Another casualty of the recent Hall of Fame selection process was Curt Flood. Flood had previously been considered by the Veterans Committee in 2003, 2005, and 2007. An outstanding hitter and fielder during the 1950s and 60s, Curt Flood sacrificed much of his career by challenging Major League Baseball’s reserve clause.[1] This time around, Flood’s name wasn’t even placed before the Golden Day Era Committee for their consideration.
The reserve clause, inserted into every white professional player contract and many semi-professional contracts including those in the Southern Minny Baseball League, tied each player to their current team for the duration of the contract and beyond as the team retained the sole right to negotiate with the player.[2] The St. Louis Cardinals elected to trade Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 1969 season. The Phillies offered Flood more money to play in Philadelphia, but for Flood it was about more than money. Refusing to accept the contract, Flood said that a well-paid slave was still a slave.
Instead of accepting the Phillies’ contract offer, Flood wrote to Baseball Commissioner Kuhn demanding that he be allowed to negotiate with any major league team. Kuhn denied his request resulting in litigation that eventually reached the United States Supreme Court. Ultimately, the Supreme Court avoided the issue, finding that Congress was in the best position to regulate baseball’s interstate commerce activities. In 1975, an arbitrator effectively ended the reserve clause after two players played an entire year without contracts, allowing those players to argue there was no contract for their clubs to renew.[3]
Flood’s challenge to the reserve clause was the second such case to work its way through the courts. With major league baseball united in favor of the reserve clause, Jorge Pasquel and the Mexican League offered an alternative, although a potentially costly one, for the players that accepted Pasquel’s offers. New York Giant Danny Gardella was one of the first white major leaguers to travel to Mexico after being cut by the Giants in spring training.[4]
Gardella called back to his New York teammate Sal Maglie to see if Maglie would travel south as Maglie had already been contacted by Pasquel. Maglie wasn’t interested in playing in Mexico, but Roy Zimmerman and George Hausmann were. Zimmerman and Hausman made their call to Mexico from Maglie’s room. When word of the contact with Mexico got back to the Giants’ management, all three players were cut. All three wound up in Mexico and eventually barnstormed through Austin during the Austin Packers 1948 season.[5]
Other players soon followed them south including the St. Louis Cardinals’ Max Lanier. Lanier was off to a great start for the Cardinals with six wins with no losses while holding a 1.93 ERA. Lanier wanted a larger increase from his $10,500 salary than team owner Sam Breadon was willing to give Lanier while holding the apparent leverage of the reserve clause. Breadon offered Lanier a raise of only $500 while Pasquel offered Lanier a $25,000 signing bonus and $20,000 per year for five years to play in Mexico.[6] At thirty years old, the money was just too good to pass up even as Major League Baseball Commissioner announced that any player that “jumped” to Mexico would be banned for five years.
Those bans would last until June 5, 1949, when Commissioner “Happy” Chandler withdrew them while Danny Gardella’s litigation against major league baseball worked its way through the courts. Even so, Gardella’s suit against Major League Baseball remained in play. To prevent any adverse ruling and fearing the chaos of free agency if the reserve clause was ruled illegal, Gardella was offered a $60,000 settlement.[7]
While the ban was in place, baseball players did what baseball players do: play baseball. They just couldn’t play in the major leagues or against team controlled by major league teams. Designated as baseball outlaws, many of them barnstormed across the United States as the Max Lanier All-Stars in 1948. The All-Stars visited Austin’s Marcusen Park on July 8, 1948.
The All-Stars lineup included Stan Beard at short, George Hausmann at second, Lou Klein at short and Roy Zimmerman at first base. The All-Stars starting outfield included James Steiner, Danny Gardella, and Max Lanier. Sal Maglie started for the All-Stars with Austin’s Bob Albertson tasked with holding the major leaguers in check.[8]
Albertson generally pitched well, giving up eleven safeties while walking only one. The Packers’ defense committed three errors behind him.[9]
The All-Stars took an early lead in the first on Klein’s double and Zimmerman’s run scoring single. The All-Stars added another run in the second as Myron Heyworth scored on Stan Beard’s double after reaching on a walk. Austin’s three errors in the fourth and Beard’s single resulted in two more runs in the fourth.[10]
Sal Maglie, starting pitcher for the All-Stars, would ultimately win 119 games in the major leagues. The Packers managed to tag Maglie for nine singles with Bob Beckel, Red Lindgren, and Roy Heuer collecting two hits a-piece. Beckel scored the Packer’s only run after his single, Earl Mossor’s ground out, and Heuer’s run scoring single through the box that reached centerfield.[11]
Maglie struck out ten using his curveball effectively. The All-Stars won, 5-1. Gardella, the first player to challenge baseball’s reserve clause, went 1 for 4.[12]
Maglie returned to the Giants after Chandler withdrew the ban and became one of baseball’s dominant pitchers in the early 1950’s. He started the 1954 World Series Game in which Willie Mays made “the catch” in center. He also started and pitched a complete game in a loss to Don Larson when Larson threw the only perfect game in World Series history. It was Maglie’s second complete game of the Series.
Earl Mossor and Maglie would meet again. Maglie was the starting pitcher for the New York Giants when Earl Mossor made his major league debut as a relief pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951.
[2] John Virtue, South of the Color Barrier: How Jorge Pasquel and the Mexican League Pushed Baseball Toward Integration (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2008), 158.
Research on the Southern Minny remains a bit stagnant as I adjust to my fall graduate study workload. I hope to get back into the microfilm shortly as I will be presenting on the Southern Minny from 1954 to 1957 or 1958 at the Hormel Historic Home in April of next year. Even so, the Minny remains in my thoughts and Ebay searches.
Working on a very regional semi-pro baseball league, you take whatever you can find. Earlier this year, I thought a pencil with the schedule of the 1940 Owatonna Aces was quite the find. Ebay went above and beyond in September, however.
One of my routine searches for area baseball artifacts found an item listed as a 1950s vintage Mankato Baseball Jersey. From there, the dilemma starts – is it from the Southern Minny, from one of potentially many high schools, colleges, or an altogether different summer team? Fortunately, I purchased a photo of legendary Southern Minny manager Shanty Dolan wearing a 1954 Mankato Merchants uniform a few years ago. A quick comparison led me to pull the trigger on what I hope and will call a game used Mankato Merchants uniform until someone proves otherwise.
It has been way too long since I’ve posted. As with anything, there are plenty of excuses: work, COVID restrictions preventing access to archives, graduate school, editing a book. Fortunately for my other blog (IowaTownBall), more Iowa (and Battle Creek, MI) newspapers are online than the Minnesota side so I’ve been able to keep working on those projects while some of Minnesota projects languish on the back burner. Hopefully the Delta variant will soon pass and I can get back to the microfilm to figure out things no one else likely cares about like why was a a team based in Mankato called the Foresters and where did they play their games, why did Waseca have a black team mascot in 1939 called “Shine” Brown, and were any official Negro League games played at Mankato’s Tanley Field because there is a promotional flyer for a game played by the Kansas City Monarchs in Mankato on display in Birminghan’s Negro Southern League Museum.
Until the time when I have more time to write and more access to archives on a schedule that meets my needs, there may be more cross posting between my two blogs. When I originally started this blog, it wasn’t intended to be limited to Southern Minnesota in part because the border really had little to do with actual baseball played in Southern Minnesota because the border was really only mattered for eligibility for the Minnesota state baseball tournament. Southern Minny League teams frequently played against Iowa teams and in later years the League had teams in Mason City, Estherville and Bancroft. Savvy Minnesota managers often looked south for new recruits and most prized among them were the Menkes of Bancroft. This post from my Iowa Town Ball blog shows the many Menkes playing for Mankato but also connections that Mankato’s Squire Riddles and John Menke had to northern Iowa as well.
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.
Last month’s post featured the 1945 Southern Minny season with a focus on the role that player eligibility ultimately played in setting the League’s final standings, playoff eligibility and maybe even the League Championship. This month I am featuring the 1949 Southern Minny season because of Rochester’s heavy reliance on members of the Negro Leagues to reach the postseason since it is Black History Month. Along the way, player eligibility issues again impacted team rosters and the playoffs and perhaps even impacted Ben Sternberg’s reliance on so many Negro League pitchers during the season.
To be sure, Ben Sternberg planned on keeping Rochester integrated in 1949 with plans to bring Gread “Lefty” McKinnis back to Rochester along with Negro League veteran Marlin “Mel” Carter to the Royals infield.[1] With McKinnis delayed, Sternberg brought in Negro Leaguer Al Spearman from Chicago to face the St. Paul Studebakers in an exhibition game. Spearman, Jonny Creevey and Jim Sullivan split mound duties giving up only five singles.[2]
McKinnis never arrived and Sternberg turned the ball over to Florian (Lefty) Cassuit for the Royals season opening game at Faribault. Cassuit gave up only four hits but walked seven. Even so, he and his infield defense were good enough to begin the season with what seemed to be a 4-0 win.[3]
Big John Creevey started the home opener for the Royals against the Austin Packers. The Royals scored nine against the Packers but were forced to use both Creevey and Jim Sullivan in relief. The Packers blew them both up.[4]
The use of both pitchers and Faribault’s protest of Florian Cassuit’s eligibility caused Sternberg to “live on the long distance line the past couple of days” to line up a starting pitcher.[5] Abe Saperstein recommended Othello Strong to Saperstein with Sternberg declaring that Strong would be on the mound “against the Merchants” “unless the train is derailed or Strong is hit by a car while crossing the street.”[6]
Othello was the younger brother of Harlem Globetrotter and Negro Leaguer Ted Strong Jr. Othello and Alvin Spearman were also childhood friends.[7] Strong settled into the Royals’ roster up either pitching or playing left field or sometimes both in the same game.
Strong won his first game against the Mankato Merchants which ultimately was the Royals first win of the season as Cassuit was determined to be an ineligible player having also signed a contract with Owatonna.[8] Strong followed up with a win over Winona giving up only eight hits before being relieved by Creevey.[9] Strong took his first loss days later as the dangerous Lambert Kowalewski launched a high inside pitch over the short right field fence at Winona’s Gabrych Field to plate three.[10]
Still in need of pitching and facing a heavy schedule, Sternberg turned to Negro League veterans again obtaining the services of Gene Bremer of the Cleveland Buckeyes.[11] Bremer started for the Royals at Owatonna but had control issues causing Strong to come in in relief.[12] Unable to finish what he started, he was called in to start the next game against Faribault. Bremer lasted in to the sixth when he hit Hockey Mealey with a pitch, gave up two singles and was charged with a wild pitch. Strong relieved him and Bremer moved in to left. Strong eventually moved back to left to replace Bremer for a second time when Bremer injured himself on a slide into first base.[13]
Strong continued to get his work but lasted only in to the fourth inning at Mankato before giving way to Johnny Creevey. Strong took over at first base.[14] With Strong faltering, Sternberg went recruiting again bringing Sam “Red” Jones in from Cleveland. Jones arrived on June 8th.[15] Jones started against the League leading Austin Packers and held the Scheidmen to five singles. Strong played in left.[16]
Jones became the featured chucker for the Royals with Strong generally consigned to the outfield. The reliance on Jones was well-founded as he limited the hard-hitting Austin Packers to three hits at Austin.[17] Jones beat the Faribault Lakers easily aided by a nineteen-hit hitting spree by the Royals. The big news of surrounding the game was the signing of Sam Hill from Chicago to play centerfield. With Hill’s signing, Strong was released and joined the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters in Minot. The Royals were in fourth place at the end of the game.[18]
Along the way, the Royals got a bit of revenge against Lefty Cassuit by way of Sam Jones. Jones threw his first no-hitter of the season while he and his mates pounded the Aces for twelve runs on twelve hits.[19]
Sam Jones following his no-hitter against Faribault at May Field. Emil Nascek went 4-5 and Marlin Carter had two singles and a home run.
The pending departure of Stan Partenheimer from the Royals forced Sternberg to find another starting pitcher. Sternberg brought in Frank Veverka. That decision would have an impact on Jones in the playoffs and the final issue of player eligibility for the season as Veverka pitched for the Fort Wayne Voltmen in the 1949 National Baseball Congress posting a 2 and 0 record in 18 innings pitched.[20]
With Marlin Carter and Sam Hill hitting and Jones, Partenheimer, and Veverka splitting pitching duties, the Royals climbed up to second place,[21] with Austin drawing Albert Lea and Rochester drawing Faribault in the opening round.[22] Interestingly, the Scheid men faced Waseca’s Lefty Kraupa in the first round when Shanty Dolan claimed his regular pitcher Russ Messerly was unavailable similar to Faribault’s use of Max Molock in 1945. Scheid played the game under protest which was fortunate as Kraupa did his usual damage to Austin’s hopes as Albert Lea won the first game 6-5.[23] Sam Jones started for the Royals limiting Faribault to eight hits.[24]
Faribault came back in the second game pounding Jones and the rest of the Royals pitching staff for four home runs at Faribault’s Bell Field. Olie Lucken was the hitting hero for Faribault with two home runs.[25] The Austin Packers ultimately won the protest, the game, and managed to have Kraupa declared ineligible for any remaining game.[26] With a new lease on the series and Dolan unable to call on Kraupa, the Packers were unstoppable.
Earl Mosser tossed a three hitter and Mel Harpuder drove in all four Packer runs to take Game 1.[27] Veverka started for the Royals and gave up ten hits as the Royals took the series lead. The Royals capitalized on two hits and five errors in the seventh to score six runs.[28] It took thirteen innings, but Sam Jones eliminated Faribault 7-6 on Sunday.[29] The Packers meanwhile finished off Albert Lea with sixteen-hit attacks in Game 2[30] and 3.[31]
The Packers went with 13 game winner Bob Kulhman with the Royals relying on Sam Jones. Dick Seltz provided the decisive blow in the fifth that drove in three. It was Austin’s first victory against Jones as a starter.[32] Needing a win to tie the series, Sternberg was going to have to rely on Creevey or Veverka until the weatherman intervened pushing the game back enough days for Jones to start.[33]
The rest did wonders for Jones and the Royals as he no-hit the hard-hitting Austin Packers at Mayo Field. Jones struck out 15 and walked seven while facing only 33 men on the evening.[34] The series was tied at one game a piece but the decisive blow in the series may well have been the ruling that Veverka was ineligible to participate due to having played with the Fort Wayne at the National Baseball Congress.[35] The Royals turned to Creevey for game four with disastrous results as the Packers won 13-1.[36]
With Veverka unavailable, Sternberg was forced to use Jones on one day’s rest. Jones lasted in to the seventh inning before giving way to the ineligible Veverka simply because the Royals were out of pitching options. As the game was already likely lost, the threat of protest no longer mattered.
It is, of course, difficult to argue that the Royals would have won the series and League championship if Veverka would have been eligible to pitch. After all, the Packers lost only seven regular season games out of thirty-five games plays and ultimately swept through all competition at the state meet. It is, however, interesting to consider the role that player eligibility again played in league play and setting team rosters in again in 1949.
It is also interesting to consider during Black History Month how player eligibility likely impacted integration in the Southern Minny in 1949. The two black ballplayers slated to start the season at Rochester were Gread McKinnis and Marlin Carter. The ineligibility of Cassuit and McKinnis’ decision to stay in Chicago put the Royals pitching staff in disarray for much of the season with Al Spearman, Othello Strong, and Gene Bremer all taking turns in the rotation before the arrival of Sam “Red” Jones.
Both Jones and Carter were named League All-Stars despite Sam Jones arriving part way through the season. The only real threat to their eligibility would have been an earlier arrival of Sam Hill as Rochester could only provide two all-stars under existing league rules. Rochester’s ultimate success did not go unnoticed as other teams proposed a new league by-law provision on player eligibility preventing black ballplayers from joining the League if they had played recently played in the Negro Leagues.
In hindsight, the position taken by seven of the eight League teams could arguably be supported by Major League Baseball’s recent recognition of the 1948 Negro American and Negro National Leagues as Major Leagues equivalents. The problem, of course, is that none of the Negro Leagues or teams are recognized as major league after 1948 as the best talent moved to affiliated baseball. Even though the provision was adopted after the 1950 season, black ballplayers including Gread McKinnis, Sam Hill, Orinthal “Andy” Anderson, Dick Newberry and Art “Superman” Pennington continued to draw all-star nods and assault the record books.
[1] “Game Opens Loop Season at Mayo Field,” Rochester Post Bulletin, April 30, 1949, 10.
[2] “Locals Score 14-1 Victory in Game Here,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 4, 1949, 20.
[3] “Locals Blank Faribault by 4-0; Austin, Albert Lea Also in Loop Wins,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 9, 1949, 14.
[4] “Weak Pitching Costs Locals Defeat Here,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 12, 1949.
[5] “Mankato Nine Moves in for Loop Battle,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 14, 1949, 9-10.
[7] Sherman L. Jenkins, Ted Strongs, Jr.: The Untold Story of an Original Harlem Globetrotter and Negro Leagues All-Star (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), 105-110.
[8] “Victory is First in Loop for Rochester,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 16, 1949, 12.
[9] “Locals Rack Up 16 Blows in Exhibition,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 19, 1949, 20.
[10] “Winona Nine Rallies for SM Loop Win,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 23, 1949, 15.
[11] “Royals Acquire Hurler for Owatonna Argument,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 27, 1949, 20.
[12] “Locals Play Good and Bad Weekend Ball,” Rochester Post Bulletin, May 31, 1949, 15.
[14] “Locals Drop into Seventh in So-Minny,” Rochester Post Bulletin, June 3, 1949, 18.
[15] “Royals Seek 4th Loop Win in So. Minny,” Rochester Post Bulletin, June 9, 1949, 20.
[16] “Jones Holds Packers to Five Bingles,” Rochester Post Bulletin, June 13, 1949, 13.
[17] “Packers Lose Second Game in SM League,” Rochester Post Bulletin, June 22, 1949, 18.
[18] “19-Bingle Spree Gives Locals Win,” Rochester Post Bulletin, June 27, 1949, 15.
[19] “’Tonna Aces are Victims in 12-3 Win,” Rochester Post Bulletin, August 5, 1949, 12-13.
[20] National Baseball Congress of America, Official Baseball Annual (1950), 87. Ververka’s Voltmen teammate was NBC Tournament MVP Bill Ricks who would become a Winona Chief in 1950.
[21] “Locals Cinch 2nd in Fast League Race,” Rochester Post Bulletin, August 17, 1949, 16.
[22] “Lakers Close Out Campaign with 9-5 Win,” Austin Daily Herald, August 19, 1949.
[23] “Albert Lea Edges Packers, 6 to 5,” Austin Daily Herald, August 23, 1949.
[24] “Lakers and Royals Meet in 2nd Game,” Austin Daily Herald, August 23, 1949.
[25] “Lakers Even Playoff Series,” Austin Daily Herald, August 24, 1949.
[26] “S-M Board Upholds Protest by Austin; Kraupa Ineligible,” Austin Daily Herald, August 25, 1949; “Protest by Albert Lea Refused by State Board,” Austin Daily Herald, August 30, 1949, 7.
[27] “Harpuder Drives in All of Austin’s Runs,” Austin Daily Herald, August 26, 1949, 8.
[28] “Royals Down Lakers, 8-2 to Take Lead,” Austin Daily Herald, August 26, 1949, 8.
[29] “Royals Need 13 Innings to Defeat Lakers,” Austin Daily Herald, August 29, 1949.
[31] “Homers Help Club Defeat Albert Lea, Austin Daily Herald, August 31, 1949.
[32] “Kuhlman Outpitches Jones, 4 to 3,” Austin Daily Herald, September 2, 1949. 7.
[33] “Austin Plays at Rochester Tonight,” Austin Daily Herald, September 6, 1949, 9.
[34] “No-Hitter for Jones Against Austin,” Austin Daily Herald, September 8, 1949.
[35] “Royal Hurler Ineligible,” Austin Daily Herald, September 8, 1949. A state by-law declared a player that participated in the NBC ineligible for 15 months.
1945 State Championship Team including draftee Max Molock
The 1945 Southern Minny Baseball League season is interesting for a variety of reasons. The exit of New Richland and West Concord from Southern Minny play during[1] and after the season left Waseca as the smallest community participating in the Southern Minny beginning in 1946. The additions of the Rochester Aces and Winona PNA teams in 1946 would finally bring franchise stability to the Southern Minny with consistent League membership from 1946 to 1954.
The use of the boardroom to resolve on field battles was also a hallmark of the Southern Minny League. At one point the Rochester Post Bulletin suggested in the 1950s that Emil Scheid had hired private detectives to investigate player eligibility. The 1945 season set the tone for many of those later board room battles over player eligibility and contracts with an argument about the definition of a road and a lawyer bringing a number of briefs and affidavits to a protest hearing reminiscent of the courtroom scene in Alice’s Restaurant.
To be sure, the Southern Minny was already a power in Minnesota amateur baseball with the Southern Minny’s champion claiming the State Class AA title in 1940 (Albert Lea), 1941 (Owatonna), 1942 (Austin) and 1944 (Albert Lea). Albert Lea’s Hajek Field hosted the state tournament in 1945 and Albert Lea would claim its second state consecutive state championship as part of its impressive run from 1943 to 1948.
One factor holding back the Southern MInny’s development into the semi-pro powerhouse of the 1950’s was the lack of dedicated baseball fields. Austin’s teams were still renting the Mower County fair grounds for home games. The shared grounds caused groundskeeping nightmares in addition to the scheduling issues. The Austin Packers obtained the #2 seed in the playoffs and the Austin Daily Herald had this to say of the condition of the field and the efforts to get the grounds ready:
“Officials of the Austin Baseball association and players worked until 9:15 last night trying to get the outfield at the Fairgrounds into playable condition for the deciding playoff game in the Austin-Mankato playoffs Sunday. Had enemy bombers flown over, the ground crew would have found foxholes enough to jump into as the result of the damage done by the circus equipment Tuesday.”
“No the holes weren’t all filled last night, and the club had to call for help today for some black dirt to be hauled in. Work today is scheduled to get the field in good shape, however, so that Mankato players won’t break their legs and then sue.”[2]
With West Concord returning to the League, Paul Matti elected to play with his home club instead of returning to Albert Lea.[3] Shanty Dolan brought in Charles “Lefty” Johnson from the Western Minny as Matti’s replacement. The final standings imply that the season was an easy walk for Albert Lea and Austin. It wasn’t. Despite a strong pedigree, Lefty Johnson kept fans worried by giving up hits. Albert Lea was outhit by New Richland in the opener with Johnson giving up 11. Fortunately, his mates bunched their hits professionally winning 5-3.[4]
The season did have a few good humor moments. Fred Ludke and John Butorac joined Waseca from Austin as Waseca’s feature battery. They returned to Austin on May 20th and Butorac came prepared. He brought earmuffs to drown out the “ribbing” from the fans.[5]
Owatonna used “Cannonball” Haug of New Brighton and Dale Haug of Ellendale in the opener with Max Molock behind the plate.[6] Shortly after, the Austin Daily Herald included a discussion on “outside” players as part of its “Sports Stir-Up” on May 23, 1945. The “Stir-Up” offers two reasons for the two outside player rule even during the war years: first, it allowed the small town teams to compete financially with the larger clubs and second, it protected home town players from being replaced on game day by an outside player.[7] The outside player rule ultimately played a significant factor in establishing the final League standings.
Even with the outside player rule in place to protect its competitiveness, West Concord’s record was not all that competitive despite hiring on a pitcher of Paul Matti’s pedigree. Having won only 2 games out of eleven League games played, West Concord cut Paul Matti. It didn’t take long for Matti to land and he landed at Owatonna.[8]
Right on cue, Matti and Owatonna came to Austin. The Packers got to Matti for 15 hits but got only 5 runs despite four Owatonna errors. Owatonna, however, pounded Laverne Austinson for five runs in the sixth after giving up five earlier in the game. Austin, however, protested the game due to claims of the use of an outside player.[9]
The standings after 12 or 13 games played:
Albert Lea 13 0
Mankato 8 4
Owatonna 8 5
Faribault 7 6
Austin 6 6
Waseca 3 9
New Richland 2 9
West Concord 2 11
The initial protest hearing was heard on August 5th with Lefty Ringhoefer reading the minutes of a meeting that stated “After a discussion, it was decided that Bergman should be permitted to play for Owatonna for the duration.”[10] There was, however, no real basis to suggest that Bergman lived within the 15-mile limit to be considered a home player. As to Dale Haug from Ellendale, Owatonna argued that the Steele County Engineer considered Ellendale to be 14.8 miles from Owatonna even though the house in which Haug lives was more than 15 miles from Owatonna. The protest as to Haug was also denied but Austin was permitted to revisit the issue if more evidence could be found.[11]
The “Sports Stir-Up” in the May 7, 1945 Austin Daily Herald suggests that Austin’s Baseball Association should obtain the services of a live wire attorney. According to the Herald, the meeting at which Bergman’s eligibility was initially decided took place as part of the 1944 season. The issue was complicated further by Owatonna’s addition of Matti from West Concord after the deadline for signing players.[12]
Austin renewed its protest as to Haug and this time the League Directors found in Austin’s favor. Austin was awarded two additional wins and Mankato one to propel Austin into second place with a 10 and 4 record after Waseca forfeited a game that needed to be replayed.[13]
Owatonna appealed to the State Board using the services of Attorney James Reitz. Rietz came armed with 18 briefs and 3 sworn affidavits but had neither facts nor law on his side. Under League Rules, no team can have more than two players who live more than 15 miles by road from the teams’ town. Attorney Reitz argued that anything could be defined as a road including an Indian trail, a cow path, a rail line, or anything else and that by using that “definition,” two of the four disputed players lived within the fifteen-mile limit. The arbitration board stuck to a more traditional definition of a road and Austin’s protest was upheld.[14]
The State Board’s ruling kept Owatonna out of the playoffs. Austin lost to Mankato in the first game of the playoffs with Albert Lea beating Faribault as expected.[15] Austin got back on track beating Mankato 13-2. The fireworks of the day came from Faribault with a revamped lineup finally knocking Lefty Johnson from the mound. The Fairies lineup included Max Molock and Bill McGrann from Owatonna.[16]
The problem was again League by-laws that prevented signing new players after the 12th league game except due to injury of a battery member.[17] McGrann played in left for Faribault so clearly was not part of the battery. It also appears that Englehardt, Faribault’s regular catcher, was merely out of town and not injured. Apparently League President Ray Ackland initially authorized the substitutions but later rescinded his decision after reviewing the rules. Ackland apparently rescinded his decision and notified Faribault. Faribault elected to play with those players anyway with Shanty Dolan notifying the umpires that Albert Lea was playing under protest. The protest was, however, not filed with the League office within 24 hours as required by League rule.[18]
Laverne Austinson and Austin won their game between the foul lines eliminating Mankato to reach the League playoff finals.[19] Faribault won on the field aided by 8 errors by Albert Lea’s normally steady infield and Max Molock behind the plate. Dolan served notice of his protest before the game.[20]
The “Sports Stir-Up” of August 29, 1945 provided a little more detail suggesting that Hockey Mealey was barred from acting as a catcher in any game umpired by the Northwest Umpires due to prior acts of verbal abuse. It was also claimed that Faribault’s regular season catcher Walt Englehardt had a sore arm in addition to being on vacation.[21] The first ballot was 3-1 in favor of Albert Lea’s protest and awarding Albert Lea the win. A Faribault attorney argued that the protest could be upheld but that the game must then be replayed with eligible players. Ultimately Faribault forfeited rather than replay the game to allow the finals between Albert Lea and Austin to commence.[22]
Albert Lea eliminated the Packers in two straight to claim another Southern Minny crown. Johnson and Austinson tangled with Johnson coming out on top 4-3 in regulation. Lee Jasper held Albert Lea in check for eleven innings before losing 2-1 in the twelfth. The story of the games was Austin scores first, but Saints score more.[23]
Any concerns about Lefty Johnson giving up too many hits were set aside at the state tournament as Lefty nearly no-hit the Drivers Union in the Saturday match-up. A home run in the 9th spoiled a no-hit bid.[24] Somewhat ironically, Max Molock was behind the plate and scored the winning run for Albert Lea in the finals. Molock singled in the ninth with one out. Bob Carter walked. Mankato’s Monk Stier won his own ball game with a single that scored Molock from second as Albert Lea won its second consecutive state title.[25] The irony became even thicker a few years later when Shanty Dolan used the same sore arm claim to use the services of Waseca’s Arleigh Kraupa against Emil Scheid’s Austin Packers in later years.
[1] West Concord forfeited its last game of the season to Albert Lea.
[2] “Somebody Fell Down,” Austin Daily Herald, August 24, 1945.
[3] “Matti to Hurl for W. Concord,” Austin Daily Herald, April 4, 1945.
[4] “New Richland Gets 11 Hits Off Johnson but Loses 5-3,” Austin Daily Herald, May 7, 1945.
[5] “Jasper-Compton Combination Works as Waseca Bows 2-0,” Austin Daily Herald, May 21, 1945.
[6] Ibid, “Auspicious Start,” Austin Daily Herald, May 9, 1945.
[7] “Sports Stir-Up,” Austin Daily Herald, May 23, 1945.
[8] “Faribault 3rd in S-M Chase,” Austin Daily Herald, July 23, 1945.
[18] “Sports Stir-Up,” Austin Daily Herald, August 22, 1945. League rules required filing of the protest in the League office along with a protest fee.
[19] “Packers Eliminate Kato in Playoff Competition,” Austin Daily Herald, August 27, 1945.
[20] “Saints Will Protest Loss in Wild Game,” Austin Daily Herald, August 27, 1945.
[21] “Sports Stir-Up,” Austin Daily Herald, August 29, 1945.
[22] “Sports Stir-Up,” Austin Daily Herald, August 30, 1945.
[23] “Packers Barely Miss Wins in Both of Holiday Contests,” Austin Daily Herald, September 4, 1945.
[24] “Sports Stir-Up,” Austin Daily Herald, September 19, 1945.
[25] “Albert Lea Champ; to Play Excelsior,” Austin Daily Herald, September 17, 1945.
The 1940 Southern Minnesota Baseball League started with transition among the member teams. The Rochester Aces replaced the Mankato team on short notice.[1] Mankato’s departure also apparently caused issues in Waseca as the Waseca Journal announced on April 17, 1940 that “Clubs Unite as Baseball Season Nears.” The compromise placed only a single Waseca entry into the Southern Minny that season with Hap Lowe served as field manager and Don Herbst as business manager. Emil Scheid would receive the club’s reigns in 1941 under the compromise.[2]
The season also brought transition on the field. Russ Schmidthuber moved from New Richland to Albert Lea, Fred Ludke moved from Owatonna to Le Roy and Phil Golberg moved from Austin to New Richland. Personnel changes also took place on the Waseca nine, but Waseca stood pat with its Ace in the Hole: Al Bell.
Shanty Dolan’s reconfigured Albert Lea team opened the season at Waseca’s Community Field. A capacity crowd filled the grandstand and bleachers as Al Bell and Schmidthuber matched up for the first time in 1940. Albert Lea scored three unearned runs in the first on a ball Sponberg dropped at first, Bell’s errant throw, and a dropped a relay to home by McDermott allowing a run to score. Albert Lea scored four runs on four errors. Al Bell gave up seven hits while striking out four.[3]
Al Bell and the Waseca nine traveled to Austin. Waseca scored their initial run in the first on Groebner’s single, McDermott’s roller followed by Sponberg’s single and Connelly’s free pass. Austin’s Bernard Stanek evened the score on a solo home run in the fourth inning. Waseca broke open the game in the seventh putting pressure on Austin’s defense with the bunting game. Four runs scored in the eighth and three more in the ninth. Bell may have lost focus in the ninth with a 9-1 lead as Austin pushed across three runs.[4]
Waseca beat back the cellar-dwelling Rochester Aces in an extra inning pitcher’s duel. Bell went the full 14 innings for Waseca striking out 16 while walking only one. Bell allowed only one single after the 11th inning. The time of game was 2:40.[5]
Bell was back on the mound on Thursday as Owatonna traveled to Community Field for a Memorial Day match up. Bell went the distance for Waseca striking out eight. Waseca’s batters lashed out 11 hits with six being doubles. Connelly collected three of Waseca’s hits and two of the team’s doubles. Waseca won 8 to 1.[6]
The following Sunday, the Waseca nine traveled to Wagner Field at New Richland for a presumed pitcher’s duel. Waseca scored four in the first but gave away the lead on three singles and two errors in the bottom of the inning. Bell gave up twelve hits in the final nine innings of his 32 innings in eight days. Waseca’s defense contributed to his demise with nine errors.[7]
Bell was back on the mound at Mankato’s Tanley Field the following Tuesday as Waseca faced the Key City club. Bell allowed ten hits and struck out twelve keeping the game even through the eight.[8]
The extra rest apparently suited Bell just fine as he had a near no-hitter against Le Roy. Le Roy’s lone hit came on a disputed safe call on a relay from second. Even so, he faced only twenty-eight batters while his mates collected eleven hits off Ludke. Waseca won 6 to 0.[9]
Bell kept up his torrid pace allowing only two hits against Faribault. He struck out eighteen in nine innings. Waseca pushed ahead in the sixth when Munson reached on an error, Connelley singled and McDermott walked. Sponberg singled to score Munson and Connelley and Sponberg scored on Gray’s single. Waseca’s final run scored in the eighth on a walk by Lick followed by McDermott’s single.[10]
Bell gave up only six hits to Owatonna but trailed in the eighth. Connelly singled to start the inning followed by walks to Lick and Sponberg. Jim McDermott was the hero of the night poling out a grand slam just to the left of the foul pole in right.[11]
Waseca took a two-run lead at New Ulm the following Thursday. New Ulm earned one back in the second and tied the game on three hits in the seventh. Both starting pitchers were stingy for four more innings before New Ulm was able to push across a run on a single and double in the twelfth inning. Bell struck out 18 through nine innings and 20 on the day.[12]
Austin came to Waseca for the dedication of Community Field. Bell was on the mound and outdueled Austin’s Grossman 7 to 2. Happy Lowe took hitting honors with a home run in the fifth before giving way to Mueller in the seventh. Bell struck out a pedestrian eight batters.[13] Not surprisingly, Bell was named an all-star by League President Little along with shortstop Eddie Lick.[14]
Waseca next traveled to Albert Lea with a potential first place finish on the line. Albert Lea drew first blood as Menke scored on a sacrifice fly by West following Menke’s triple. Albert Lea followed up with three runs on three hits in third on two singles and a home run by White. Waseca drew one run back when Lick singled and scored following singles by Sponberg and McDermott. Groebner drew Waseca another run closer on one of the longest home runs seen by Jack Connelley but Waseca couldn’t push the tying runs across the plate in the eighth. Albert Lea pushed across two insurance runs in the eighth to maintain sole possession of first place.[15]
New Richland came to Community Field for a Fourth of July exhibition game. The game featured 11 errors. The comedy of errors includes Chick Gray’s grounder to short that resulted in an overthrow of first base. Gray, however, never ran to the base as he broke his bat and stopped to inspect the bat. Bell struck out twelve as Waseca won 4 to 1.[16]
Waseca fared much better against the Rochester Aces scoring enough runs in the first to win the game outright. Waseca led 4 to 1 going in to the seventh before Bell gave up runs in the seventh and eighth. Waseca answered in the bottom of the eighth with eight runs including a home run by Lick in his second at bat of the inning. Waseca won 12-2.[17]
Waseca traveled to New Richland to face Phil Golberg and former-mate Lloyd Carter. Carter put on a show in right field making two spectacular catches in the first inning alone. Waseca drew first blood with two runs in the seventh. New Richland tied the score on two unearned runs in the eighth when Abraham reached on an error and he and Munson scored after two were out. New Richland’s winning run came on a single, stolen base, advance on a ground out and sacrifice fly. Waseca now trailed Albert Lea by three full games.[18]
Waseca traveled to Tanley Field for the fifth time in two seasons. Bell started for Waseca but left after three innings with a 2-0 lead. Jack Connelley took over on the mound and took the loss.[19]
The extra rest likely didn’t hurt Bell as he and Fred Ludke matched up for an extra inning duel at Le Roy the following Sunday. Bell gave up only five singles and no runs through seven. Le Roy bunched together two doubles and a single to tie the game in the eighth. Ludke won his own game with a double in the fourteenth as he scored on Sawdey’s single to end the two hour and 45 minute marathon.[20]
The Austin Daily Herald provided an additional detail on the game indicating that Waseca’s Jim McDermott launched a long fly ball that would likely have cleared the fence in any park except for a wire stretched between two light poles. The ball struck the wire and dropped in the field of play. The umpire refused to give McDermott home plate and he died on the based before Ludke’s heroics in the bottom of the inning.[21]
Waseca finished in second place in the League by beating Faribault the hard way. Al Bell and Gil Aase threw regulation shutouts and Bell gave up only three hits in the eleven innings it took Waseca to score. Ludke beat New Richland 3-0 to give Waseca sole possession of second place.[22]
1940 League Standings
Albert Lea
11
3
Waseca
9
5
Austin
8
6
New Richland
8
6
Faribault
5
8
LeRoy
5
9
Owatonna
5
9
Rochester
4
9
The first round of the Southern Minny playoffs moved from single elimination to best two out of three that season. Austin drew the unenviable task of facing League leaders Albert Lea while Waseca and New Richland met in the first round.
Bell continued his hard luck in the first game of League playoffs. New Richland sprayed the ball all over the field for fourteen hits and four errors. Goldberg was on his game giving up only four hits including a long home run to Hap Lowe. New Richland won the first game 12 to 2 but this year, they had a chance to come back.[23]
The second games of each series were far more competitive. It took 17 innings for Albert Lea to beat Austin 2-1. Bell gave up nine hits and Golberg gave up seven, but Waseca’s hits were bunched better in the fourth. Waseca won 2-0 to force a third and final game at Waseca the following week.[24]
The Northern States Envelope club of St. Paul came to Waseca for a Thursday night tune up. Bell started and went three innings giving up two runs. Ed Evans pitched the final six innings giving up three runs.[25]
Phil Golberg was in complete control in the third game giving up only a single to Hap Lowe in the second. Otherwise, the contact was weak resulting in pop flys or ground balls. New Richland took the lead as Waseca was Carter-ized once again. He singled and stole second. He reached third on Hendrickson’s grounder to short when Lick’s relay to third was dropped by Gray. New Richland’s Abraham dumped a bloop over the drawn in infield to score two runs with the bases loaded. New Richland advanced to the League finals winning 6 to 0.[26]
Once again, Waseca missed the League Playoff Finals, but it is hard to blame Bell. He missed the League lead in wins by one trailing only Russ Schmidthuber of Albert Lea. He pitched every inning of every league game including 15 extra innings to reach 145 innings pitched. Bell was the only pitcher to strike out more than 100 batters reaching 134. He has solid control walking only ten and hitting no batters in 145 batters with two of the walks being intentional.[27]
Waseca fans had one more chance to see their team play that season and perhaps a sneak peek at the 1941 team as Emil Scheid led Waseca to Albert Lea for an exhibition game. Waseca’s lineup included new faces Davidson, Standinger, Foster, Carter, and Cox. Waseca stole three bases off Menke in the game.[28] Eddie Lick and Jim McDermott played well enough to be drafted by Albert Lea for the state tournament. They shared the left field garden in the state tournament finals.[29]
Manager Hap Lowe gained a new title after the season as he was named Sheriff of Waseca County in October. Lowe was credited with sixteen years of service with the Waseca baseball club to that point including many years as the League’s leading hitter.[30]
[1] “Waseca Plays Albert Lea in Opening Game,” Waseca Journal, April 17, 1940, 4.
[2] “Clubs Unite as Baseball Opener Nears,” Waseca Journal, April 17, 1940, 1.
[3] “Errors Cost Waseca Club Initial Game,” Waseca Journal, May 8, 1940, 1.
[4] “Waseca Uses Strategy to Trim Packers,” Waseca Journal, May 15,1940, 2.
[5] “Waseca Sweeps to Victory in Extra Innings,” Waseca Journal, May 29, 1940, 3.
[6] “Waseca Dumps Owatonna Here Memorial Day,” Waseca Journal, June 5, 1940, 4.
[7] “New Richland Wins Alleged Pitchers Duel,” Waseca Journal, June 5, 1940, 4.
[8] “Key City Club Beats Waseca in Night Game,” Waseca Journal, June 5, 1940, 4.
[9] “Bell Pitches One Hit Ball Against LeRoy,” Waseca Journal, June 12, 1940.
[10] “Bell Torrid as Faribault Gets Two Hits,” Waseca Journal, June 19, 1940, 7.
[11] “McDermott’s Homer Plates 4 in 8th,” Waseca Journal, June 26, 1940, 4.
[12] “Bell Fans 20 in 12 Inning New Ulm Game,” Waseca Journal, June 26, 1940, 4.
[13] “Lowe’s Homer Helps Waseca Down Austin,” Waseca Journal, July 3, 1940, 2.
[14] “Select Bell Lick Sponberg for All Stars,” Waseca Journal, July 10, 1940, 4.
[15] “Tough Breaks Cost Waseca Game Sunday,” Waseca Journal, July 10, 1940, 7.
[16] “Waseca Beats New Richland in Loose Game,” Waseca Journal, July 10, 1940, 7.
[17] “Lick Homers as Waseca Down Rochester 12-2,” Waseca Journal, July 17, 1940, 2.
[18] “Waseca Carter-ized in New Richland Victory,” Waseca Journal, July 24, 1940, 1.
[19] “Waseca Fails to Hold Lead Over Key City,” Waseca Journal, July 24, 1940, 1
[20] “Waseca Loses 14-Inning Ball Game at LeRoy,” Waseca Journal, July 31, 1940, 4.
[21] “LeRoy Contest Produced Story,” Austin Daily Herald, July 31, 1940.
[22] “LeRoy Wins From New Richland 3-0,” Austin Daily Herald, August 5, 1940, 6.
[23] “New Richland Cops Initial Playoff Game,” Waseca Journal, August 14, 1940, 1.
[24] “New Richland Drops Second Playoff Game,” Waseca Journal, August 21, 1940, 1.
[25] “St. Paul Club Beats Waseca in Exhibition,” Waseca Journal, August 28, 1940, 2.
[26] “New Richland Wins Play Off Semi-Final,” Waseca Journal, September 4, 1940, 1.
[27] “Bells Fans 134 to Top League in Strikeouts,” Waseca Journal, September 4, 1940, 7.
[28] “Waseca Loses to Albert Lea in Exhibition,” Waseca Journal, September 18, 1940, sec. 2, 1.
Even though Waseca finished the 1938 season with a 5 and 7 record, preseason pundits predicted a pennant for Waseca at the end of the 1939 season. Part of the optimism may well have been the off- season acquisition of Al Bell by Waseca.
Waseca’s usual battery – Al Bell and Jim McDermott – shown at Waseca’s Community Field
The season opened at the Waseca fairgrounds following a pre-game parade by the Waseca band and flag raising ceremony. Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Henry M. Gallagher, Mayor Brattrud and Benj Senske gave opening remarks honoring baseball’s centennial.[1]
Waseca’s opening day lineup featured Mueller, ss; Connelley, lf; Lowe, cf; Munson, 2b; McDermott, c; Sponberg, 1b; Groebner, rf; W. Gray, 3b; and Al Bell, p. Even though Waseca was favored to win the title, Owatonna was the defending state champions and played like it with Fred Ludke inducing plenty of pop ups and infield ground outs. Bell allowed only seven hits and struck out five, but Waseca’s defense was not sharp including two errors by Bell. Owatonna won the first game 4 to 0.[2]
Waseca traveled to Le Roy and was held to one hit until the sixth inning by George Dugan. Le Roy drew first blood in the first inning when Bjortant drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Stiles. Bell induced a pop out from Brown but Chapman’s single brought Bjortant home. Waseca drew even in the sixth with two out when Connelley reached on a walk. He was brought home on singles by Lowe and Munson. Waseca took the lead in the seventh on a long double by Groebner and single by Herb Sponberg. Sponberg laced out a triple in the ninth and scored on Bell’s single for an unneeded insurance run. Bell allowed eight hits but struck out ten as Waseca entered the win column with a 3 to 1 win.[3]
The Waseca nine next traveled to Mankato for a Memorial Day match up with the Blue Sox. Neither team scored in the first two innings but the score stood at four all going in to the seventh. Bell walked in the third and scored on Hap Lowe’s triple. Mankato rallied for two in the bottom of the inning with the score going back and forth until the seventh. Bob Gray opened the inning with a bunt hit and advanced to third on Lowe’s single. Munson pounded out another single to score Gray. McDermott reached when the pitcher muffed his ground ball to fill the bases. Lowe was thrown out at the late on a fielder’s choice but Connelley and Bell drove in the base runners on successive hits.[4]
Bell gave up twelve hits on the day and struck out seven. Bell made up for it at the plate gathering in four hits in four trips. His catcher McDermott had three hits and the rest of the team contributed eight as Waseca beat the Blue Sox 8 to 4.[5]
Waseca traveled to Austin for a match up with Austin’s Ace Phil Golberg. The scoreboard reflects anything but a pitcher’s duel but a tail wind blew many pop outs in to base hits. Austin led by five going into the third but Waseca rallied for five runs on five hits and walk. Austin broke the tie with two runs in the fifth, but Waseca rallied for two in the bottom of the inning. Streak McKay broke the tie with a two run home run but Waseca again rallied in the bottom of the inning. Lefty Gunderson was called in to relieve Golberg but Waseca stuck with Bell in what eventually developed into a pitcher’s duel. Happy Lowe ended the game on the first pitch in the eleventh on a long home run off Gunderson. Bell struck out eleven in the game.[6]
Waseca next went to Faribault for a match up with the Fairies. The score stood at two all after two innings and things looked bad for Waseca as Faribault loaded the bases in the third. Bell recovered and struck out eleven on the day while walking only one. Waseca pushed two runs across in the eighth on two two out hits by Groebner and pinch hitter Connelley.[7]
Waseca’s next stop was a mid-week matchup with Bell’s 1938 team the Mankato Key City Beverages at North Mankato’s Tanley Field. The game featured a pitcher’s duel between former mound mates Al Bell and Squire Riddles. Both pitchers were on their game as each club earned only four hits. Thirty batters faced Bell while thirty-two faced Riddle. Waseca bunched three of its hits in the seventh inning and still failed to score. Key City won the game in the ninth when Johnson singled, stole second and scored on Nicklasen’s single.[8]
Waseca moved into first place in the Southern Minny League the following week when Austin beat Owatonna and Waseca beat New Richland in a rain shortened game. Al Groebner continued his hot hitting with a home run in the first inning that scored Bob Gray and Connelley. Chick Gray started the fifth with a single but was forced at second on Sponberg’s infield fielder’s choice. Bob Gray’s single moved Sponberg to third. Connelley singled scoring Sponberg. Gray scored on Groebner’s second hit of the day. Al Bell plated Waseca’s final two runs with a single in the sixth. Waseca won 7 to 0.[9]
Waseca maintained first place by beating Le Roy at the Waseca fairgrounds. Al Bell limited Le Roy to four hits with Piker Meyers gathering in three of them. Waseca scored their first run in the third inning after Sponberg advanced Munson to third. Munson scored on Al Bell’s single. The big blow in the game came off the bat of Hap Lowe as the ball cleared the fences, plating Lowe and Connelley. Le Roy’s lone run came in the ninth to rob Bell of shut out.[10]
Owatonna pushed Waseca out of first place in a head to head match up at Owatonna’s Baseball Centennial. Bell gave up only five hits but they were enough for Owatonna when combined with the three Waseca errors. Chuck Gray scored Waseca’s lone tally on a solo shot in the fifth inning. Owatonna’s final run scored without a hit on two errors by Gray and an infield ground ball.[11]
New Richland visited the Waseca fairgrounds on the Fourth of July for what may have been the last game played at the fairgrounds. This time Waseca benefited from the other team’s errors. Waseca scored three runs in the sixth on two walks and three errors to break open the game. Bell was again on the mound giving up ten hits but only two runs.[12] Unfortunately for Waseca’s place in the standings this appears to have been an exhibition game.
The Waseca Journal announced a shift in the location of the upcoming Mankato-Waseca ball game on July 5. The game was being moved from the fairgrounds to the athletic field diamond as “Completion of the new semi-circular grant stand is almost finished, and the diamond has been smoothed down into acceptable shape.”[13]
The Waseca men opened the new Athletic Field diamond in fine fashion pounding the Blue Sox in to submission. Groebner, hitting lead off, scored three runs without a hit. Twelve Waseca batters faced Mankato’s Smith in the first inning with seven of them scoring in the inning. Adding insult to injury, Happy Lowe blasted a pitch over the fence plating Groebner and Connelley. Waseca used fifteen men in the field but Bell went the distance giving up only one run in the ninth while striking out fifteen.[14]
Perhaps Bell could have used some rest as Waseca next traveled to Albert Lea. Waseca scored first when Munson singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Bell. Waseca pushed across four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to lead 7 to 0 in the middle of the sixth. Bell limited Albert Lea to four hits to that point but the game soon turned in to a track meet with runners everywhere. Dolan opened the bottom of the inning and scored on a single by Hill and Schmidthuber followed him to the plate. The score stood at 7-2.[15]
Waseca scored four runs on five hits in the top of the next inning in what turned out to be insurance runs. Albert Lea scored two in the bottom of the inning off of four hits. McDermott scored for Waseca in the eighth on Bell’s second double of the game. Albert Lea plated two more in the bottom of the inning to bring the score to 12 to 6 in favor of Waseca.[16]
Groebner started the ninth with his fourth hit but was tagged out at second. Johnson and Gray still scored as Waseca pushed out to an eight run lead. Shanty Dolan drew a walk and scored on Hill’s home run in the bottom of the inning for Albert Lea. Hougard, Dammen and Anderson hit successive singles to plate one more run but Albert Lea simply ran out of outs. Bell went the distance giving up 19 hits but hitting four of his own.[17]
As the first place team, Waseca faced a dream team made of the star players selected from the rest of the League. The game was played at Owatonna as Owatonna won the championship the previous year. Al Bell faced off with the best of the rest of the league and gave up only four hits in pitching a shutout. The All-Stars used Ludke, Light and Gollberg with most of Waseca’s damage accruing against Light.[18]
Waseca got another crack at Golberg in Austin. This one was truly a pitcher’s duel with both Bell and Golberg pitching a shutout through regulation. A wild pitch with the bases loaded brought in one run in the tenth and Ike Sponberg tripled to left to clear the bases. Sponberg later scored as well to give Waseca a 4 to 0 win over Austin. Bell allowed only three hits and struck out seven.[19]
Waseca maintained its first place position despite committing five errors by collecting 14 hits against Light and Aase. Waseca beat Faribault 9 to 5 with Bell giving up only seven hits. Battery mates Bell and Bauman shared hitting honors with three hits a piece.[20]
Waseca again travelled to Mankato’s Tanley Field for another match up with the Bill Tanley’s Key City Beverages team. 1,250 fans attended the game and were treated to a back and forth battle between Lefty Nowacki and Bell. Nowacki struck out 15 while Bell got eight. Key City won over Waseca for the second time when Henry Micklasson cleared the right field fence leading off the eighth inning.[21]
With the season nearing its conclusion, the Waseca Journal announced that the Waseca teams would be barnstorming. The regular league team was scheduled to play at New Ulm while the “Scheid Plumbers,” a team supposedly composed of employees of Scheid Plumbing and Heating, would play at Austin. Al Bell, Jack Connelly and Lefty Schmidthuber were listed as possible pitchers for the Plumbers.[22]
Waseca traveled to New Ulm for a Thursday night game with some reinforcements. Bell opened on the mound with Bauman as his catcher. Bell held New Ulm scoreless for two innings but gave up four hits in the third that scored two runs. Waseca took the lead in the top of the third and that lead lasted until the fifth when Kusske drove out a two-run home run scoring Gallivan. Spellbrink hit a second home for New Ulm to bring the score to 5-3. Lowe scored in the seventh to get Waseca within one but two walks and a single by Kusske resulted in the final score of 6 to 4 in favor of New Ulm. Interestingly, this is one of the few games in the season in which anyone not named Al Bell shared in mound duties as Schmidthuber appears in the box score as a pitcher.[23]
Bell and Schmidthuber were back in their usual adversarial positions that weekend as Waseca faced New Richland to open the fair. Bell allowed only three hits but four errors kept New Richland in the game. Standinger of New Richland doubled to start the sixth inning. Munson then reached on an error advancing Standinger. Seacrist hit into a fielder’s choice and Chick Gray relayed to Bauman to cut Standinger down at the plate. Russ Schmidthuber doubled to plate two. Bob Gray homered for Waseca in the seventh to win the game.[24]
An interesting feature of the game was an intentional walk of Bell in the sixth inning. There were two out and Sponberg was perched on second base. Bell was not only leading the league in wins but also hitting over .400 at the time.[25]
Scheid’s Plumbers traveled to Austin facing most of Austin’s regular league team. Bell started for the Scheidmen giving up seven hits in five innings. Schmidthuber gave up only one hit over the final four innings. Three of those hits came in the second inning when Austin scored its lone run. Unfortunately for the Scheid men Austin’s Phil Golberg was hitting the corners and walked none as only three Scheid batters reached first base.[26]
Community Field was the scene of Waseca’s regular season pennant clinching game against Albert Lea. Fittingly, Al Bell was on the mound and threw a three hitter and faced only 30 batters in the game. Mills of Albert Lea was also relatively sharp allowing only six hits and facing only 33 batters. McDermott was back behind the plate for Waseca and started the third inning with a single to center and reached second on an error by Kasper. Bell was intentionally walked again. Sponberg followed with a single that scored McDermott and advanced Bell to third. Bob Gray bunted to the pitcher but the relay to home was missed by the Albert Lea catcher allowing Bell to score the only run he would need. Waseca finished the season off with a 2 to 0 win, eliminated Albert Lea from the playoffs and finished the season in first place with a 12 and 2 record.[28]
The first game of the playoffs was postponed due to bad weather.[29] Some of the Waseca team did get in some game time practice by facing the Key City Beverages. Bell started as usual throwing six shut-out innings before being lifted after being hit in the pitching hand by a line drive off the bat of John Menke. Menke tied the score at 1 all in the eighth on a long triple and that score lasted in to the tenth when Heldor Munson bobbled Menke’s grounder and threw wildly to first allowing Bruhn to score from first.[30]
Bell was apparently fine and struck out eleven while allowing only two hits to New Richland. Unfortunately for Waseca it is difficult to beat any team four times in a row. Crain led off the eighth with a grounder to Bell and Sponberg dropped the throw to first. Bert Munson got New Richland’s second hit of the game with two strikes to put runners at first and second. C. Munson sacrificed to advance the runners. Bell induced the ground ball but W. Gray started to relay home and then decided to throw to first while in the air. The throw was wild plating another run. A ball also went through Bob Gray’s legs at second as four Waseca errors allowed three New Richland runs.[31]
Despite a dominant game from Bell and quite frankly a dominant season, Waseca was eliminated from the playoffs by having one bad game. Not surprisingly, the Southern Minny would move to best two out of three in the opening round of the playoffs following the 1940 season.
Not ready to end the season, Waseca faced off with Owatonna for two games. Bell faced the minimum numbers of batters in seven of the nine innings as Krahulec reached first base on an error in the sixth and Fichten reached first on an error in the eighth. No one reached based by any other means as Bell tossed a no hitter walking none.[32]
Bell was maybe not quite so sharp but Happy Lowe’s home run in the first inning was enough for Bell as he tossed his second consecutive shutout of Owatonna. Bell did allow six hits but walked none and struck out eleven.[33]
Waseca finally broke the jinx against Key City in the final game of the season. The match up featured former mound mates Al Bell and Squire Riddles. Bell allowed only six hits and McDermott’s home run in the sixth plated three to break the tie and set the winning margin at 4 to 1. The Key City team featured both Walt Menke and John Menke in its lineup. Both would feature in later Southern Minny teams.
Significantly, Al Bell demonstrated that he was an ace among Southern Minny pitchers. He led Mankato Key City and Waseca to back to back regular season titles winning at least ten games in each season. His 1939 season with Waseca may have been even better, however, posting a 12 and 2 regular season record while also featuring in many of Waseca’s exhibition games and still leading the league in strikeouts.
[1] “Waseca Loses First League Game,” Waseca Journal, May 17, 1939, 4.
Bill Tanley, a bottler for Key City Beverages, came up with the idea of building a baseball field at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Center Street in North Mankato. The field was originally called “Key City Park” but was renamed Tanley Field in 1937. Improvements were made to Tanley Field in a relatively short period of time and the Field was considered one of the ballpark gems at the time.
(Reprinted with Permission from City of North Mankato)
The Austin Daily Herald reported that “Tanley Field is the finest baseball plant in southern Minnesota. … Ample grandstand space, bleacher room and a press box are part of the features. … A nine-foot wall surrounds the entire park, which is equipped with lights for night baseball. … A loud speaker system informs fans of batters and players”.[1]
Tanley also developed a baseball team appropriately called the “Key City Beverages” team. The Key City team joined the Southern Minny League in 1938. The biggest splash made by the Key City team may, however, have been the signing of Al Bell away from the Waseca team. Bell was dominant for the Owatonna Aces during the 1936 season and in state tournament. Bell and his 1937 Waseca teammates finished the League season with a 9 wins against 4 losses and made it to the League Championship Game before yielding to Phil Golberg and the Austin Packers.
First a little background on the Southern Minny in 1938. There was a fair amount of transition within the League during the 1930s. Lakeville, St. Peter and West Concord had teams in the League in 1937 but none of them would return in 1938. Le Roy, Northfield and the Key City nine were added as replacement teams but Northfield dropped from the League the week before the season began leaving the seven teams in the League.[2] With an uneven number of teams, teams were given an open date on their schedule whenever they would have played Northfield.
Key City visited Waseca for the opening game of the season. Bell, opening day pitcher for Key City, gave up 15 hits. Fortunately for Bell the Key City offense was better was far better pounding out 21 hits to win 20-11.[3] It wasn’t pretty but it was a win.
The second scheduled game of the season was washed away bringing Al Bell and the Key City Nine to Austin’s (old) Marcusen park. The Key City Batsmen were rampant pounding out three home runs among their thirteen hits. Bell gave up only two hits – a home run to Streak McKay in the third inning and a double to Ray Gohde in the ninth. Key City won 13-1.[4]
Key City came away with Mankato bragging rights in their next League game as the Key City nine pushed a run across in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Mankato Blue Sox 2-1. Bell scattered eight hits well in every inning other than in the third.[5]
Following an open date, Key City hosted Faribault at Tanley Field. Bell secured his fourth straight league win allowing only five hits. His mates meanwhile drove Faribault’s starting pitcher Reint from the game in the early innings with five runs in the second frame alone. Key City won 7 to 1.[6]
Key City next travelled to Le Roy. Even though undefeated, League pundits expected a good game as Le Roy had started to show some promise as a developing team.[7] The pundits were correct as Bell and Weber locked up in an old fashioned pitcher’s duel with the only score of the game coming in the tenth inning. Weber gave up only four hits while Bell was one better giving up only three. Fortunately for Bell his team scored the only run in the extra frame to give him his fifth win on the season.[8]
It didn’t get any easier for Bell and Key City as Fred Ludke and the Owatonna Aces came to Tanley Field. Ludke was the MVP of the state baseball tournament in 1936. Mankato scored first in the fourth inning and held that lead until the seventh when Owatonna pushed across a run. Mankato scored the final run of the game in the bottom of that inning as the starting pitchers didn’t disappoint. Bell scattered five hits while Ludke gave up only seven. The defenses likely made the game far more interesting committing eight errors behind the two star pitchers.[9] Even so, Bell now stood at six wins giving up more than one run only once.
The win streak stretched to seven games even though Bell gave up more than one run for the first time in a League game in nearly two months. Key City was leading 2-1 when Waseca knotted the score in the bottom of the ninth. Bell was still the pitcher of record in the tenth when Anton’s grounder scored Hamilton from second base for Key City.[10]
The streak reached eight when Key City scored two runs in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie in a rematch with Owatonna.[11] The streak ended when the Austin Packers visited Tanley Field. Home runs were a feature of the game with Austin’s being of the two run variety. Streak McKay put Austin out front with his home run in the first inning scoring Kulawik. Key City tied the game in the sixth on a home run by Hamilton and run scoring single by John Menke. The big damage was done by Ray Gohde in the eighth when he hit is two run shot to put the game just out of reach despite a furious rally by Key City in the ninth that drew Phil Golberg in the from the Packer bullpen to put out the fire.[12]
Bell and the Key City Nine returned to winning ways with a 7 to 1 defeat of the cross town Blue Sox to reach nine wins on the season.[13] Key City then received a bye week where Northfield would have been on the schedule. Following the break, Key City traveled to last place Faribault with a new pitcher in hand in the form of Squire Riddle. It was almost unfair as Faribault managed no hits or runs against Riddle as he pitched the second no-hitter of the Southern Minny season.[14] Fred Ludke had thrown the first no-hitter in the League earlier that season.
Bell was back on the mound for the League finale against Le Roy. Normally a work horse, perhaps there was a bit of rust as Le Roy scored four runs and Riddle relieved late in the game. Even so, the Mankato Key City team was triumphant capping an amazing regular season that saw them lose only one game while winning the regular season pennant by three games in a twelve game season.[15]
Waseca won the replay of the 14 inning tie to set the final playoff brackets and standings as follows:
Mankato Key City 11 1 .917
Owatonna 8 4 .667
Austin 8 4 .667
Waseca 5 7 .417
Mankato Blue Sox 4 8 .333
Le Roy 4 8 .333
Faribault 2 10 .167
Momentum is a big part of sports and momentum seems to have played a large role in determining the playoff champion in the Southern Minny over the decades. Waseca played what amounted to a tie breaker for the fourth and final playoff spot was in better form for the single game elimination match than the Key City nine who had to wait for the fourth place finisher to be determined.
Things started well for Key City when they scored three runs in the second and one more in the fifth. Waseca scored one in the fourth, four in the seventh and one in the ninth to eliminate Key City from the playoffs despite a great regular season. Al Bell went the distance for Mankato.[16]
Not surprisingly, the Southern Minny would replace the one and done single game format for the opening round playoffs with a best two out of three series in the very near future. Even so, the Key City Beverage team was truly dominant in what turned out to be their only season in the Southern Minny as
Tanley would move his team to an independent schedule in 1939 and eventually join the Western Minny League.
The Key City Beverages played a number of games with Southern Minny teams in 1939 winning two games from Al Bell and the Waseca nine by one run reach time. A number of the Key City players would later migrate to Southern Minny teams including 1938 battery mates Bell and John Menke with Menke being named the MVP of the state tournament in 1940 while catching in Albert Lea.
The greatest legacy of Bill Tanley and the Key City Beverage team, however, may actually be Tanley Field in North Mankato. Tanley Field pre-dated most of the ballparks in the Southern Minny including Waseca’s Community Field that opened in 1939 and was dedicated in 1940 with many more parks added or upgraded after that. Tanley Field would also host Southern Minny League games for many years as the host field for various Mankato entries including the Mankato Merchants into the 1950s.
Tanley Field was torn down in 1958. Sadly few pictures of the park exist with the most common one to be found being the Field underwater from a flood in 1951. Monroe Elementary School sits on the site of Tanley Field today.
[1] “Rubbin’ Elbows with the Rube,” Austin Daily Herald, July 11, 1938, 6.
[2][2] “Key City, Mankato and Loop Champion Austin Team Wins,” Austin Daily Herald, May 2, 1938, 8.
Austin’s town ball teams have at times been truly dominant. The 1912 edition that featured future Hall of Famer Burleigh Grimes claimed a state championship prior to the state tournament even being created. When Burleigh returned to Austin with his Brooklyn teammates in 1921 the Austin team was playing at what was called the Hormel Ball Park near what later became the Terp Ballroom.
Austin featured a Southern Minny League team and a “Hormel Good Foods” team playing an independent schedule during the 1930’s. Those games were generally played at what is referred to as the “Marcusen lot.” When the Austin Baseball Association made the commitment to field one primary team in the Southern Minny, the team responded by winning the State Class A Championship behind the stellar pitching of Phil Golberg and hitting and fielding of tournament MVP Johnny Hulet.
Austin won the Southern Minny playoffs in 1939 playing its last games at the “Marcusen lot.” Despite the general airing of grievances about the conditions at the Marcusen lot, the next available option and the option used until Marcusen Memorial Field was built was the use of the Mower County fairgrounds. At least one drawing shows the baseball diamond in the infield area of the old track. The use of the fairgrounds effectively made the teams homeless as they physically could not play during the fair and usually didn’t play at home after the fair as the “field” was trampled and rutted.
Austin claimed an additional state championship in 1942 when Phil Golberg returned from playing in New Richland and shared pitching duties with Fred Ludke. Even though games continued to be played in the Southern Minny during the war, those games were played under travel restrictions with far fewer players let alone the best players available to play the games as many stars of the League entered military service. Austin’s baseball teams still lacked a permanent home.
With the end of the war, thoughts turned to recreational opportunities for the returning soldiers. With more players available, the Austin Baseball Association decided to field a team in the Southern Minny League and a team in the Cedar Valley League in 1946. Emil Scheid was given charge of the newly (re) formed Austin Merchants in the Cedar Valley League.
Emil had been involved in town ball in Waseca prior to moving to Austin. He knew how to build a team and his Austin Merchants were dominant in 1946. They won the Cedar Valley League and advanced to the Class A state tournament. But for an ankle injury to Bud Stanek, they might have claimed the championship before settling for runners-up status.
Emil was given charge of the Southern Minny entry in 1947 and set the stage for his later teams bringing in Earl Mosser and Ray Riley from out of town replacing Austin hometown players in the process. The transition to out of town players didn’t always sit well with the locals especially when Ray Riley replaced Bernard Stanek in center field. Even though Emil’s Packers didn’t always hit to the standards expected by the Austin fans the team record improved from a 6 and 8 in 1946 to 9 and 5 in 1947.
The problem was that the Austin teams were still largely homeless and it took revenue to pay top talent to play baseball. When paying players to play, it also made sense to play more games than just on Sunday. The problem being that of all of the teams in the league, Austin was the town without a ballpark and with no ballpark there were no lights. With no lights, there was no night baseball and with no night baseball. With no night baseball, playing opportunities on weekdays were also limited.
That stadium situation was finally rectified on June 8, 1948 when Scheid’s Austin Packers welcomed Sam House’s Spencer (IA) Cardinals to Marcusen Memorial Park. Lights were installed and tested on June 7th. With no time to build stands, bleacher seats accommodating up to 1,000 fans were installed.[1] 1,084 fans attended the game and hopefully were on hand to see Red Lindgren hit the first home run in the new park in the eighth inning.[2]
Even though the park was open for business, there was the matter of a formal dedication. The Local 9-CIO sponsored the ticket sales for the dedication game with the proceeds to be given to the city to help pay for the lighting system.[3] The game was initially scheduled as an exhibition game against Faribault to be held during the evening of June 27th.[4] The game was washed away by the weatherman.
The dedication was finally rescheduled to July 25th after another attempt was washed away. The event featured the municipal band and remarks by Mayor Merril Rolfson and Frank Schultz as union chief. The dedication included not only the field but the scoreboard and flag. The flag was donated by the American Legion and the scoreboard was provided by funds from the Earl Peterson estate.[5] Red Lindgren homered twice and Dick Seltz held Faribault in check as the Packers beat Faribault 9-3.[6]
Even though the park was open for business, the matter of fan accommodations remained an issue. This photo from the Mower County Historical Society files shows the park as built but without the grandstand or, quite frankly, much in the way of fan seating:
Marcusen Park under Construction (Courtesy Mower County Historical Society)
The lack of fan accommodations had no impact on on- the-field performance. Scheid’s Austin Packers fell one out short of claiming the Southern Minny postseason title in 1948. His 1949 Packers utterly destroyed the Southern Minny losing only 7 of 35 games played and swept through the rest of the field at the state tournament to claim the state class AA championship.
Marcusen Memoral Park would finally have a grandstand during the 1950 season. Construction of the grandstand was scheduled to be completed in time for the season opener but as with many things baseball related, the weatherman intervened.[7] The season opened on May 21st without the grandstand being available even though its construction greatly impacted parking. The Packers won 4-3 in extra innings with 1,505 fans in attendance.[8]
The Packers then went on the road for an extended period of time. By the time the Packers returned home to face Faribault, sections A,B and C and part of section D were available to the public.[9] Extra seating was needed because the Austin Queens team hired Negro League great and former Cleveland Indian Satchel Paige to pitch an exhibition game for them against Scheid’s Austin Packers on June 7th.[10]
Work continued on the grandstand and all seats became available to the public for the Packers June 25th game against Owatonna.[11] With the grandstand finished, the matter of dedicating it was scheduled for August 1st[12]along with an announcement that an additional 1000 bleacher seats were being added down the first and third base lines to raise the Park’s capacity to 5,000. A previous crowd of 4,423 greatly exceeded the capacity of the new grandstand.[13]
The full page advertisement in the Austin Daily Herald announced the dedication of Marcusen Memorial Field.
Part of the dedication advertisement read:
Filling a long felt need Marcusen Memoral Field brings to Austin and Southern Minnesota a baseball field unsurpassed by any of its contemporaries. Seating capacity exceeds 4700. Accommodations for home and visiting teams. Concession stand and rest rooms for the public provide for every need.[14]
The one thing needed was a roof over the field as rain delayed the dedication until August 3rd. Claude Moore, chairman of the park and recreation board served as master of ceremonies and introduced the speakers that included M.G. Rolfson, mayor, Waldo Swanson, president of the Southern Minny, and John Mayer, president of the Austin Baseball association. 4,057 fans turned out to see the Packers do their part on the field by defeating Waseca 8-7 with some late hitting heroics by Harry Elliot.[15]
Scheid’s Packer teams continued to dominate the Southern Minny in 1950, 1951 and 1953 advancing to the state Class AA finals in each of those years. With that success came crowds to Marcusen Memorial Park as this photo from the archives of the Mower County Historical Society amply illustrates:
(Courtesy of Mower County Historical Society)
Somewhat ironically, between 1949 and 1953 the Austin Packers made the finals of the State Class AA tournament every year except one: 1952. That was the year that Austin and Marcusen Memorial Field actually hosted the state tournament. It was also the only year during that time frame that Scheid’s Packers failed to even reach the tournament.
The House that Scheid Built was the scene of countless battles in the Southern Minny until the League’s demise in the 1960’s. Marcusen Park was, however, much more than just the home of the Austin Packers. Marcusen Park was and is the hub of baseball in Austin hosting a countless number of high school, American Legion, VFW games since its construction and continues today thanks almost entirely to the volunteers of the Marcusen Park Baseball Association that maintain the Park.
Thanks to those volunteers, Marcusen Memorial Park remains as a monument to a time before baseball on television and the internet. Even now, Austin’s Greyhounds remain atop of the Twin Rivers Conference after a hard fought victory over the Waseca Braves reminiscent of games between the Austin Packers and Braves in the old Southern Minny.
Marcusen will host more baseball this season as the Greyhounds host the Dodge County Diamondjacks on July 24th at 7:30. That final game of the Conference regular season may well be a battle for the top seed in the conference playoffs. Let’s hope Marcusen Park will be hosting playoff baseball once again.
[1] “Packers Open New Ball Park Against Spencer,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 8, 1948.
[2] “Packers Gain 9-5 Decision Over Spencer,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 9, 1948.
[3] Tom Koeck, “Success of Baseball Park Dedication Must be Credited to Local 9-CIO,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 16, 1948.
[4] “Marcusen Park Dedication Sunday,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 26, 1950.
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