Some thoughts and comments on the Stearns County League - a small extension to my Sports Column in this week's Sauk Centre Herald

The Elrosa Saints baseball team, after earning their state berth on Sunday.

The St.Martin baseball team, after winning the Region 15C title.


The Stearns County League dates back to 1934, and mostly to 1939 when Lake Henry, Farming, Roscoe, St.Martin, New Munich, Elrosa, and Spring Hill comprised the SCL. That makes 2009 the 75th year the SCL has existed. World War II decimated all amateur baseball teams, as young men were pulled from the countryside to fight fasicm in Europe and Japan.

Plenty of history for a unit whose roots are in towns with populations of just a few hundred people.

It can be said of any amateur team, regardless of the league they play in, that the players play out of a love of baseball, a sense of community, family, and friendship.

When talking about regions this year and in 2008, rain delays wreaked havoc on the schedules. Workers at St.Martin and Elrosa (2008) and in Spring Hill this year spent considerable man hours keeping the fields in playable condition.

After his team's region championship win on Sunday, St.Martin manager Carl Lieser gave heavy praise to the efforts of those workers who banded together to keep Region 15C baseball on track. It was a testament to our area, in his mind, to the support that baseball has in our small towns.

It's no secret the national recession has had an affect on our local schools, churches, and small businesses. At the same time, the interest and support for baseball has not faded a bit.

It's truly special to see these diamonds develop in a rural area, while many areas of Minnesota have been on the decline in recent years. While the dairy price crisis is putting tremendous pressure on the economy of Stearns County, I feel the resilience of local farmers and small business owners will pull through.

While the chance for area baseball fans to take in local games at a Stearns County League baseball park has passed for 2009, I want to encourage you and your family to make a point to attend such an event in 2010.

In the case of two Stearns County League programs, St.Martin and Elrosa, a state tournament trip is on tap this Sunday in Arlington, MN. In almost every case, SCL teams at "state" battle against teams from larger communities that draw from a much wider radius.

Good luck to Elrosa and St.Martin this weekend!



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