Join Schilling Distributing at Russo Park this Thursday as they honor the 1939 Evangeline League Champion Lafayette White Sox as part of their 75th Anniversary celebration.
Did you know that Lafayette had a professional baseball team back in the day, owned by Herbert Schilling Sr., and managed by Frem F. Boustany? Check out the link below to learn more, and make sure to get to the park early—the first 200 fans will get a commemorative White Sox T-shirt.
THE STORY
In 1929, Herbert Schilling Sr. made his way from Shreveport to Lafayette to pursue his dream of playing baseball, which is where Schilling Distributing's story really began. Along with a couple business partners (Frem Boustany and Morgan Rodemacher), Schilling Sr. became a co-owner of (and second-baseman for) the Lafayette White Sox and eventually played a major role in forming the Evangeline League in 1934.
The White Sox played at Parkdale Ballpark, which was located near the current site of Hebert Park Golf Course near Mudd Avenue. The team attracted baseball talent being affiliated with the St. Louis Browns from 1936-1941, and won the Evangeline League Championship in 1939.
In 1932 he used some of the income from the White Sox to purchase a 29-acre property on Moss Street to raise and train Tennessee Walking Horses (that property is where Schilling Distributing Company is located today.) Through his involvement in horse shows he met and befriended Sidney Mouton, who worked as the state manager for Anheuser-Busch.
Mouton encouraged Herbert to apply for Anheuser-Busch distribution rights, and eventually set up an interview with Gussie Busch in Baton Rouge. The two men hit it off over their shared interest in horses and baseball and Schilling was offered the rights to distribute Budweiser and Michelob in Acadiana, which led to the opening of Schilling Distributing Company on January 1, 1950.
So, as you can see, baseball is much more than a game to Schilling Distributing. It's part of their foundation here in Acadiana.
