COLUMN: The second Iowa MLB game

     An assortment of tidbits:

     • Tom Beadle of Monticello brought this to our attention, that the wonderful Field of Dreams game between the White Sox and Yankees at the movie site in Dyersville Thursday was NOT the first Major League Baseball game played in Iowa.

     Yes, it was the first regular season game that counted in the standings. But the first game between two MLB games in this state took place in April 1942, in Beadle’s hometown of Fort Dodge, between the Cubs and White Sox. It was, however, an exhibition game.

     The Fort Dodge Messenger wrote an interesting article about the game, which the Cubs won 16-14 in a walkoff. The White Sox lineup had three eventual Hall of Famers that day: Luke Appling, Bill Dickey and Ted Lyons.

     • All kinds of changes are in the works in high school sports for the coming years. Probably the biggest one is that high school basketball in Iowa will start using a 35-second shot clock for varsity games, beginning not with the coming season, but the following one, 2022-23.

     In bowling, there will be separate team and individual state tournaments, starting this coming season, instead of the all-in-one state tourneys that have been conducted previously.

     And track and field will start practice (but not meets) a week early, on Feb. 21, 2022.

     Finally, it appears Dyersville Beckman and Maquoketa will be joining the River Valley Conference, and become regular opponents of Monticello in the North Division, which includes Anamosa, Cascade, Bellevue, Camanche and Northeast of Goose Lake. North Cedar will be leaving the RVC North after this coming school year.

     • Whew! I have long stated that August is my lightest month of the year, work-wise, a sort of catch-my-breath period in which I take some vacation days and half-days, and rest up a little before the fall sports season kicks in.

     This August, not so much. Last week I squeezed in Tyler Luensman’s appearance in the Shrine Bowl football game, the EIGA Recognition Banquet in Monticello, football and volleyball camps, the Chamber golf outing, the Monti Cubs in the Dyersville Tournament and queen candidate Triniti Etzel, the MHS softball awards event, and more.

     This week’s sports section includes the EIGA tournament, Panther Prowl, local fans attending the Field of Dreams game, a feature on shooting sports competitor Tristen Clark, sports events from Monti Days, the end of the Monti Cubs’ season, the MHS baseball awards event, and assorted other items.

     Not that I mind being busy, but it is unusual. Let’s get fall football, volleyball and cross country going so I can slow down a little.