Back when the Texarkana Bears were rocketing around the ballpark and winning two league championships between 1946 and 1953, the team was quite a draw for local kids.

It was a good bet each game some youngsters waited just outside the fences to catch foul balls or home runs as they sailed beyond the reach of the ballpark. Or kids came with their families.

For such youth, there was a way to get in the game for free on Sundays and hang out with their peers: attend Sunday school. Church and baseball were thus entwined.

The group of kids who made good were us...