Back to the Past : The Wa Sung Athletic Club

By Howard Ah-Tye (August, 1989)

Before 1923, a small group of young Chinese men congregated at Allie Wong's home on 6th Street in Oakland Chinatown. Many of them were interested in baseball. Therefore, they played at the Auditorium Field (later known as Davis Field) where Laney College is now located. The Wa Sung Baseball Team was organized in 1923. They later changed their name to the Wa Sung Athletic Club to accommodate others who wish to join but did not participate as ball players. Al Huey (part Chinese and Hawaiian) was the coach. Gay Wye and Lock Kai Kee were the assistant coaches. The ball players wore colorful uniforms and played games in various towns - Stockton, Fresno, Mill Valley, San Jose, Alameda, Petaluma, Lodi, San Francisco, and even in Yonkers. Teams they played included the California Blues, California Grays, Central Bank, J.J. Krieg, Mission Red, and Alameda Eagles.

The baseball team included many good players, notably Al Bowen who tried out and played briefly for the Oakland Oaks. The team was very colorful and exciting. They had no problems in scheduling games and played in several leagues. They were in great demand and were considered semi-professionals. Money received for their efforts were usually contributions in a hat passed around. They used the money to buy uniforms and other incidentals. The Athletic Club had their parties and socials too. They held hot dog sales and spaghetti feeds and put on variety shows at the old Danish Hall. At one time, they were so popular that many Chinese in the community would follow them as they barnstormed from town to town.

The baseball players who wore the Wa Sung uniform were: Al Bowen, George Bowen, Henry Bowen, Ben Chan, George Chan, Art Chinn, Key Chinn, Earnest Chinn, Robert Chow, Frank Dun, Binge Eng, Hector Eng, Harry Hinge, Andrew Oho, Newell Kai Eke, Joe Lee, Lester Lee, Walton Lee, Ralph Lew, Wing Lew, Dan Lewis, Henry Lum, Al Wong, Allie Wong, Phillip Wong, Ed Yee and Wing Yick.The Athletic Club was disbanded in 1938. Then in July of 1952, they regrouped to organize a new community service club, the Wa Sung Service Club.

The Early Days of Wa Sung Athletic Club

By Dazhi Lum (1998)

My father arrived in America from Canton in 1852. He got here with a queue and no money. He came to San Francisco and helped build Chinatown. My mother arrived later with bound feet. After the Great Earthquake in San Francisco in 1906, the Lum family had to move to Oakland Chinatown. I was born in the year 1911 at a wood house at 314 Webster Street. We were a poor family with 14 brothers and sisters. Among the siblings, I was the healthiest one. I went to Lincoln Elementary and Oakland High School. In 1923, a group of poor Chinese boys regularly met in Oakland Chinatown, the beginning of the Wa Sung Athletic Club. I was about 12 year old. We met every Sunday at the corner of 8th and Harrison Streets near the barbershop. In those days, we had no cars nor money nor girlfriends.

The Bowen brothers, Ed, George and Al, were the backbone of Wa Sung. Ed was the scorekeeper and bookkeeper. George was the catcher. Al was the pitcher. They had a car and drove us to David Field near the Kaiser Convention Center. Al was also our leader and a good one. He told us to exercise well and eat right. We practiced baseball. We really got in shape. During our free time, a bunch of kids played "kick the can." After practice, we always went to a German hofbrau at Grand Avenue and Broadway in Downtown Oakland. We drank sarsaparilla, a soda drink. Al Huey was our coach. The Hawaiian Chinese took us to a camp in Mill Valley for day training every summer. We trained hard. We hiked trails and climbed hills. Al Huey was always our camp leader. Later, he was our baseball team coach.

Because of my Wa Sung training, I was able to play on the varsity baseball team as catcher and outfielder. I also played forward on the varsity basketball team. I graduated from Oakland High in 1930. On Sundays, our semi-pro baseball team played in many towns in the Central Valley. We travled throughout California, Nevada and Oregon. We played everybody and anybody. Al Bowen was an outstanding pitcher. He was the first Chinese pitcher to play professional baseball with the Oakland Oaks. I was the backup catcher for Wa Sung. Our team won most baseball games. People respected us: no drinking, no smoking and no girlfriends. We played until 1938. I am lucky to be a part of the Wa Sung Athletic Club. I am grateful to Al Huey, our coach. He taught me to think fast and move fast. I am in good health because of my training with the Wa Sung Athletic Club.