Waseca’s Arleigh Kraupa was part of last month’s blog post on baseball in the boardroom. Earlier this month, I presented to the SABR Field of Dreams Chapter on Iowa Town Ball including some of the research for my other baseball blog (iowatownball.worpress.com) on semi-pro and town teams in Iowa. I’m going to stick with both themes a bit and give some background on Arleigh Kraupa’s pre-World War II baseball background in Iowa focusing largely on his 1942 season with the Charles City Elks.
Arleigh was born on May 1, 1921 in Iowa. He attended high school in Nora Springs and his high school baseball coach was former Western League pitcher Fred “Zebe” Larson. Those of you that have read my article on “The Black Bats of Mason City and Beyond” or followed my Iowa Town Ball Blog may recognize Fred Larson for his work with the Charles City Semi-Pro championship team in 1932 as well as with the Mason City Bats.
Arleigh had a strong mentor in “Zebe” Larson and occasionally pitched for Charles City during the 1938 summer season. After high school graduation, Arleigh attended the Mason City Junior College before transferring to Luther College prior to the 1941 baseball season.[1] He would pitch or play first base for the Norsemen for two seasons.
The 1942 season is interesting as the Charles City Elks appear to have played in the Mason City Commercial League and the Northeast Iowa League. The Northeast Iowa League included Oelwein, Lawler, and Elma. The Commercial League includes the Elks and three teams from Mason City.
The Elks won the Northeast Iowa League posting a 10 win and 2 loss season with Kraupa and Dave Roberts sharing mound duties.[2] Kraupa tossed a five hitter in one of the losses but was bested by a two-hitter from Oelwein’s Dale Alderson.[3] This was Alderson’s last game with Oelwein as he had signed with the Cubs and subsequently assigned to Janesville in the Wisconsin State League.
Kraupa’s work on the mound also drew the attention of the Chicago Cubs. The Cub’s offer, considered “an exceptionally good one” by Mason City’s Globe-Gazette, involved pitching in Zanesville in the Class C Ohio State League. Kraupa, showing exceptional self-confidence, turned down the offer believing he didn’t need to be farmed out to a farm club.[4]
Kraupa’s confidence was likely bolstered by his no-hitter against Decker Iowana in the Commercial League the week before. Kraupa won his own game with a double in the fifth plating the Elks’ two runs.[5] Showing no signs of wear and tear, Kraupa went 12-innings against Holsum Bread striking out 27 Bread men. Unfortunately, he took the loss on an extra inning triple.[6]
The Commercial League season finished with a flurry as the Elks loaded the bases in the seventh. Ollie Webb singled with one out. Johnny Finch followed with another base hit and Mully Finch walked to load the bases. Kraupa doubled to right to plate all three Elks’ runs. Kraupa also pitched three innings striking out seven. The Elks finished the Commercial League season with a 3-2 win and establish a League leading 12 and 2 record.[7] The Elks also managed to defeat the Minnesota State Champion Austin Packers at least once with Kraupa on the mound.
The St. Louis Cardinals held a scouting combine at Charles City in late August. Only four pitchers were able to tryout due to wet field conditions, but Kraupa was able to demonstrate enough to get an offer from the Cardinals. He was to report to Pocatello in Class C Pioneer League if allowed to report all.[8] The contingency being the local draft board. Kraupa was eventually re-assigned to the Rochester Red Wings in the International League during the off-season.[9]
Arleigh’s draft number came up and he and his brother Creighton both joined the service. They were both featured in the Globe-Gazette on September 16, 1943 (photo below). Arleigh took part in the landing on Omaha Beach and was eventually promoted to sergeant. He received five battle stars for participation in the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Germany campaigns.[10]
Following the war, he taught and coached at Cambria, Iowa before joining Waseca in the Southern Minny in 1946. A special “Arleigh Kraupa Appreciation Day” was held in Waseca in late July with his parents and many others from Nora Springs in attendance.[11] Kraupa would enjoy many more days on Waseca’s mound and as a hired gun throughout his lengthy career in the Southern Minny.
This article from the Globe-Gazette of October 1, 1946 illustrates the contributions of Kraupa and others from Iowa in establishing the Southern Minny as one of the dominant semi-pro leagues in Minnesota:
Albert Lea retained the State baseball title in Minnesota and it was pretty much an Iowa show as the winners defeated Springfield 7-2. . . Arleigh Kraupa, formerly of Nora Springs, pitching 6-hit ball and collected 12 strikeouts, while the Menke brothers, Johnny and Wally, via Bancroft, got 5 of Albert Lea’s 9 hits and drove in 3 runs.[12]
[1] “Seven Lettermen Pace Coach Reque’s Luther Baseball Squad in First Drills; Norse Season Opens Here April 22,” Decorah Journal, March 27, 1941, 29.
[2] “Sumner and Elks Win Grass Loop Baseball Titles,” Courier (Waterloo, IA), December 27, 1942, 46.
[3] “Alderson Blanks Chas. City, 2-0,” Courier (Waterloo, IA), July 13, 1942, 10.
[4] “Arleigh Kraupa Rejects Offer from Chicago,” Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), July 25, 1942, 9.
[5] “Kraupa Twirls No-Hitter; Elks Player Injured,” Courier (Waterloo, IA), July 17, 1942, 10.
[6] “Holsum Beats Elks 4-3 in 12th,” Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), July 22, 1942, 9.
[7] “Holsum, Charles City Win 2-1, 3-2,” Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), August 1, 1942, 17.
[8] “Cardinals Sing Arleigh Kraupa,” Courier (Waterloo, IA), August 28, 1942, 9.
[9] “Nearby News,” Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), December 21, 1942, 13.
[10] “5-Battle Yank En Route Home,” Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), November 6, 1945, 4.
[11] “Attend Kraupa Day,” Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), August 3, 1946, 8.
[12] Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA), October 1, 1946, 11.
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