In 2022 I self-published Principal Park: A diamond in the rough. It covers the history of professional baseball at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. Three ballparks have hosted Des Moines minor-league teams at that location: Pioneer Memorial Stadium, Sec Taylor Stadium, and present-day Principal Park.
Pat Deluhery looks back at his political career and the “golden age of Democratic Party activism” with giants such as Harold Hughes, Bobby Kennedy and John F. Kennedy. His academic experiences at the University of Notre Dame and London School of Economics come to life in this overview of the Irish Catholic experience and Iowa in the 20th century. The book is available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Walmart.com.An e-book version is available now, too.
Some of my best columns in thirty years of newspaper reporting and editing are included in “What a Ride.” My first book covers family, personalities, politics and sports. Personalities include opera singer and native Iowan Simon Estes, Fred Rogers and baseball Hall of Famer Ernie Banks. For a copy, contact me at supercub48@gmail.com.
Although he was overshadowed by four future Hall of Famers on the same team, shortstop Don Kessinger played an integral role on the pennant-contending Chicago Cub squads of the late 1960s and early 1970s. For more go tohttps://sabr.org/bioproj/person/don-kessinger/.
George Henry “Joe” Decker Jr. compiled a 36-44 record over nine seasons as a pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners. For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/joe-decker/.
When he was growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Kevin Tapani didn’t expect to be playing major-league baseball someday. For more go tohttps://sabr.org/bioproj/person/kevin-tapani/.
Chicago Cub rookie Kerry Wood had an auspicious start in 1998 when he struck out 20 Houston Astros in only his fifth major league appearance. Despite spending 14 times on the disabled list, the Texas native finished his 14-year MLB career as one of the more popular players in Cubs history. For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/kerry-wood/.
After a sensational rookie season in 1918, Cubs shortstop Charlie Hollocher was compared to Honus Wagner and Rogers Hornsby. By 1925, however, he was out of major league baseball due to mysterious health reasons. Fifteen years later, he was found dead near his hometown, an apparent suicide victim.For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/charlie-hollocher/.
Illinois native Del Howard was a key reserve on the world champion Chicago Cubs in 1907 and 1908 after starting his Major League Baseball career with the Boston Bean Eaters and Pittsburgh Pirates. Afterwards, he managed and played in the minor leagues with Louisville, St. Paul and Oakland. He also became a part owner of the Oakland club in the Pacific Coast League. For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/del-howard/.
Sioux City native Eldred “Salty” Saltwell spent 55 years of his life in professional baseball in a front office capacity. Overall, he was part of the Chicago Cubs organization for 50 years including one year and two months as general manager. For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/salty-saltwell/.
Rookie third baseman Ron Santo sparked the slumping Chicago Cubs to a doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field on June 26, 1960. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the opener and 1-for-3 with two RBIs in the second game. Santo finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting that year and was eventually elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012. For more go to https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-26-1960-ron-santo-makes-auspicious-debut-for-last-place-cubs/.
Billy Williams (above) and Ferguson Jenkins reached personal milestones when the Chicago Cubs defeated the Montreal Expos in the first game of a doubleheader in Montreal on September 18, 1970.Williams hit his 40th home run of the season in the first inning of the Cubs’ 3-2 victory at Parc Jarry. Jenkins upped his record to 20-15, allowing only five hits and striking out seven in hurling a complete game. For more, go tohttps://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-18-1970-billy-williams-ferguson-jenkins-reach-milestones-in-win-over-expos/.
The Iowa Genealogical Society has published my story about W.G. Dunn of Clarinda, Iowa, in its spring edition of Hawkeye Heritage. W.G. was my paternal grandfather who was an inventor, manufacturer and civic leader. Two of his more well-known inventions were wind chargers, which provided power in rural areas before the Tennessee Valley Authority was established, and training rifles, which were used by thousands of recruits in World War II. At the time of his death in 1968, W.G. had 45 patents, including his last one in 1961 for a camel saddle seat.He also had a design patent for a combined golf course sign and rack and two registered trade marks for a luggage carrier and an awning.
Although Bill Faul had a modest six-year major-league career with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, and San Francisco Giants, he gave the country’s baseball scribes plenty to write about with his use of self-hypnosis.For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bill-faul/.
Hitting cleanup for the first time in 1929, Chicago Cubs slugger Hack Wilson sparked his team’s 13-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals with two home runs, including a grand slam in the fifth inning, on June 18, 1929. Wilson also had 27- and 20-game hitting streaks that season as the Cubs captured their first National League pennant since 1918. For more go to https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-18-1929-hack-wilsons-two-homers-lift-cubs-past-cardinals/.
Once described as a “a stocky mild-mannered man who cut his teeth on a baseball bat,” John Holland spent 30 years in professional baseball as a front office executive for the Chicago Cubs at the minor- and major-league levels. Heworked for the Des Moines Bruins from November 1947 to October 11, 1956.For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/john-holland-2/.The Johnston Public Library displayed about 20 of my best photos last month (January 2023). It was the second photo exhibition I’ve had. The photos were taken in central Iowa; many along bike trails.My photo of the Iowa Capitol on a cold winter’s night received honorable mention in the 2022 Keep Iowa Beautiful photo contest.Nearly 700 entries were submitted from throughout the state. There were five categories. My Iowa Capitol entry was in the “Iowa Cities” category.
Tennessee native Jim Hickman played on one of the worst teams in major-league baseball history (the expansion New York Mets who lost 120 games in 1962), But he had the winning hit in the MLB All-Star Game eight years later as a member of the Chicago Cubs.For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-hickman-2/.
The fall issue of the Windmiller’s Gazette includes an article about my grandfather, W.G. Dunn. The Parris-Dunn Corporation in Clarinda “developed a wind generator rotor system in 1936 that would ‘slip the wind.’ This clever marketing tool referred to the entire wind generator pivoting backward at a hinge on the top of the tower to reduce blade exposure to increasing wind velocities,” the article says.“This turbulence frequently fractured the lightweight, wooden blades on competing machines.” The article was written by Michael Werst and Christopher Gillis.
A backup first baseman/outfielder and pinch-hitter for most of his major-league career, Jim Marshall managed the Chicago Cubs in the mid-1970s. The former high school baseball and basketball standout in California also played in Japan for three seasons.For more go to https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-marshall/.
Pitcher Sam “Toothpick” Jones and four other Black players led the Chicago Cubsto a 12-1 victory over the Cincinnati Redlegs at Wrigley Field on April 20, 1956.Jones, Ernie Banks, Gene Baker, Monte Irvin and Solly Drake combined for10 hits in 19 at-bats. including two home runs, four doubles and seven RBIs. Jones, a 20-game loser in 1955, tossed a four-hitter and went 2-for-3 at the plate. Ernie Banks hit a two-run homer in the first inning — the 66th of his Hall of Fame career with the Cubs. Cincinnati’s Frank Robinson scored his team’s only run after doubling in the ninth and scoring on a single by Ed Bailey. Robinson went on to win the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1956. For more about the game, go to https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-20-1956-banks-irvin-jones-lead-cubs-to-home-opener-win/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1VLPBPSlTK4S4wY1ME3kja2E1cFnenBbccfY3ahPyO22U37z8LQMCtrgw_aem_o_AJaiGrcezvV8fkwPiYDw.Quincy, Illinois native Elvin “El” Tappeworked 28 years for the Chicago Cubs as a player, major-league coach, minor-league manager and scout. For more about the fan favorite, see my bio of Tappe on the SABR website at https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/el-tappe/.
Steve Dunn