Hopkins, Almond Boyer "Sis" (1883-1944) This left-handed pitcher certainly fit the definition of "journeyman," having played for over a dozen baseball teams and in several minor leagues, and even had a brief trip to the majors, during a 10-plus year career.
A Virginia native, he was the son of Henry and Jenny Margaret (Hardy) Hopkins. It's not known when/where he was given the nickname, however Sis Hopkins was a play of that era made popular by actress Rose Melville, and is likely its origin. There was also another "Sis" playing around the same time who was an outfielder, and there have been other Sis's since.
Early on, "Sis" played with several Southern Association teams including:
A Virginia native, he was the son of Henry and Jenny Margaret (Hardy) Hopkins. It's not known when/where he was given the nickname, however Sis Hopkins was a play of that era made popular by actress Rose Melville, and is likely its origin. There was also another "Sis" playing around the same time who was an outfielder, and there have been other Sis's since.
Early on, "Sis" played with several Southern Association teams including:
- Chattanooga
- Montgomery
- Birmingham
- New Orleans
Pitching for the Lookouts in 1902.
New Orleans Item 15-Feb-1903, Page 7
That proved to be the high-water mark of his career. While with the Tigers, he participated in a series of exhibition game against Shreveport.
Detroit Free Press 25-Mar-1903, Page 10
Not making the Tiger roster, two months later he was with the Montgomery, AL Black Sox......
.....and by August he was pitching for New Orleans.
Source: New Orleans Item 05-Aug-1903, Page 6
By 1904, he'd dropped down to playing for Yazoo City, MS, but in 1905 was signed by Baton Rouge where amazingly he once pitched all 18 innings of a doubleheader with Mobile, winning both games.
New Orleans Daily Picayune 19-Jul-1905, Page 1
Sis headed north for the 1906 season, first signing with the Hancock, MI Infants of the North Copper Country League. Later that year, he joined rival Duluth.
Duluth News Tribune 14-Aug-1906, Page 7
Living in Little Rock, AR in 1907, he married Miss Fannie Neal after one week courtship.
The Daily Arkansas Gazette 17-Jan-1907, Page 7
That marriage apparently did not last, leading to a bizarre turn of events. In 1908 Sis began playing for the Taylorville Tailors in the Class D East Illinois League . While there, he met and ran off with 16 year-old resident Minnie Bode. Initially not certain of her whereabouts, her family feared she'd been killed or sold into white slavery.
Decatur (IL) Daily Review 25-Apr-1909, Page 5
Sis and now 17 year-old Minnie were the subject of a manhunt and arrested in Shreveport. Interestingly they were married while in jail, in a ceremony arranged by his lawyer, apparently to make the girl an "honest woman" in order to satisfy her parents. The article about the arrest also mentions his having played for Shreveport and at the time was with Fort Smith (AR) of the Cotton States League.
Baton Rouge State Times 11-May-1909, Page 3
The two were returned to Taylorville, but charges were expected to be dismissed, the marriage apparently satisfying Minnie's parents.
The Decatur (IL) Daily Review 11-May-1909 Page 1
With legal problems apparently behind him, in 1910 Sis was given a tryout by Dallas of the Texas League, but did not look promising.
El Paso (TX) Herald 07-Jun-1910, Page 4
That same year, Sis became player/manager of the Shreveport-based Chamberlane semipro club. Below is a recap of games against Winnfield during Fourth-of-July 1910.
The (Winnfield, LA) Comrade 08-Jul-1910, Page 1
The Shreveport Pirates of the Texas League ended play with the 1910 season and in April 1911, he proposed the creation of a new semipro league that would include a Shreveport franchise.
Arkansas Gazette 30-Apr-1911, Page 19
Though his best years were long behind him, he continued playing at lower levels. In June 1911, he played for D League Cleburne, TX and a month later, played against Cleburne with Ardmore, OK.
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
His baseball career faded, he got into oilfield work. A 1917 newspaper article notes his returning to Healdton, OK from Oil City, LA; where he'd been for some indeterminate length of time.
Hopkins had agreed to pitch for New Orleans the following year but when that was blocked by league president William Marmaduke Kavanaugh, he instead signed with the Detroit Tigers.
That proved to be the high-water mark of his career. While with the Tigers, he participated in a series of exhibition game against Shreveport.
Detroit Free Press 25-Mar-1903, Page 10
Not making the Tiger roster, two months later he was with the Montgomery, AL Black Sox......
.....and by August he was pitching for New Orleans.
Source: New Orleans Item 05-Aug-1903, Page 6
By 1904, he'd dropped down to playing for Yazoo City, MS, but in 1905 was signed by Baton Rouge where amazingly he once pitched all 18 innings of a doubleheader with Mobile, winning both games.
New Orleans Daily Picayune 19-Jul-1905, Page 1
Sis headed north for the 1906 season, first signing with the Hancock, MI Infants of the North Copper Country League. Later that year, he joined rival Duluth.
Duluth News Tribune 14-Aug-1906, Page 7
That marriage apparently did not last, leading to a bizarre turn of events. In 1908 Sis began playing for the Taylorville Tailors in the Class D East Illinois League . While there, he met and ran off with 16 year-old resident Minnie Bode. Initially not certain of her whereabouts, her family feared she'd been killed or sold into white slavery.
Decatur (IL) Daily Review 25-Apr-1909, Page 5
Sis and now 17 year-old Minnie were the subject of a manhunt and arrested in Shreveport. Interestingly they were married while in jail, in a ceremony arranged by his lawyer, apparently to make the girl an "honest woman" in order to satisfy her parents. The article about the arrest also mentions his having played for Shreveport and at the time was with Fort Smith (AR) of the Cotton States League.
Baton Rouge State Times 11-May-1909, Page 3
The two were returned to Taylorville, but charges were expected to be dismissed, the marriage apparently satisfying Minnie's parents.
The Decatur (IL) Daily Review 11-May-1909 Page 1
With legal problems apparently behind him, in 1910 Sis was given a tryout by Dallas of the Texas League, but did not look promising.
That same year, Sis became player/manager of the Shreveport-based Chamberlane semipro club. Below is a recap of games against Winnfield during Fourth-of-July 1910.
The (Winnfield, LA) Comrade 08-Jul-1910, Page 1
The Shreveport Pirates of the Texas League ended play with the 1910 season and in April 1911, he proposed the creation of a new semipro league that would include a Shreveport franchise.
Arkansas Gazette 30-Apr-1911, Page 19
Though his best years were long behind him, he continued playing at lower levels. In June 1911, he played for D League Cleburne, TX and a month later, played against Cleburne with Ardmore, OK.
During the 1912 season, he's listed as having played for the Ardmore Giants and Durant Choctaws/Hustlers of the Class D Texas-Oklahoma League.
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
His baseball career faded, he got into oilfield work. A 1917 newspaper article notes his returning to Healdton, OK from Oil City, LA; where he'd been for some indeterminate length of time.
The (Ardmore (OK) Daily Ardmoreite 31-Jul-1917, Page 5
He apparently didn't stay in Healdton long, as Hopkins' 1918 WWI draft registration identified him living in Shreveport with the occupation of pipefitter, and with his mother listed as next-of-kin. He must have married third (?) wife Lelia Belle Goodwin shortly thereafter, because the 1920 U. S. Census lists her employed, possibly as a nurse, as head-of-household; while he's identified as not having a job. They lived at 2820 Stonewall Street, in the Queensborough neighborhood.
Per the 1930 Census, he and Lelia were living in Shreveport with him having the occupation of plumber. His World War II draft registration shows him employed by Hopkins & Goodwin Plumbing Contractors, a partnership with Lelia's brother, Bascom Huey Godwin, located at 828 Travis Street. Today, that address is a vacant lot across from the First Methodist Church parking lot.
Almond Boyer Hopkins died 29-Nov-1944 in Shreveport, while Lelia also passed away there in 1989.
Return to Memorable Athletes, Coaches, Personalities, and Teams
He apparently didn't stay in Healdton long, as Hopkins' 1918 WWI draft registration identified him living in Shreveport with the occupation of pipefitter, and with his mother listed as next-of-kin. He must have married third (?) wife Lelia Belle Goodwin shortly thereafter, because the 1920 U. S. Census lists her employed, possibly as a nurse, as head-of-household; while he's identified as not having a job. They lived at 2820 Stonewall Street, in the Queensborough neighborhood.
Per the 1930 Census, he and Lelia were living in Shreveport with him having the occupation of plumber. His World War II draft registration shows him employed by Hopkins & Goodwin Plumbing Contractors, a partnership with Lelia's brother, Bascom Huey Godwin, located at 828 Travis Street. Today, that address is a vacant lot across from the First Methodist Church parking lot.
Almond Boyer Hopkins died 29-Nov-1944 in Shreveport, while Lelia also passed away there in 1989.
Return to Memorable Athletes, Coaches, Personalities, and Teams
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