Flashback Friday: 1941 WSL All-Star Preview

The Appleton Papermakers hosted the Wisconsin State League All-Star Game in 1941. This All-Star Game, which was the first one held by the league, was much like other many early Midwest League All-Star Games a few decades later. The team with the best record in the league at a certain point of the schedule got to host the game. That team would also play an All-Star team made up of the best players from the other teams in the league.

This week's Flashback is from the July 14, 1941 edition of The Post-Crescent and it previews the game for the people of Appleton.

Appleton and All-Stars Will Play Before Capacity Crowd
State Loop's First Feature Starts at 8:15

Appleton is the mecca for all good followers of Wisconsin State league baseball today for at 8:15 this evening the Wisconsin State league will stage its first all-star game. The contest will feature the pick of the league against the Appleton Papermakers who won the right to hold the game by fighting their way into first place at midnight, July 4.

In third place for two weeks previous to the fourth, the Papermakers won 15 of 17 games with six straight to take the coveted post.

They were aided no little by Sheboygan, which bumped Green Bay twice on July 4 and made certain that Appleton would have the big game.

The admission for this evening is 50 cents straight and there are no reserved seats. Extra bleachers have been secured and while season tickets to Papermaker games will be honored, the buttons sold to kids will not. If youngsters attend, they'll have to scrape up a half dollar.

Proceeds of the game will be split by Appleton and the State league. The home club gets $50 for expenses in connection with the game and 25 per cent of the remainder.

Will Receive Souvenirs

Two baseballs, one autographed by the all-stars and the other by the Papermakers, will be given to holders of score cards, it has been announced.

Members of the all-star team, picked in a poll of the league managers and sports writers, will come to the game at the expense of their various teams. Each will receive a souvenir of the game. After the contest, players on both squads, league officers, and the Appleton management will be guests of the Appleton club at the Hoffman hotel, Hortonville.

Ed Konetchy, manager of the La Crosse Blackhawks, last year' championship team, will manage the all-stars. The veteran of many a National league campaign and others in the minors and familiarly known as "Grandpa" here, will have an array of talent that means Appleton hurlers will have to bear down on every pitch.

Konetchy has announced that he will start Schadt, La Crosse, in center field. He had a batting average of .305 according to most recent figures. Lorenz of Wisconsin Rapids, batting .325, will be at second base and bat second. Peterson, Janseville's short stop and Shields, Wisconsin Rapids, batting .303, will be in right field.

Neuman Bats Fifth

Neuman, Konetchy's first sacker at La Cross, will hold down that spot and bat fifth. He has a .339 average. Janet of Green Bay will be at third and shows a .319 average. He will be followed by Timm, Green Bay's left fielder, who hits .319. The catchers will be Wang of Fond du Lac, hitting .266, and Cominskey, Wisconsin Rapids, hitting .311.

For pitchers Konetchy will have Crowley, Green Bay right hander who has one 8 and lost 4, according to most recent figures, Marquardt, Fond du Lac right hander who has won 7 and lost 4, Joselane, Janesville's star left hander, who has won 10 and lost 2, and Steinbach, Wisconsin Rapids' southpaw, who has won 7 and lost 4.

Opperman of ond du Lac and Males of Sheboygan will be utility men and Harry Rice of Fond du Lac will be the assistant manager,

It might look like a hopeless task against an array of talent such as the all-stars will have but figures show the Papermakers probably can hold their own if they don't get stage fright.

Current averages show Manager Dancisak hitting .328, Pat Seerey .319, Jim McDonnell .315, Herb Conyers .310, Gus Gregory .303, Bob Garrison and Joe Tipton .278, and Harry Heller .253.

Because the hurlers probably won't work more than three innings each, Dancisak has almost all of his pitching platoon available. Latest averages show that George Laurila has won 7 and lost 1, Bob Walter has won 8 and lost 2, Lefty Kleine has won 7 and lost 4, Tommy White has won 6 and lost 4, John Van Cuyk has split with 3 and 3, and Dave Paynter has won his only start.

All league umpires will take a hand at calling plays, it has been announced.

There will be a State league meeting at the Conway hotel at 4 o'clock. League baseball writers will be guests of the Appleton Post-Crescent at the Colonial Wonder Bar at dinner at 5:30.