The Board Room Battles Continue with the 1949 Rochester Royals and Albert Lea’s Use of Arleigh Kraupa

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 8^th.[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.

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[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.

[6] Ibid.

[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.

[13] Ibid.

[14] “Locals Drop into Seventh in So-Minny,” Rochester Post Bulletin, June 3, 1949, 18.

[15] “Royals Seek 4^th 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 2^nd 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 2^nd 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.

[30] “16-Hit Attack Hands Packers 8-6 Victory, 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.

[36] “Austin Rips Royals Behind Kuhlman,” Austin Daily Herald, September 9, 1949.

Carl DeRose: A Packer With a Perfect Start

On June 20, 1951, the Winona Republican-Herald wrote of Austin’s Big Carl DeRose that

“Never before has a Southern Minnesota league hurler notched a record to equal DeRose’s current string. Colossal Carl took home his ninth straight victory without a loss.”[1]

Carl DeRose deserved all of the many accolades he receives for his 1951 season with the Austin Packers.  His victory string actually extended beyond nine games and he was truly a dominant and durable pitcher that season. He was the pitcher of record in 22 of the Packers 42 regular season games. He won 17 of those 22 games and one of the losses was a game he started on one days rest. 

Lamenting another loss to Big Carl DeRose and the Austin Packers the Winona Daily News  wrote:

“Carl DeRose wrote another chapter in his book, ‘How I Handcuffed Winona in ’51,’ at Marcusen Park Tuesday night.”[2]

If Big Carl DeRose wrote a book on every team he handcuffed during his career, there would be a Carl DeRose library. His career not only featured an unblemished win streak  to the Southern Minny season in 1951 but absolute perfection when he completely handcuffed the Minneapolis Millers with no hits, no runs and no base runners in a perfect game pitched for the Kansas City Blues in 1947. That amazing feat, the first perfect game in the history of the American Association, was accomplished with an ailing arm and under the threat of surgery. 

What seems to truly stand out about Big Carl DeRose, however, is his unwillingness to give up the game of baseball. That stubbornness may have led him to many places other than the promised land of Yankee Stadium but he never gave up the game of baseball and continued to work hard to get back to being a pitching ace after years of arm trouble.

The first rumors of Carl’s signing with the Austin Packers appeared prior to the final game of the 1950 Iowa State League Playoffs. [3] DeRose built up his arm strength during the ISL season to become one of the dominant pitchers on the Spencer Cardinals staff and he was expected to pitch the next playoff game for Spencer against the Carroll Merchants. The Carroll Daily Times Herald followed up with its own report following the conclusion of the 1951 Iowa State League Playoffs that DeRose would “move to Austin and work in the meat packing plant this winter and pitch in the Southern Minny league next summer.”[4] DeRose won the Cardinals’ final game of the season to claim the ISL Playoff Championship after setting aside the regular season champion Carroll Merchants 10-1.[5]

In promoting the Packer’s upcoming 1951 season, Tom Koeck wrote that DeRose left professional baseball when his arm went sour.[6] Koeck may have been slightly off as to the timing of when DeRose’s arm went sour and when he left professional baseball but Koeck was certainly accurate in reporting that DeRose had “once been considered the pitching plum of the New York Yankees’ farm system” and that he was “best known for his perfect no-hit game with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association.”[7]

Gary Cieradkowski describes Carl’s background in Milaca, Minnesota and his status as a can’t miss prospect for the New York Yankees in his article “Carl DeRose: Aboslute Perfection.” Carl returned to Yankees spring training camp in 1946 after missing time due to service in World War II. A broken knuckle likely prevented him from staying with the Yankees as he was assigned to Kansas City for the season. He posted a 12 and 6 record with a 3.16 ERA for a team that finished 23 games out of first place.[8]

Carl returned home to California for the offseason and worked construction. Most of his work was heavy labor and he actually became too muscle bound. As a result, he was tabbed for Kansas City again instead of New York City when he wasn’t able to get loose.[9]

Slated to pitch an exhibition game in Denver on his birthday (April 12^th), he made it through half a game before his arm began to ache. It was a cold and snowy day and he was unable to throw his fastball. He tried to get by on curveballs and change ups.[10]

Seeking an explanation, DeRose sought out a medical help. By the end of June he was told he had calcium deposits in his shoulder and he might never pitch again. The Yankees arranged for a surgery that might have been career ending.

Instead of walking away, Big Carl DeRose went to Kansas City Blues skipper Billy Meyer on July 25^th asking for one more chance to pitch the following day. Meyer, a baseball lifer (and former Winona Pirate), felt he had no choice when DeRose “begged for just one more chance.”[11]

Not surprisingly, DeRose was in pain before even trying to warm up. While warming up, he found he was missing his fastball. All he had was curves, a change up and a lot of guts. His manager gave him the chance to bow out but DeRose would not back out.[12]

He didn’t have his fastball but he still had great control. He retired the first three batters and the Blues scored in their half of the first inning to stake him to a lead. He set the Millers down in the second inning but Meyer knew his pitcher was in trouble. Meyer had a pitcher warming in the bullpen and pleaded with DeRose to leave the game. With tears in eyes after every painful pitch, DeRose refused to throw in the towel and reached a three ball count only once and that being the last batter of the game. DeRose struck him out on a 3-2 fastball for only his second strikeout of the game.[13]

On the day, DeRose had faced and retired 27 Minneapolis Millers in row becoming the first American Association pitcher to throw a perfect game since 1902. He and his teammates celebrated in the locker room until they had to say goodbye. They were off on a northern road trip while DeRose had an appointment with a surgeon.[14]

As he signed with the Austin Packers in 1951, his arm trouble was clearly not career ending. It was, however, the end of any likelihood of making the major leagues. Big Carl split time between Portland and Kansas City in 1948 logging a total of 70 innings over 26 appearances. He appeared in three games with Portland in 1949 before spending the remainder of the season in AA Beaumont. He found himself back at Beaumont to start the 1950 season and appeared in five games[15] before deciding to make a change.

That change was signing with the Spencer Cardinals in the semi-pro Iowa State League for the 1950 season.[16] The only known connection between DeRose and Spencer, Iowa was eventual team manager Bill Burgess who had spent some time with Beaumont several years prior.[17]

The 1950 ISL season started slowly for DeRose as his arm was still sore and he wasn’t in top form for hurling. He was, however, one of the top sluggers in the league early in the season.[18] He played first base or in right field as he continued to work his way back to pitching form. He smacked a two run home run against Estherville.[19]

By July his arm was starting to warm up but he still lack consistency. He held the hard hitting Carroll Merchants in check striking out 13 over 11 innings.[20] Carroll got the better of him the next time battering him for 8 runs on 10 hits in the fifth inning alone.[21] It certainly wasn’t lack of effort. John Hart, longtime Spencer baseball supporter, described a half hour batting session thrown to him by DeRose.[22]

The hard work started to pay off in August when DeRose shut out the Schaller Red Caps on four hits. Only eight batters “dented the infield” off of him.[23] He even worked out of the pen throwing 4 2/3rds against the Estherville Red Sox in a losing effort.[24]

Facing Schaller again late in the season he gave up one hit less than his earlier outing as Spencer drubbed the Red Caps 18-1. DeRose also homered to help his own cause.[25]  He had a near no-hitter against Storm Lake on September 1^st giving up only two hits on a single and pop up that fell in front of home plate after the seventh inning.[26] The win eliminated the Storm Lake White Caps from the playoffs and advanced the Cardinals to the ISL finals which they took four games to one finishing off the Merchants 10-1 behind DeRose.  

As the 1951 preseason progressed the Austin Daily Herald asked “Can Slabmen Go Distance? Reply Awaited.”[27] To that point, Emil’s pitchers had generally been splitting 3 to 4 innings of each game to get ready for the season. When the season arrived, at least one of the slabmen was ready to go and that was Big Carl DeRose.

The season actually started fairly inauspiciously for DeRose. His first pitch of the season was tagged for a double into left field. Carl got a strikeout but gave up a single and double to be down two runs. He then beaned John Ewaniak with a wild pitch that put Ewaniak’s entire season in jeopardy. Carl recovered to retire the side as he scattered six hits for the rest of the game.[28]

He followed up with a five hitter against the Fairmont Martins securing a shutout in a non-league game.[29] After that, he started writing the book about handcuffing Winona for a hard earned 4-3 win.[30] The Rochester Royals fell next 6-2 with DeRose allowing only seven hits.[31]

Against Albert Lea he was a dual threat holding the visitors to two singles over nine innings for his fourth straight win. He homered in the seventh to give himself the lead. The Packers were 1-3 on days when Big Carl didn’t start.[32]

Winona and Rochester fell in succession. Dick Seltz broke up a 1-1 tie in the ninth with a “spanking homerun over the rightfield fence” to give DeRose his fifth victory.[33] Carl gave up only seven hits to Rochester to win 5-2. He was working like an ace winning four of the last six games played by the Packers who were playing three games a week.[34]

DeRose limited Albert Lea to eight hits while Roy Gilmore lashed out a pair of home runs and a triple to pace the Austin offense to a 5-3 victory.[35] Big Carl picked up his eighth straight win giving up only one run on six hits to Waseca.[36] His ninth straight victory game included another chapter in the book against Winona. This time he won 5-3 pitching steady ball.[37]

He beat Waseca again to gain his 10^th straight win. He had a shutout going into the ninth before giving up three runs late. He told that Austin Daily Herald that “It doesn’t make any difference what the score is, just so you win.”[38] He certainly did that in 1951.

Despite tiring in the ninth against Waseca, he was strong on the mound against Owatonna tossing a two hitter for his 11^th straight victory.[39] All things come to an end, however, and the end of the consecutive wins streak came on July 3^rd at Rochester.  The Royals collected six hits in the first three innings. DeRose still went the distance and kept his team in the game only losing 4-2 despite not getting on track early in the game.[40]

To put some additional perspective on DeRose’s perfect winning streak of 11 straight wins to start the season, three pitchers tied for second in the league for games won with twelve games won for the entire season. Big Carl DeRose won nearly that many before the first of July.

The Packers’ offense took away any pressure in his next start collecting 21 hits. Even so, Carl kept Albert Lea’s hits fairly well scattered.[41]  He dropped only his second game of the season on July 10^th.[42] Not surprisingly Big Carl was named to the East All-Star Team.[43]

Big Carl got his revenge against the Royals blanking them on five hits.[44] He was asked to come back on only a day’s rest against Faribault. Not surprisingly he wasn’t quite as effective giving up 13 hits.[45]

Given a few more days rest and Winona as an opponent, he was good to go. He gave up only two hits in shutting out Winona for his 14^th win in 17 starts.[46] Showing his durability, he went the distance in a 13 inning loss to Waseca.[47] He next set down Winona 9 to 1 for his 15^th victory.[48]

He gave up only 10 hits and had three extra base hits of his own to spark a victory over Mankato.[49] He got his 17^th win of the season by tossing a six hitter against Owatonna.[50]

It certainly wasn’t surprising that 17 game winner Big Carl DeRose got the ball for the first game of the Southern Minny Playoffs against Waseca. He didn’t disappoint fanning seven and walking only two while scattering seven hits. Roy Gilmore plated the winning run in the ninth on a towering home run.[51]

DeRose lost the third game 6-2 but rebounded to take the decisive fifth game 7-0.[52] He won game two of the League Finals 6-1. He was used a pinch batter in both games three and four.

Having reached their third consecutive state tournament, the Packers naturally turned the ball over the DeRose. He gave up a solo home run in the seventh while Bill Campeau’shomer in the same inning plated Bob Kuhlman for a hard fought 2-1 victory.[53] Carl lost a heartbreaker to Marshall to force the Packers to win out if they were going to claim the title.[54]

Carl did his part setting back Litchfield 4-2 to keep the Packers in the tournament in the afternoon game.[55] Unfortunately for the Packers DeRose was unavailable for the evening final game having pitched the early afternoon game and Arleigh Kraupa had been used to get to the Sunday games. With those two pitchers unavailable, the Packers were forced to use three pitchers while Litchfield needed only one to claim the state AA championship.

Big Carl DeRose was truly colossal for the Austin Packers in 1951. His string of consecutive wins is simply magical in the night baseball era of the Southern Minny. His 17 wins were 65% of the 26 total Packer wins during the regular season. In fact, the combined record of all Packer pitchers not named Carl DeRose was 9 wins and 11 losses. Without Big Carl’s perfect winning streak the Austin Packers may not have even made the Southern Minny Playoffs that season let alone the finals of the state AA championship for the third straight year.

---

[1] “DeRose Notches Ninth Straight Before 2,656,” Winona Republican-Herald, June 20, 1951, 16.

[2] “Winona Remains Game From 4^th,” Winona Daily News, August 1, 1951, 12.

[3] Mason City Globe-Gazette, Sept. 8, 1950, 17.

[4] “To Austin,” Carroll Daily Times-Herald, Sept. 11, 1950, 3.

[5] “Spencer Wins Iowa State Playoffs,” Mason City Globe-Gazette, Sept. 9, 1950, 11.

[6] “Defending Champion Austin Packers Set for 3^rd Title Effort,” Austin Daily Herald, April 26, 1951.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Gary Joseph Cieradkowski, “Carl DeRose:  Absolutely Perfect,” https://studiogaryc.com/2019/01/17/carl-derose-absolutely-perfect/

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] “Pitches Perfect Game with Sore Arm,” Daily Times (Davenport, IA), June 27, 1947, 31.

[15] https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=derose001car

[16] “Spencer’s Champions Again May Have a Strong Team,” Mason City Globe-Gazette, June 8, 1950, 20; “Iowa State Loop Pennant Race Underway in Earnest,” Estherville Daily New, June 9, 1950, 6.

[17] Brad Wilson, “Sports Parade,” Des Moines Register, August 21, 1950, 12.

[18] Mason City Globe-Gazette, June 14, 1950, 21.

[19] “Estherville Mauled in State Loop Game,” Sioux City Journal, June 14, 1950, 17.

[20] “Blanchard’s Bat Proves Difference, Carroll Wins; Spencer Plays Here Tonight,” Carroll Daily Times, July 6, 1950, 3.

[21] “Fifth Inning Explosion is Good for 10 Hits, 8 Runs,” Carroll Daily Times Herald, July 7, 1950, 11.

[22] Carroll Daily Times Herald, July 26, 1950, 3.

[23] “Spencer Cardinals Battle Carroll at Home Friday,” Ruthven Free Press, August 9, 1950, 4.

[24] “Locals Stave Off Enemy in 8^th and 9^th,” Estherville Daily News, August 19, 1950, 3.

[25] “Spencer Obliterates Schaller Nine, 18-1,” Sioux City Journal, August 26, 1950, 8.

[26] “Spencer’s In; DeRose Hurls 2 to 0 Shutout,” Carroll Daily Times, September 2, 1950, 3.

[27] “Packers Whip Mankato,” Austin Daily Herald, May 7, 1951.

[28] “Packers Rap Faribault, 22-5,” Austin Daily Herald, May 13, 1951, 10.

[29] “DeRose Scatters 5 Blows as Packers Rout Fairmont, 10-0,” Austin Daily Herald, May 19, 1951.

[30] “Late Rally Wins for Packers, 4-3,” Austin Daily Herald, May 23, 1951.

[31] “Harpuder, Gilmore Homer in 6-2 Win, Austin Daily Herald, May 28, 1951.

[32] “Packers Win 2 S-M League Contests,” Austin Daily Herald, May 31, 1951.

[33] “Seltz’s Homer Beats Winona,” Austin Daily Herald, Jun 4, 1951, 4.

[34] “Packers Defeat Rochester, 5-2, Behind DeRose,” Austin Daily Herald, June 8, 1951.

[35] “Gilmore and DeRose Pace 5-3 Victory,” Austin Daily Herald, June 11, 1951.

[36] “Austin Tightens Hold on S-M Lead,” Austin Daily Herald, June 15, 1951.

[37] “DeRose Bumps Chiefs 5-3 for 9^th in a Row,” Austin Daily Herald, June 20, 1951.

[38] “Packers Defeat Waseca, 4-3, Austin Daily Herald, June 25, 1951.

[39] “One-Hitter by DeRose,” Austin Daily Herald, June 29, 1951.

[40][40] “Packers Fail in Two League Starts,” Austin Daily Herald, July 3, 1951, 10.

[41] “Collect 21 Hits for 17-4 Edge,” Austin Daily Herald, July 9, 1951.

[42] “First Win for Chiefs over Austin Since ’49,” Austin Daily Herald, July 11, 1951.

[43] “DeRose, Campeau, Lindgren and Gilmore on East Team,” Austin Daily Herald, July 14, 1951.

[44] “Gilmore and Campeau Spark Batting Attack,” Austin Daily Herald, July 16, 1951.

[45] “Riedesel, Faribault Rap Austin, 7-1,” Austin Daily Herald, July 18, 1951.

[46] “DeRose Blanks Winona Chiefs, 2-0,” Austin Daily Herald, July 23, 1951.

[47] “Waseca Nips Austin in 13 Innings,” Austin Daily Herald, July 27, 1951.

[48] “DeRose Handcuffs Winona, 9 to 1,” Austin Daily Herald, August 1, 1951.

[49] “DeRose Sparks Packer Victory,” Austin Daily Herald, August 6, 1951.

[50] “Austin Gains on Aces in Flag Chase,” Austin Daily Herald, August 10, 1951.

[51] “Packers Take Lead in S-M Playoff,” Austin Daily Herald, August 24, 1951, 8.

[52] “Faribault, Austin in Final Playoffs,” Austin Daily Herald, August 30, 1951.

[53] “Carl DeRose Stops Springfield, 2-1,” Austin Daily Herald, September 8, 1951, 5.

[54] “Austin Drops 7-6 Test to Marshall,” Austin Daily Herald, September 11, 1951.

[55] “Packers Spill Litchfield, 4-2 Behind DeRose,” Austin Daily Herald, September 18, 1951.

Bill “Moose” Skowron – Austin’s Adopted Son – Arrives on June 17, 1950

Tom Koeck announced that William (Moose) Skowron had decided to join the Austin Packers for the summer in the May 24, 1950 edition of the Austin Daily Herald  .[1] Skowron was hitting an even .600 for the Purdue Boilermakers at the time. It turns out that Austin wasn’t the only team and town counting on Skowron to appear for them as The Lakes entry in the Iowa States League also announced that Skowron would be a new member of the combined Wall Lake / Lake View team.[2]

That same day the Austin Daily Herald noted that Skowron had the Western conference batting title in sight as the Boilermakers finished their season against Ohio State.[3] Skowron was originally expected to arrive by June 11^th. On June 8^th, however, the Austin Daily Herald announced the Bill Skowron would join the Packers on June 18^th.[4]

He was needed as the Packers were mired in fifth place (in an 8 team League) with four wins against five losses.[5] By the time Skowron arrived, the Packers had fallen into sixth place after losses to Mankato, Waseca and Owatonna. The one bright spot was an extra inning win over Faribault[6] but the 1950 Austin Packers had already lost more regular season games before June 18^th than the 1949 Packers team lost during the entire Southern Minny season.

Moose arrived in Austin on June 17^th to be ready for the important rivally game with Albert Lea on June 18^th. In fact, both he and fellow newcomer Roman Bartkowski arrived in time for the game but the weatherman had other plans as their debuts were pushed back to June 20^th against Faribault.[7] Even with reinforcement in hand, the Packers dropped two more games to drop them to 7^th place.

A sign of things to come for Southern Minny baseball fans occurred on June 25^th. The Packer bats pounded Owatonna in to submission scoring 27 runs. Skowron contributed on defense handling eight chances at third.[8] The Packers offense followed up with 20 hits against Albert Lea the following Tuesday.[9]  Jack LaVelle homered in the follow up game against Albert Lea for Austin’s third win in a row. Skowron batted sixth in a lineup filled with dangerous hitters.[10] The streak reached five games when the Packers chased Waseca ace Lefty Kraupa with Skowrun hitting third between Red Lindgren and Harry Elliot in the lineup.[11]

Skowron and Harry Elliot shared top billing as the Packers set back the Albert Lea Packers 12 to 11 in 11 innings. Skowron plated the winning run with a double to the left field wall. [12] The winning streak eventually reached nine games before Gread “Lefty” McKinnis of the Rochester Royals was able to shut down the potent Austin offense.[13] Because of the winning streak the Packers climbed out of the celler to within a ½ game of first place.

Despite the set back to the Royals, Moose was starting to warm up. He had a triple among his two hits against Owatonna.[14] He put the Packers on his back against Faribault twice tying the game with his three hits while plating four of Austin’s six runs. His hits included a three run home run in the seventh and a run scoring single in the ninth. [15]

He travelled to Chicago for a two day try out for the New York Yankees on July 28^th and 29^th. The tryout was arranged by Yankee scout Joe McDermott and Packer manager Emil Scheid. Arrangements were made to ensure that Moose would be back in time for the next league game with good reason. At the time Moose was hitting .324 with five doubles, two triples and two home runs.[16]

Moose and the Packer offense continued their torrid hitting pace. The Austin Daily Herald featured Skowron as a “Homerun King” in a rare action photograph for that era following a three home run game against the Rochester Royals.[17]  All three home run cleared the left field fence with room to spare.[18]

Bill “Moose” Skowron – Homerun King feat. in Austin Daily Herald, August 16, 1950

As the sun set on the regular season, the Austin Packers had risen from the cellar to share the regular season title with Waseca with 21 wins a piece.[19] During the regular season Moose played in 23 games and posted a .343 average. He was one of seven Packer regulars to hit over .300 during the season[20] with the Rochester Post Bulletin referring to the team as the “Hormel Howitzers” for their hitting prowess.[21]

In the Southern Minny postseason, Moose did his part smashing two home runs in a game against Albert Lea.[22] He signed a contract to join the New York Yankees on Sunday and helped eliminate the Royals from the finals with a four hits in four attempts that included a triple.[23]

The path to a second consecutive state championship looked rosy when Roman Bartkowski no hit the St. Paul Nickel Joints to open the tournament for the Packers.[24] A 3-2 loss to Litchfield in the second round changed that picture quickly. In order to claim the title in the double elimination tournament they would need five victories without a loss and it turned out they would need five victories in two days.

The Parkers started out well beating Fairfax 5-0 and followed up with wins over Marshall and Litchfield later that same day. The Packers kept winning but they were using up their pitching staff. They beat Fergus Falls in the early game behind a tie breaking home run by Skowron but ran out of steam in their fifth game in two days to finish the season as runners-up in the state tournament.[25]

Despite running out of pitchers in a state tournament grind the featured five games in two days, the Austin Packers made an incredible turn around from their early season start that found them mired in or near the League cellar. That turn around coincided with the additions of Moose and Roman Bartkowski to the Packers’ roster which makes sense as Moose’s ability to hit for high average and power made it that much more difficult for a pitcher to face the Packers’ potent lineup of Howitzers. It certainly didn’t hurt that Moose also fielded the critical “hot corner” position well keeping the Packers defense in many games.

Skowron’s 1950 Packers team is also uniquely connected to Austin and Marcusen Memorial Park. The 1949 team was truly dominant losing only 7 games the entire season but capacity at Marcusen was limited as the field opened without the grandstand in place. The 1950 team had the benefit of having the grandstand in place for at last a part of the season allowing 3-5,000 people to attend the games and see Austin’s many adopted sons batter the competition with Austin’s “A” on their chest.

In 1957 Moose was a guest of Emil Scheid at a baseball kickoff party for the newest franchise in the Southern Minny – the Mason City Braves. When asked about his greatest thrill in baseball he understandably said “hitting a grand slam homer in last fall’s World Series against Brooklyn.”[26] If you asked many Austin baseball fans from the early 1950’s that question, their answer may well be seeing Moose Skowron playing for Austin with an “A” on his chest.

What seems unique about the relationship between Austin and Moose Skowron is that he carried the connection to Austin forward as well. He passed through many other cities playing baseball on his way to to Yankee Stadium yet he remained in contact with many people here in Austin and spent part of his offseasons in the Austin during the 1950’s.[27]

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[1] Tom Koeck, “In the Press Box,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, May 24, 1950.

[2] “Lakes Team is Ready for Opener,” Odebolt (IA) Chronicle, June 1, 1950, 11.

[3] “Purdue Shortstop Eyes Bat Record; Joins Austin Soon,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 1, 1950, 10.

[4] “Bill Skowron, Big Ten Batting Champ, Joins Austin June 18,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 8, 1950, 10.

[5] “Hitters Food Pitchers in League Games,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 9, 1950.

[6] “Packers Win 7-6, in 13 Frames,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 16, 1950, 7.

[7] “Packers Club Meets Lakers Here Tuesday,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 19, 1950, 8.

[8] “Packers Throttle Owatonna, 27-4,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 26, 1950, 8.

[9] “Packers Blast 2 Pitchers for 20 Base Raps,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 28, 1950.

[10] “LaVelle’s Homer Beats Albert Lea,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, June 30, 1950.

[11] “Bartkowski Tames Waseca, 10-2,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, July 5, 1950, 9.

[12] “Close Call, but Packers Win, 12-11,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, July 7, 1950.

[13] “Rochester Stops Packers, 8 to 6,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, July 17, 1950.

[14] Tom Koeck, ”Stumps Owatonna Team with 3 Hits,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, July 21, 1950.

[15] “Skowron Paces 6-5 Austin Win Over Faribault,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, July 24, 1950.

[16] “Packer Star Joins Yanks for Workout,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, July 28, 1950.

[17] Austin (MN) Daily Herald, August 16, 1950.

[18] Tom Koeck, “Skowron and Elliot Pace Homer Parade,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, August 16, 1950.

[19] “Packer Clubs Fails to Hold Waseca; Tie for S-M Title,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, August 18, 1950.

[20] “Lindgren and Elliot Lead Packer Attack,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, August 23, 1950.

[21] “Rochester Defeated, 6-3, in First Playoff Tilt,” Rochester (MN) Post Bulletin, September 1, 1950, 12.

[22] “5 Homeruns Give Austin Series Edge,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, August 28, 1950.

[23] “Sweep Royal Series with 13-11 Victory,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, September 5, 1950.

[24] “No-Hit Game by Bartkowski Nothing New,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, September 11, 1950.

[25] “Red Sox Turn Back Austin in Finals, 3-0,” Austin (MN) Daily Herald, September 18, 1950.

[26] “Skowron, Scheid, Jones Make Baseball Kickoff a Real Party,” Mason City (IA) Globe Gazette, January 22, 1956, 11.

[27] “Skowron, Scheid, Jones Make Baseball Kickoff a Real Party,” Mason City (IA) Globe-Gazette, January 22, 1957, 11.