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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

10 years

• The Albert Lea American Legion Post 56 baseball team saw their seven-run rally in the seventh inning fall short as they were defeated by Rochester 12-10 at Hayek Field. With the loss, Jay Enderson’s team stood at 5-5 on the season.
• The Minnesota Wild signed former left winger Thomas Vanek to a three-year, $19.5 million contract. Vanek had played collegiately at the University of Minnesota.
• Albert Lea’s Megan Kortan, Taylor Thompson, Haley Harms and Lynzee Underdahl were named to the first team of the Albert Lea Tribune’s All-Area Softball Team. NRHEG’s Hannah Lundberg and Jade Schultz were named Co-Players of the Year.
• Shane Taylor hit a hole-in-one at the Oak View Golf Club on the 171-yard par-three eighth hole.

20 years

• As part of the Minnesota Twins’ second annual Armed Services Appreciation Day, the team was handing out G.I. Joe figures to the first 5,000 children who came through the gate in a game being played with the Kansas City Royals.
• Nate Lombardi, Zach Marty and Corey Ellertson scored goals to lead the Albert Lea Elks U-17 boys’ soccer team to a 3-2 win over Burnsville.
• Dodge Center defeated the Glenville-Emmons American Legion baseball team 6-4 in eight innings in a game played at Emmons. Alex Hansen took the tough loss as he pitched all eight innings, striking out seven and giving up seven hits.
• Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Latrell Sprewell exercised his option to stay in Minnesota when he signed a one-year $14.625 contract for the upcoming season.

50 years

• The Minnesota Twins announced they would be having a beer night at Metropolitan Stadium when the Twins were hosting Cleveland in an upcoming game. Adult fans would be given two tickets to purchase nickel beer.
• The Albert Lea rugby team was hosting a match with Faribault that was being played at Brookside Junior High School.
• The Albert Lea American Legion “A” baseball team struck out 14 times in a 3-1 loss to Rochester. Pinch-runner Dave Dahl scored Albert Lea’s only run after Scott Christenson reached on an error.
• Con’s Sporting Goods on East Clark Street was advertising All-Star Pro Baseball Gloves were on sale at 20 percent off.
• Doug Remy hit a grand slam to lead the Post Office to a 5-2 win over Security Insurance in YMCA Little League baseball play.
• Jeran Domes took first place in the long jump and 100-yard dash in the girls’ 11-12 age group with the Albert Lea track and field team, who were competing in Rochester. Mark Blong took home first in the pole vault for boys’ 11-12.
• Patti Haugen, Susan Keating, Angela Keating, Stacey Furness, Scott Furness, Ray Keating, Steve Furness and John Keating all represented Albert Lea at a youth swimming meet held in Ames, Iowa.
• Rod Carew was leading the American League with a .396 batting average while Ralph Garr led the National League at .368. Carew also led the junior circuit with 103 hits.

A look back

Last week I had dinner in town with 1949 Albert Lea High School graduate Jean Duke, daughter of Dr. Harley Kaplan, who was a member of the 1919 Albert Lea High School state basketball championship team. One of the highlights of that season was a game with Austin, who took a chartered train with 200 fans to town for the game.