James F. (App) Driscoll-Baseball Icon of Olean

JAMES F. “APP” DRISCOLL
BASEBALL ICON OF OLEAN

An Outstanding North Olean Citizen, Who Made
Outstanding Contributions To His Community
Now and then it happens that a man will come along to enrich the lives of those in his community. One of those men was James F. “App” Driscoll. We all knew “App” if not personally, we knew who he was. “App” was held in high esteem not only in his birthplace of North Olean, but also the City of Olean and many other localities too numerous to mention. “App” was an icon of baseball in Olean, and it was because of this passion that baseball became the most popular sport in Olean.

Joseph F. and Mary McMahon Driscoll were an Irish family who had made their home on W. Oak Street in North Olean. While residing here they had three sons and five daughters. One of these sons was James F. Driscoll who was born on July 25, 1904. James grew up in North Olean, attended St. John’s Church and School No 7. “App” graduated from Olean High School, Class of 1925. In 1929, he graduated from St. Bonaventure College.

On October 16, 1941, James F. Driscoll married the beautiful Lillian Kwiatkowski, the daughter of Joseph and Sophia Skala Kwiatkowski, who resided on River Street, North Olean. Their children are daughters, Mary Ellen (Mrs. Robert T. Ulasewicz), and Miss Kathleen Driscoll, and son, Joseph (Pat) Driscoll.

But “App” as he was fondly called, also had another family, the family that belonged to baseball. App was to give his heart and soul to the sport, promoting the game of baseball in Olean.

The birth of the Polo Field at North Olean was not just a fluke happening. No! The Chamber of Commerce held title to the land in 1928. Since the land was of small value at that time, it played a factor for the OK to go ahead and build the ball field. App was the prime mover in its construction. Those included in turning the “old cow pasture” into a baseball diamond, were Frank and Bennie Rucinski, Mike Borowski, Mike Ellman, Frank Zawada, Johnny Loftus, App Driscoll and Frank Macknia. With the help of others it was not long before it became one of the best baseball fields in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. It was here at the Polo Field that the Nationals played many of their games.

Since everyone called James Driscoll “App”, an explanation is needed as to what is behind this nickname. He earned the name of App while he was still in grade school. He was playing ball (of course) and got into a loud argument with the umpire whose name was Joe Apple. From that day on James Driscoll became known as App Driscoll.

In the years of 1928 and 1929, App was the baseball and basketball coach for School No.7 and School No.8. In 1928, under App Driscoll’s coaching, School No.7 won the title of Olean Grammar School Basketball League Champions. His players were Johnny Ward, Joe Wisel, Eddie Carapellatti, Mike Barbaro, Clayt Weakland, Skippy Rucinski, Tony Tarantine, Babe Gibbons and George Fitzpatrick. During the School No.7 P. T. A. meeting held on May 22, 1929, the school and basketball team presented App, the coach of the basketball team, with a leather traveling bag.

It was the depression years in 1929 that baseball brought the crowds to the ball field to watch their favorite teams compete. App Driscoll’s Nationals became one of the most popular ball clubs in the Olean area. The sport page in the papers kept the interest going with almost a daily reports of the results of the Nationals games with the following headlines, “Nationals Lose Chance in Split with Knife Throwers”, “Nationals Score Brace of Big Victories Over Week-End From Bolivar”, "Nats Handed 8-5 Loss by Shinglehouse", “Nats and Italians to Pry Off Baseball Lid Sunday”, made up the sports page headlines on May 5, 1934.

Some of the other teams that were managed by App included the Polish National Alliance, Polish Nationals, Olean Nationals ball teams. During the years of 1927-1928 he was a member of the Olean Indies semi-professional football club, which he managed for four years.

After spending the afternoon of August 8, 1938, at Cuba Lake with the St. Louis Cardinals’ players, App went on that evening to manage the Area All-Stars against the St. Louis Cardinals in a benefit game staged by the Olean Exchange Club. (See photo gallery) The purpose was to raise enough money in order to purchase a two-way radio for the Olean Police Department. He volunteered to pick a team to play against the Cardinals, picking players from Smethport Quaker State, Wellsville, Sinclair and Olean National teams. The Cardinals won 14-6 but the game grossed more than $4,600 and assured the Olean Police Department a two-way radio system. Because of the good turnout for this game, it set the groundwork for the forming of the Penn-York Conference, a Class A professional baseball league. Next came the association with the PONY LEAGUE , the Brooklyn Dodgers and Olean Oilers.

In softball, App managed Gavin-McCarthy city champions, Davis Clothiers, Liberty, Sam’s Tavern, Olean Glass and Oasis Restaurant. In basketball he managed the Robin Hood Garage, Empire Lagers and American Legion Post 530.

He was a former member of the New York Baseball Umpires Association and was also a basketball and football official.

In 1952, he managed St. John’s School in the parochial baseball championships.

App was an alderman of Ward 9 ( North Olean) in 1934. App presented to the Common Council at the January 30, 1934 meeting the studies of the overflow of the Two Mile Creek. The gardens and cellars of the residents of Avenue A, Avenue B as well as W. Connell and Buffalo Streets would become flooded as the result of the overflow after heavy rains.

The Common Council formally accepted James F. Driscoll’s resignation as alderman of Ward 9 on July 6, 1934. He was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue with his office in the Federal Building. (The Federal Government specified that a Federal employee might not hold a local elective office.) The voters on the Ninth Ward then elected Bernard Gill, an attorney of North Olean to be their next alderman on August 7, 1934.

Now there is another side to App. The workingman. (See photo gallery) App went to work for the city of Olean in 1949 helping out with the recreation program. During the 1950’s, he went to work for the engineering department constructing roads. In 1952, App became park foreman. When the new Parks and Recreation Department was formed in 1962, App was appointed Recreation Director at a starting salary of $7,918 a year under the then Mayor of Olean, Harvey L. Shneiderman. He was nominated partially because of his unbroken record of championship baseball, basketball and football teams. Quido Ramire, commission chairman, made the following comment about App, “He has worked with the city’s Recreation Department since 1948. It was his practice in winter to consult with the director of public works, S. H. Weatherell Jr., to order summer recreation supplies so they were on hand for the program to open on July 1.” App was proactive, always looking and planning ahead and taking action for the accomplishment and success of those plans. App was employed by the city of Olean for 25 years, retiring in 1975 as Parks and Recreation Director.

On May 12, 1975, John Lucas, Exchange president-elect, presented the Olean Exchange Club Golden Deeds Award to James “App” Driscoll, as his wife, Lillian, and his three children proudly looked on. The award was presented annually to an Olean citizen who had made outstanding contributions to his community. The presentation was made before 80 members, their wives and guests during the banquet held at the Castle.

James F. (App) Driscoll passed away on July 7, 1991. He left a legacy best described in the words of Jim Snyder,
“HE’S THE END of an era, the last of his breed.”

As I finish this story of James F. (App) Driscoll, it brings tears to my eyes. I know there is much more to tell. All the years of his accomplishments in Olean baseball, but I must confess that I don’t know the whole story. I just hope that I did App justice in relating some of his life achievements with you. I think viewing his photo gallery will tell more about App than words could.

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By: Eileen McCartan Smith, Olean, NY All rights reserved.

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