Summer 25 OP Newsletter

HERITAGE SITES

Orland Baseball Team, c. 1920s. This photograph was taken in the field behind Park School.

In 1946, Orland joined the Southwest Community Baseball League alongside other southwest towns, such as Stickney, Oak Forest, Tinley Park and Midlothian. In 1949, Orland won the championship game in the league; the team was comprised of Frank Homerding (center fielder), LeRoy Kramer (second baseman), William “Bill” Keuch (shortstop), Buddy Johnson (pitcher), Bill Tuttle (catcher), Allan Schmaedeke (first baseman), Harold “Hal” Mosel (third baseman), Norman Kramer (left fielder), Norm Keuch (right fielder) and Ed Rauch (right fielder). Every year the Southwest Community Baseball League hosted an “all-star baseball game,” in which the winning team opposed the “cream of the rest of the teams.” Orland’s 1949 team played against the best of the best from other teams in the league and had an astounding victory of 7-0 in the all-star game. In the summer of 1954, Babe Lohmann founded a youth baseball group in Orland; as the group grew larger, Lohmann was later assisted by Bill Zinn, Elmer Libner and Larry Doyle. Games were played between Orland and Mokena. In 1955, Orland Park joined the “Wilco League” (named the “Tri County League” one year later ). This league fielded teams from seven different towns in Will and Cook Counties in various age categories, making up the Small Fry, Pony and eventually the Babe Ruth, Police League (for teenagers and young men) and Farm Teams. In 1956, approximately 60-65 boys participated in the League and in 1957, an estimated 80 to 85 boys between the ages of eight through seventeen took part in the program.

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