<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0sMSkD_0n8SUn6K00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0sMSkD_0n8SUn6K00" width="1440" height="1080" > July 10, 2023 will be the 50th anniversary of Caledonia's 1972 American Legion baseball team placing fourth at State in its One Class American Legion Tournament. On the day, a reunion will be held for the team, with appearances by key players like Steve “Babe” Fink, Caledonia’s Tom Stark and Legion Coach Dana Fink, son of the legendary late Harris “Shooky” Fink of New Albin. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> “It was an intense tournament. We played a lot of games,” said Stark. “We had this dynamic game against a team in Winona to actually get into state. There was a lot of give and take between coaches. It was a lot of fun.” Current Legion members are to host Adams at the Ballpark on July 10. The game starts at 6 p.m. The 1972 team plans to participate in a social get together at The Legion Club after. All players and staff from the State win are welcomed and encouraged to join in the celebration. “It was a great group of guys,” said Stark. “[State] was a good way to end the summer.” Stark is the son of the late, long-time Caledonia baseball coach Bob Stark and was Steve's college teammate all four years at Luther. Steve was inducted into the Luther College Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Iowa Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2019. He was the strikeout leader in the Iowa Conference, averaging 11 strikeouts a game and had a 0.50 ERA coming into district play. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> The following players, in addition to Fink and Stark, were great contributors to the 1972 team and its success: Dave Darling, Jay Darling, Mike Bently, Gary Holty, Doug Bulman, Kris Ballard, Bob Conway, Dave Otterson, Tom Gensmer, Gary Birkland and Mike Sherburne. “It was kind of a unique situation because the players were from different towns. I grew up in New Albin, Iowa,” said Fink. “We had four players from there and a couple from Spring Grove, one from Houston. We got together and formed a team. We had a lot of talent and we were very competitive. We all enjoyed playing the game, so it made for a good summer.” The 1972 pitching staff was led by “Babe,” Gary Birkland and Mike Sherburne, all of whom won key Games throughout the District and State Tournaments. Babe beat Winona twice, winning the District in its double elimination, whereas Sherburne shut out the perennial Austin favorite 2-0 on a 4 hitter. Birkland also got the win over a highly touted New Ulm Legion Team at State. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> In the state tournament, making it to the Final Four, Sherburne and Fink combined to beat Brainerd, 4-2. Brainerd was loaded with the likes of Wayne Caughey, who played in the Twins Minor League Organization in the Triple A League for 8 Years. Final state rankings in 1972 were as follows: first place, Richfield (Minneapolis); second place, Moorhead; third place, Duluth; fourth place, Caledonia. In addition to the 1972 team reunion on July 10, Caledonia Legion Baseball will also be hosting an alumni night on June 30. The event starts at 7 p.m. and will take place at the city field. <nbtemplate data-content="eyJhcGlLZXkiOiAiZDgxM2Q5Yzg3NTI3N2IzNWU0YzRmZDM0NTAyMjJkNmQiLCAiZGVzY3JpcHRpb24iOiAiU3Vic2NyaWJlIHRvIFRoZSBDYWxlZG9uaWEgQXJndXMiLCAiZXZlbnQiOiAibXBfc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uX2J1dHRvbl9jbGlja19ldmVudCIsICJ1cmwiOiAiaHR0cHM6Ly9hcGcwNC5uZXd6d2FyZS5jb20vc3M3MHYyL2VjbS9jb21tb24vdGVtcGxhdGUuanNwP3NraW49c3ZoJmluaXQ9c3RhcnQmaW5pdEVkaXRpb249Q0FBIiwgIm1lZGlhSWQiOiAxNTkzMjg3LCAidGl0bGUiOiAiMTk3MiBDYWxlZG9uaWEgTGVnaW9uIGJhc2ViYWxsIGNlbGVicmF0ZXMgYW5uaXZlcnNhcnkifQ==" data-id="MediaPlatformAmplitudeButton"></nbtemplate></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

July 10, 2023 will be the 50th anniversary of Caledonia's 1972 American Legion baseball team placing fourth at State in its One Class American Legion Tournament.
                On the day, a reunion will be held for the team, with appearances by key players like Steve “Babe” Fink, Caledonia’s Tom Stark and Legion Coach Dana Fink, son of the legendary late Harris “Shooky” Fink of New Albin.
                “It was an intense tournament....