Submitted photos

There are many notable players from Springfield that participated in the Western and Southern Mini leagues during the 40s and 50s. Warren Potter, Basie Wagner, Alvin Gisvold, Bud Potter and Pete Davidson all have stories to tell.

The recent passing of Bud Grant got me thinking about three extraordinary baseball players from that era who I was lucky enough to know. Eddie Albertson, Norm Wilson and Calvin Ziegenhagen all contributed to the local baseball scene during their peak years as players. Each has a unique and compelling story to share.

Eddie Albertson

Wilson

Drawn from “Legacy of Values” – Written by Herb Shaper from the New Ulm Journal

Ed was my math teacher at Springfield High School in the late 70s. Mr. Albertson had a unique and direct way to get me to listen,” Hey Folsom, if you paid as much attention to math as you do to all the pretty girls you might learn something” This message was sent numerous times during class, didn’t always sink in.

Ed graduated from Sanborn High in 1929. He went to Luther College in Decorah Iowa as a 2-sport athlete excelling in Baseball and Basketball. He dabbled in Football as well which resulted in a season ending knee injury which haunted him from that day forward. After Luther he signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers farm system and traveled with the team from 1934 to 1936. His knee injury finally required surgery which knocked him out of the pro game for good.

Eddie found his way to Springfield after his playing days in Quebec ran their course. The injury was a loss for the Detroit Tigers but a win for the town of Springfield and the students who studied there. He started playing Town Ball as soon as he arrived helping the team succeed from 1943 through the 1953 season. Eddie was a talented short stop and third baseman who could hit consistently with power.

Albertson’s on field contributions were a welcomed addition to the club but his true value came from his leadership skill and approach to teaching young people in the area. He was hired to teach Math/Chemistry/Physics at the high school in 1947. Once settled, it didn’t take long for him to hook up with Al Gizvold as assistant coach for the Tigers baseball team. Ed would eventually manage the legion team, help coach football and basketball, finally serving as the school’s athletic director during the years after 1954.

Ziegenhagen

It is an uncommon gift to have someone like Mr. Albertson in your life. Watching someone selflessly help young people see the future clearly is a rare thing, something that Ed Albertson generously shared with everyone he met.

Norm Wilson

Mark Wilson was a good friend of mine while growing up in Springfield. A recent visit with Mark proved once again that school aged kids can miss knowing they are in the presence of someone special until it’s is often too late. I thought Norm just mowed the grass at Baldy Altermatt Field. That was his calling, that was his contribution, that is his passion. I was wrong, Mark confirmed what I missed, here is a short recap of why Norm makes my top 3.

Born in Bloomfield, Nebraska, Norm was always a talented athlete. After high school, he found himself in the US Navy. He was such a talented player it didn’t take long for the service to place him on a traveling baseball team representing the Navy base in Norman, Oklahoma. Norm had many jobs in the Navy, but his passion was on the field and he excelled at that.

After leaving the service, Norm played pro ball with both AA and AAA level teams. He played for teams in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky with a short stint in Cuba mixed in. When I close my eyes, I can see Norm chatting with Fidel Castro while sharing a shot of rum and a cigar sharing tall tales of baseball games won and lost.

After finishing his travels through the southern states, Norm found his way to Springfield, Minnesota. He was a top performer when he joined the local town team.

Matched up with Eddie Albertson and the rest of the Tigers during the mid to late 40s led to much success on the field. Their combined talent is well documented in the book “Town Ball, The glory days of Minnesota Amateur Baseball” Most notable is a contest labeled “The Game” played on August 4, 1948, in which New Ulm (Class AA Team) beat Springfield (Class A Team) by the score of 9 to 8. This contest went on for 15 innings in front of a paid stadium of 3,853 and determined the winner of the Western Mini pennant that year. Not one fan left that marathon before the final run scored.

Calvin Ziegenhagen

Calvin was a standout performer on the Springfield high school baseball team. The graduating class of 1950 developed tremendous talent, but Calvin delivered results like few players could. His contributions to the game continued long after the glory days of his youth.

After graduating from High School Cal played some baseball while he worked on his dad’s farm near Clements. As he watched some of his classmates get drafted and shipped to unknown parts of the world, he decided to take matters into his own hands by joining the Army in 1953. During those years, Europe was still a big concern for the US which maintained a strong military presence throughout the continent.

Baseball was the sport of choice among members of the service and Germany was where the best talent landed. Calvin was a member of this select group of players who traveled throughout Europe to play the local teams.

As a member of an artillery battalion his squad was named the Gunners for obvious reason. This group of young men were very successful on the field and this story explains why:

Germany based teams were dominant, and this was not by chance. Every army recruit entered the European service through Germany. The best pro and amateur players arrived at a German base and were immediately assigned to a Germany based team. Less talented players were shipped to France or the UK.

It was inevitable that the game scores tilted in favor of German based teams. Famous players like Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Sam Calderone from the Giants and Dick Grout from the Pirates were assigned to German bases, these are the type of guys Calvin found himself competing with and against.

Cal’s military assignment was about as good as the Army had to offer. The team would travel on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday was a game day, Thursday was a day off, Friday was a game day and Saturday would host a doubleheader. Grabbing a little rest or participating in military training on Sunday would start the whole cycle again.

Cal rarely talked about his years in the service, but he did make one promise to himself when he got out, he swore that he would never stand in line again. These two years in Germany improved his strength and baseball skills so his return to Springfield in 1955 was much anticipated. Combine skill on defense with a bat that hit for power, Calvin was well known by all the teams in the Western Minny League.

He moved around during those years, playing for Springfield in ’55, Redwood Falls in ’56 and ’57 and for Milroy for a couple of years as well but eventually the pressure to make a living saw Cal hang up his cleats for good.

When I think about my father-in-law, three things stand out in my mind: He had a very unassuming personality. He was generous to a fault. Cal had biceps as big as tree trunks.

When Cal told me to have Cindy home by 10, I was pulling into the driveway at 9:45 sharp!

I was very fortunate to have been associated with extraordinary individuals like Ed, Norm and Calvin. I consider them friends regardless of our differences in age because of the way they shared their life experience. Much like Bud Grant, these three individuals impacted the lives of everyone, young and old, that they met along the way.