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| Like most small towns, local sports were and still are an important source of entertainment for the community as well as a means for socializing. In the earlier years every town had its own baseball team. Sunday ball games were played in cow pastures and empty lots. Every once in a while a barnstorming team would come through town to take on the local team. The local team would usually pay one of the best players from some other town to play for them. There also was some betting going on for those games.One of the best local players in the earlier 1900's was pitcher Alfred Ioerger from Woodford. At least once a year the Chicago American Giants with manager Rube Foster would pass through for a game. |
The all-negro team usually had no problem beating the locals and would always draw a huge crowd.
Later in the 20th century high school basketball games became a popular draw for the locals and is still Minonk's most popular sport. It was basketball that produced Minonk's best sports teams. Two teams stand out as the outstanding Minonk basketball teams of the 20th century. They are the Minonk Fans, a semi-pro team from the 1920's, and the 1948 Minonk High School team. Other sports teams will be continually added. To review a particular team, click on the desired team shown in the list to the right.
Click here for a link to a website describing the history of Minonk sports. |
Sports teams
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