Tracey Davis Hitchner, Sr. (1909 – 1990)

After playing in Albany, N.Y., in the International League, Hitchner left the team because the pay was lousy and they wanted to send him to a Class "D" ball club. Technically, Hitchner was not released from the Albany ball club when he signed up with the Hickory Rebels who were by then part of the Carolina "Outlaw" Leauge. 

In 1937, the President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues  who oversaw minor league teams, Judge William G. Bramham, announced that the newly formed Carolina League was an outlaw league and furthermore any player previously signed to another professional team who played in the "outlaw league" would be suspended from playing in professional ball. Hitchner quickly changed his name to John Davis. However, that did prevent him from being blacklisted when  on January 4, 1937, Bramham released a list of names of twenty-seven players in the ICBL who were identified as playing for the ICBL while signed to another team. Hitchner tried to return to the regular league but was soon discovered. Returning to the Rebels in 1938, he resumed his real name. Hitchner was one of many impacted by Judge Bramham's decision to ban all professional ball players who dared to join the "Outlaw" League.