August 7, 2013: Boys of Summer

The girls ready to cheer on the boys at State
(me, Rocky, Beth, Karen, Laura)
Remsen St. Mary's made the boys state baseball tournament this year. This great feat brought back fond memories of our wondrous baseball years in the eighties. Our wee little town produced great talent and got the attention of most of Iowa. We were a baseball powerhouse. The attention took everyone by surprise, including us.

My little town, known as the little Luxembourg of Iowa, is nestled in Northwest Iowa. Our population teetered around 1,500. My school was the Catholic high school, one of two in town, with a total student body of less than 180 students. Although small in size, we produced great results on the baseball field. The entire town followed our baseball boys in groves to cheer on our team.

And Remsen St. Mary's dominated. We ably competed at all levels; beating all classes and the big city teams. Our coach was exceptional and our town, ecstatic. The Class of 85 produced a great team as well. Our summers were filled with baseball games, near and far. A gang of friends, the girls supported our uniformed classmates.

We hopped in cars drinking Tab and chewing bubble gum, with windows down and feathered hair flying. We kept the stats books and sat through cold rain. But we never missed a game. Posters and signs were handmade to support our guys. And we would wait patiently for them on Main Street after the games were over. They were the boys of summer. We were their friends and loyal fans.

I will always love the game of baseball. I fill with pride as I see the winning teams huddle in joy or hold up a coveted trophy. I understand the love of a fan and the pride of a small town. Well done, Hawks!

The boys of summer (and Rocky!) reunited last weekend

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