Belle Plaine Tigers Amateur Baseball Site

History of Belle Plaine Tiger Baseball

Orgainized baseball began in Belle Plaine in 1885 and the tradition continues today at Tiger Park. The Tigers have had five inductees into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame: Fred Keup Sr. (1966), Joe Hahn (1982), Omy Hahn (1984), Gene O'Brien (1994), and Gerry "Mize" Meyer (1997).

The Tigers made the State Tournament in 2001 and in recent history made five consecutive trips from 1991-95. "BP" was Class "C" Runner-up in 1991 and won the Class "C" Championship in 1994 behind MVP Barry Wohler. The Tigers were also runners-up in the 1948 & 1952 Class "A" State Tournaments. Belle Plaine has Host/Co-Hosted the State Tournament in 1966, 1981, 1992 and most recently in 2004.

1994 Class 'C' State Champions

1991 Class 'C' State Champion Runners Up

1952 Class 'A' State Champion Runners Up

1952 Belle Plaine State Tournament team, which lost to Cannon Falls 5-4 in the Class A championship game. Back row: Bob “Minnow Meyer, George Bodmer, Paul Keup, Norb Schmitt, Jim Pollard (Jordan draftee), Jack O’Brien, Lloyd Schultz, Fred Keup, Jr., Gene O’Brien, manager. Front row: Pete Johnson, Fred Schultz, Jerry Miller, Baldy Hartkoff (Jordan draftee), Jim Geske (New Prague draftee), Rollie Seltz. Bat Boys: Paul Johnson, Greg Engfer. Pollard was a four-time NBA all-star for the Minneapolis Lakers and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978. (Photo courtesy of Tom Melchior.)

1948 Class 'A' State Champion Runners Up

1948Tigers
(Photo courtesy of Tom Melchior.)