Apple Jacks Start 15th Season
Bill Ohm
Saturday, May 19th the Apple Jacks Vintage Base Ball Club of La Crescent will take the field at Old Hickory Park to start their 15th season. Their first match will be at noon against the Roosters of Olmsted County. The second match will feature the Roosters and Red Wing Crescents with the Apple Jacks finishing up in the night cap against the Red Wing club.
All matches will be played by the rules of 1860. No gloves will be used (they hadn't been invented by 1860), struck balls caught by a fielder on one bounce are outs, where a ball strikes the ground determines whether it is fair or foul, over running first base exposes the runner to being tagged out and no balls and strikes are called.
Local veteran players include Captain Joel "Hefty" Affeldt, Jim "Preacher" Cumming, Benjamin "George" Deetz, Dan "Skunk" Deetz, Erik "Stretch" Deetz, Samuel "Roundabout" Deetz, Paul "Swiss" Geronime, Mike "Mickey" Jaquette, Connor "Coyote" Knerzer, Kevin "Hurricane" Knerzer, Jon "Numbers" Jones, Bill, "Ho-hum" Ohm, Scott "Roman" Pechacek, Milt "Huh" Schmida, Joe "Roadrunner" Schmida, and Jim "Scoop" Schupbach. They will be joined by teammates from Winona, Rochester, Mankato and the Cities.
Also returning will be Peter "Prince Peter" Petersille to do the umpiring and Joan "Lady Joan" Ohm to track the day's aces (runs).
Additional home games will be June 9th, August 18th and September 15th (Applefest), also at Old Hickory Park. Road games will played in Afton, Highland Prairie, Rochester, Stillwater and Le Sueur.
Always a highlight will be the convergence of Minnesota Vintage Base Ball players on the Field of Dreams Movie Set in Dyersville, Iowa on July 28th to play a series of matches under the lights.
If you would like to join the Apple Jacks on the field, kindly call Captain Joel "Hefty" Affeldt at 608-769-1782 or Captain Emeritus Bill "Ho-hum" Ohm at 507-895-6912 for more details.
The Apple Jacks Base Ball Club (https://sites.google.com/site/lacrescentapplejacks) is a community outreach program of the La Crescent Area Historical Society and respectfully acknowledges its eminent corporate sponsor, Merchants Bank- La Crescent.