I would like to take you all back to a moment in history that has been all but forgotten about the Chehalis/Centralia area. An event took place that made me glad that I selected this area to make my home. They say that it’s the people that make a nice place to live. No greater example of this is found than in this story. I was there.
It was August 1956. Baseball was king. It was the era of Willie, Mickey and the Duke (Famous baseball players of the time). The Northwest Regional Babe Ruth baseball, tournament scheduled for Cheyenne, Wyo., had to be scuttled because of a railway strike there. No one could easily get there. Officials had to scurry to find a place to hold the tournament. Did they select Seattle, Portland or Spokane? No, they chose Chehalis.
With two days notice, the people of Centralia and Chehalis provided housing for 105 players and coaches. The people of the Twin Cities furnished beds, food and transportation for the players and the coaches. It was a remarkable time!
Also, the scoreboard had to be electrified and bleachers were hastily erected. The fences had to be burlapped to prevent the cheapskates from getting a view of Millet Field. My mother eagerly volunteered our home but wanted players only from Canada because they talked funny.
Altogether, there were teams from five states and two provinces. They were Aberdeen; Portland; Wallace, Idaho; Billings, Mont.; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Victoria, British Columbia; and Lethbridge, Alberta.
The teams from Alberta and Wyoming stayed in Centralia. George Lohr was in charge of arrangements. The teams had their workouts at Fort Borst Park. Chehalis hosted Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. They practiced at the high school field. Chamber secretary Katherine Jacox was in charge of the accommodations. The Portland team stayed at the St. Helens Hotel and poor Aberdeen had to commute.
The entire tournament was held at Millet Field in Chehalis. Millet Field was the only ballpark that I knew where you could hit a fair ball over the fence and not get a home run. One hundred yards beyond the centerfield fence was a swamp. It housed the fattest, most fierce looking garter snakes I have ever seen.
It also was home to mosquitoes large enough to carry small pebbles. They liked to quench their thirst upon players and fans alike during games. And who could forget the pungent odor of creosote that permeated the air from a nearby mill? We later found out that this stuff was toxic to humans. In spite of all this, the games went on.
All of these accomplishments came from a hard-working group of Chehalis Babe Ruth League enthusiasts. Jim Vander Stoep was in charge of parking and Tad Dowling was in charge of the Thursday night banquet. The Chehalis Elks club hosted a festive feast for all players and coaches, complete with a featured speaker. Other folks who helped with the tournament were Roger Paul, Louis Pemerl, Don Ward, Carl Adolphsen, Stan Hedwall, Don Folwell, Bill Tilton, Don Younghans and Don Williams.
Things to note about the week:
1. Players were given free passes to bowl or go to the movies.
2. The Washington team (Aberdeen) did very well and reached the finals against Portland. In one game they hit five home runs!
3. Portland won the tournament. They had a pitcher named Mickey Lolich. He later pitched for the Detroit Tigers for many years. I got to see him pitch here. In 1956, he was named the Outstanding Player for his performance at the Babe Ruth World Series in Austin, Texas. At 14 years old, he pitched 12 innings against the team that eventually won the World Series.
4. This event was selected as the top local sports story by The Daily Chronicle for 1956.
As our community travels well into the 21st century, I wonder if we could ever accomplish something like this today. For a small town to achieve successfully a project of this magnitude in such a short time was exceptional.
There are not too many people alive who were present to recall these events. At the time it took place, we thought nothing of it. But, looking back, it seems like a very extraordinary happening.
