Baseball, the Flavor of the Week

     Sorry again non-baseball fans. That subject seems to be the favored "flavor of the week" with responses from Riverside and San Diego, CA, and the states of Florida, Washington and Minnesota. Again, as I have mentioned before, we go with the material received. If you have a favorite memory or story, get it submitted and we'll follow your direction.
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     Larry Paulsen of Riverside, CA., BHS-61, sent a great summation of the various Boone baseball progams. He wrote, "I was 12 years old in 1955 and played in the first season of Little League. Those first games were played in McHose Park. I caught a game for the Cubs and John Malcom threw a no-hitter. Cecil Malcom and Mac McGriff were our coaches. Later, the games were played at a diamond north of the swimming pool. That was prior to moving downtown off of 10th street by the grain elevators."
     Larry went on to say that 12 year olds then went on to Babe Ruth at Memorial Park when home plate was closer to Greene Street than Boone Street. In 1959, Larry was 16 and started playing high school baseball. He remembers that about that same time the "new" diamond with "dugouts and all" was built.......with home plate then closer to Boone Street than Greene Street.
     One of the things Larry remembers most about high school ball was that the first uniforms they had were donated by a Boone High alum who worked in the movie industry. Those uniforms were worn by those portraying the St. Louis Cardinal players in the movie, "The Pride of St. Louis." Larry wrote, "those uniforms were wool. Can you imagine playing baseball in an Iowa summer in a wool uniform? We did and we were proud of them."
     Larry also mentioned that there was American Legion baseball in Boone in the 1950's and 60's. He wrote, "I remember that my dad drove players to games around Iowa before I was eligible to play. Many of us, also eventually did play Legion ball and the coach at that time was, guess who, Bill Sapp."
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     John Kueck reported in from Big Kandiyohi Lake in Minnesota, "Don't forget Legion baseball. It preceeded Little League and Babe Ruth. I remember the Barry boys playing and they must have been pretty good since I think they traveled to Philly once to play in a tournament."
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     From Florida, Al Roeder wrote, "Babe Ruth baseball started in the mid-50's because I remember playing on a team in about 1955 or 56. We played at the park at the north end of town. I think Little League started a bit before Babe Ruth. I believe the original Little League park was just north of the railroad tracks and west of the street that went under the viaduct by the implement dealer and little shoe repair shop. Maybe Benton St.?"
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     Ron Hopkins out in Washington state wrote, "I am not a baseball fan......would rather watch a hair cut. But I am confident Boone was into baseball before the 60's. My mother, Rosella, sister Linda and I  moved to Boone in 1954. That year, or no later than the next, there was a very nice Little League field at about 11th and Tama where we spent many summer evenings watching Little League baseball. When our family moved to 1622 Greene in April of 1956, not far from Memorial Park, it seemed that Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball were already well established. I did enjoy fast-pitch softball in McHose Park, particularly the superb pitcher in those years from Boxholm. The memories are great."
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     Tom Peterson said when he turned eight, in July of 1957, he played for the Braves under coach John Morton and had already played in previous years for the minor T-shirt Cubs. He wrote, "So, I was playing when I was six or seven and that was in 1956."
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     Talk about memories. All this baseball talk brings back a ton of them for the old Kornerman. Just a couple quick things that haven't been mentioned. I, and those of my era, actually played Legion ball when we were 13-18 years of age which would have been from 1948 on until the other programs were started. And, repeating that Boone High did have some baseball in the 40's until the program was halted, only to be revived in 1959.
     Who remembers the old Kornerman broadcasting play-by-play on KWBG.......I believe it was the Little League Game of the Week..........at old Jimmy Archer Field? Another Archer Field memory that pops up was when a tournament was being hosted there and I even remember the name........Jim Dunegan of Burlington who later played minor league ball.........hit a huge home run clear across 11th Street, banging against a house. Wow! Don't get me started......memories, memories of those great days.
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     Boone Area Deaths: Virginia Fontanini, 93, Boone............Peggy Golding Lynn, 61, Formerly of Boone. BHS-grad and ISU-grad. Her father, Philip Golding, husband Edward Lynn and three children are among the survivors..............Lyle Wahman, 88, Webster City, formerly of Stratford. Stratford High grad. Worked in Hamilton County and then in New Mexico for the Atomic Energy Commission. Returned to Stratford in 1986.
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     Worldwide Korner Headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments.........
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.