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Mayer Blazers Building For The Future
Just two short summers ago, the Mayer Blazers were one game away from advancing to the Class C state amateur baseball tournament.
In the deciding game of the Region 7C tournament in Norwood in 2006, the Blazers fell to the Winsted Wildcats.
In 2006, the Blazers upset the Glencoe Brewers in their playoff series to advance to the region tourney, then topped Plato in the opening game of the regions to get tantalizing close to state.
However, Mayer dropped their next two games in regions, falling just short.
Since that special 2006 run, the Blazers have gone through numerous changes on the field.
Over the past season-plus, Mayer has lost six regulars, either via changing teams, or just moving out of the area.
The Blazers also lost their manager, as long-time skipper Harley Baumann announced his retirement this past winter.
With Baumann out, John Haller stepped in.
The father of two of the regulars – Nic Haller and Nate Haller, John has an extensive knowledge of the game.
But his first challenge has been restocking a roster that is going through a transition with a number of key losses.
While the roster may not be deep, the Blazers do have some very nice talent, with Nic Haller leading the way.
Nic is one of the stronger hitters in the Crow River Valley League, and pitches, catches, plays first, and will play pretty much any position the Blazers need him at.
Another staple for the Blazers for the past several years is Joe Berrios, who plays the corner infield spots.
The remainder of the roster is young and inexperienced, but does have talent, it will just take some time for it to all come together.
It will take time and patience for the Blazers to get back to the lofty heights they reached in 2006, but with a solid core, and just a few key additions over the next couple of years, it may not take all too long.
The start of Mayer baseball
Ball playing in Mayer has a history that goes back nearly 100 years, and has always been strongly supported by the community.
On April 10, 1906, the village council passed a motion to rent four lots owned by the village called Thomas Slough, to be used for ball purposes.
Council support of the game continued in 1914, when it furnished the ball players with a canvas. At this time, the village received 10 percent of the gate receipts.
The Mayer Baseball Club was organized in the depression years of the early 1930s.
There had been talk of having baseball in Mayer for years before. There were problems to overcome, however, such as there was no park to play on, and only three players from the Mayer area who played with the Young America team. Those players were Raymond and John Bleedorn, and Omar Hill.
In 1934 the city council, with the encouragement of the community, purchased three-plus acres of land from the Haueters. This land was located between Zion Lutheran School, and the Mayer Public School buildings.
Much work had to be done to make this area playable. The land needed a lot of fill, and much leveling.
All of this material and leveling was done by volunteers. Businessmen and farmers all pitched in to do their share.
Late in the fall of 1934 the field had been leveled and grass seeded. That fall the first baseball game was played.
A team of all-stars from neighboring towns banded together and challenged the Minneapolis Millers Barn Storming team of the American Association.
Some members of the area all-stars were: Harry Zellmann, Lenny Brawnworth, Ray Bleedorn, John Bleedorn, Walter Wagner, and Barny Wagner just to name a few.
The Mayer Baseball team started league play in 1935. The competition was tough, and the talent was somewhat lacking, as some of the players had never played a game of baseball; and yes, some had never owned a baseball glove or baseball shoes.
By the late 1930s, the team got to be very competitive. Pitchers like Fifty Dela Hunt, Charlie Johnson, Einar Erickson, and Jessie Schwartz were some of the hired players, who were paid about $25 per game.
In 1939, the team quit hiring pitchers and Omar Hill was the regular from then through the early 1940s.
A strong tradition
Prior to the 2006 season, the Mayer Blazers had already established itself with a long and storied tradition of strong baseball in the Crow River Valley League.
Going back to 1943, the Mayer Blazers have made seven state tournament appearances.
Their strongest state tournament showings came in 1973, when they finished third.
Members of the 1973 state tournament Mayer team were: John Hoese and Randy Hoese, bat boys; Martin Rolf, Brad Wroge, Jim Henning, Harlan Baumann, Kevin Florek, Dale Hoeft, Bob Vinkemeier, Bill Stein, Ron Lehrke, Dave Lenz, Lowell Heldt, Dave Hoese, Darryl Gieselmann, Mark Meschke, Courtney Meyer, Mark Wabbe; Bob Schafer, statistician; and Ed Hoese, manager.
In 1945, Mayer took home second place honors in the Class A state tournament.
The members of that Mayer Blazers team were: Douglas Lenz, bat boy; Dave Gongoll, Harold Boehner, Ed Hoese, Charles Sell, Virgil Belter, Orville Koehler, Earl Gongoll, Martin Hoeft, Stanford Lenz, Harold Kuntz, Martin Rolf, Oscar Rolf, Ray Bleedorn, Gordon Hoese, Wilford Hasse, Douglas Dibb, Bob Karels, Raymond Kuntz, and Harold Kusske, manager.
The Blazers had a little bit of a drought throughout the 1980s, but were back and stronger than ever in the early 1990s, making three state tournament appearances – 1991, 1992, and 1995.
Hall of Famers
In 1976, Clarence Guetzkow was elected to the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition of his tireless allegiance to Mayer Baseball, the Crow River Valley League, and Minnesota Amateur Baseball as a whole.
Guetzkow is the lone member of the Hall of Fame from Mayer.
Odds and ends
• In 1974, Mayer, who in the off-season donned the nickname Blazers, earned their second trip to the state classic in as many years, but they bowed out in the opening round to the Winona Merchants 5-2 in St. Cloud.
• On Sept. 13, 1950, Mayer draftee Ed Hoese pitched Lester Prairie to a 5-0 win over Bloomington in the second round of the state tourney, in which they won the Class B title.
• In 1967, Bill Stein pitched the only no-hitter in Mayer history. It was a seven-inning gem in the first game of a twin bill against Norwood.
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