Transcribed, as written, by Beverly Gerdts on June 28, 2019

Page 92

SOUTH-END KIDS AND THE SPORTS THAT THEY PLAYED

    

     South-end kids and the sports that they played. All of us from south end were involved in sports both in High School and even after. We played many ball games on the streets, in alleys and on good ole Oregon Field. Some of the kids were James "Star" Steckman, Robert "Bob" Steckman, Ron Steckman, Max "Stach" Colberg, Gordon "Gabby" Townsend, George and Glenn Ruckles, Richard "Skinny" Wetzel, Lonnie Wetzel, Mike Day, Bob and Leo Hindbaugh and the list goes on and on.

     When we weren't playing ball we had our other games to play such as Stink Base on the Corner of Benham and Kansas Streets. You don't remember Stink Base? Ask one of the above named Kids and you will get the way along with the rules that were made. How many nights we played that is beyond my count. Other times we were up at good ole Oregon field either shagging foul balls out in far Center field starting "Smudge Pots". That really got us into trouble.

     After the ball games at Oregon Field it was down to the Oregon Trails and Lefty Haller and all his fish stories, the pinball machines, Cokes & Potato Chips. We had our Little League team the Musserville Midgets and boy could we whip on any other team from Muscatine, Fred Messenger was our supervisor and we were good. We made many trips to Davenport to watch a Minor League team play. Hey how about the Benham Ave Grocery Team. All very young kids playing in the Commercial Leagues. We didn't win many games but it sure was fun.