October 15 at Old Frontenac

Apple Jacks close ambitious 13^th season

The Apple Jacks Base ball Club of La Crescent ended an ambitious 13th season with an 11-15 record, winning as many games as they played just four years ago. The finale was a four-team gathering at Old Frontenac, MN, hosted by the Red Wing Crescents and also featuring the Rum River Rovers, and the St. Croix Base Ball Club.

A brisk damp wind and dark clouds greeted the players Saturday morning, but the grassy field and woodsy backdrop welcomed everyone in 19^th century fashion. Without a dedicated umpire, players rotated umpire duties and relied on the kindness of spectators to tally the aces (runs). Team captains agreed to give the batter two bases if he hit a ball hit past the outfield into the woods, and the men waited patiently when players chased foul balls across the road.

This autumn finale felt more like a reunion, where winning seemed secondary and the game itself was the attraction. Even an on-field disagreement ended politely, with players abiding by the umpire’s call although they still weren’t certain of the rule.

On Saturday, the Apple Jacks did not win three games, but their performance was as crisp as the fall air and as colorful as a pile of leaves. Spectators took note when Jon “Numbers” Jones scooped up a daisy cutter and shuttled the ball to Samuel “Roundabout” Deetz at second base to surprise the approaching runner. That precision was also on display in Scott “Roman” Pechacek’s throws to Jim “Scoop” Schupbach at first.

There was plenty of color in the game too. Catchers are rarely feared by their opponents, but the Jacks’ John “Rook” Wilkie [pictured below] caused opponents to dread their turn at bat. In one inning, Wilkie put down three consecutive batters by catching foul tips and fly balls. He was sure-handed, but also unruffled, even when he was behind the boisterous bats of the Rum River Rovers.

Joel “Hefty” Affeldt, the Jacks captain, lauded the fledgling Crescents for hosting the three teams in the picturesque park, “These are teams that give the game their best, but still have fun.” Affeldt said that the Old Frontenac village, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, helped all of the teams step back into the 1860s to play the game of base ball.

Affeldt extended appreciation to Merchants Bank, the Jacks' corporate sponsor, for its steadfast support, and he acknowledged the La Crescent Area Historical Society, players' families, and spectators for embracing local history through base ball.