Underwood Baseball History
Baseball in Underwood goes back to a diamond on the Knud Pederson farm one mile east of Underwood in 1904. Some of the earlier names of its members were: Sievert Evenson, Gilbert and Carl Pederson, Odin Loseth, Pete Corneliuson and Pete Hendrickson. Among the later teams can be listed; Oscar Bjorge, Hjalmer and Conrad Sjordal, Anton, Axel,. Jens, Andrew, and Aley Jensen, Paul and Otto Kester, John Opsahl and Axel Throndson. Also can be added such names as Maurice Woldy, Alvin Todahl, Levi Olson, Pete Osander, Anton Moe, and the Robertson brothers, Hjalmer Todahl, Hjalmer Gronner, Carl and Roy Moen, Joslyn Peterson, Vernon Nelson, Andy Moen, Stub and Curly Klinnert and Marv and George Kester. Marv Kester was elected to the Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame in 1958.
Underwood always has had a reputation for good baseball teams with a good following of fans until after world war two when semi-pro, television and big league baseball killed amateur baseball in the small communities. In 1907 a diamond was started by Oscar Hoff on his farm in Tordenskjold, and to the team fielded at that time include these players (and others): Rudolph Jacobson, Monnie Tostenson, Emil and Ted Olson, Anton Moe, and the Jensen Brothers. Later they played on a pasture on the Hans Olson farm. In 1909 a diamond was started in Underwood, across the road east of the creamery. A residence now occupies the spot where home plate used to be. This was later moved east in Jacob Lyngs' pasture. In 1923 it was moved into the newly acquired park in its present location, with home plate in the north east corner. A few years later more land was acquired from Alfred Bergem to the South. The grandstand and diamond were then moved to its present location. Before this last move a wooden board fence was erected along the north side along the east west road so that spectators could not park on the road to watch the games without paying admission. A large slough occupied most of center field and all of right field.
When the American Legion institued Junior baseball, Hjalmer Gronner was an officer in the local post. He organized the first Legion team in Underwood and was at that time head of the program in the ninth district. He and Elmo Johnson and others can be credited with building up the program locally. With the exception of a few years Underwood has fielded a Legion team up to the present date. One of our teams was good enough to make it to the state playoffs. A summer program for young boys in the community was started and grew very large, so the Legion, Community Club and school took it over, and with their support it evolved our present summer program. Our high school, too, has great followers and much success in their sports program.