>> ERIC: ON AUGUST 18TH, THE 2023 MINNESOTA STATE AMATEUR BASEBALL TOURNAMENT WILL GET UNDERWAY IN DELANO, LITCHFIELD, AND DASSEL.

THIS IS THE 100TH STRAIGHT YEAR THAT THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE HELD.

IT HAS BEEN PLAYED THROUGH WARS, EPIDEMICS, AND A PANDEMIC.

MINNESOTA IS THE ONLY STATE WITH THIS LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO AMATEUR BASEBALL, OR TOWN BALL AS IT'S KNOWN AROUND HERE.

A NEW PUBLICATION TRACES THE HISTORY OF MINNESOTA TOWN BALL.

IT'S CALLED "THE EARLY YEARS: CELEBRATING MINNESOTA TOWN BALL 1857-1973."

BRIAN LARSON IS THE CO-AUTHOR.

HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MINNESOTA TOWN BALL FOR 48 YEARS.

WHY START WITH 1857?

[ Laughter ] >> WELL, SO ACTUALLY, WAS PLAYED IN MINNESOTA BEFORE WE WERE A STATE.

SO IT'S BEEN HERE.

>> Eric: WHY?

HOW DID IT HAPPEN HERE?

>> YEAH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD, YOU NOW, BASEBALL STARTED ON THE EAST COAST AND IT MOVED ITS WAY WEST, I GUESS WITH PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, SO THERE WAS A MINNEAPOLIS CLUB AND A ST. PAUL CLUB.

AND THEY PLAYED EACH OTHER.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SOON, YOU KNOW, THEY GET TIRED OF PLAYING EACH OTHER, SO THEY WANT TO FIND SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND THIS SPREADS.

YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S HOW IT DID.

AND THEN AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WHEN THE SOLDIERS CAME BACK HOME, THEY NEEDED JOBS.

WELL.

THE RAILROAD WAS EXPANDING OUT IN MINNESOTA.

SO AS THE RAILROAD BUILT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNS STARTED SPRINGING UP BEHIND.

AND THE RAILROAD WORKERS GOT TIRED OF PLAYING BASEBALL WITH EACH OTHER, SO THEN THEY WOULD CHALLENGE THE TOWN TO GET -- THAT WAS BEHIND THEM TO GET, YOU KNOW -- A POT OF MONEY, 15, 25%.

>> Eric: REAL ONEY BACK THEN.

>> Mary: I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME PHOTOS.

THIS REALLY IS ARE IMARKABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE CROWDS.

THIS WAS WELL ATTENDED.

>> YES, IT WAS.

>> Mary: OR MAYBE STILL.

>> MY PARTNER ON THIS, HAD DONE THE HEY-DAY OF TOWN BALL TEAMS WHICH IS 45-60 AND LIKE YOU SAY -- WAS HUGE.

IN 1950, KIND OF AN INTERESTING STORY.

THEY HAD -- IT WAS UP IN ST.

CLOUD, CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

IT HOLDS 3,000 PEOPLE, BUT 5,000 SHOWED UM.

>> Eric: WHERE DID THEY PUT THEM?

>> THEY LET THE PEOPLE STAND AGAINST THE OUTFIELD WALL, INSIDE THE PARK.

AND THEN OF COURSE -- BUT THEY DIDN'T DO ENOUGH, WHAT IF-ING, I WOULD SAY.

IF T WAS IF THE BALL GO -- GROUND RULE DOUBLE.

THE OPPOSING TEAM HIT A FLY BALL, THE FANS WERE OUT.

THEY PARTED LIKE THE RED SEA.

HE GOT IN THERE AND CAUGHT THE BALL.

SO THE UMPIRE SAID OUT.

AND THEN THE OTHER MANAGER SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, WE HAD THIS RULE, WHERE IT'D BE A GROUND RULE DOUBLE.

THEN AFTER A ALF-HOUR DISCUSSION, THEY DECIDED, WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE THIS.

AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE, THEN WE CAN PLAY THE BALL.

>> Eric: ARE THERE PLAYERS FROM THE ERA THAT FOLKS WOULD RECOGNIZE, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUERS AND SO FORTH?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD LIKE TERRY STEIN BACK.

HE MADE IT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES.

AND THEN WE HAD JIM EISENREICH.

MADE IT WITH THE TWINS, BUT HE HAD THAT TOURETTE'S SYNDROME.

HE PLAYED WLT ST.

CLOUD SAINTS.

HIS BROTHER WAS MANAGING THAT TEAM.

AND HE'D SIT IN THE DUGOUT IN THE CORNER AND YOU COULD SEE HE WAS REALLY -- SO INTERESTING, THEY GOT HIS MEDICATION REGULATED AND HE DID GO BACK INTO THE MAJORS.

>> Mary: THERE WAS SOME EARLY INTEGRATION, AND NOT NEGRO LEAGUES BUT HERE IN MINNESOTA, WASN'T THERE?

>> YEAH, WELL, I HAD A MEETING WITH THE ST. PAUL WRITER, BOB SCHAFER.

HE SAID THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER TO PLAY WITH THE TOWN TEAMS WAS '41.

IT WASN'T.

IN MY BOOK I'LL SHOW IN -- THERE WAS LEFTY WILSON, WHO PLAYED.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF TEAMS THAT DID GO AROUND AND THEY DID PLAY ALL THE OTHER TOWNS AND ALL THAT, AND THEY ENJOYED PLAYING THEM.

AND THEY REALLY, YOU KNOW, ENJOYED IT.

SO YEAH.

>> Eric: BRIAN, LARSON, THE EARLY YEARS OF MINNESOTA TOWN BALL.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, GREAT GIFT FOR ANY