Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

50 years ago: 1969

• Bill “Boom Boom” Brown returned to the Minnesota Vikings after being a free agent for 50 days. He signed a one-year contract for a reported $60,000.

• Austin defeated the Albert Lea American Legion baseball team,14-2. Ron Erickson was the losing pitcher for Albert Lea. Barry Oakland, Lynn Hebel, Dan Fahrman, Bill Nelson and Dean Dahl all had hits. The team was coached by Ted Botten.

• The “King and His Court,” featuring Eddie Feigner and his four-man traveling softball team, was set to play an adult all-star softball team at Hayek Park. Feigner’s fastball had been clocked at 104 miles per hour, with his curveball breaking 18 inches and his rise ball climbing 6 inches.

 

25 years ago: 1994

• It was announced that outdoor baseball was a dead issue in Minnesota, according to Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

• The Albert Lea VFW baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Austin 8-5 and 7-2. Andy Dooley and Darin Palmer took the losses for Albert Lea.

• The Albert Lea Eagles’ 15-year-old traveling baseball team took the consolation championship at the Eagan tournament by defeating Shoreview 8-3. Adam Benson and Ryan Long combined for the win.

 

10 years ago: 2009

• Minnesota Wild players Josh Harding and James Sheppard, along with former player Brad Bombadir and radio play-by-play announcer Bob Kurtz, were at Skyline Plaza as part of the Wild Summer Road Tour.

• The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted 18-year-old guard Ricky Rubio as their fifth pick in the NBA draft.

• At the Albert Lea girls’ golf banquet, Kelli Hanson was named Most Valuable, Megan Pulley Most Improved and Taylor Nelson Most Consistent.

 

This year

• Former NRHEG and Minnesota Gophers basketball player Carlie Wagner will be in Albert Lea as part of the Hestad Hoops basketball camp on July 27 at Albert Lea High School. The camp is open to Albert Lea girls’ basketball players and the cost is $50. Fourth through eighth graders will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon and ninth through 12th grade will be 1 to 3:30 p.m. For more information or to register, go to hestedhoops.com.