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 won the Class 'C' Championship in 1994 behind MVP Barry Wohler, and were runners-up in 1948, 1952, and 1991. Other trips to the state tournament for "BP" came in 1930, 1992 (3rd), 1993, 1995, 2001, 2007, 2008 and 2010. Belle Plaine has Host/Co-Hosted the State Tournament in 1966, 1981, 1992, and 2004, and will co-host again in 2014 with Jordan and Le Sueur.
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
(Photo courtesy of Tom Melchior.)
1992 State Tournament Team
1993 State Tournament Team
1995 State Tournament Team
2001 State Tournament Team
2007 State Tournament Team
2008 State Tournament Team
2010 State Tournament Team
