![\"TBP1\"](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/TBP1-300x251.jpg\")
Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/h3>\nby Todd Mueller<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
BluStone Group \u00a0(2016)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
$32.95<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em><\/span>, on the surface, is a book about Minnesota\u2019s most unique, historic and revered amateur ball parks \u2013 27 of them to be exact. It is, however, much more than that. It is a book about spirit \u2013 the spirit of our national pastime; the spirit of those who pick up the ball, bat and glove for the pure joy of the game; and the spirit of the Minnesota communities that support those players.\u00a0 It\u2019s also, on another level, a book about author Todd Mueller\u2019s love of the game \u2013 an affection that jumps out from the book\u2019s lively prose and more than five hundred photographs. \u00a0From Baseball Roundtable\u2019s perspective, if you have a passion for the national pastime, this book should be on your coffee table (the book shelf is too far away).<\/p>\n\u201cI love the feeling at a town ball game.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit of Americana that is slipping away. As I came to appreciate the care given to these ball parks, my goal became to reveal these venues for the true state treasures they are \u2013 and have been for generations.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Todd Mueller, author of Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 From an interview with BBRT<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nIf you want to write about amateur baseball, Minnesota is a good place to start.\u00a0 As Mueller notes in his book, Minnesota Baseball Association (MBA) officials assert that the state has more amateur (town ball) baseball teams than any other state in the country (296). That gave Mueller a large field of ball parks to work with.\u00a0 He narrowed that field by contacting more than 50 MBA coaches and asking each of them to rate their top five unique town ball ballparks.\u00a0 Then Mueller traveled \u2013 not just to the leading vote getters \u2013 but to every ball park that was mentioned even once. Two-thousand-four-hundred miles, 125-plus ballparks and more than 20,000 photographs later, Mueller had the material for the book.<\/p>\n
![\"Richter](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/townball1.jpg\")
Richter Field, Granite Falls – from Twon Ball Parks of Minnesota.<\/p><\/div>\n
Given all that \u201cprep work,\u201d it\u2019s no surprise Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 like a good center fielder \u2013 covers a lot of ground. \u00a0In this review, I\u2019ll share just a few examples of what you can expect as you make your way across that ground.<\/p>\nMueller gives readers a look at ballparks ranging in seating capacity from 50 to 3,000 and in design from Minnesota\u2019s first amateur park with artificial turf (Veterans Field, Minnetonka) to a ball park that has no fence line, but rather uses a pair of intersecting County Roads to mark its outfield boundaries (Martin Schmidt Memorial Park, Pearl Lake). Note: In Pearl Lake, if the ball hits the asphalt surface of the road in the air, it\u2019s a home run. If it hits the gravel shoulder and bounces onto or over the asphalt, it\u2019s a ground rule double. Outfielders have to have both feet off the asphalt when making a catch and, if the fielder’s momentum after the catch carries him onto the asphalt, the ball is live.<\/em><\/p>\nMueller provides a schematic of each park (dimensions included), a history of the park, the team, the community\u2019s involvement in town ball, and photos \u2013 lots of glorious photos<\/em> – of the ball fields, play action, concession stands, uniform jerseys, players and fans.\u00a0 He even rates the restroom facilities at each park (symbolized by one-to-four plungers \u2013 although one park rates only \u00bd plunger) and the concessions (symbolized by one-to-four hot dogs). Only two parks rated \u201cdouble fours:\u201d Minnetonka\u2019s Veterans Field and Jordan\u2019s Mini Met.<\/p>\nMueller takes his look at the Minnesota town ball experience one step further, exploring the communities that support these teams \u2013 sights to see, places to eat (or drink) and historic events . You can read about places like the Cannon River Winery (Cannon Falls), the Leavenworth Baseball Museum (near New Ulm), King\u2019s Bar and Grill (Miesville), Fagen Fighters World War II Museum (Granite Falls); and much, much more. \u00a0Again, with entertaining prose and plenty of photos.<\/p>\n
There are also stories (and, of course, more photos) of some of Minnesota town ball\u2019s most revered players and fans.\u00a0 There is, for example, a section on Dana Kiecker, who pitched for the town ball Fairfax Cardinals in his teen years, made it all the way to the mound for the Boston Red Sox in the 1990 American League Championship Series, and was back in town ball with the Dundas Dukes in his thirties.\u00a0 And, there\u2019s the tale of Joe Driscoll, who started his town ball playing career in the late 1960\u2019s (at the age of 16, for the Le Sueur Braves) and didn\u2019t hang up his cleats until 45 years, a handful of teams, six state championships (he was the winning pitcher in four championship games), and more than 1,200 town ball games later. \u00a0And, I hate to be repetitive, much, much more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn New Ulm, there\u2019s a clich\u00e9 that you\u2019re born with a pair of spikes on your feet.\u00a0 When I was playing, there was an attitude in our community; we go out, we play baseball, we compete and we win. This is what we do.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Terry Steinbach \u2013 From Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/span><\/p>\nSteinbach was \u00a0a 14-season major leaguer, three-time AL All Star, 1989 World Series Champion \u2013 and former member of the New Ulm <\/span>Kaiserhoff town ball team and MVP of the 1980 Class B MBA (town ball) Championship tournament.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFinally, like any good baseball book, Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em> includes some noteworthy trivia \u2013 like the story of perhaps the only baseball game delayed due to a fish on the field, a list of Mueller\u2019s 15 favorite Minnesota town ball names (spoiler alert \u2013 Midway Snurdbirds is number one), and the fact baseball has been played in Delano for 119 consecutive years on the community\u2019s Central Park site (now home to the Delano A\u2019s).<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/townball2-300x163.jpg\")
John Burch Park, Cannon Falls – From Town Ball Parks of Minnesota.<\/p><\/div>\n
The 235-page book ends with a special touch of nostalgia. Its final chapter provides readers a look Tink Larson Field in Waseca \u2013 where the 77-year-old grandstand was destroyed (arson) this April. \u00a0Mueller decided to keep the ballpark \u2013 which he terms \u201ctruly one of the gems of Minnesota baseball\u201d \u2013 in the book in honor of its significant place in Minnesota\u2019s baseball heritage.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong> <\/em>is a fitting tribute to our national pastime and \u201cthe love of the game\u201d \u2013 no matter where you are from (but especially if you\u2019re a Minnesotan).\u00a0 Baseball Roundtable recommends you add it to your baseball book collection.\u00a0 I am confident it will provide you, as it has me, with many hours of enjoyment. In fact, I think I may take another look at the chapter on the strangely laid out Don Giesen Field (home of the Union Hill Bull Dogs). BBRT note: Mueller reports Union Hill\u2019s population at 66 and that its largest, and only, employer is the Union Hill Bar.<\/em><\/p>\nTodd Mueller<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nTodd Mueller, a life-long baseball fan, was a marketing and communications executive at a top twenty Minnesota corporation for more than 23 years. This is his first book. Asked about his greatest baseball memories, he replied:<\/span><\/p>\nMy greatest memories were the entire 1987 Twins season and watching Jack Morris refuse to come out of Game 7 in ’91. I’d like to see a fraction of that tenaciousness today. On a nonprofessional note, watching my son Andrew catch for four years at Totino-Grace high school was a great joy.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
BluStone Group \u00a0(2016)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n $32.95<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em><\/span>, on the surface, is a book about Minnesota\u2019s most unique, historic and revered amateur ball parks \u2013 27 of them to be exact. It is, however, much more than that. It is a book about spirit \u2013 the spirit of our national pastime; the spirit of those who pick up the ball, bat and glove for the pure joy of the game; and the spirit of the Minnesota communities that support those players.\u00a0 It\u2019s also, on another level, a book about author Todd Mueller\u2019s love of the game \u2013 an affection that jumps out from the book\u2019s lively prose and more than five hundred photographs. \u00a0From Baseball Roundtable\u2019s perspective, if you have a passion for the national pastime, this book should be on your coffee table (the book shelf is too far away).<\/p>\n \u201cI love the feeling at a town ball game.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit of Americana that is slipping away. As I came to appreciate the care given to these ball parks, my goal became to reveal these venues for the true state treasures they are \u2013 and have been for generations.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Todd Mueller, author of Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 From an interview with BBRT<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you want to write about amateur baseball, Minnesota is a good place to start.\u00a0 As Mueller notes in his book, Minnesota Baseball Association (MBA) officials assert that the state has more amateur (town ball) baseball teams than any other state in the country (296). That gave Mueller a large field of ball parks to work with.\u00a0 He narrowed that field by contacting more than 50 MBA coaches and asking each of them to rate their top five unique town ball ballparks.\u00a0 Then Mueller traveled \u2013 not just to the leading vote getters \u2013 but to every ball park that was mentioned even once. Two-thousand-four-hundred miles, 125-plus ballparks and more than 20,000 photographs later, Mueller had the material for the book.<\/p>\n Richter Field, Granite Falls – from Twon Ball Parks of Minnesota.<\/p><\/div>\n Given all that \u201cprep work,\u201d it\u2019s no surprise Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 like a good center fielder \u2013 covers a lot of ground. \u00a0In this review, I\u2019ll share just a few examples of what you can expect as you make your way across that ground.<\/p>\n Mueller gives readers a look at ballparks ranging in seating capacity from 50 to 3,000 and in design from Minnesota\u2019s first amateur park with artificial turf (Veterans Field, Minnetonka) to a ball park that has no fence line, but rather uses a pair of intersecting County Roads to mark its outfield boundaries (Martin Schmidt Memorial Park, Pearl Lake). Note: In Pearl Lake, if the ball hits the asphalt surface of the road in the air, it\u2019s a home run. If it hits the gravel shoulder and bounces onto or over the asphalt, it\u2019s a ground rule double. Outfielders have to have both feet off the asphalt when making a catch and, if the fielder’s momentum after the catch carries him onto the asphalt, the ball is live.<\/em><\/p>\n Mueller provides a schematic of each park (dimensions included), a history of the park, the team, the community\u2019s involvement in town ball, and photos \u2013 lots of glorious photos<\/em> – of the ball fields, play action, concession stands, uniform jerseys, players and fans.\u00a0 He even rates the restroom facilities at each park (symbolized by one-to-four plungers \u2013 although one park rates only \u00bd plunger) and the concessions (symbolized by one-to-four hot dogs). Only two parks rated \u201cdouble fours:\u201d Minnetonka\u2019s Veterans Field and Jordan\u2019s Mini Met.<\/p>\n Mueller takes his look at the Minnesota town ball experience one step further, exploring the communities that support these teams \u2013 sights to see, places to eat (or drink) and historic events . You can read about places like the Cannon River Winery (Cannon Falls), the Leavenworth Baseball Museum (near New Ulm), King\u2019s Bar and Grill (Miesville), Fagen Fighters World War II Museum (Granite Falls); and much, much more. \u00a0Again, with entertaining prose and plenty of photos.<\/p>\n There are also stories (and, of course, more photos) of some of Minnesota town ball\u2019s most revered players and fans.\u00a0 There is, for example, a section on Dana Kiecker, who pitched for the town ball Fairfax Cardinals in his teen years, made it all the way to the mound for the Boston Red Sox in the 1990 American League Championship Series, and was back in town ball with the Dundas Dukes in his thirties.\u00a0 And, there\u2019s the tale of Joe Driscoll, who started his town ball playing career in the late 1960\u2019s (at the age of 16, for the Le Sueur Braves) and didn\u2019t hang up his cleats until 45 years, a handful of teams, six state championships (he was the winning pitcher in four championship games), and more than 1,200 town ball games later. \u00a0And, I hate to be repetitive, much, much more.<\/p>\n \u201cIn New Ulm, there\u2019s a clich\u00e9 that you\u2019re born with a pair of spikes on your feet.\u00a0 When I was playing, there was an attitude in our community; we go out, we play baseball, we compete and we win. This is what we do.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Terry Steinbach \u2013 From Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/span><\/p>\n Steinbach was \u00a0a 14-season major leaguer, three-time AL All Star, 1989 World Series Champion \u2013 and former member of the New Ulm <\/span>Kaiserhoff town ball team and MVP of the 1980 Class B MBA (town ball) Championship tournament.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Finally, like any good baseball book, Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong><\/em> includes some noteworthy trivia \u2013 like the story of perhaps the only baseball game delayed due to a fish on the field, a list of Mueller\u2019s 15 favorite Minnesota town ball names (spoiler alert \u2013 Midway Snurdbirds is number one), and the fact baseball has been played in Delano for 119 consecutive years on the community\u2019s Central Park site (now home to the Delano A\u2019s).<\/p>\n John Burch Park, Cannon Falls – From Town Ball Parks of Minnesota.<\/p><\/div>\n The 235-page book ends with a special touch of nostalgia. Its final chapter provides readers a look Tink Larson Field in Waseca \u2013 where the 77-year-old grandstand was destroyed (arson) this April. \u00a0Mueller decided to keep the ballpark \u2013 which he terms \u201ctruly one of the gems of Minnesota baseball\u201d \u2013 in the book in honor of its significant place in Minnesota\u2019s baseball heritage.<\/p>\n Ultimately, Town Ball Parks of Minnesota<\/strong> <\/em>is a fitting tribute to our national pastime and \u201cthe love of the game\u201d \u2013 no matter where you are from (but especially if you\u2019re a Minnesotan).\u00a0 Baseball Roundtable recommends you add it to your baseball book collection.\u00a0 I am confident it will provide you, as it has me, with many hours of enjoyment. In fact, I think I may take another look at the chapter on the strangely laid out Don Giesen Field (home of the Union Hill Bull Dogs). BBRT note: Mueller reports Union Hill\u2019s population at 66 and that its largest, and only, employer is the Union Hill Bar.<\/em><\/p>\n Todd Mueller<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Todd Mueller, a life-long baseball fan, was a marketing and communications executive at a top twenty Minnesota corporation for more than 23 years. This is his first book. Asked about his greatest baseball memories, he replied:<\/span><\/p>\n My greatest memories were the entire 1987 Twins season and watching Jack Morris refuse to come out of Game 7 in ’91. I’d like to see a fraction of that tenaciousness today. On a nonprofessional note, watching my son Andrew catch for four years at Totino-Grace high school was a great joy.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n