LITTLE LEAGUE

The following was published in a St. Louis Park Dispatch Baseball Extra in April 1959:

ORGANIZED LITTLE, BABE RUTH BASEBALL LEAGUES
IN PARK GROW RAPIDLY SINCE
BEGINNING IN 1951

Little League baseball was introduced in St. Louis Park in 1951. The program was first developed in Williamsport, Pa., in 1939…. Carl Hensel and Tup Way read of the program and called a meeting of representatives from St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Edina and the Minnetonka area. Shorty Dale and Lou Johnson attended as Park representatives and from this meeting the first Little League in Minnesota was formulated. These four areas agreed to form a team in each of these suburbs which made up the Suburban Little League of Minnesota.

"Shorty" Dale of the Park was instrumental in helping form the first Park Little League team and helped obtain Skippy Peanut Butter Co. as the team sponsor.

This League operated in 1951 and 1952 with a team from each of these suburbs. Lou Johnson was obtained as the Park coach and the team was called "Skippy" after their sponsor.

All games were played at the Hopkins playground area the first year. After the first season, the League started looking for a field of its own and "Shorty" Dale was again instrumental in helping to obtain the use of the land that is now known as Skippy field. This land was leased from the village and the Recreation Department. Shorty was again the main cog when he persuaded Jack Kuehn of Skippy Peanut Butter to sponsor the building of a Little League Field. The field was named Skppy Field in honor of its sponsor and was completed in 1952. The League played its games at Skippy in 1952 and 1953. At the end of the 1953 season the representatives of the League met and it was decided that each of the suburbs would start a League of four teams in order to take care of the boys that wanted to play ball.

St. Louis Park Little League was then formed in 1954 with Don Tuthill as President, Shorty Dale, Bob Sorenson and Bill Miller as vice-presidents. Ron Berthe was secretary and Walt Robilliard, treasurer. The Park League expanded to eight teams in 1955 and again the need was seen for more playing facilities. Again Shorty was instrumental in obtaining land from the village, and the C and C Realty Co. was obtained as a field sponsor for a new Little League field to be known as the C and C Fields. The two Leagues operated with four teams each during 1955 and expanded to six teams each during 1956.

The program was again expanded in 1956 with the formation of the Babe Ruth League for boys aging 13, 14 and 15 years old. The village and be Recreation Department again cooperated by leasing the land that is now known as the Acme Babe Ruth Field. The field was built with material given the league by the Acme Stone and Lumber Co. whence came the name Acme. The Babe Ruth League operated with six teams in 1956 and eight teams in 1957. In 1958, the Babe Ruth League operated with two Leagues under multiple management. There were six teams in the Southern League and four teams in the Northern League.

Early in 1959, land was again obtained from the city and the Recreation Department for a new Babe Ruth field to be located at the intersection of Louisiana and Cedar Lake Road.

At the present time there is a new league under consideration for boys that graduate from the Babe Ruth program. This league, to be known as the Connie Mack League, would have one team from each of the suburbs that formulate the League and take care of the boys who don’t make the American Legion teams.

Also see Sports in the Park

and Skippy Field, From the Re-Echo
 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.