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In
Rapid
City
,
a group of interested businessmen applied for the city's admission into
the Western League in 1956. The application was turned down and the
businessmen formed Black Hills Sports, Inc., a non-profit organization
devoted to the promotion of amateur and semi-professional athletics in
the
Black
Hills
area.
Black Hills Sports, Inc., filed for admission
into the Basin League and organizers were informed
Rapid
City
would receive consideration when one of the founding teams dropped out
of the league. Within months, the Chamberlain Chiefs withdrew and in
January 1957,
Rapid
City
was admitted.
Organizers such as Floyd Fitzgerald were faced
with two challenges in 1957. Within five months, a baseball team had to
be compiled and a field developed. An ad was placed in the 'Sporting
News' and applications from 200 players were received.
Former
Basin
League all-star catcher Guy Wellman, who played in the circuit in 1953
and 1954 and managed the Mitchell Kernels in the 1955 season, was tabbed
as coach.
Developing a ballpark was a bigger challenge.
Black Hills Sports received permission to build a stadium on city
property at
Sioux
Park
.
Al Steinmetz chaired the Sioux Park Stadium Association and a fund drive
produced $35,000. Combined with generous donations of time, equipment
and materials from the business community, Sioux Park Stadium was
completed by the spring of 1957.
Heading
north
As the 1961 season approached, the league was
in danger of folding. The circuit went from eight teams in 1957 to six
teams in the 1960 season. When Mitchell ended its eight-year association
in late 1960, the Basin League faced an uncertain future with only five
teams.
Steinmetz approached Hallock and Sturgis
officials about the possibility of a northern hills team. Hallock says
Steinmetz was skeptical that Sturgis could field a team in time for the
1961 season.
"Al told me that Sturgis is a little town
and thought that perhaps the northern hills could have a team, perhaps
playing five games in Spearfish, five in Lead, five in Sturgis and so
forth. I said to heck with that, we're not a northern hills team. He
didn't think we could have a ball park ready in time and we showed him
we could."
Hallock credits the work of Clarence Glover
and Jim Dickson, two developers, and the Titan Missile crews from
Ellsworth Air Force Base for helping to get the Titan Field ready for
the 1961 season.
The Titan Field became known as Strong Field
in 1967, dedicated to the memory and work of contractor Bob Strong.
Strong's son Dean, now owner of Belle Fourche Livestock Exchange, came
home on military furlough to help in the field's construction.
"We didn't have the money to go and scout
talent," recalls Lloyd Keszler of Sturgis. "I took over for
Bob Regan in player procurement. Fitzgerald would go to
Arizona
for spring training and watch teams and talk to players. We'd get on the
phone to college coaches at
Michigan
State
,
University
of
Georgia
and several other colleges to see what we could get."
Keszler
says it took the Titans a season to realize they were asking college
coaches the wrong questions. "That first year, we took coaches at
their word on their own kids," said Keszler. "We stopped doing
that after one year. All I'd get was a rosy picture."
Hallock credits the work of
Pierre
's
Gordon Stout for keeping
Pierre
in the Basin League for all 21 seasons. "Gordon deserves a lot of
the credit for the success of the Basin League and especially the
Pierre
team," said Hallock. "He was in it from the inception. He was
not only a devout fan, he helped the team financially, with hard work
and support in every way."
Vern McKee, Pat Morrison and Parker Knox of
Pierre also helped promote the Cowboys and served on the Basin League
board of directors. R.M. 'Bus' Walseth of Pierre served as long-time
commissioner of the league.
As the league entered its final season in
1973,
Pierre
officials turned duties of general manager of the Cowboys to a young,
impressionable radio broadcaster, Jim Thompson.
"Someone called me and indicated they
needed somebody to run the team," recalls Thompson, who followed
the Basin League as a fan in Sturgis then went to Pierre to begin his
broadcasting career after a stint in the Army.
Movers and shakers
In Rapid City, Steinmetz served as president
of Black Hills Sports, Inc., from 1956-60 and was followed by Cal
Ackerman in 1961, Bill Baumgartner in 1962, Milo Brekhus in 1963 and
Neil Simpson in 1964.
Fitzgerald then took over the reigns of the
organization in 1965 and continued until the league folded in 1973.
"There
were a lot of good men involved," remembers attorney Tom Foye, who
spent several years on the board of Black Hills Sports, Inc. "Al
Steinmetz, Cal Ackerman, Floyd Fitzgerald, Neil Simpson and others, they
were all successful business people dedicated to the Chiefs, dedicated
to the Basin League and dedicated to baseball.
"They were incredibly busy people but as
the saying goes, if you want to get something done, give it to a busy
person."
Sioux Park Stadium now bears Fitzgerald's name
as a tribute to his Basin League work and work with sports in the
Rapid
City
community.
"Floyd was a good leader, able to keep
things together and a good organizer," said Jan Laitos, who served
on the Black Hills Sports, Inc., board with Fitzgerald. "He was all
for the young people. He went all out."
Retired
Rapid
City
attorney Homer Kandaras, another board member, agreed.
"He was a paint salesman and he loved
baseball," said Kandaras. "The Fitzgeralds were all athletic.
Floyd was passionate about baseball, the Rapid City Chiefs and the Basin
League."
Kandaras and Fitzgerald were teammates on a
successful
Rapid
City
amateur league team in 1950. Floyd and his four brothers were part of
the team. Hallock says that every team from Wall to the Homestake Gold
Mine team in Lead had a Fitzgerald playing on it for many years.
Team support for the Chiefs was garnered
within the community and fan bases were developed in the southern hills
and Ellsworth Air Force Base.
"People from Ellsworth used to play in
the Basin League and they enjoyed coming to the games and supporting the
Rapid
City
team," said Laitos, who spent four years at Ellsworth Air Force
Base before retiring in 1970.
"Back in the 1950's especially, it was
the 'thing' to do," said Foye. "If you weren't seen at the
Ball
Park
,
then you weren't in the right place. Back then, the Basin League was the
only major thing going on in the summer. People came out to the
Ball
Park
."
The same held true in Sturgis. "We had
big crowds," said Hallock, recalling the Titans attracted Gov.
Archie Gubbrud and over 4,000 people to the team's first game in 1961.
He noted the work of Bernie Eveleth of
Union
Center
for building support in rural areas, indicating people came from 150
miles to see the Titans.
"We had a ton of people from
Union
Center
who would come in for the games and support was great in the rural
areas," added Keszler.
Special promotions
Special promotions such as watermelon night
and military appreciation night helped promote interest. Other
promotions included cow-milking contests and exhibition contests
featuring Basin Leaguers, residents and business sponsors between
double-headers.
Early Chiefs programs contained ad sponsors
from long-departed businesses such as the Harney Hotel, Zesto Drive Inn
and Lehr Drug as well as mainstays still going strong after 50 years
such as Black Hills Power and Light, Rosenbaum's Signs, Pete Lien &
Sons, Wall Drug,
Reptile
Gardens
and Rapid City Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Many of the yearly programs
featured the artistic work of long-time Rapid City Journal sports
cartoonist Vern Anthony.
The greatest benefactors of the Basin League
were the youth of the two communities.
"One of the things the Basin League did
was develop our kids baseball program," said Kandaras. "There
was no children's baseball leagues in the 1940's. We didn't have a field
for kids to play on."
That all changed as the league developed and
received more support from the communities. Young people were attracted
to the players and businesses helped sponsor clinics.
Retired
South
Dakota
highway patrol official Terry Mayes recalls the impact the Basin League
had on the state's youth.
"Growing up in
Pierre
,
we lived about two blocks from the stadium. From the age of six or
seven, I can recall going to see the Cowboys play," recalls Mayes.
"My dad loved baseball. It was a big event to go to Basin League
games and, back in the 1950's, it was great to see players who were
either actively playing professional ball or coaching as well as some
great college players."
Catch 22
Keszler says the Basin League's impact on
development of youth baseball programs was very positive but did produce
one drawback.
"Ultimately it hurt us," said
Keszler. "Parents and families would be over watching their kids
play baseball until dark and they were unable to get to the Basin League
games some nights. We were trying to build a kids baseball program and
ended up hurting our own attendance."
Keszler says players got approximately $500
for the summer and the pay was for 'odd jobs' the players did in the
communities. Many of them worked for the city recreation departments
cleaning up parks, swimming pools and baseball fields.
Bob Apodaca and Gary Morgan fondly remember
their 'summer jobs' while playing in the Basin League.
"I really had a horseshoe over my
head," said Apodaca, who played with the Chamberlain Mallards in
the 1969 and 1970 seasons and who spent 30 of 33 professional seasons in
the New York Mets organization. He is now the pitching coach for the
Colorado Rockies. "I was recreation director in Chamberlain for two
years. I played tennis in the morning, took a coffee break, then played
softball. It was the best job I ever had."
Morgan, who played with the Chiefs and
Mobridge Lakers in the early 1970's, agreed.
"Our job was cleaning up the ball park
after the game," said Morgan, who now manages the
Eden
Prairie
(
Minn.
)
American Legion baseball program. "We'd sleep in, go to the park
and work, or get up, head up into the Hills or go up the river and float
down. What a life!"
Keszler said the Basin League even impacted
players whose career in baseball wouldn't go far. He remembers getting
contacted by the FBI about former Titan Pat Sullivan. He went on to
become an agent with the Secret
Service
protecting presidents.
For many years, the Basin League was touted as
the best summer college league in the country. Rivals included the Cape
Cod League and a circuit in
Alaska
.
Hallock says the Basin League was preferred
over the Cape Cod League by major league scouts, who made numerous trips
to
South
Dakota
each summer to review talent.
"The major league teams and the scouts
loved the Basin League," said Hallock, who attended numerous major
league meetings. "The majors loved
South
Dakota
because their scouts could get off a plane, rent a car, go into the ball
parks and watch the daily conduct of the guys. They couldn't do that in
the heavily populated areas. The benefit of the Basin League to the pros
was not finding the stars and heroes, but weeding out the
liabilities."
As the Basin League entered the 1970's,
support for the circuit began to wane. Major League teams put more
emphasis on the player draft and more resources were devoted to
development of players through the farm system.
Some blame the NCAA for placing restrictions
on the league and players. "They were the ones that killed
us," Keszler said of the NCAA. "They were the ones that closed
it down. They'd come up here and say you can't pay as much as the Cape
Cod League because of the standard of living was different.
"They wanted us to have a commissioner.
So we got a commissioner. They wanted more and more and finally we
couldn't live up to what all they wanted and demanded."
Cost of equipment and travel also took its
toll on teams.
"The cost to travel became much higher
with gas prices taking a considerable leap," said Mayes. "And
the cost of bats was extremely high. A bat cost $20 which was extremely
high back in those days and against a great breaking-ball pitcher, you
could go through a few bats each game."
By the 1973 season, the league was down to
Rapid
City
,
Sturgis,
Pierre
and Chamberlain.
Part
2: Hills players filled Basin League lineups
Series
by Darrell Shoemaker,
Journal
Sports
Writer
RAPID
CITY
-- Tucked away among the few tattered
yearbooks and scorecards that remain from the Basin League years and
amid the stories of players who would become stars in the professional
ranks, are a handful of listings and profiles of local baseball players
who made the rosters of teams in the league.
Over
a half-dozen local players played with the Rapid City Chiefs during the
team's run in the Basin League from 1957 to 1973. These players included
Dick Wiegand, Don Quayle, Clyde Millslagle, Warren Young, Lee Shepherd,
Bill Ewing and Steve Mousel. In addition, Gary Grove, who grew up in
Lead and went to college at
Northern
State
was a member of the Sturgis Titans.
"I didn't play all that much and I didn't
play all that well," recalls Millslagle, who performed with the
1968 Chiefs team and played a dozen games with the Sturgis Titans in the
1967 campaign. "I came away feeling that I had played in a league
where they brought in the best kids from places like Florida, Arizona
and California and realized that 'hey, I can play with these
guys.'"
Shepherd, Mousel and
Ewing
were members of the Chiefs' final squad in
1973.
Shepherd says he was contacted by Floyd
Fitzgerald, long-time president of Black Hills Sports, Inc.
"Floyd contacted me and he and my dad
were good friends," recalls Shepherd. "My dad had kept him up
to date on how well I was doing in college."
Shepherd was playing baseball for
Yankton
College
at the time and looked forward to the
opportunity to play in the Basin League.
"It was an experience just to meet other
college kids," said Shepherd. "Little Yankton had 350 kids in
it. It was fun to play with other college athletes and they came in here
with great skills."
Hometown flavor
Mousel also grew up watching the Basin League
in
Rapid City
. He was having a standout year on the mound
for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits when Chiefs manager Jim Jones
contacted him about his interest to play in the Basin League.
"I think the league was starting to fade
and I think they were wanting to add some home-town flavor," said
Mousel. "I had grown up with the Basin League in the 1960's, going
to games with my dad who was a big fan.
Mousel says he suffered from an arm injury
midway through the 1973 Basin League season.
"I was lucky if I was .500 in my
pitching," he said. "The competition was very good. I got to
rub elbows with some great players.
"They had a class about them. You knew
some of them would make it to the next step."
Ewing
was another player contacted by Chiefs'
manager Jim Jones. As a college freshman, he was a little younger than
his teammates.
"I had a real poor start the first
half," recalled
Ewing
. "I wasn't used to that caliber of
pitching. But about half-way through, I picked it up and had a lot more
fun."
Ewing
, who like Mousel and Shepherd grew up
supporting the Chiefs and watching big Frank Howard, says the Basin
League experience helped his individual career.
"Playing at the
University
of
Wyoming
, I think it helped a lot," said
Ewing
. "I came back after that season in the
Basin League and hit .396.
"It was an honor to be on the Chiefs
team. It taught me a lot and prepared me for Division One schools and to
see good pitching. After playing in the Basin League, I don't think I
saw a good pitcher after that in college."
Ewing
played three years of minor league baseball
in the California Angels organization, reaching the Triple-A level
before an injury ended his dreams. He did continue to run into Basin
League teammates and opponents during his travels.
Shepherd, who remembers having a good season
with the Chiefs in 1973, said he recalls the thrills of attending
clinics and getting autographs from Chiefs players growing up and then
giving autographs to young fans when he wore the Chiefs uniform.
"I remember as a kid going to the
clinics. It was a big thing to meet the players," said Shepherd.
"They were like all-stars to us. I
remember trying to get my hands on a foul ball. Everyone wanted to get a
foul ball and keep it.
"And I remember as a player signing
autographs for kids. It was awesome. It was a chance to give something
back to what (the Chiefs) had gave me."
Mousel says his Basin League experience helped
him extract some revenge from a former coach.
"The year before I played in the Basin
League, I was in the Illinois League and I didn't do so well,"
recalls Mousel. "My coach wanted to know what kind of baseball we
played in
South Dakota
.
"After my year with the Chiefs, in 1974,
SDSU wins the NCC and fate can be kind. We ended up going to
Missouri
and playing in the regional championship
against that coach. We beat his team 17-4 and I got to show him what
South Dakota
baseball is all about."
Heading home early
Millslagle said that he only played a dozen
games for the Titans in 1967 and that many Basin Leaguers returned home
early to play in amateur leagues.
"If you stayed with the team, then you
couldn't play in the amateur baseball tournaments," said Millslagle,
a long-time teacher and coach in the
Rapid City
School District
who now teaches at Oelrichs.
"That's the way it was with a lot of the
kids. They went back to their home state early.
"It was a very positive experience in the
Basin League. The town of
Rapid City
, it's such a great baseball town. I remember
going to Chiefs games and the stadium would be packed with 5-6,000
people."
Millslagle says there's a reason most Basin
Leaguers had positive experiences.
"It's a tribute to
South Dakota
. We're a friendly state and we truly love
baseball," said Millslagle. "
South Dakota
is a baseball state. They loved the Basin
League. It's sad that we don't have it anymore."
Other area players
Other players from the Black Hills that played
for Basin League teams included Carroll Hardy of Sturgis. Hardy played
for the Pierre Cowboys in 1953 in the Basin League and would become a
rare two-sport athlete, playing professional football and baseball in
the 1950's. Hardy is best remembered as the only player to ever
pinch-hit for Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Williams had fouled a pitch
off his foot and the 'Splended Splinter' was unable to continue the
plate appearance and Hardy was given the pinch-hit appearance.
Dick Wiegand played the 1957 and 1958 seasons
for the Chiefs, compiling an impressive 14-7 overall record as a
pitcher, including a win in the Chiefs franchise home opener, a 12-7
victory over Valentine. He also pitched the Chiefs to the Basin League
pennant that year, defeating Valentine in two post-season meetings.
Wiegand had graduated from
Kearney
State
Teachers College
in
Nebraska
in 1958. He played for
Pueblo
of the Western League and was in the Los
Angeles Dodgers farm system prior to playing with the Chiefs. He held
the Chiefs' record for most wins in a season (9) until Dave Gourieux'
10-win total in 1968.
Don Quayle holds the record for playing nine
Basin League seasons. A former kicker and baseball standout at
Michigan
State
, Quayle became a home town favorite and a
Basin League regular. He taught at
Rapid City
High School
and by the late 1960's had obtained his
doctorate and was serving as athletic director at Riverton (
Wyo.
) Community College. He set marks for most
games played, most RBIs, most runs and home runs for the Chiefs.
Quayle played for the Pierre Cowboys before
joining the Chiefs. He also managed the Sturgis Titans. Quayle was one
of five Chiefs posting .300-plus batting averages in the 1957 season.
Warren Young played for the Chiefs in 1969. A
native of
North Dakota
, Young played for Rapid City American Legion
Post 22 in the 1968 summer. He was a catcher and outfielder for the
Chiefs in the 1969 campaign.
Car accident
As the Sturgis Titans were getting established
in the Basin League, fortunes took a turn when a car accident on a road
trip to
Pierre
resulted in a handful of injuries to the
players.
The Titans called on the talents of local men
to fill out the roster for a brief period of time. These local men
included long-time grocery store owner Nick Hobernicht and Jim Cooley,
among others.
Gary Grove played two seasons for the Sturgis
Titans. The native of Lead played college baseball at
Northern
State
and worked at Homestake Gold Mine while
pitching for the Titans in the 1972 and 1973 seasons.
BASIN LEAGUE'S MAJOR
LEAGUERS
* RAPID CITY CHIEFS (29): Joe Moock (Expos,
Mets), Chet Bergalowski (Braves), Charlie Shoemaker (A's), Tom Belcher
(Mets), Bart Shirley (Dodgers), Dave Baldwin (Senators, Brewers), Nick
Willhite (Dodgers, Senators, Angels), Jim Fairey (Dodgers, Expos), Dick
Billings (Senators, Rangers), Frank Howard (Dodgers, Senators, Rangers),
Jim McAndrew (Mets), Jim
Johnson (Giants), Rich Hacker (Expos), Danny
Thompson (Twins), Gary Neibauer (Braves), Stan Bahnsen (Yankees, White
Sox), Steve Renko (Mets, Expos), Dennis Musgraves (Mets), Ted
Bashore (Braves), Rick Kester (Braves), Gary Holman (Senators), Lou
Camilli (Indians), Kal Segrist (Yankees, Orioles), Gary Moore (Dodgers),
Bill Bethea (Twins), Gary Wheelock (Angels, Mariners), Sam Ewing (White
Sox, Blue Jays), Pat Osburn (Reds, Brewers), Joe Lutz (St. Louis
Browns).
* STURGIS TITANS (25): Frank Baker (Yankees),
Luke Walker (Pirates), Jimy Williams (Cardinals, Expos, manager with Red
Sox, Astros), Dick Selma (Mets, Padres, Cubs, Phillies), Dick Joyce
(A's), Ted Sizemore (Cardinals), Dave Campbell (Tigers, Padres),
Bob Reed
(Tigers), Stu Locklin (Indians), Jim French
(Senators),
John
Sevcik (Twins), Shaun Fitzmaurice (Mets), Rob
Snow (Red Sox), Bob Wiswell (Braves), Larry Bearnarth (Mets, coach with
Rockies), Nick Leyva (coach with Blue Jays), Gary Allenson (Red Sox),
Dan Quisenberry (Royals), Willie Norwood (Twins), Mike Proly (White
Sox), Gene Ammann ((Brewers), Bob Baird (Senators), Glenn Redman
(Giants), Rusty Gerhardt (Padres), Ben Hines (Dodgers)
* PIERRE COWBOYS (24): Sammy Ellis (Reds,
Angels, White Sox), Del Unser (Senators, Indians), Bill Dillman
(Orioles, Cards, Expos), Cecil Robison (Red Sox), Bill Scripture
(Orioles), Ken Tatum (Angels, Red Sox), Woody Woodward (Braves, Reds),
Jim Howarth (Giants), Tom Brown (Senators), Dave Lemards (White Sox),
Ken Sjotkiewicz (Tigers), Joe Bosworth (A's),
John
Lowenstein (Indians),
John
Herrenstein (Tigers, Braves, Phillies), Steve
Boros (Tigers, Reds), Bill Roman (Tigers),
John
Demerit (Braves),
John
Edwards (Reds, Cards, Astros), Carroll Hardy
(Indians, Red Sox, Colts, Twins), Bob Castiglione (Braves, Twins), Graig
Anderson (Cards, Mets), Mike Caldwell (Padres), Matt Galante (coach with
Astros, Mets), Mike Cubbage (Rangers, coach with Red Sox)
* WINNER PHEASANTS (15): Jim Palmer (Orioles),
Mickey Van De Hey (White Sox), Ed Spiezio (Cards, Padres), Merv
Rettenmund (Orioles), Pat Locanto (Royals), Pete Craig (Senators), Bill
Faul (Tigers, Cubs), Carl Morton (Expos), Dick Bertell (Cubs, Giants),
Bobby Floyd (Orioles, Royals), Jim Lonborg (Red Sox, White Sox),
John
Noreiga (Reds), Dick Seminoff (Indians), Gary
Gentry (Mets), Jim Burton (Red Sox).
* WATERTOWN LAKE SOX (10): Dick Howser (A's,
Indians, Yankees, manager with Royals), Howie Bedell (Braves), Purnal
Goldy (Tigers), Dick Radatz (Red Sox, Tigers, Expos, Indians, Cubs),
Bill Davis (Indians, Padres), Kermit Wahl (Reds, A's), Eddie Watt
(Orioles), Don Wallace (Angels), Ronald Cox (Cards, Pirates), Cal Emery
(Phillies).
* VALENTINE HEARTS (9): Lou Marone (Pirates),
Paul Splittorf (Royals), Chuck Dobson (A's), Alan Closter (Yankees), Joe
Keough (Royals), Bill Zepp (Twins, Tigers), Scott Reid (Phillies), Duffy
Dyer (Mets), Ken Suarez (A's, Indians, Rangers)
* MITCHELL KERNELS (6): Dick Green (A's), Jim
O'Toole (Reds, White Sox), Dave Giusti (Pirates, Cards, Astros), Eddie
Fisher (Orioles, Angels, 3 others), Doug Clemons (Cubs, Phillies), Don
Schwall (Red Sox, Braves, Pirates).
* HURON JIMS (4): Fritz Fisher (Tigers), Mike
Joyce (White Sox, Mets), Jerry Adair (Orioles, White Sox), Frank
Kreutzer (Senators).
*
SIOUX FALLS
PACKERS (4): Don Sutton (Dodgers),
Clyde
Wright (Angels), Alan Schmelz (Mets), Jon
Warden (Royals)
* CHAMBERLAIN MALLARDS (2):
John
Stearns (Mets), Bob Apodaca (Mets).
* MOBRIDGE LAKERS (2): Gene Hiser (Cubs), Ron
Cash (Tigers)
* CHAMBERLAIN CHIEFS (1): Bob Gibson
(Cardinals).
* YANKTON TERRYS (1): Ed Hobaugh (Senators)
* HURON ELKS (1): Bobby Klaus (Mets)
BASIN LEAGUE'S TOP
PERFORMERS
* World Series winners: Jim Palmer (Winner),
Eddie Watt (
Watertown
) and Merv Rettenmund (Winner) helped
Baltimore
to the World Series title in 1970. Luke
Walker (Sturgis) and Dave Giusti (Mitchell) were members of the
Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the 1971 World Series, defeating Palmer
and his former Basin League teammates in seven games.
Bob Gibson (Chamberlain Chiefs) was the MVP of
the 1964 and 1967 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Gibson won
three games in the 1967 classic against the Red Sox and Jim Longborg
(Winner). Lonborg won two games in the series but Gibson defeated
Lonborg in the deciding final game.
Frank Howard (
Rapid City
) helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the
1963 title.
Dick Green (Mitchell), a long-time
Rapid City
businessman, was a standout second baseman on
the Oakland Athletics clubs that won three consecutive World Series
titles in the 1970s. Other World Series winners with Basin League ties
included Dan Quisenberry (Sturgis/KC Royals 1985),
John
Lowenstein (Pierre/Orioles 1983) and Del
Unser (Pierre/Phillies 1980).
* Hall of Fame enshrinees: The Basin League
produced three Hall of Famers in Palmer (Winner Pheasants, Baltimore
Orioles), Bob Gibson (Chamberlain Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals) and Don
Sutton (Sioux Falls Packers, Los Angeles Dodgers). All three were World
Series champions with their respective clubs.
* MVP: Gibson won MVP honors in 1968 for the
St. Louis Cardinals, with a 22-9 record and 1.12 ERA.
* Cy Young winners: Jim Lonborg (Valentine)
won the Cy Young award for the
AL
in 1967 with a 22-9 record and 3.16 ERA. Jim
Palmer (Winner) won Cy Young awards in 1973 (22-9, 2.40 ERA), 1975
(23-11, 2.09 ERA) and 1976 (22-13, 2.51 ERA). Bob Gibson won the 1970 NL
Cy Young award (23-7, 3.12 ERA).
* Rookie of the Year: Stan Bahnsen spent only
a week in a Rapid City Chiefs uniform in 1965. He signed with the
Yankees and was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1968,
posting a 17-12 mark and 2.05 ERA for the Yankees that season. Don
Schwall (Mitchell) was the American League Rookie of the Year for the
Red Sox in 1961 (15-7, 3.22 ERA) and Ted Sizemore (Sturgis) took
National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1969 as a member of the Los
Angeles Dodgers (.271 average).
* All-Star performers: Several Basin League
players performed in the midsummer classic, including Dick Howser ('61,
Watertown), Jerry Adair ('61, Huron), Jim Palmer (Winner, '70-72, 75,
77, 78, Orioles), Jim Lonborg (Winner, '67, Red Sox), Dave Giusti
(Mitchell, '73, Pirates), Don Schwall (Mitchell, '61, Red Sox), Eddie
Fisher (Mitchell, '65, White Sox), Don Sutton (Sioux Falls, '72, 73, 75,
77, Dodgers), Frank Howard (Rapid City, '68-71, Senators), Dan
Quisenberry (Sturgis, '82-84, Royals), Bob Gibson (Chamberlain Chiefs,
'62, 65-70, 72, Cards),
John
Edwards (Pierre, '63-65, Reds).
Others included Jim O'Toole (Chamberlain
Chiefs, '63, Reds) and
John
Stearns (Chamberlain Mallards, '77, 79, 80,
82, Mets). The 1977 classic pitted former Basin Leaguers Sutton against
Palmer with Sutton picking up the win and Palmer the loss in a 7-5 win
by the National League. Howard homered in the 1969 contest.
* Managers/coaches: The Basin League produced
several future major league managers, including Dick Howser (
Watertown
,
Kansas
City Royals), Jimy Williams (Sturgis, Boston
Red Sox, current Houston Astros skipper) and Matt Galante (Pierre,
Houston
). Coaches included long-time Tommy Lasorda
assistant Ron Perranoski (Watertown, Dodgers), Larry Bearnarth (Sturgis,
Colorado Rockies), Nick Leyva (Sturgis, Toronto Blue Jays), Bob Apodaca
(Chamberlain, N.Y. Mets, currently with Rockies),
John
Stearns (Chamberlain, N.Y. Mets), Frank
Howard (Rapid City, N.Y. Mets), Merv Rettenmund (Winner, Atlanta), Mike
Cubbage (Pierre, currently with Boston), and Galante (currently with
Mets), Ben Hines (Sturgis/L.A. Dodgers).
* Famous pinch-hitter: Carroll Hardy, a native
of Sturgis, played for
Pierre
in the Basin League in 1953. He would become
a two-sport professional athlete, playing in the NFL and major league
baseball at the same time. Hardy is remembered for being the only player
to pinch-hit for the "Splendid Splinter" Ted Williams, after
Williams fouled a pitch off his foot and was unable to complete the
appearance.
* Hard-luck award: Jim Burton (Winner) played
two seasons with the Boston Red Sox and is remembered for giving up the
winning hit to the Red's Joe Morgan in the 1975 World Series.
* Homer Howard: Most anyone with a
recollection to the 1950's and the Basin League recalls the hard-hitting
prowess of big Frank Howard of the Rapid City Chiefs. Howard would enjoy
a 17-year career with the Dodgers, Senators, Tigers and Rangers and hit
382 home runs in his career to go with 1,119 RBIs. His 44 dingers in
1968 won him the major league home run title that season.
* Stars in other sports: Phil Jackson, who
pitched for the Mobridge Lakers in 1966, went on to a great career with
the champion New York Knicks of the NBA and as a world champion coach
with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers; Carroll Hardy (Pierre) in
the NFL, Tom Brown (Pierre) who won fame as a defensive halfback for the
champion Green Bay Packers, Pat Richter (Watertown) who had a great
career with the Washington Redskins, and Don Alley (Rapid City) who
played with the Baltimore Colts.
Bobby Bryant (Pierre) was 6-2 with the Cowboys
before becoming a long-time regular in the defensive backfield with the
Minnesota Vikings and Jay Arnette (Rapid City), who hit .317 for the
Chiefs in 1959 and .320 with them in 1960, was a member of the USA
Olympic basketball team in 1960. He played in the NBA with the
Cincinnati Royals.
Final
part:
Opportunity
knocked; not everyone answered
Series
by Darrell Shoemaker,
Journal
Sports
Writer
RAPID
CITY
-- The Basin League operated for 21 seasons
and impacted the careers, for better or worse, of hundreds of athletes.
Over 130 athletes with Basin League credentials either played with or
coached major league teams.
Many
players utilized the experience of the Basin League to polish skills and
talents to ultimately climb the professional ladder to the majors. Some
players advanced through the farm system only to come up short of
reaching their dreams. And some athletes' careers would end on Basin
League diamonds, never knowing what it was like to play in 'The Big
Show.'
The Journal talked with several players, some
with major league credentials, about their Basin League experiences,
including three former players from the summer league whose paths took
different turns.
For Rapid City's Dick Green, who grew up in
Yankton in the 1950's and played with the Mitchell Kernels of the Basin
League in 1959, the summer circuit was a stepping stone to future World
Series greatness with the Oakland Athletics.
Tommy Cason spent three seasons with the
Sturgis Titans. The
Georgia
product polished his baseball talents and his
golf skills while playing in the
Key
City
. He would ultimately grace the same minor
league outfield as Jim Rice and Fred Lynn before injuries forced his
career to end.
Gary Grove, who grew up in Lead and worked at
Homestake Gold Mine while playing two seasons for the Titans in the
Basin League, would have two opportunities to bring his life-long dream
of playing pro baseball to reality. He played it safe and allowed both
opportunities to slide by.
Dick Green
"I did all right," Dick Green
recalls of his 1959 season with the Mitchell Kernels. His season was
spent mainly at shortstop. "I was really raw. I made a few errors
and I didn't hit very well, as I recall."
Green received a call from Kernels manager Joe
Lutz, who had managed the Chiefs in the 1958 season.
"He called me and wanted me to try out
for Mitchell," said Green. "So I tried out and provided a
little home-town flavor."
Green was a standout second baseman for the
Oakland
A's, but he spent most of his career growing
up, in the Basin League and the minor leagues playing shortstop and
third base.
"It wasn't until my last year in the
minors that I was moved to second base," said Green.
Green said his Basin League experiences, both
as a fan and player, impacted his career.
"I think it did. It was an eye-opener for
me," said Green. "I always went to the games growing up in
Yankton. I'd go see the Yankton Terrys play.
"I went to high school in Mitchell and
followed the Kernels. So when I played in 1959, I played in front of the
home-town fans, which was kind of neat."
Green would unite with Basin League opponent
Chuck Dobson on the successful A's teams and would play against several
former Basin League teammates and opponents.
Green says he recalls coming out to
Rapid City
and playing the Chiefs. "They had great
teams but I also remember the guy behind the visitor's dugout, Dr.
Spain
. I'm not sure what kind of doctor he was, but
he was a heckler. He'd heckle us all game long, especially Joe Lutz, our
manager who had also managed the Chiefs.
"After the games, I remember Joe going
over and talking with him and Floyd Fitzgerald."
Green said he enjoyed his Basin League
experiences.
"I was very fortunate and lucky to have
played in the Basin League," said Green. "When I played, teams
got to put up to three major leaguers on their teams. I remember getting
to watch some great players growing up and playing against some great
players.
"I remember Frank Howard and Dayton Todd
and others. It was a great experience."
Tom Cason
Tom Cason was a
standout
Basin
League player for the Sturgis Titans and was
one of the few players to play for three seasons, 1968-70.
"I was a small player," recalls
Cason, now a golf pro in
Georgia
. "I was 5-feet-9 and 160 pounds so I had
to prove myself that I was a good enough player.
"The Basin League was the league to play
in during the summer time."
Cason was a student at
South Georgia
Junior College
when he was drafted by the Kansas City
Royals. He talked with his coach who recommended the Basin League.
"I grew up in
Brunswick
,
Ga.
And I'd never been to
South Dakota
, but I was glad I did," said Cason.
"It was a fun experience."
Cason said the Basin League competition was
top-notch.
"Everyone out there was considered a
professional prospect," said Cason. "The caliber of baseball
was very good and I learned how to travel and play a lot of games.
"We'd go to Winner and to
Pierre
and we'd play five, six even seven games a
week."
In the little off time he did have, Cason and
other Basin League players were expected to work in the community. Many
players worked with the recreation departments in their host cities.
"We'd work on the ball field, work in the
parks program," recalls Cason. "It certainly was not
hard."
Cason also found time to play golf, enjoying
time on the
Boulder
Canyon
golf course. The hobby would turn into a
career choice after injuries sidelined his baseball career.
"I spent four years in the Red Sox minor
league system," said Cason. "At one time, I was in the same
outfield as Jim Rice and Fred Lynn. That experience helped me become a
golf pro."
It was a knee injury with the Winston-Salem
Red Sox that would shorten his baseball career.
Cason said the Titans were a close-knit group
and players forged friendships with host families.
"With the club, we got to know each other
real well," said Cason. "And the host families, they were
great to be with and they were fans of yours. It was like you were a
member of their family."
He remembers staying with Madge Jorgenson, who
operated a beauty shop on
Lazelle Street
. He also remembers staying with Gene Hammond
and that many players stayed at an old convent.
Cason remembers playing against the likes of
Bill and
John
Stearns and Bob Apodaca at Chamberlain and
Jim Burton at Winner, all future major league stars. He says Sam Ewing
of the Rapid City Chiefs, "was the best hitter I ever saw."
And Cason remembered the young fans.
"I'll never forget the kids at those
Basin League games. I'd go out early and socialize with them," said
Cason. "I'd play catch with them. I have a lot of fond memories of
the fans and the Basin League."
Cason also remembers the generosity of Sturgis
supporters. He recalls Virgil Britton allowing him to use golf clubs to
play at Boulder Canyon Country Club and when Cason was named most
valuable player, his trophy was lost in transport back home. LaVerne
Mitchell, local bank president, made sure the MVP trophy was replaced.
Cason is now a golf pro at
Jekyll Island
,
Ga.
Gary
Grove
Gary Grove couldn't pack much more into his
days as a member of the Sturgis Titans in 1971 and 1972. The Lead native
was working at Homestake Gold Mine to pay for his college at
Northern State College
in
Aberdeen
.
"I worked in the mine every summer to
earn money for college," recalled Grove. "I worked an
eight-hour shift in the mine, five days a week.
"I'd come up from the depths of the mine,
hit the top, shower and head home and grab a sandwich. I'd then zoom
down to Sturgis to play ball."
Grove says the Homestake Mining Company was
very supportive of his playing ball.
"They were good to me to give me time off
to play road games in Pierre, Mobridge and Chamberlain," Grove
said. "It was their role in helping with the community support for
the league."
Grove says playing in the Basin League proved
challenging.
"My first summer playing was really
tough. I found myself having to bear down every time," said Grove.
"The hitting was good, the pitching was good and there was a high
caliber of players in the league.
"The second year, I had to do the same
thing. The pitchers were there to pitch, the batters were there to bat.
The schedule was a challenge and there were times we'd go for a
doubleheader in Chamberlain on a Friday night and then play a third game
on Saturday.
"But I didn't mind it at all."
Grove grew up watching the Titans and
remembers scrounging for foul balls. He also remembers the youngsters as
a player.
"One neat memory at Sturgis were the
several little kids who would want my autograph," he said.
"Today, you see players who do not take the time but I always
thought that was a big part of it and they looked upon us as big players
and role models, so I didn't hesitate and gave them an autograph."
Grove would play two seasons with the Titans,
then embarked on a teaching career.
Grove looks back on his Basin League
experience fondly and recalls two opportunities that came knocking that
almost landed him into the major leagues.
The first opportunity came at the suggestion
of Titans coach Ben Hines.
"I was playing during my sophomore and
junior years in college," said Grove. "I was asked to go to
California
to coach Ben's club. He offered to give me a
scholarship to play out there.
"It was overwhelming. But I was satisfied
where I was and had friends established at
Northern
State
. I just didn't really know what could
happen."
Hines was a successful college and Basin
League coach and would spend several years coaching in the Los Angeles
Dodgers organization. Grove wonders what might have been had he accepted
Hines' invitation.
Grove would get a second opportunity to climb
the ladder to stardom, years after his experiences with the Basin
League. His old Lead high school coach, Jim Phillips, had kept tabs on
Grove, who was playing amateur baseball in
East River
and had just signed a teaching contract with
the
Salem
School District
"I went up to a tryout camp in Mitchell,
I walked in and they asked me if I was Gary Grove. I said 'yes' and they
told me I didn't have to try out," recalled Grove.
"They told me 'we've been watching you
throughout your career'. They called me on a Friday evening and told me
I had 36 hours to report, that there was a plane ticket waiting for me
in
Sioux Falls
and they'd ship me right to the Big
Show."
Grove said the Reds were looking for a middle
reliever and liked Grove's confidence with the curve ball and his
ability to get strikeouts. Like he did years earlier, Grove played it
safe and passed on the offer.
"I had already signed a teaching contract
and they told me that if I got down there and the Reds find somebody
younger with my pitch, they'd go with them," says Grove.
"I was overwhelmed. I was coming from a
small town and after going to a small college and competing in the SDIC,
you didn't find many athletes playing pro ball with the exception of
Dave Collins at that time.. I was on my own, I didn't have anybody to
guide me. There were no agents back then."
So Grove turned the Reds down. "I never
did it. I turned it down and I still regret it," he says.
Grove doesn't regret his Basin League days.
"I always appreciated the Basin League.
It was a big part of my life for two years," said Grove. "To
have the Basin League on your credentials was an asset."
Grove has been officiating basketball games
for 27 years and is a regular around the
Black Hills
during boys and girls basketball season. He
taught for a dozen years, including 10 in
South Dakota
. Since 1984 he has worked for Pope and
Talbot, Inc.
Other recollections
* Larry Bearnarth (Sturgis Titans, New York
Mets player, former coach with Colorado Rockies)
"Those were some of the best years in my
life. That was the time that I realized that baseball was what I wanted
to be in.
"When I was there it was the first year
for Sturgis in the Basin League (1961). We were a bunch of kids away
from home for a couple of months and the people welcomed us with open
arms. They were special people."
* Dave Campbell (Sturgis Titans, Tigers,
Padres, Cardinals, Astros, now ESPN baseball analyst)
"I remember the old Basin League. There
were a lot of good players in the league, Jim Palmer for one. When he
pitched, the sun set behind the outfield fence. We didn't see the ball
for the first three or four innings.
"Jimy Williams (former Red Sox and
current Astros manager) was our shortstop. I roomed with Bobby Braeger
and we had twins on our team,
John
and Jim Sevcik (Minnesota Twins). They were a
lot of fun. My parents came out that summer and we did the tourist
thing. I remember
Mount Rushmore
and the Hills very well.
"It was a fun summer and I had a pretty
good year. I had so few good years, so the good ones like my time in the
Basin League do stand out."
* Nick Leyva (Sturgis Titans; former manager,
Philadelphia Phillies; former coach with World Series champion Toronto
Blue Jays)
"I enjoyed it there. It was the first
time I was away from home. You learned a lot and you grew up a lot . It
was a great experience. I remember I led the league in home runs that
year and matched the number of Frank Howard. Anytime you're put in the
same category as big Frank Howard, that's really something.
"I remember we couldn't get paid unless
we worked. We worked for Parks and Recreation, picking up trash, mowing
fields. We had to find a job and find a place to live. We met a lot of
friendly people. I remember going to Deadwood and
Mt.
Rushmore
. It was a beautiful place and a great
experience."
* Bob Apodaca (Chamberlain Mallards, New York
Mets player, former coach with Mets now pitching coach for Colorado
Rockies)
"I came from Los Angeles and I was
experiencing small towns for the first time in my life. It was fun.
People were friendly, had wholesome values, it was a great experience.
It was the best competition I had experienced. It really prepared me for
my senior year in school and for professional baseball.
"Those were great years I spent in
Chamberlain. I was on the same team as the Stearns brothers,
John
and Bill. I faced college all-Americans and
it got me used to playing a professional schedule of games.
"I stayed with a wonderful family. They
fed you, gave you the keys to their car. There were a lot of wholesome
values. I'm not saying that as teenagers we didn't get into our share of
mischief, but life in the small town and the friendliness and the
terrific people really had an impact on me.
"We all traveled by car. So we were close
and kind of a tight group. It was really a fun time and contributed to
me making it and having the success I did in college and then in minor
league baseball and eventually in my professional years.
"It taught me so much. Like how to live
on your own, how to manage a budget and how to play so many games in a
season. Those were great years."
* Gary Morgan (Rapid City Chiefs, Mobridge
Lakers, minor league player, now American Legion coach in Eden Prairie,
Minn.)
"My best memories as a player was in
Rapid City
. I'm not just blowing smoke. I loved playing
in
Rapid City
. It's a great baseball town. At that time,
the Basin League was considered the second best league in the country to
play in.
Anchorage
had the best league and the Cape Cod League
was third.
Cape Cod
is now the best league to play in during the
summer.
"There was a lot of community support
from all over the towns in the league, but especially so in
Rapid City
. It was a very, very competitive league.
There were a lot of professional ball players and Major Leaguers to come
out of the Basin League. We had
John
Stearns, Mike Cubbage, Mike Caldwell and
others when I played. I either played with them or against them.
"It was a rewarding experience. I'm 54
years old and a smile comes to my face just thinking about that summer
in
Rapid City
. I wouldn't trade that time for
anything."
BASIN LEAGUE SPECIAL
MEMORIES
Some of the league's more colorful stories as
told by former players and organizers:
* TORNADO SPADE: Steve Mousel pitched for the
Rapid City Chiefs in 1973. Together with Lee Shepherd and Bill Ewing,
they brought a definite local flavor to the Chiefs team that season.
Mousel recalls a trip to
Pierre
on Highway 14 as players became concerned
about a tornado that could be seen in the distance.
"We see this tornado on the north side of
the road. We had guys from
California
and
Texas
with us. They wondered what they were
supposed to do if the tornado got closer. I told them, 'I only hope
these rental cars have a tornado spade in the trunk.' I told them that
everyone in
South Dakota
has a tornado spade in their trunk."
"They asked what you do with a tornado
spade. I told them we'd have to pull over, get the spade out of the
trunk, dig and then lie down in the ditch. I told them they were
specially-made shovels that dig deep and fast. To this day, I think
there are guys in
California
and
Texas
who believe in tornado spades!"
* CLOSE CALL : Shepherd recalls a near-serious
accident on a team trip to Chamberlain. "We had a rental and on our
way to Chamberlain we had a flat tire," he recalled. "We all
jumped out and fixed it, then 10 miles out of Chamberlain we rolled the
car. Luckily nobody got hurt although the coach (manager Jim Jones) did
need stitches. I remember I caught that game against Chamberlain and got
a double and the coach was in the hospital."
Recalls Mousel of the accident,
"Everybody was rolling around at 70 miles per hour. All I remember
is I looked up and saw Shepherd's big rear end in my face. I told
somebody to open the door in a hurry because I didn't want to be staring
at Shepherd's big rear end."
* HOMER HOWARD: The lasting memories of Basin
League action for Homer Kandaras, who served on the Chiefs' board of
directors, involved big Frank Howard.
"When I was in the Army in
Japan
in 1956, Frank Howard came out with an
Ohio
baseball team and he was the biggest guy I'd
ever seen. The next year, he comes out and played here in
Rapid City
.
"He hit a ball so hard, he hit it over
the high light poles. I mean it, he hit it over the lights.
And he could hit grounders so fast that a
fielder couldn't get there in time. He was a great hitter."
* CUT THE BAIT: Dick Green grew up in Yankton
watching the Basin League and then played in the circuit in 1959 with
the Mitchell Kernels. He recalls a late-night trip with teammates.
"I remember Dave Clemons, myself and Dave Giusti, a right-handed
pitcher, after a night game, going back to our place. I remember putting
together some real stinky stuff that we would use for catfish bait. We
went to the River that night, caught catfish, got home about day break
and got ready to play another game."
* SCOREKEEPER'S CALL:
John
Quinn, son of long-time Chiefs and Basin
League director Jim Quinn, recalls the day in 1962 when he had a hand in
the Chiefs' first no-hitter, fired by
John
Ozbun.
"I was working part-time at the Journal
then and the Journal correspondent at the game was always the official
scorer," Quinn recalls. "In the seventh inning, I realize that
our pitcher was hurling a no-hit game. In the eighth, the batter hits a
low line drive and our fielder lunges at it. Henry Baker the announcer
looks over at me and says 'what's the call'. I said 'it's an error
because it hit the glove'. The pitcher ended with our first no-hitter.
Baker told me I may want to leave the park quickly in case the hitter
came looking for me.
* ANOTHER INFLUENTIAL CALL : Long-time radio
broadcaster Jim Thompson admits he was young and impressionable when he
took over general manager duties of the Pierre Cowboys in 1973. Near the
end of the season, the Cowboys second baseman Frank Judge needed one hit
to tie
John
Stearns record for consecutive games with a
hit.
"We're playing
Rapid City
and the last time up, our guy hits it to
second base and the ball went by the fielder. I called it an error and
the streak was over.
"After the game, the second baseman for
Rapid City
tells me, 'I think he deserves a hit.' He
told me that the ball hit some grass and took an odd bounce away. The
fielder came up to me and he had nothing to gain, so I changed it to a
hit."
Thompson says the
Pierre
hitter didn't get the chance to break the
record because the team refused to play without pay the final game at
Chamberlain. The Chiefs' Keith Bridges broke Stearns' mark in the Basin
League's final game.
* CHECK THE UNIFORM: Thompson recalls the
final season that a
Pierre
lady had a box of old uniforms worn by the
Cowboys. Thompson said he went through the uniforms, which he hoped to
resell to obtain funds to keep the team operating in
Pierre
.
"The last uniform in the box had the name
'Indians' across the front. Apparently these were Cleveland Indians
jerseys that the club had sent down years before for the Cowboys to
wear. On the back of this uniform was the name 'Hegan.' It was the
uniform worn by Jim Hegan who caught every one of Bob Feller's
no-hitters."
Thompson sold the other uniforms and kept the
biggest collectible in the box.
* STICKS AND STONES: Morris Hallock, long-time
Basin League supporter who helped get the Sturgis Titans franchise
operating, recalls the time they had problems finding a coach and then
when they got one, couldn't wait to get rid of him.
"Sturgis needed a manager, so we ended up
calling the Cape Cod League," recalls Hallock. "They told us
there was a guy in
Maine
. They said they didn't know him but he had
good credentials. And the Red Sox endorsed him. The guy comes in to
Sturgis and he's insufferable. He goes to the Rotary Club and sounds
off. He hates the community, he hates the Basin League and the players.
So we called a meeting and the board decided to terminate the contract.
I brought the guy in and told him he was fired. Of course, I had to go
back to the same Rotary Club and ask the armchair admirals and ask them
'who wants to manage the Titans?'"
* TAKE THE KEYS: Tom Cason played three
seasons for the Sturgis Titans (1969-71) and remembers what happened to
a car they bought.
"I remember when Ron Ellis, who played
with Rapid City and Sturgis for a couple of years, Jim Timmons and
myself, we bought a car, a used 1956 Buick. We ended up with two flats
at the same time. We went to get some help and when we got back, someone
had pushed the car down a ravine. We ended up giving the keys to a state
patrolman and I told him, 'If you want it, you can have it.'"
* RUB OUT THE KINKS: Lloyd Keszler, a former
Titans official, recalls when manager Tom Petroff counseled pitcher
Robin Flake, who was having problems adjusting between college and Basin
League action.
"He was something like 14-0 or 14-1 in
college," Keszler said of the pitcher. "He comes out here and
gets pounded. He's then scared to pitch and comes up with a sore arm.
Petrof said he could fix that.
"He told him to start rubbing his
fingers, then go up the arm and go to work on the shoulders and over the
neck. He then had him go down his legs and the foot. Petrof told his
pitcher that the problem was now out of his foot and not in his
head."
Basin
League series like a 'Field of Dreams' stroll
Column
by Darrell Shoemaker,
Journal
Sports
Writer
RAPID
CITY
-- Paging through old programs, conducting
interviews and doing research for the three-part series on the Basin
League that ran earlier this week was truly a 'Field of Dreams'
experience.
As
organizers, players and fans recalled favorite memories of the summer
circuit that operated for 21 seasons, predominantly in
South
Dakota
,
I found myself fondly recalling my own special childhood memories of the
Basin League.
Growing up in Sturgis, I was a big fan of the
League and especially the Titans. Like many kids, I waited along the
third base line to get an autograph and prayed I could get my hands on a
foul ball. I remember my dad playing in an old-timers exhibition with
the Titans between games of a doubleheader.
I recall sitting at the bank where my mother
worked as players picked up checks for their summer odd-jobs. An
autographed deposit slip of Jim Liukkonen resides along a page of
autographed signatures in a Basin League yearbook.
I remember when Rick Ingalls and Jim Beal of
the Titans came over to our house for dinner. I still can't believe I
asked them to play catch after dinner, and they obliged!
Most of all, I remember going to Titans games
with my dad. Together with my uncle, we'd spend some fun times watching
the games. My dad and uncle spent more time talking with co-workers and
family friends. My uncle captivated me with stories of sneaking in to
old
Comiskey
Park
in
Chicago
to watch his beloved White Sox.
I remember playing catch with my dad in the
street and trying out my best Dan Quisenberry-like submariner, only to
send the offering into Bob Parson's car window. Like "Field of
Dreams," what I wouldn't give to play catch with my dad again.
The Basin League, touted as one of the top
producers of major league talent, began 50 years ago this summer. Most
of the teams were dotted along the
Missouri
River
Basin
,
hence the name Basin League for the circuit.
Rapid
City
joined the league in 1957 and Sturgis in 1961. This is also the 30th
anniversary of the league's final season.
It took about a month to put all of the
information together for the series. It was exciting paging through old
yearbooks and programs and perusing player profiles and statistics, many
of them compiled by the late Jim Quinn. I checked other sources to find
out how well former Basin Leaguers fared in the big leagues.
I listened intently to players and organizers
alike who spun colorful stories, many of them involving big Frank
Howard. Others told tales involving road trips. Some talked about the
Herculean efforts to get ball parks built, finding talent and keeping
fans coming to the games. Dick Green impressed me with his recollections
of his Basin League season in 1959. Gary Grove broke my heart when he
shared that he decided not to open the door when opportunity knocked
from the Reds. Jim Thompson captivated me with his stories of the final
days of the League in
Pierre
.
It was exciting to talk with former players,
many of them who advanced from the Basin League into the major leagues,
and with organizers who helped develop the Rapid City Chiefs and Sturgis
Titans. Like the images of the players emerging from the 'Field of
Dreams' corn stalks, these players and organizers seemed genuinely happy
to share old stories and experiences.
This past week, I've talked with a number of
people who had their own recollections of the League. I'm surprised at
how universally positive and fresh those memories remain in the minds of
players, organizers and fans, some of them who served as host families
to players.
"We had four stay with us over a couple
seasons. They were just real good kids," said Ralph Iverson of
Sturgis. "They were just like the family. And we'd go out and watch
them play.
"A whole bunch of them would come over to
our place. They'd hang out with the family and they were just a real
nice bunch of kids."
When a group of Sturgis and
Rapid
City
organizers got together with former players recently for pictures for
the Journal series, I thought the calendar tipped back 30-plus years.
They started reeling off names of coaches and players, game situations
and statistics. It was evident the Basin League was a big part of their
lives.
I got a few raves when I pulled out my genuine
Sturgis Titans bat for the photos. It's one of two Titans bats I own.
The other one is an old Dan Clark broken-bat special.
Clark
played some minor league ball after his days with the Titans and I got
the bat when I accompanied the team as a bat boy for a road game in
Rapid
City
.
Clark
's
bat, along with some baseballs with faded autographs and programs are
some of my most prized possessions.
I appreciated hearing the colorful stories
from organizers and players about their experiences in the league. The
communities got behind their ball teams and volunteers rolled up their
sleeves and moved tons of earth to build Fitzgerald Stadium and Strong
Field. Donations of equipment and materials were surpassed only by
contributions of time, effort, money and sweat to get and keep the Basin
League alive for 21 seasons.
In compiling recollections from former major
league athletes who played in the Basin League, I was struck by how
easily these stars recalled their days in the summer circuit. They were
young, many away from home for the very first time. Without hesitation,
they recalled the 'odd jobs' they performed and the names of families
they stayed with for the summer. They easily threw out names of former
coaches, teammates and opposing pitchers.
The true testament to the lasting legacy of
the league is not only in how many great superstars the circuit produced
- from Hall of Famers and Cy Young Award winners to all-stars and World
Series champions - but in the impact the League had on development of
youth baseball programs in Rapid City and Sturgis and the wonderful
memories that still linger in the minds of the fans.
From broken bats and faded autographs to
favorite memories of players and times spent with friends and family
watching great baseball, the Basin League provided many great and
wonderful memories for everyone involved.
Happy 50th Anniversary to the Basin League and
to all the players, coaches, organizers, sponsors, volunteers and
supporters who helped make the league thrive for 21 glorious seasons!
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