The Wichita Rapid Transit Dreamliners were the hometown team to beat in the 1960’s NBC World Series tournaments. The team was created by Bernie Calkins, the owner of the Wichita public transit system which donned the same name. Calkins himself was a former baseball player in the NBC Kansas tournaments in the early 1930’s. Calkins would invite top minor league and former major league players to play for his semipro team in Wichita, even offering some of the players jobs with his bus company.

The Dreamliners earned their first NBC championship title in 1962, beating the Fairbanks Goldpanners 7-6 in the championship game. Former Minor League standout Jack O’Donnell earned two spots on the All-American team that year as both manager and first baseman. Former Major Lague Baseball player Rocky Krsnich earned MVP of the tournament and was named an All-American third baseman that year, while Dreamliners pitcher Jim Hadley and Negro League legend Gil Carter both earned All-American honors as well. It was the second
consecutive year for All-American honors for O’Donnell, Krsnich and Hadley. Calkins was also named sponsor of the year in 1962.

The Dreamliners won back-to-back championships under O’Donnell’s leadership, earning a second championship in 1963, a team that didn’t have a single player make the All-American Team, something that has only happened twice in NBC World Series history. In 1965 the Dreamliners beat the Liberal Bee Jays 11-6 to win their third title in four years. The 1965 team was led by Major League Baseball player Bobby Boyd who also earned the tournament MVP
that year.