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Keg Preseason Fundraiser
The Keg Softball Preseason Fundraiser was the biggest chicken-feed the team has done yet. We have the Sioux Falls Softball Community to thank for the great support as it was a virtual “who’s who” of the local softball scene. Thanks again for all in attendance..
(For pics of the event, click on Photos....2006 Preseason)
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Another New Sponsor..
March 1, 2006 --
The Keg Softball team has come across another business that is more than willing to help out with our efforts this summer! WorkFORCE Occupational Health Services (WorkForce OH) provides high quality, comprehensive services for all occupational healthcare needs.
WorkFORCE OH has offices in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and Aberdeen. For all other information about the company, please click on the Sponsors tab on the menu on the main page.
Once again, thank you from entire team with helping us out with this season!
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Son Of A Buck..
March 25, 2006 --
(Spring Training 2006 - Arizona) For the second straight year Witt runs into his old buddy, Negro Leagues Legend Buck O'Neil.
For the record, Buck was a coach of Ernie Banks, Jackie Robinson, Lou Brock, and countless others. Recently he had his last attempt at the Hall of Fame a failed one. To the displeasure of many true baseball fans that thought he should have been in the HOF.
Buck's comments on not getting into the HOF speak to the type of person Buck is...."God's been good to me," he told about 200 well-wishers who had gathered to celebrate but instead stood hushed and solemn. "They didn't think Buck was good enough to be in the Hall of Fame. That's the way they thought about it and that's the way it is, so we're going to live with that. Now, if I'm a Hall of Famer for you, that's all right with me. Just keep loving old Buck. Don't weep for Buck. No, man, be happy, be thankful."
(More Spring Training Pics in the Photos Area)
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Welcome To The Fold..
April 14, 2006 --
We finally got them together for a picture. Shown above are the new additions to the 2006 Keg Softball Team. (From Left to Right)
Nate Fichter – 2b/1b (Previously with A1 Bail Bonds)
Dana Kokenge – OF/C (Previously with Champps)
Tim Hamer – Middle Infield (Previously with the Minnesota Thunder and Easton Hooters Rockets – MN)
Scotty McVicker – Middle Infield, Outfield (Previously with The Pack and A1 Bail Bonds)
More Player Information is available on the "Roster" tab on the left side. The squad us going into the season with weekly 14-man roster, given the other committments and the injuries that come up each season.
The Squad opens up the season on Thursday May 4th in Sioux Falls, followed by a trip to Owatonna-MN for Corky’s Early Bird on May 5,6,7.
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Trip To Omaha..
April 19, 2006 --
Some of the Keggers made the trip down to Omaha with the Sioux Falls traveling road show ("The Flock"). Keg players included Scotty, Nate, Tim, Witt, and Mork (Coach). The Flock went 3-2 on the weekend competing in the round robin "Edge Gym" tournament. As seen above, Hooters all assisted in sponsoring the event. Ironically, The Flock lost to the Hooters team out of Omaha in the post round robin single elimination. A good time had by all, and some games before the year officially gets going.
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The Season Is Finally Here..
May 1, 2006 --
Well folks, after months of waiting for the softball season, it’s finally here!! With it’s arrival are many questions and side-notes that will play out this year in Sioux Falls and in the state of South Dakota as well.
Heading into the 2006 season here are some of the thoughts around the diamonds..
Can anyone really contend with CND in Sioux Falls or in the state? Can they go undefeated in Sioux Falls, a feat that they have yet to pull off in their three years of existence? With a lot of new pickups for this year will there be any chemistry issues or have they already worked out those kinks? Will “Secrets” true identity ever come to the surface and does he really eat Red Baron pizza?
Is there legit heat between CND and Workers, and can the Workers with their new additions now be mentioned in the same conversation with the 3-time defending state champs?
How will the Titans do this year after now being together for a year? Will the addition of Shriner and a healthy T-Bone be able to put them in the mix for the top 2 or 3?
Have the losses of Chaw, Casey, and Hoey, hurt Granite City or do they have some new horses to keep them among the league elite?
Was last year a fluke for The Keg or will they be able to finish as high as second in league like last season? Will their additions be able to pick up the slack for the huge loss of Big Sexy going to CND?
Could Suds be the surprise of the bottom or will the jump to Thursdays be a rough ride?
How will Buddah’s new team be? Looks like a lot of good talent in one place..
Is A1/Galland back to the top 5 or will they struggle like last year?
Can Coke dominate the bottom half?
Anyway, these are just some of the questions that have been buzzing around and will be answered sooner than later now. Time to fire it up, opening day is Thursday!
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The Keggers Wave Goodbye to Owatonna
May 10, 2006 --
The Keggers had a less than favorable debut at the Corky’s Early Bird in Owatonna, MN. While the field of teams was stacked in the “C”, the squad really didn’t play some of its better softball. In the first game the Keggers played on Friday night against the Minnesota Building Contractors out of Albert Lea. The Keggers came out in the top of the first and put up 3 runs right out of the shoot, which was only to be answered by a blistering 11-run response by the Contractors. They put on one of the better hitting displays witnessed in the tournament, going on to beat the Keggers 25-13.
On Saturday the squad got to travel to the auxiliary diamonds (not the main complex) to play Busters/Hartle Farms out of Minneapolis. This game ended up being one of the Keggers worst overall showings in recent memory, riddled with bone-headed errors and weak hitting. This game came to an end early with a score of 16-6, and so did the Keggers weekend. It’s never good going 0-2 in a tournament, but with the strong field of teams and considering other good teams went 0-2 as well, the sting isn’t quite as bad.
Other South Dakota teams participating were in the “C” were The Workers (1-2), Sports Connection (0-2), and Granite City (1-2). In the “B” Sioux Falls Chuk N’Duk did quite well, going 3-2 and finishing in 4th place.
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Spring Classic 2006
May 22, 2006 --
Keg Softball spent the weekend playing in the biggest yearly event in South Dakota, The Spring Classic. The squad was looking to better it’s 2-2 finish in this tournament the last two seasons, but after seeing the draw mid-week the team knew it had it’s work cut out for it.
Saturday: The Keggers started off at 8am with Docs (formerly PES) out of Sioux City, IA. In a back and forth game the Docs team continued to hit when the homers were done, while the Keggers weren’t able to keep up, losing 22-13. Unfortunately during the game the squad found themselves battling the umpires regarding the continued use of a non-ASA bat (Worth Mayhem 120, Green Color). Hopefully in the future a situation like this will be properly handled by the officials as no teams wants to have to deal with this concern. In any event, Docs hit the ball a ton and played good defense which served them well as they marched through the tournament.
After losing to Docs the Keggers were faced with daunting task of going through the losers bracket from scratch. That is mind, the Keggers ran up against The Zoo Bar (formerly known as Huff). While the teams had never met, both squads will be playing the DI state tournament and this match would surely be a test for the Keggers. The Huff squad wasn’t able to mount a real offensive threat, while the Keggers played very inspired ball, leading to a 15-0 game in 3 innings. Surely the teams will see each other again this year either at McQuades or state and a very competitive game will be expected by this solid team.
As the bracket goes, the Keggers had Edge Gym next. This squad came into the tournament as an overwhelming favorite, but was seemingly not having an exceptional tournament up to that point by any means (losing to Sperle in the first round). In what ended up to be a very spirited game the Keggers were able to come back and outlast Edge by a 15-14 margin in 8 innings as Ryan Johnson layed out making a game ending grab. Unfortunately in a move of over-exuberance the game almost had a post-game fracas, but cooler heads prevailed on both sides as the game was very emotionally charged throughout.
Sunday: The Keggers got Suds and Suds right out of the shoot. The Keggers got off to a good start in this one and never looked back, winning 18-3 in 3 innings.
Next for the squad was another Sioux Falls team, A1 Bail Bonds. The Keggers continued their good hitting of the gapers in this one taking the game by a 19-9 score in 5 innings.
Moving out to their third game in three hours, the Gaslight / Jack Daniels team was next. The Keggers didn’t get off to a fast start in this game, but ended up hitting stride while playing great defense. The final in this one was 16-3 in 5 innings.
Now with 4 teams remaining in the tournament the Keggers had Sports Connection in front of them. In a game that neither team played especially well, the guys from Brookings outlasted the good guys 12-7. With that, the squad went 5-2 on the weekend and finished 4th.
Sports Connection (finishing in 2nd place) went on to beat Schoenemans (3rd place), then losing to Docs who went through the tournament unbeaten.
While the Keggers would rather not go all the way through the loser’s bracket, sometimes that type of run and games can build character. Overall a 5-2 record on the weekend was something the team was pleased with, it’s just unfortunate we had to do things the hard way.
On a very sour note, Tim “Big Swede” Hamer lost his father Saturday afternoon back in the Twin Cities. Swede, as you already know, our thoughts are with you and your family.
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League Update..
June 9, 2006 --
Week 6:
The Keggers get the job done versus Billy Frogs / Coors Light in the first game 13-3 and takes care of the nightcap against Schoenemans 15-5. League record is now 10-2, second place.
Week 5:
The squad split this last Thursday, losing to Workers while beating A1 Bail Bonds. In the first game the Workers got off to a big start, going up 16-0 after 2 innings. They used their 6 homeruns very well, mixing up 3-run shots with grand slams, putting the boys in a big hole. The Keggers fought back, getting the score to 20-16 in the fifth inning, but the boys were only able to plate 2 more runs in the final 2 innings. Final score 25-18.
The game against A1 Bail Bonds was back-and-forth, which was pretty much expected as we are very evenly matched squads. The Keggers jumped out to a 10-4 lead early, but with the help of Mike Fountain and others the A1 squad battled back with the long ball. Eventually Scotty McVicker's 3-run blast late in the game took the day as the Keggers won 18-14.
At this point Keggers regular season is off to a decent start in Sioux Falls with the team at a 8-2 mark after a month of league. Currently the squad is in 2nd place behind Chuk N Duk.
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Rhondas Tournament
June 12, 2006 --
The Keggers decided to take an unplanned trip down to Sioux City for the Rhondas tournament during the second weekend of June. While the squad had to pickup 5 guys for the event, it was still a fun time and a great field of teams. The event itself only had 7 C teams and the format was an odd 3-game guarantee.
The Keg started out the day with Peak Nutrition from Omaha. This team looked more like body builders than softballers. They definitely took their fare share of monster cuts at the ball, but the Keggers were able to come back on this squad and take the game 28-21. With the wind blowing out on the 315-foot fields, the homers were gone for both teams by the 4th inning, so the guys were able to hit enough balls down to keep the runs coming.
Moving forward in the winners bracket the Keggers next came up against Edge Gym. Of course the squad now has a little history with Edge having sent them home in the Spring Classic, a game that will forever be remember as “the finger” game. All told, both teams prepared for what would be a tough game with the wind blowing in at 20-30mph. With this change of diamonds, the Keggers didn’t continue their run-scoring ways, while the Edge Gym team came out hitting well for the first few innings and rode that wave to a 14-7 victory.
Our next game came against the TR Siders out of Omaha. Now this is where it gets a little strange. While this tournament was a 3-game guarantee, the Siders had just lost their second game (1-2 record) before their game with the Keg. Seeing as this was a double elimination tourney, one would intelligently deduct that they were done..but apparently the 3gg bracket doesn’t have it that way. In any event, the Siders outlasted the Keggers 16-10 and our squad packed it up. Once again, with the wind blowing in the Keggers weren’t able to piece together some good small ball. The Keggers finished the event at 1-2, but with losses to two very good teams in the region. The tournament was a good chance to get the opportunity to see the new complex in Sioux City (which was very nice), while getting a chance to play some good competition.
As far as individual performances, well the squad didn’t have all that many that were noteworthy..but Jason Mork hit very well as did Scotty McVicker. Chris Vande Hoef (GL/JD pickup) did give the squad something to cheer about with his monster homerun into the wind in the TR game.
Funny how things turn out, but TR Siders ended up beating Granite City and Peak Nutrition after our game, ending up getting third in the deal. As far as the title, well it went to Edge Gym as they went through unbeaten, with Docs getting second.
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Just one of those nights..
June 16, 2006 --
For the first time in two years the Keggers dropped two games on a Thursday night. First up with Chuk N Duk, who the Keggers have yet to beat since moving up to Thursday nights a few years ago. Well the CND’ers hit the ball well and use the homers wisely, while also flashing some fine leather..but the Keggers made up for that by playing average to bad defense and getting 3 hits in the game. Final score, 24-3.
In the nightcap, the Keggers didn’t get the job done against a very pesky Crown Casino squad. After going up 16-13 in the 7th via a Nate Fichter homerun, Crown was able to get 3 runs in tying the score at 16. In the extra frames the Keg lineup wasn’t able to muster any real offense, while the Crown fellas were able to plate one. Final score 17-16, 8 innings.
The Keggers have the weekend off, but plan on getting of the schnide come next Thursday. Overall league record, 10-4, which puts us in 3rd place.
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Keg Comes Up A Little Short On Sunday
June 26, 2006 --
The McQuades is always a lot of enjoyment for all teams that participate due to the pageantry, tradition, and because of the magnitude of the event. All that said, the Keggers decided to take a drive 6 hours Northwest of Sioux Falls to the town of Bismarck to partake in this 414 team (all classes) event.
The Keggers tournament started out Friday night with Captain Jacks out of Bismarck. The Keggers got out of the gate in a hurry, while playing solid defense, which led to a 13-6 victory. Next ahead was the Saturday morning game against ASK out of Minot. In this one the Keggers got out to a healthy lead, only to win a tight one 13-11. A late Saturday afternoon game against defending champion Ground Round (Moorhead, MN) was next on the horizon. In this one the Keggers got out to a quick start yet again, up 9-2 before an hour-long rain delay. After the rain delay the defending champs made a hard run to even up the score in the 7th, but Scotty McVicker put the game to bed with a walk off homerun. Keg 16-14.
Going into Sunday morning the Keggers were looking to face the winner of the Workers vs. Sports Connection game. At 9:50am the Keggers were facing Sports Connection for the second time this season on a tournament Sunday. In an incredibly hard fought battle, the Keggers got out to an early lead in what ended up being a back and forth affair that saw SC outlast the Keggers and win 19-17. After this very tough loss the Keggers walked over to play The Zoo Bar (Huff) out of Aberdeen. This was also the second time this year that the squad had seen the men from Huff. The Keggers got out to a slow start in this one, but started a string of 5-6 run innings together to win a 21-7 ballgame in 5 innings. With 4 teams remaining the Keggers now saw Ground Round coming back through the losers bracket. After jumping out to a 9-2 lead right away, the Ground Round squad started up their bats and went ahead to a 16-10 lead. In the end of the Keggers fell just short in this one, losing 16-15. Hours after this game the Keggers found out that GR went on to roll through the rest of their day to win their second straight “C” championship at the McQuades.
At the end of the day the Keggers were looking at a 4th place finish and a 4-2 record for the weekend. Other good finishes by South Dakota teams were seen by Sports Connection who placed 3rd in the C, and CND who finished 3rd in the B.
All told, this was a very enjoyable tournament for the Keggers and one that will be revisited in the future. Some great stickin was done by Nate Fichter, Ryan Johnson, Mike Boetel, and Scotty McVicker. Big time glove work was seen by Chad Curtis and Todd Ibis.
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Hot Weekend at the DLC
The Keggers decided to participate in the Dollar Loan Center Tournament at the last second, with no other planned events scheduled for the team during the month of July. That said, the squad put their best foot forward and had a respectable weekend amongst some of the best “C” teams in the region.
First off the Keggers faced a familiar face in The Workers. Coming into this game the Keggers were 0-2 against this fellow Sioux Falls squad, which put some extra motivation into the minds of the Keggers. As a result of this motivation, the Keggers got out to a quick start and never looked back in what has been their most lopsided win of the year so far, 29-1 in 3 innings. While there is a great deal of mutual respect between Keg and Workers, there won’t likely be a game this one-sided between the two squads in the foreseeable future as we are seemingly even-matched.
Next up for the guys was TR Siders from Nebraska. While the Keggers owed the Siders from a previous loss in Sioux City, neither team could muster much offense as the Keggers dropped the game 8-4. This type of inconsistent effort is something that the squad will need to take care of in the future.
Come Sunday morning the guys were looking to Sports Connection for the third time this year as well. After a hard fought battle in Bismarck-ND, the squads got to know each other again just a few weeks later. In this game the Keggers were able to sustain their lead and gain a 19-12 victory over the always-tough Connection. On the other side of the losers bracket was Docs versus Edge Gym. Edge was able to beat them, so now Edge and Keg were set for their rubber match. In a game that saw the Keg play with the lead the entire game, the Edge battled back to tie it up and go ahead in the bottom of the 7th, taking the day 12-11. This time there was no excessive drama or barking between the teams, just a very hard fought game late on a Sunday.
All said, the Keggers finished 2-2 and 4th in this 9-team event.
1st = CND
2nd = Edge
3rd = TR Siders
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The Regular Season Wraps Up..
August 2, 2006 --
The Keggers lost to Brewzers 19-18 in a well played game by the Brewzers (hats off). The second game of the night was for 3rd place in league (Schoenemans tie), and the Keggers responded by hitting their way to a 22-9 win over Wings. On the regular season the squad finished at 20-8, 1 game behind The Workers for second place.
As if we haven't seen enough of each other this year, the Keggers and Workers will lock up for the fourth time this season in the first round of the State Tournament..gametime 10am..Pierre.
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Pierre Not So Hot For The Keggers
August 7, 2006 --
For the second straight year the Keggers haven’t put their best effort forth, but as always, Pierre is still a fun time and great venue for a tournament. One of these years the team will get the entire squad to state, but it wasn’t to be this year.
The Keggers weekend started out with The Workers (4th game this year) at 10am Saturday morning. Behind a very sound defensive effort and 4 homeruns in the thick Pierre air the boys came away with a 10-7 win. This now brings the Keg/Workers series to dead even at 2 games a piece.
Next ahead for the Keggers was another 4-timer in Sports Connection out of Brookings. In this game to see who gets to play CND in the unbeaten game, the Connection came out hitting and took the day 12-7, putting the Keggers at 1-1 for the tournament. Immediately following the game Keg standout Scot McVicker battled with dehydration to the point of being taken to the hospital. For those that know Vic, realize that he’s an all-out type of competitor and sometimes that can catch up with you. We are pleased to tell everyone who had expressed their concerns about Vic that he’s ok and chose to play the next morning.
On Sunday morning the Keggers had the Titans from Sioux Falls. While the Keggers have won all 5 games against the Titans in the past, this game wasn’t meant to be. In one of the Keggers lesser defensive efforts the Titans took advantage of the mistakes and won the game 12-7. With that the Keggers finished a disappointing 1-2 for the tournament.
Later in the day Sports Connection gave CND their toughest SD game since losing to Kellys/Sidelines two years ago, but came up just short and ended up getting third behind a Workers team that battled through the losers bracket to get 2nd place.
1-CND
2-Workers
3-Sports Connection
Left ahead is the Sioux Falls League Tournament, which the Keggers are going in as the 3-seed. We’ll see what happens..
(More pics to come of state, under photo albums)
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The Season Ends With The Workers
August 11, 2006 --
The Sioux Falls League Playoffs got going on Thursday night with 10 teams participating. The Keggers first game was against Suds, the rubber match between the teams. In this one the Keggers got off to a good start due to several walks to start the game off, leading to a 22-2 Keg win in 4 innings. The Suds team was not at full staff for this playoff game and the guys took advantage of this.
Going into the League Semifinals the Keggers had played The Workers 4 times already this year, with the Keggers winning the last 2, drawing the season series even at 2 a piece. In this game the Workers got off to a very fast start as they have done in the past against the Keggers, up 17-1 going into the Keg bottom of the 3rd. Todd Ibis stepped to the plate with two outs and hit a 3-run blast to left keeping the Keggers in the game 17-4. With the Workers out of homeruns the Keg started hitting their way back into this one. With big hits from Brad Kuhnert, Scot Namanny, and Ryan Johnson the guys battled back, but eventually fell short 25-21 in a slugfest.
All in all, the season was a success with the squad finishing in 3rd place in League and having a lot of deep runs into tournaments all year long. Year highlights would include wins over Edge Gym, Ground Round, and Sports Connection, along with 4th place finishes at McQuades, the Spring Classic, and the DLC. The Keggers also had some classic games with The Workers, mixed with a lot of great memories.
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Buck O'Neil Passes Away At 94
October 11, 2006 --
Former Negro Leagues legend Buck O‘Neil died Friday night from cancer of the bone marrow and congestive heart failure, both only diagnosed within the last month. After meeting Buck a few years ago I came to get a great appreciation for the man.
Here is a bit of history about the man who somehow couldn’t get into the Baseball HOF.
Buck O‘Neil was a natural first baseman and a natural hitter, playing ball for a few dollars a game helped him to work his way through Edward Waters College in Jacksonville. And in 1934, he began an odyssey through the segregated Negro Leagues, reaching their big time just in time for their heyday, the Kansas City Monarchs. “Satchel” Paige and Jackie Robinson among his teammates, and black baseball's first World Series championship his accomplishments. But he was already 35 when Robinson was chosen to integrate the major leagues and already player manager in Kansas City. Too late to cross the color line as a player, too soon to cross it as an executive. So instead he became developer of player talent.
His proteges included Elston Howard, the first black player, later MVP of the New York Yankees, and Ernie Banks, who became Chicago's legendary Mr. Cub.
ERNIE BANKS, MR. CUB: “I‘m in the Hall of Fame because of Buck O‘Neil. I spent many time and many years with him. He‘s a scout and a teacher. And he saw something in me when first arrived with the Kansas City Monarchs that I didn't see in myself. And he's that type of person. He can really pull the skills that a person has out.”
As integration put the Negro Leagues out of business, Buck O'Neil became one of the major league's first scouts with the Cubs in 1956. He had already bought them Banks he would later find them other Hall of Famers like Billy Williams and Lou Brock and later day stars like Joe Carter.
And in 1962 after the suggestion of Banks, O'Neil became baseball's first black coach spending the season in a Chicago uniform and a dozen more working with the minor leagues. And there the story might have ended. Buck O‘Neil, triumphant, if obscure in overcoming. But he wanted the overcoming to be remembered as one of the founders of the Negro League's baseball museum in Kansas City, he helped open a window to history.
As one of the stars of the PBS documentary, “Baseball” in 1994 he became an overnight sensation at the age or 82. And he was a tireless campaigner to get more and more of the forgotten heroes of the Negro Leagues into the baseball‘s Hall of Fame.
In 2001, baseball finally announced a special committee would convene. It would research all candidates and five years later, give a simple yes or no vote on each. One vote for all time, you are either in or never to be eligible again.
The election of Buck O'Neil, by now baseball‘s senior ambassador, with 65 years in the game an a million fans for every year, was a foregone conclusion. Except when the voting was announced last February, 17 men and women, two of them white, had been elected, Buck O'Neil had not.
The experts, some with conflicts of interest, like books they had written about their own favorite candidates, others with grudges against the Negro League‘s museum, turned Buck O‘Neil away through their and baseball‘s eternal shame. Seemingly the only man who did not see it that way, though, was bucking O'Neil himself.
He volunteered to speak about all of those who were voted in and their induction in Cooperstown, N.Y., last July. That month he became the oldest man to play in a professional game, drawing two walks in the All-Star game of the minor league, the Northern League. Throughout the summer he continued a tireless schedule, crisscrossing the country to attend Negro Leagues commemorations to speak, to meet fans, and then in August he checked himself into a Kansas City hospital with exhaustion.
Buck, you will be missed.
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The Tigers Season Comes To An End
November 5, 2006 --
Now that the season is over all the Keggers go their separate ways and concentrate on their jobs or other leisure activities. For Keg Manager Jason Mork late August brings High School Football. Mork recently started teaching US History and coaching out at Howard HS, taking over both the Football and Basketball programs. This is not his first stint in coaching as he previously taught / coached in Estelline and Rock Valley.
Jason's team had a great season. While being predicted by KSFY Pigskin Picks to be a 5-3 squad, the Tigers from Howard ended up going 7-1 in the regular season and won their conference as well. As the playoffs began Jay's squad took it to Miller in the first round, then Wagner in the second round, before losing to Aberdeen Roncalli who has yet to give up a point this season.
Congrats to Jason and his staff/kids on this great year and making it to the semifinals.
(More of Howard Football under the pics section)
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Push Pedal Pull Softball - Sioux Falls, SD
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