Recognizing the many accomplishments of Ed Pufall, an Ashland sports all-time great whose lifelong engagement with the local sports community was recognized most through his nearly five decades of devotion to the Ashland Merchants baseball team, is no easy feat. A 1972 Ashland High School graduate and multi-sport standout who recently passed away at the age of 70, Pufall was a fixture in a Bay Area sports community who knew his decorated past well. Although scores of athletes and fans could swap stories about him, three who were particularly close to Pufall describe their experiences with him; perhaps adding to the legacy of a generational talent whose athletic career was cut short, but whose life accomplishments continued on.
Former Ashland baseball player Bobby Tyndall once excelled on the field for the Oredockers, and he recalled joining a stacked Ashland Merchants roster while just a junior in high school — then fine tuning his skills under the direction of Pufall.
“I grew up in Ashland and played ball my entire life in town,” Tyndall reflected. “I played for the Oredockers, then played college ball for Ridgewater, Minn., and UW-Superior. I would watch the Merchants when I was younger and the passion that I saw going to those games made it exciting and intimidating when I later became a Merchant. I knew very little about Ed before joining the squad but it was clear that these guys wanted to win. Ed taught me about playing with patience, enjoying camaraderie, earning your spot, and most importantly how to be a family man. Whenever I would visit with him, the first thing he would ask is: ‘How’s your family; how are the kids?’ “
Despite two consecutive trips to state with the Oredockers, Tyndall recalled feeling that he had much to prove when he joined the Merchants — then a team so talented that Pufall only used him as a pitcher while Tyndall played collegiately — in part because Pufall wanted to protect the younger hurler from injury. During his 17 years of playing for Pufall, Tyndall estimated the Merchants won no less than seven Upper 13 League titles, and made the WBA playoffs 15 times. A credit to Pufall, according to Tyndall.
“Ed’s perseverance, personality, and dedication to providing us a team and an opportunity to play,” he noted, “made us want to run through a brick wall for him. I will never regret going to war for this man and my teammates. It was an epic rollercoaster of emotion and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Fellow Merchant Joey Seeger agreed.
“Ed and I were together for 32 years as coach, player and friends,” Seeger remarked. “His leadership and his knowledge of the game was a huge asset to his players. He was a great coach — caring, patient, and a terrific teacher. He knew his players personally and … helped them if any were going through tough times in their lives.”
Seeger recalled Pufall as a coach who emphasized a team game, and cared little about individual statistics. Preparing for upcoming games was a priority for Pufall, and that preparation may have served the coach in other ways as well — not the least of which was delivering a summer baseball experience with the Ashland Merchants that attracted tens of thousands of fans over Pufall’s many years of service to the team.
“All in all,” Seeger said, “ Ed Pufall kept baseball in Ashland alive for 50 years. He was a big part of people’s lives — including mine. He was one of the good ones.”
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