Mayer Community Guide 2018-19 | Page 23

New Germany DUTCHMEN BASEBALL The New Germany Dutchmen amateur baseball team is a member of the Crow River Valley League, and has a strong tradition in the New Germany community. This year, 2018 was a long season for the Dutchmen, as they continue to rebuild their team. The Dutchmen went 1-16 in the regular season, with their lone winning coming against the Glencoe Brewers. While the record was nothing to write home about, the Dutchmen made improvements throughout the season. While the improvements didn’t result in wins, manager Dave Tuttle has the Dutchmen on the rise, as he’s recruited a young core to build around. The Dutchmen had their season come to an end in the league playoffs. They were swept by the Carver Black Sox in two-straight games. At the plate, Ryan Callister led the Dutchmen offense with a .277 batting average. Mike McGill led things on the mound for the Dutchmen. He had a team-high 35 strikeouts, which was also 13th most for the CRVL in 2018. Reed Wischnack also has an arm that gave the Dutchmen pitching staff some depth, and will help them take the next step forward next season. Fathers Day pork chop feed at New Germany The Dutchmen host an annual Fathers Day pork chop dinner every year, and it has become one of the more popular baseball attractions during the summer. A strong tradition Baseball has been an important part of New Germany’s history since the early 1900s, and is to this day. New Germany baseball legend Gerald “Beans” Roepke noted that in the early 1900s until 1955, baseball in New Germany was played in Fred Hein’s pasture, which is now Lindstrom Park. In 1955, a new ballpark was built on School District 77 land, and dugouts and the grandstand were built with the help of volunteers. In 1956, the New Germany city fathers organized a team, and with manager Harry Zellmann, joined the 7-Hi League, which also included Excelsior, Hopkins, Hutchinson, Long Lake, Mound, Richfi eld, and Winsted. The ballpark was dedicated May 6, 1956. Later, the village of New Germany purchased the property. ��������� � � � ������� � ��� � �������� � �������� ������������������������������������ ���������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������ �������������������������������� ���������������� �������������� ���������������� �������������� ������ � ��� � ��� ������ ������ ������� � ���� ������ ����� � ������ ������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������� � ����� �� ������ �� ������ ������������������������������� ����������������������� ���������������� ����������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� U nited Xpress L e s t e r P ra i r i e S c h o o l s MayerHeraldJournal.com | NewGermanyHeraldJournal.com 21