Mel Backus
Mel Backus
Hall of Fame Class of 1949
Backus was born at Latham in 1883 and graduated from Winfield High in 1901.
In 1904 he broke into professional baseball with the Class C Leavenworth Orioles of the Missouri Valley League. He also played in the Wisconsin and Three I League (Indiana-Illinois-Iowa) Leagues.
In 1910, Backus was the player-manager for the Class D Newton Railroaders of the Kansas State League. He also played for the Winfield Reds semi-pro team. He is enshrined in the NBC Hall of Fame.
Backus became a licensed druggist in 1904 and at one time operated eight drug stores in Kansas. He died in Winfield in 1957 at the age of 74.
