. Pooch's two sons are seated in the front, Burton on the left and Harland on the right. They, too, would later play with the Decker Oilers. Harland, Burton, and their uncle Junior also played in the minor leagues. Digital reproduction of the photograph was accomplished through a joint project sponsored by the Kansas Historical Society and the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame.
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