Pitching Cornbread
Mr. Gatewood spoke to us about cornbread... not baseball’s Negro Leagues. Who knew?
My three sibs and I were all under six years old, and new to COMO (see notes), when Miss Williams rang the doorbell with a housewarming platter of her “Signature Cornbread.” She was delighted to hear Dad describe garden plans for the new house which included a corn row in the “giant new backyard garden.”
“I hope my new next-door neighbors are generous,” she said.
Miss Williams practiced generosity inside and outside her kitchen. She surprised us with cupcakes. She fried homemade potato chip snacks for us in her cast-iron skillet. She shared pages from the thick scrapbook she kept during many years in Chicago— with storytelling better than any television show. Cozy quilts draped her living room couch in front of the black-and-white TV when any of us were too sick for school.
During these early years, Miss Williams and my parents retold the “strangers meeting over cornbread” housewarming story many times, especially when others asked if we were all related.
Sometimes Miss Williams offered a more spiritual response.
“Always pay close attention to the people God sends to be your neighbors," she sometimes whispered with a smile. "He sends them to you for a reason."
So imagine our surprise, after having Miss Williams all to ourselves, when we learned that William Gatewood, an extremely tall, quiet man had moved into her tiny guest cottage behind the house.
On the day Miss Williams introduced us to the “retired sportsman” in her living room, her “very special friend” unfolded his long legs to stand up, then stooped down for friendly hand shakes all around.
“My pleasure, ” he said, creasing his mouth into a slight smile. “But I understand there’s a problem with you three that I hope will soon be corrected,” he added, glancing at Miss Williams with exaggerated sadness. “My friend says you’ve never tasted Spoonbread,” he said. “It’s my number one food memory from my Texas family table. You must promise to try it with us. And your Miss Williams makes the best.”
We tried it; we loved it. And years later, when Crescent Dragonwagon praised Spoonbread as “ne plus ultra” in The Cornbread Gospel (see sources), I understood.
Three events surprised us even more following Mr. Gatewood’s Spoonbread persuasion:
Miss Williams replaced our favorite Signature Cornbread with Mr. Gatewood’s Spoonbread in all menus.
Miss Williams’ name changed to Mrs Gatewood.
Mr. Gatewood moved into the main house.
We didn’t learn that Mr. Gatewood had once been celebrated as a well-known ballplayer until after his ancestor promotion. Mr. Gatewood had never spoken with us about his history as a pitcher and manager in Baseball’s Negro National Leagues. Instead, he seemed pleased sharing “growing up in Texas food memories.” He also seemed to enjoy playing occasional dominos and children’s card games with my sisters, younger brother and me in his Columbia, Missouri home on Ash Street.
Even if we would have known who they were, the 6’7” soft-talking giant of a man had never mentioned managing Cool Papa Joe or teaching the “hesitation pitch” to Sachel Paige. Growing up in COMO, we appreciated the man once cheered as “Big Bill Gatewood” as the kind, quiet man who relished Spoonbread and truly loved our Miss Williams.
And this made everyone happy.
For more information and stats about “Big Bill” Gatewood (1881-1962) and his 24-years in the early Negro Leagues (1905-1928), click on the green link below.
Mr. Gatewood’s Favorite Spoonbread
2 cups milk
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons baking powder
Heat milk almost to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in cornmeal, flour, butter and salt. Set aside to cool, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir beaten eggs and baking powder into cornmeal mixture, stirring just until combined. Transfer to a greased or parchment-lined square (8-by-8-inch) baking pan. Bake until mixture firms and begins to brown around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve with a spoon. Makes about 8 servings.
“It's very important to know the neighbor next door and the people down the street and the people in another race.”
—Maya Angelou
Notes:
COMO: Columbia, Missouri
Click green link to view Gatewood stats: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum :
The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, by James A. Riley (Carroll & Graf, 1994)
The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History by John Holway (Heritage House, 2001)
The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon, (Workman, Publishing, 2007)