The Houston Baseball Dinners disappeared for 13 seasons, from 1974 to 1986. It had to do with the shaky ownership grounds of the Astros franchise and tough changes in the Houston economy. Allen and Jo Russell started them up again in 1987.
After 13 straight years (1961-73) of honoring some of baseball’s best seasonal performers, many of whom who were on their ways to the Hall of Fame as all-time greats, and at a cost to fans that never exceeded $12.50 a dinner plate, the Houston Baseball Dinners went dark for an equal period of 13 years (1974-86) due to hard times in the transitional history of the Astros franchise ownership and some bumpy economic times in the then almost 100% heavily oil-dependent Houston economy.
The annual Houston winter baseball dinners were resurrected in early 1987, thanks to the efforts of former Houston Houston Buffs president Allen Russell and his devoted wife and hard-working life companion, Jo Russell.
From the way things sounded in the earliest news notices we could find among our digital sources, there was nothing to learn about the politics involved in both the shutting down of the original series or the starting up of the new run in this annual Houston banquet event. One thing we have to build upon, conjecturally, is our personal knowledge of Allen Russell from the short time I got to know him personally in 1995, only six months shy of his death in January 1996 from chronic renal failure.
I had known of Allen Russell since those childhood days I watched him set gasoline on fire as the cure for a wet infield that otherwise threatened Buff Stadium with a postponement and loss of gate. I never met him personally until the very last page in his lifespan.
Allen Russell, the man, was a passionate baseball guy with a driving energy for making things work to the best of their ability. I met Allen as a volunteer assistant to his search for all former Buffs about an upcoming “Last Roundup” reunion dinner in September 1995. Before I knew it, Allen had picked up on my enjoyment of writing and was using me to put some of his ideas for improving baseball into essay form. Even through his toughest days, he hung in there with his goals. In effect, and to the very end, Allen lived life as a man who knew he had something to give to baseball – and he behaved as a man who was simply to busy to die. And Jo Russell was right there at his side, doing all she could to help him get things done while paying some attention to taking care of himself as well.
There is no doubt in my mind that, whenever Allen Russell decided to resurrect the Houston Baseball Dinner in January 1987, it was going to happen.
The following article summarizes the gist of things 2ithout shedding light on Russell’s expanded support system, although I think local sportswriter Ivy McLemore was there to help.
______________________________________
ALLEN RUSSELL AND HIS WIFE JO RUSSELL LED THE HOUSTON BASEBALL DINNER BACK TO LIFE IN 1987.
Baseball Dinner Planned
HAL LANIER
MANAGER
HOUSTON ASTROS
1986-1988
MIKE SCOTT
NL CY YOUNG AWARD
1986
ROGER CLEMENS
AL CY YOUNG AWARD
1986
(Houston Astros) Manager Hal Lanier and Cy Young Award winners Mike Scott and Roger Clemens will be the guests of honor at the 1987 Houston Baseball Dinner Feb. 12 (1987) at th Westin Galleria Hotel.
FRED HARTMAN
FORMER PUBLISHER
BAYTOWN SUN
“FOR LONG AND MERITORIOUS SERVICE
TO THE GAME”
The BBWAA will also present an award to Fred Hartman, former publisher of the Baytown Sun, for long and meritorious service to the game.
Activities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception. A dinner will follow, with the program set to start at 7:45 p.m. Tickets for the event cost $25. Checks should be made payable to (the) Houston Athletic Committee and mailed to Allen Russell, Chairman, Houston Baseball Dinner, 924 Fleetwood Place Drive, Houston, Texas 77079.
~ Baytown Sun, January 17, 1987, Page 14.
—————————————————–
The Pecan Park Eagle 
Leave a comment