Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

50 years ago: 1970

• Ed Stalker was named head baseball coach for the Albert Lea Tigers, replacing Donald Buhr. Stalker played baseball in the Southern Minny League from 1957 to 1961, including coaching the Albert Lea entrant in 1960. Stalker had been the head baseball coach in Glenville from 1956 to 1964.

• It was announced that World Series champion Tom Seaver was starting an exclusive baseball column that would appear in the Albert Lea Tribune every week through the 1970 season.

• Led by Roy Fleming’s four goals and Greg Foss’ three, the Albert Lea Shrimp all-star hockey team defeated Pearl Park 14-0 at Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington. The team was sponsored by the Skyline Mall Merchants.

 

25 years ago: 1995

• After finishing a 17-5 season that placed his team third in the Big Nine Conference and saw five of his wrestlers go to the state tournament, Albert Lea wrestling coach Larry Goodnature was named the Albert Lea Tribune Wrestling Coach of the Year.

• Isaiah Rider scored 33 points and Christian Laettner added 24 as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-103 at Target Center.

• Albert Lea’s Mollee Ludtke, a member of the women’s track and field team at Concordia College in Moorhead, won the 600-meter, placed second in the 800-meter and was part of the winning 4×400 relay team at the MIAC conference meet.

 

10 years ago: 2010

• In the first round of Section 1AAA boys’ basketball, the Albert Lea Tigers were defeated by New Prague 67-45. Damian Montes led the Tigers with 19 points with Colby Strilaeff adding nine.

• Tests on Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan’s elbow showed a significant tear to his ulnar collateral ligament that would require him to have season-ending Tommy John surgery.

• In the Class 1A west sub-section semi-final game at Mayo Civic Center, Glenville-Emmons fell to Goodhue 69-45. Peter Hansen led the scoring with 11 points and Derek Sanderson added 10 for the Wolverines, who finished 18-7 on the year.

 

This year

• Parker Mullenbach, a senior infielder for Bethel University and a 2016 graduate of Albert Lea High School, is leading the Royals through six games with a .438 average. Jake Thompson, an infielder for Oklahoma State and also a 2016 graduate of Albert Lea High School, is hitting .326 for the Cowboys through 12 games.