Dugout News

Duane A. SturmBranch Manager114 W. Main StreetClarinda, IA 51632

Telephone: 712-542-6334Toll-Free: 888-554-9601

www.raymondjames.com/duanesturm.com

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We’re Cheering for aHome-Run Season!

Good Luck to theClarinda A’s

We know you have the talent andthe heart, so now we’re wishing

you the luck for a season that hitsit out of the park. Go, team!

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Proud to support the Clarinda A’s

With the 58th consecutive A’s season just aroundthe corner it seems a good time to reflect on where theprogram started and what has contributed to thelongevity of it.

Baseball was a big part of the community beforethe beginning of World War II with a professionalteam playing here in the early 1900’s and someform of town team through the late 30’s. Followingthe war there was a sporadic effort to bring the sportback to the local scene, but it just wasn’t very suc-cessful.

In 1954, John Tedore, the High School footballcoach, introduced baseball at the varsity level as didthe entire Hawkeye 8. The Cardinals won that firstconference championship as well as the Sectional.This created interest again and he and several othersput together a group that would play representingClarinda which were the roots of todays program.Also spurring interest in the sport were the LegionCub and Midget programs with Mernie Hays, BobWerts, Lyle Fann, Laurence Higgins and RalphBond doing much work in that area.

In 1955 the Clarinda Merchants, with the nameof the team coming from the local businessmen whocontributed to buying the equipment and uniformsfor the team, stepped onto the field. Managing theMerchants were Bill Bench and Vernon Woodard.In the first box score lineup in May of 55 (the firstrecorded mention of the team in the Herald-Jour-nal), players were Jerry Jennings, Dean and GeneBently, Ralph Taylor, Norman Discher, Merl Eber-ly, Max Doughety, Ken Warrick and pitcher BillHullinger who threw the entire nine innings for a 9-5 victory over Shenandoah. The initial board of di-rectors formed to promote just baseball were LyleFann, Orval Ridnour, Laurence Higgins, VernHamilton, Bill Bench and Merl Eberly. (See teamwon-loss records elsewhere on this page)

With the town team, the high school and theCub/Midget teams all playing there was a call to im-prove the existing facilities and to add lights – aneditorial in the Herald Journal in 1957 said, “if ap-proved, the lights would probably be used one ortwo nights a week.” - toward the end of the 58 sea-son, the first night games were played. Today, thereare few nights during June and July that the baseballfacility, as well as the added softball and two littleleague fields are not in use.

In 1959, with the formation of the Clarinda Ath-letic Club, the team’s name was changed to the Ath-letics and later shortened to the A’s. They had par-ticipated in the IaMo League and the InterstateLeague from 55-60. Ed Briggs coached the team in1960 and that was also the year for the first annualBaseball Day. Merl Eberly took the helm in 1961and the team joined the oldest semi-pro league inthe area, the Nodaway Valley League.

During the early 60’s the team had up and downseasons, but seemed to turn a corner in 1966 withthe addition of a left handed pitcher from Oregon,Mo., Scotty Kurtz, whose brother Mike and cousinDenny would join the team as middle infielders thefollowing year. Also leading the way back to the topwas pitcher Curt Lantz of Red Oak and veteran

pitcher Virgil Briggs who by that time had movedhis family from Bedford to Clarinda. 1967 was thefirst state tournament appearance and also Clarin-da’s first encounter with the National Baseball Con-gress program in Wichita. 1968 and 1969 used bal-anced hitting and strong pitching to continue post-ing winning season records.

In the 1970’s change was in the air. The olderveteran players were getting to the point that theirdays on the diamond were numbered, so a new di-rection was needed and after a road trip to Kansasand Colorado, facing teams with mostly collegeplayers, the decision was made to go to the colle-giate format if the team was to continue. A newboard of directors, headed by Dr. C.E. Nichols,began actively to recruit players from across thecountry and the community responded with its fi-nancial support to allow the team to take this newdirection. Joining Nichols on the 1973 board wereKeith Garrett, Darwin Buch, Merl Eberly, FrankKidwell, Monty Boswell, Earl Schenck, RichardGraham, Rollo Trofholz, Larry Bridie and MikeKurtz. The A’s Auxiliary was also formed that year.1973 was the first State Championship and first ap-pearance at the NBC World Series. In 1974, MerlEberly and Walt Pritchard, now a member of theboard, traveled to the American Baseball CoachesAssociation convention in Chicago. It was there thatcontacts were made with new college coaches. 1975

the team ventured further for competition when theytook their first trip to play three of the most power-ful ball clubs in the country, the Anchorage Pilots,Fairbanks Goldpanners and Kenai Oilers, comingaway with a 9-4 record during their tour. Then NBCpresident, Paul Deese said, “Clarinda should beproud of the A’s for what they did in Alaska. Noother team had ever won a series from Alaskans ontheir home ground.” He went on to say, “the Alaskateams hardly ever lose four or five games in amonth, let alone in one series with one team.” 1976saw many firsts for the A’s. One was the initiationof the A’s house parent program which continuestoday and without these local people who open theirhomes to the players the A’s could not survive. Itwas also the first year to host and win the NBC Re-

gional Tournament and placing at the NBC WorldSeries, taking home a third place tie with defendingchampions, Boulder, Colo. Tom Higgins and OzzieSmith were the first to earn individual awards inWichita – Higgins was named to the All-Tourna-ment Team as well as receiving a trophy for themost extra base hits and Smith, popular A’s short-stop, received the individual sportsmanship award.1977 was a good season, but a disappointing show-ing at the NBC. In 1978 the A’s joined the strongJayhawk League finishing third and outfielder PaulSzymarek was named to the All League team. Theywon the State Tourney and were 2-2 in Wichita.Closing out the decade, winning the JayhawkLeague was just one of the highlights as they alsowon another State Championship and tied for fourthat the Nationals. Paul Homrig and Von Hayes werenamed to the All-Tournament team, with Hayes alsobeing named the leading hitter and receiving a tro-phy for the most home runs in a tourney.

Will continue the rest of this history in the nextDugout News, as well as introduce the coaches andplayers for the 2012 season as well as the schedule.

With the season just a few weeks away, the A’s auxiliary is stilllooking for a few homes for the players who will start reportingMay 22. The houseparent program, which was started in 1976 is amainstay of the A’s program which is essential to keeping the teamon the field.

Through the years many lasting friendships have been formed be-tween the families and their “summer son”. Several who wereamong the first to open their homes are still active in the programand many new ones are added each season. If you are interested inbeing part of the “A’s family”, give Jill Sunderman, Annette Nel-son or Karmen Moses a call and they will answer any questions orconcerns you might have.

Big thanks go out to those already committed to participatingthis season – all associated with the program are looking forward toa great year with new friends and memories made.

Clarinda A’s will con-duct a clinic for K – 8thgraders May 24-26 at Mu-nicipal Stadium/EberlyField. Sessions will be con-ducted by A’s players andCoach Rod Eberly. Theywill run from 9:30 – 11:30a.m. each day.

Fee for the camp is $25with forms available at theLied Center. Participantsmust register by May 13 toreceive a camp T-shirt.

John Tedore who was instrumental in bringing baseball to theHigh School as a varsity sport in 1954 was among a group honored

February 29 at the Canadian Embassyin Washington, D.C. The CanadianGovernment was recognizing theSurviving American and Canadianveterans of the First Special ServiceForce, also known as “The Devil’sBrigade” who fought the Nazis inItaly and southern France.

It is hoped that the receptionheld will drum up support for com-panion bills pending in the U.S.House and Senate to award those sol-diers the U.S. Congressional GoldMedal, the highest civilian awardCongress can bestow.

This group was the forerunnerof the present-day U.S. Army SpecialForces, the Green Berets. The unit

fought in the January 1944 amphibious landing at Anzio, throughthe siege of Monte Cassino, to the capture of Rome and the inva-sion of southern France. In the Battle of Monte La Difensa in Italy,the unit sustained 77 percent casualties. In all, the unit suffered 400dead and more than 2,200 wounded through the war. Tedore earnedfive battle stars for the engagements he fought in as well as theBronze Star for valor.

He was recognized for his service to baseball in our communityby being inducted into the Clarinda Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Taking a look back at the roots of the A’s Program

1958 CLARINDA MERCHANTS- Front – Merl Eberly, BillBench, Dick Bramble, Walt Stanton, Duane Ridnour, DonStewart. Back – Don Pullen, Paul Wilcoxson, Wayne An-derson, Don Wingate, Cal Hamilton, Junior Lindberg,Allan Fann, Coach Vernon Woodard. This is the oldestteam picture on file, if anyone has one from the earlierteams they would like to share, please contact PatEberly.

1973 Board of Director Officers – Dr. C.E. Nichols, KeithGarrett, Darwin Buch, Merl Eberly, Frank Kidwell, MontyBoswell and Earl Schenck.

Season tickets to be available May 15 Volunteers for 2012 season neededClarinda A’s season ticket will be on sale May 15 with a family ticket $25 and

single tickets $15. Admission at the gate is $2 with K-12 students free. Tickets alsowill be available at the gate when the season gets underway. There is not a betterentertainment value anywhere.

There are 32 home games on this year’s schedule and the only time a seasonticket is not valid is Baseball Day and the regional tournament.

Municipal Stadium is a family friendly atmosphere from the youngest to the“vintage” fans, so plan to come out and join in the fun whether you watch from thegrandstand or bring your lawn chair.

A’s board President Gary Ulmer said there will be a few work nights set in thecoming weeks to get the field, club house and surrounding areas ready for the ar-rival of this years players and the season opener Saturday, May 26. Will also needhelpers for the gate and concession stand and would also welcome any who wouldbe interested in joining the board of directors or auxiliary. Even if you are not amember of either of these groups, help in these areas are always welcome.

If interested in lending a hand, contact Ulmer, Dave Kettwick, Jay Moses, PatEberly, Jill Sunderman or Karmen Moses.

A’s manager Ryan Eberly ran into Paul Deese and DonDennis at the ABCA convention in California in January.Deese was the president of the NBC in Wichita during themid 70’s and instrumental in the A’s hosting regionaltourney’s and now is working with Don Dennis who hasbeen active in an executive in the Alaskan League sincethe 70’s.

A’s Hall of Famer honored for WWII Service

YEAR W L1955 7 91956 12 41957 4 81958 19 51959 22 41960 19 141961 28 91962 30 71963 39 91964 23 161965 18 141966 20 101967 29 41968 28 51969 31 3

YEAR W L1970 36 141971 41 121972 41 191973 44 221974 48 161975 60 101976 65 131977 55 121978 54 161979 53 111980 53 141981 46 141982 42 221983 46 201984 44 25

YEAR W L1985 42 231986 37 231987 44 231988 44 221989 37 201990 44 221991 44 281992 30 241993 30 311994 47 121995 52 121996 45 121997 31 291998 37 271999 30 31

YEAR W L2000 36 232001 35 272002 30 292003 29 302004 41 172005 42 182006 37 142007 43 192008 28 282009 34 282010 35 222011 35 28

Homes still needed for the ‘Boys of Summer’A’s Baseball Clinic dates set

A's Season Records 1955-2011

4B Thursday, April 26, 2012Clarinda Herald-Journal