In 1964, the effort continued to turn the red-shirt Detroit Devils into a home team based in Detroit. This plan began in 1963 when a nine-week series was held in the summer of 63’ that pitted the Devils against the Texas Outlaws and Chicago Hawks. There were five games a week, Wednesday through Sunday, mostly held at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. It had a capacity of 5,000 with the Devils averaging 3,500 to 4,000. On the final Saturday of each series, there was a special event at the new Cobo Hall arena, home of the NBA Detroit Pistons, with a capacity of 12,000. The Devils drew a respectable 8,000 to 9,000 fans; league officials were optimistic. No actual attendance figures are available, but those skating during the games have estimated these crowd figures. This is the case not only for the aforementioned games but throughout much of this book.

In 1964 the Devils continued to skate home games in the motor city. Attendance was up and down. The effort continued as late as 1965 when a three-week series with the Texas Outlaws was held at the State Fair Coliseum. Games were conducted five nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday evenings. Plans were made to host more games in 1966 but with energy shifting towards the new venture in Australia, the Devils returned to their original role as a visiting team and became the number one challenger for the Thunderbirds.

In 1964, the Detroit Devils finished the regular season ahead of the competition, even winning the final series against the T-Birds. Los Angeles beat Texas to face Detroit in the World Series. The Devils team reached the Roller Games finals only to face a Thunderbirds team with seven future hall of famers anchored by G.M. Red Smartt. In the ’64 World Series, the Devils’ roster consisted of Men’s Coach John Hall, Women’s Captain Toni Tagg, Men’s Captain Vinnie Gandolfo, Adeline Hocker, Ernie Lopez, Bill Fitzgerald, Charlie Mitchell, Tom Raffety, Johnny Chavez, Rita Stroska, Toni Gandara, Katie Kolbus, Marlene Perales, and Carmen Thompson.

At the beginning of ’64, the T-Birds roster was Coach George Copeland, Captain Terri Lynch, Captain Ralph Valladares, Julian Silva, George Knerr, Eddie Payne, Bob Roberts, Judy Sowinski, Liz Hernandez, Ruberta Mitchell, Honey Sanchez, Bertha Ruiz (Mrs. Copeland), Carmen Gomez, and Sally Vega. Mary Lou Palermo joined the team at the beginning of the summer when her girls were on school break, then left the squad at the end of the summer.

The President’s Cup was held on August 15 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. A record crowd of 13,873 showed up to cheer on the Thunderbirds.

As the season progressed, there were roster changes and by the 64’ World Series the T-Birds line-up featured Ralph Valladares, Punky Gardner, Danny Reilly, Judy Sowinski, Liz Hernandez, Ruberta Mitchell, Roger Schroeder, Eddie Payne, Danny Miller, Donnie Chambers, Terri Toledo, Sally Vega, Carmen Gomez, and Kay Finlay. Terri Lynch did not skate in the World Series because of an injury.

Lewis “Punky” Gardner was one of four siblings from Knoxville, Tennessee, who joined the original Derby.  Lewis debuted in 1950 and would become a fan favorite with the L.A. Braves in the 1950s. He was married to Julie Patrick. His sister, Mary, would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Punky was men’s captain of the Blue Devils in Roller Catch in Europe in 1960. He was a fan favorite in Paris and Casablanca and joined the T-Birds in 1962. Punky and Valladares had similar skating styles and were roughly the same size. After Coach George Copeland left the T-Birds midway through the ’64 season, Punky was given more responsibility on the track. He was named men’s coach in 1965 but left at the end of the season, as his family had family ties in northern California. Later, Punky was involved in an auto accident while driving for UPS where he sustained head injuries. He was hospitalized and died on the day he was to be discharged.

The 1964 Devils were outmatched, and the T-Birds won the World Series, 4 games to 2, winning the title in the sixth game. The Devils would eventually qualify for the Roller Games finals seven times (equaled only by the Outlaws) and became one of only two opposing teams to win a World Series title. They are arguably the most famous rival of the Thunderbirds in Roller Games history.

Want to continue reading more about the Detroit Devils? The story continues in ROLLING THUNDER – The Golden Age of Roller Derby & the Rise and Fall of the LA T-Birds. Get it here: