Clayton Spivey

Clayton "Clay" Spivey was the ne'er-do-well father of semipro baseball player Jack Spivey.

Spivey was a native of Enid, Oklahoma. He'd developed a reputation from age twelve for being worthless. He married. He and his wife had Jack in 1910. However, Clay Spivey was widowed in 1915 when his wife died in childbirth. Spivey fell into alcoholism, and was a poor father to Jack.

In 1932, after the bursting of the Big Bubble, and Enid's economy hit especially hard, Clayton Spivey left town without warning Jack. He made his way to Eureka, California for a time, then headed north through Oregon, finally becoming a lumberjack in Bellingham, Washington.

By chance, on July 14, 1934, Spivey went to watch the local semipro team, the Bellingham Chinooks, play the barnstorming House of Daniel. Already fairly drunk, Spivey taunted the House players, particularly an outfielder nicknamed "Snake". When the House beat the Chinooks, Spivey prepared to leave until "Snake" called out to him. It was his son, Jack; Clay had not recognized Jack under his beard.

Jack introduced members of the team to his father; Clayton was astonished Jack was even good enough to make the team. Harv Watrous, the manager of the House of Daniel, invited Clayton to join them for supper. Instead, Jack offered to take Clayton out for a one-on-one supper, with Jack paying.

After they ordered and ate for a time, Jack asked Clayton why he'd left. Clayton bluntly told Jack that he couldn't stand their house in Enid any longer, and since Jack could take care of himself, Clayton left. The conversation went on in that vein, and finally Jack paid and left.