3. Town Team Baseball - '56-'57

George Dieter's 1955 uniform (author's collection)

In 1956, Lowry's high hopes for back to back Resorter’s League pennants took a blow when star center fielder and team MVP, Georgie Dieter, jumped to the Glenwood nine in the Pomme de Terre league. A star on both offense and defense, the speedy Dieter stole 15 bases in 10 games in 1955, scored 15 times and drove in another 15. A gaping hole in the lineup.  I am pretty sure that the nefarious Lakers enticed him away with a signing bonus, perhaps upwards of 100 bucks.

But astonishingly, the '56 version of the Lowry Leghorns, lineup pretty much unchanged from the '55 squad (less Dieter) not only repeated as Resorter's pennant winners, but went undefeated to boot: 10-0. Jerry Hayenga & John "Jeener" Bosek continued to be a solid 1-2 pitching staff, with Dennis "Donuts" Bosek filling the closer/mop-up role. Stan Brosh moved from the corner outfield to centerfield and from the leadoff slot, his bat ignited. At home against Miltona, Stan registered a 5 hit, 3 homerun, 7 RBI day in the 12-6 win.  However, in the season end Resorter's League playoffs, that same Miltona squad gave Lowry a scare, taking game two 9-8 for Lowry's first league loss, forcing a game three. But Lowry romped 16-4 in the finale.  Lowry then went on to defeat Brandon to advance to the Class B Region 14 tournament in Perham hoping to gain a spot in the State Amateur Tournament to be held in Little Falls.

From the Little Falls transcript: The State Amateur Baseball board "decided to continue the usual practice of charging 75 cents a session for adults and 25 cents for children under 12. A session includes only games played in an afternoon or evening, not the whole day".

Region 14 entries were Lowry, New York Mills, Ashby, Perham, Deer Creek and Detroit Lakes.  Lowry was shutout by Ashby in game 1 but came back in the losers bracket to defeat New York Mills 13-5 but then were eliminated by Detroit Lakes.  Region 14 champ Perham advanced to the State Tourney, won their first 2 games but lost to the eventual State Champion Bemidji which featured 3 high schoolers as starters.

But a thrilling '56 season.  Could they possibly 3-peat?

1957 brought a bit of a youth movement to the Leghorn squad.  Youngsters Davey Troen, Paul Quitney, Roger Hayenga and Chuck Thompson all saw playing time. And lo and behold at the end of the 10 game regular season, Lowry stood 10-0, 3 games ahead of 2nd place Millerville, the third league title in a row and 2nd straight undefeated season.

In midseason, at Millerville, a scary scene. Millerville's fireballing left-hander, Joe Byrne, hit Lowry catcher, left handed hitting Glen Herrlinger,  in the head - no helmets of course. Glen was taken unconscious by ambulance to Alexandria hospital.  I believe he played in the following Sunday's game. (Every lefty I ever faced scared me. None of them seemed to have any idea where the ball was going.)

And an end of season bonus. In a sweet exhibition game before the playoffs, Lowry took a 4-3 11 inning win over the Glenwood Lakers (yes, those Glenwood Lakers) for their 11th straight win. The game was highlighted by a fantastic outfield catch by Glenwood batboy Jimmy Kunz who was forced into into the lineup in right field because only 8 Glenwood players showed up for the mid-week night game.  In the 9th, Jimmy robbed Ben Troen of a sure extra base hit (possibly a homerun, although with Ben's speed, if it didn't clear the fence, a double would be the best case) to send the game into extra innings.

But then in the Resorter's playoffs, shockingly, 4th place Brandon, who finished the season 4-6, ousted Lowry. Millerville then defeated Brandon to claim the Resorter's crown and advance to the regional tournament.

Disappointment. Say it ain't so , Joe.

Previous posts in this series 

Episode 1: The Ballpark

Episode 2: '55 Champs
...

Note: This series of posts is supported by Ray Hayenga's scrapbook which came to me from his son Bruce by way of Dave Chan.  Ray collected every Park Region Echo clipping on the Lowry ball team from 1954 to 1962.  I have digitized this scrapbook.  If you want a look, here's a link:Ray Hayenga's Scrapbook.  Caveat:  It's a large .pdf file. Your browser may not be able to preview it but you should be able download it.

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

Classic Lowry Photos

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

2. Town Team Baseball - '55 Resorters League Champs

'55 Resorters League Champs

Lowry's inaugural 1954 baseball season had been pretty good, finishing 2nd in the Resorter's League with a 7-2  record behind Evansville and losing to them in the playoffs, with one game the wrong end of a 19-0 score.


1955

The '55 club was managed by Dr. Lawrence Wright, a St. Olaf grad who had completed his service in the US Air Force in 1953 and started a dental practice in Lowry. There were high expectations for the season and the boys did not disappoint. The season turned on a marathon 14 inning home win over Miltona just a week after a loss to Brandon. Jerry Hayenga pitched a complete game, facing 55 hitters. He recorded 20 strikeouts. (Apparently, pitch counts were not in vogue in 1955. They didn't keep track of such esoteric statistics then, but 55 hitters must translate to 250 or more pitches.  Ice that arm.) Georgie Dieter hit a 3 run walkoff homer in the bottom of the 14th. Lowry finished the season with a 9-1 record, 1 game better than runner-up Brandon.

Lowry & Brandon had split their 2 games during the season, but Lowry advanced to the double elimination Region 9 Class B tournament with 2 straight playoff wins over Brandon. The tourney, held in Morris, was for the right to advance to state tourney in Chaska. Region 9 teams included: Resorters League (Lowry), Chippewa River (Elbow Lake), Land-o-Ducks (Wheaton); Pomme de Terre (Clontarf) and Corn Belt (Willmar). Because of the number of games in a short period, teams were allowed to "draft" 2 pitchers and a catcher from other teams in their league. Corky Sherrer and Dean Plaster from Brandon and Larry Wilke from Miltona joined the roster for the tournament.

 "Among standouts on Lowry's roster are George Dieter, a hard-hitting outfielder; Al Sell, a smooth fielding 2nd baseman; Jerry Hayenga, pitcher and infielder; and Glen Herrlinger, catcher."

Lowry dropped the first game to Wheaton 10-9 in 12 innings. Wheaton scored 6 runs in innings 7-8-9 with 2 in the 9th to send the game to extra innings. With 2 out in the bottom of the 12th, Wheaton pushed across a run on a misfired pickoff play to take the win. The Wheaton catcher recorded 18 putouts - I suspect almost all would have been strikeouts and Lowry committed 5 errors. What's that adage about pitching and defense? Disappointment awaits.

Lowry battled back in the losers bracket, beating Clontarf 4-1 behind the pitching of Jeener Bosek, but were eliminated by Willmar 6-3 in the evening tilt.

Wheaton won 4 straight Region 9 games, defeating Willmar in the championship game taking them into the State Tournament. However, Wheaton got clobbered by Rollingstone in the 1st round of the state tourney. Cold Spring was the eventual 1955 Class B Minnesota State Champion.

The following April, the Resorters champion Leghorns were feted with a banquet sponsored by their fans and hosted at the Dahl House in Lowry with about 45 attendees. Mayor Chester Bennett lauded the players fine performance in the '55 season, stating "their skill and sportsmanship were an asset to the community."  He then presented the Resorters League championship trophy and the Region 9 sportsmanship trophy to the team.

John "Jeener" Bosek was awarded a medal for the highest league batting average. Gary Boldenow was awarded a medal for the highest batting average in the playoffs. George Dieter was voted MVP with his 15 hits, 15 runs & 15 stolen bases during the regular season.

With the departure of Doc Wright, Al Sell was elected manager; Jerry Hayenga & George Dieter co-captains; Ray Hayenga, secretary-treasurer and Arnie Gunness director along with Ray for the '56 season.

With everyone committed to returning, there were great hopes for a repeat title in '56.

*1955 Lowry Leghorn playoff team photo
(I'm guessing on some of these - indicated by a "?" and some I cannot place the name with the face. Help me out - corrections welcome)

Back Row - left to right
Dr. Lawrence Wright, mgr; Dean Plaster, Brandon pitcher (draftee), Burdell Benson?, Dave Opheim?, Corky Scherrer, Brandon catcher (draftee), Dennis Bosek, Jerry Hayenga, unidentified, Gary Boldenow, Glen Herrlinger, Larry Wilke, Miltona pitcher (draftee)

Front Row - left to right
John "Jeener" Bosek, Georgie Dieter, unidentified, Solie Erlandson?, Al Sell, unidentified, Stan Brosh

Bat Boy - who was that lucky kid? Bruce Hayenga (Jerry's little brother)

Candidates for the "unidentifieds":  Benjie Troen, Frank Bosek, Arnie Gunness ...

Note: This series of posts is supported by Ray Hayenga's scrapbook which came to me from his son Bruce by way of Dave Chan.  Ray collected every Park Region Echo clipping on the Lowry ball team from 1954 to 1962.  I have digitized this scrapbook.  If you want a look, here's a link:Ray Hayenga's Scrapbook.  Caveat:  It's a large .pdf file. Your browser may not be able to preview it but you should be able download it.

Previous posts in this series 
Episode 1: The Ballpark
...

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

6th Extinction

AP photo

In the 1990's famed paleontologist and conservationist, Richard Leakey, warned that the earth was entering its "6th Extinction". To be classified a Mass Extinction - with a capital E - 75% or more of the earth's species must become extinct. Through fossil studies, scientists have identified 5 previous such events in earth's history. Although the term "mass extinction" seems to imply a suddenness, some cataclysmic event, in reality, these events take thousands of years, a long time to you and I but a blink of an eye in the lifetime of a planet. The 1st extinction, about 400 million years ago, has been attributed to the ice age and subsequent sudden melt, eliminating most every living thing except sea sponges and fungi. The four other extinctions are attributed to volcanic activity with the latest enhanced by earth's collision with an object from space. That one did in the dinosaurs. (reference: #1 Discover July 2018 article)

Many scientists now agree with Leakey's assessment.  But .. this time we are doing it to ourselves. Human activity: population growth, resource consumption & climate change spurred by fossil fuel burning are the agents and this time our species may be in jeopardy.  Of course, it is not uncommon for individual species to go extinct. These are tracked and are known as the "background rate".  The current pace of extinction is 100 times the normal background rate.

Because climate change a slow process in human life span terms, it is easy to ignore it or ascribe it to a some anomaly. And your life, dear reader, will probably not be dramatically impacted. Yes, you will see hotter summers, colder winters, more ferocious storms, longer droughts, worse floods, wilder wild fires; hurricanes with the force of a Harvey or Katrina will be the norm. But these things happen somewhere else, so, eh.

But ... how about your grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Start with coastal cities. The ocean is warming. That is a fact. And because of that Antarctica is melting - from below.  If the Antarctic western shelf would melt, it is estimated that ocean levels would rise 10 feet or more.  If Antarctic melted entirely, sea levels would rise 200 feet.  Far fetched?  The temperature was hovering around 90°F degrees at the Arctic Circle in this summer. Antarctica hit 63°F last year. (reference: #5 Guardian article)

Miami

Even a few inches of sea level rise is trouble for coastal areas. Storm surges become significantly worse. Take Miami. It is already experiencing the effects of rising sea levels with storm surges flooding the storm sewers of the city - and, distressingly, contaminating the shallow, porous, 4000 square mile limestone aquifer that supplies the city's fresh water.  Miami is the prime candidate for the first uninhabitable coastal US city.  A 6' rise in ocean level puts it under water. (reference: #3 Bloomberg article)

About 40% of world's population live within 60 miles of a coast,  mainly in large cities, generally at the mouth of a large river. It is estimated that in this century, up to 2 billion people will become climate change refugees, having to abandon their coastal homes. An unignorable refugee crisis. (reference: #4 Science Daily article)

2060: Your grandchildren are approaching your current age. A billion people are on the move, fleeing rising sea levels.  2100: Your great-grandchildren are approaching your current age. Another  billion people have become climate change refugees.

I am distressed and angry with our administration for unilaterally acting in denial of climate change and its danger to the planet. The EPA has blasphemed its middle name. Climate change is the most important issue the world faces today. It is existential. Of course, climate change deniers may be right - it's a cycle. But I don't think so. There is too much empirical evidence. Do we simply write-off overwhelming scientific evidence as irrelevant? The consequences of being wrong does not bear thought.

".. researchers reported in the journal Science. A sweeping survey of global fossil and temperature records from the last 20,000 years suggests that Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems are at risk of another, even faster transformation unless aggressive action is taken against climate" (reference: #7 Star Tribune article)

But I have hope. While the federal government obstructs, states and localities are acting. Despite the federal incentives, the push for coal has no legs, not for environmental reasons but economic. Alternative energy sources have crossed the tipping point and are a cheaper option than coal. Coal's days are numbered.

Individuals will act out of kindness and compassion and concern for others. Enterprises act for profit or public image. Governments react. So I am counting on individual actions and good old entrepreneurial greed to turn the tide. There are fortunes to be made addressing climate change and it would not surprise me to see a new industrial revolution emerging from this crisis.  But there is not a lot of time.

What I truly dread is the cry of my grandchildren and their children echoing across the ether: "Why didn't you do something?"

Do something.

Start here: Citizens Climate Change Lobby

References
1.  "Mass Extinctions"  Discover Magazine July/August 2018
2.  Antarctica ice loss tripled...  Washington Post June 2018
3.  Miami's Other Water Problem Bloomberg August 2018
4.  Climate Change Refugees  Science Daily June 2017
5.  Underwater melting of antarctic far greater ... Guardian April 2018
6.  If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Melts  Discover Magazine June 2017
7.  Climate Change May Render Earth's Ecosystems Unrecognizable Star Tribune August 2018

... and you can find thousands of others

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

1. Town Team Baseball - The Ball Park

GI's in Ebermergen, Germany - 1945

The genesis of the great surge in "town team" baseball in the 1950's were the returning WWII vets. President Roosevelt had asked the major leagues to continue to play a regular schedule throughout the war, even though many of the great stars of the game had enlisted in the war effort. The quality of play was as one sports writer wrote - “the tall men against the fat men at the company picnic.”  But interest in baseball among GI's was high. A common password/countersign was "Who won the World Series last year?" "St. Louis".

All through the war in the European theater, GI's played pickup games in "down time".  And after VE Day in 1945, the U.S. Army decided a good way to keep hundreds of thousands of its soldiers occupied was to set up a massive intramural competition in every sport imaginable. Baseball was the most popular game among the G.I.s, and a large league was formed with teams fielded by most of the divisions.  

This competitive "local" baseball idea was carried home and in Minnesota in 1946, the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association was formed and by 1950, with teams filled with WWII vets, Minnesota had 103 town team leagues and 799 teams. Ponder this ... Minnesota has 853 incorporated cities. The leagues were divided into classes AA, A, B generally based on the size of the city.  AA  & A teams usually had a couple hired players. Bud Grant claims he made more money playing town team ball than playing professional basketball with the Minneapolis Lakers. With the arrival of the Twins in 1961, the number of teams dwindled to 299 teams - consolidation but no less fervor. The State Amateur Tournament now has 3 classes and takes place during the 2 weeks before Labor Day to large crowds.

Lowry came a bit late to the table. The Lowry ball club formed in 1954, petitioning to join the Resorter’s League, then comprised of teams from Holmes City, Brandon, Evansville, Millerville & Miltona. (The Farwell guys played for Lowry or Kensington, depending on their drinking habits.)  If you know those town names, you well know the Resorter's was a Class B league. The first field manager was Doc Wright, the local dentist. When Doc moved away, 2nd baseman Al Sell took over a player-manager role. The first game (May 11, 1954) was in Millerville with Lowry coming out on top 14-6.  Jerry Hayenga pitched a complete game with Burdell Benson behind the plate. Millerville committed 13 errors. (Uffda. They needed a diligent infield rock picker. See next paragraph)

The village constructed a field on the southwest edge of town on land donated by I.M. Engebretson. The infield was dirt and every dragging turned up about a million rocks, which I believe yours truly picked 500,000. The outfield sloped so dramatically toward right field that only the upper torso of the right fielder could be seen from home plate. The outfield fence was a "snow fence".  There was a scoreboard in dead center with hang-up numbers like Fenway, but I don't remember who the keeper was. The backstop was so close to home plate it was impossible to score from third on a passed ball. There were no "city services" so your nature break got you an outhouse experience. Ray Hayenga hauled 2 cream cans of water from the creamery for the teams - with a single dipper for each. Leo Dahl manned a concession stand with candy bars & sodas. My dad dragged the infield with a stone boat-like sled pulled behind his pickup and weighted down with concrete blocks. It wasn't Yankee Stadium but it was a glorious place.

There was a small bleachers directly behind home plate, but most people pulled their cars right up to the fence and sat on the hood or pulled out their lawn chairs. Some sat in the driver's seat so they could honk the horn for the home runs - only for the home team of course. Invariably, someone went home with a fresh dent in the hood - and occasionally a smashed windshield from a foul ball. Foul balls were treasure for kids. Uncle Dave Nelson handed out a nickel for each foul ball retrieved - or home run. A nickel represented 5 baseball cards and 5 pieces of bubble gum. I had to rely on quickness to get my nickels. If there was a scrum, Big Time would toss me aside like a rag doll. Gordy was the batboy and I was envious. Myrtel Benesh was the official scorekeeper.

Every summer Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM - enough time to get to church, grab some dinner & still get to 1:00 batting practice - the sound "Play Ball" could be heard all across Minnesota.




Note: This series of posts is supported by Ray Hayenga's scrapbook which came to me from his son Bruce by way of Dave Chan.  Ray collected every Park Region Echo clipping on the Lowry ball team from 1954 to 1962.  I have digitized this scrapbook.  If you want a look, here's a link: Ray Hayenga's Scrapbook.  Caveat:  It's a large .pdf file. Your browser may not be able to preview it but you should be able download it.

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

Serendipity

Three years ago I wrote a series of posts about my wife's aunt (Othelia's story) army nurse WWII experiences, from Fort Snelling to North Africa, Italy, France, Germany & Dachau.  It's not in your million hits category, but it is among the most read of my writings.

Fast forward 3 years and a phone call from Bavaria. Wolfgang.  He had seen the posts on the 95th Evac Hospital odyssey and discovered Oat's photo of GI's playing baseball - included in the last post in the series.  Remarkably, he printed the photo, walked to the edge of his village on the banks of the Wörnitz River, held up the photo against the horizon and verified it was Ebermergen, taken in 1945.  (95th  Evac unit records show a hospital setup in Ebermergen in late April, 1945)  The clincher were the power lines in the photo,  still in place today. So he tracked me down and phoned me with the story, hoping for more background on the 95th.

This all came about because Wolfgang's local history club is writing a history of Ebermergen and from stories he has collected from the few remaining elders who remember 1945, he knew that Oat's unit, the 95th Evac Hospital, was stationed in Ebermergen for a few weeks at the close of the war and that a number of the nurses were deployed to Dachau for a time.  Searching for "95th + Ebermergen", he discovered Distant Innocence. Voila, the power of Google for good. (I have subscribed for a copy of this book.)

So here you have the first offering of my planned town ball series - completely serendipitous. This Ebermagen Field was certainly one of thousands GI's platted in pastures across Germany after VE Day. These same GI's returned home and replicated these primitive ball fields in towns all over the country, launching the golden age of town team baseball.

GI baseball. Ebermergen , May 1945

See also: Serendipity Chapter 2  a surprise from Ebermergen

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

Champion Leghorns

I know you were expecting an article on Sig Rykhus' chickens, but no ...

Recently "Big Time" sent me a scrapbook with every Park Region Echo newspaper clipping referencing the Lowry baseball team from 1954 through 1962. It was sent to him by "Tubba" whose father (Ray Hayenga) was the compiler.  What a treasure. 

I offer you here a teaser - photos of the 1955 & 1960 league champion Lowry Leghorn teams. Lowry oldtimers will remember these names. And there is a distant ten-year-old baseball fanatic that confesses to hero-worship of these guys. I even had my own miniature Lowry uniform with the #10 on the back. (If you remember who wore that, you're just as affected as I.)

Based on this scrapbook, I plan to write a history of those great Lowry teams. I know there is but a small niche market for this topic, but you have to write what you love.  Stay tuned.

1955 Resorters League Champs



1960 Pomme de Terre League Champs

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin

13 Virtues

Your image of Ben Franklin may be him flying a kite in a lightning storm with a key on the string. Or perhaps the author of Poor Richard's Almanac. Or perhaps a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Or on that wad of $100's in your wallet.

Franklin lived in that 18th century Age of Enlightenment when it was possible to "know everything". Franklin was author, scientist, philosopher, statesman, diplomat, inventor, civic leader, postmaster, printer, man of the world.

He also lived in a time when rules of gentlemanly conduct were pre-eminent. It was important to men of stature to exhibit good character. Franklin developed a system that he rigorously followed to improve his character based on 13 virtues. He focused on one of the virtues during each week of the year, "leaving all others to their ordinary chance."  Serendipitously, 52 is divisible by 13 so each virtue received special attention 4 times a year.  He admittedly fell short many times but believed the attempt made him a better man and contributed to his happiness. In his autobiography, more ink is devoted to the virtues than any other topic. 

Franklin developed the 13 virtues list when he was 20, and followed this regimen his entire life.

1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

In Franklin's words,  "I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit."

However in this age of rage, I wonder if any of us is capable.

Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin