07/17/2026
HUDSON’S TOWN BASEBALL TEAM IN 1951
In April of 1950 the Hudson Community Club had decided to continue to sponsor the Hudson Town Baseball Team. They helped the team by helping to purchase the uniforms and necessary equipment. Also in May of 1950 Hudson had joined the newly formed Southeast South Dakota baseball league. One game would be played by each of the teams in the league each week.
The summers of 1951 and 1952 were very good years for the Hudson town baseball team. Both years the team was the District 6 champions for that league. The first part of 1951 the games were being played on a Sunday afternoon or on a holiday, as the lights in the city park were not installed until August of 1951.
An important part of the Hudson team, was a teacher by the name of William Amacher, who had come to Hudson in the fall of 1949. Amacher came from Castlewood, South Dakota and was a graduate of USD. He taught both Jr. and Sr. high school subjects and was also the athletic director and coached the football and basketball teams at Hudson.
On May 31, 1951 Hudson played Canton in the Southeast Baseball League and trounced them 16 to 1. Amacher had 23 strikeouts in that game which helped to win the game. Fred Wood was said to have a mighty stick action which added plenty to the activity of the contest and the improved hitting of the team counted heavily in the win. The same week the team played the Red Jacket Club from Sioux Falls, SD and won that game by 6 to 5 in a 10 inning game. Fred Wood pitched for 6 innings in this game with Amacher taking over the final innings. Chuck Marshall and Glenn Larson were catchers.
Hudson won their second SESD league game by beating Centerville with a score of 9 to 2. Harvey De Raad pitched in this game and Hudson’s strong hitting and nearly errorless backing helped win this game. Dale Thorpe’s long home run with two men on base helped clinch the game.
Hudson played Lennox next, but was rained out in the 11th inning with a score of 1 to 1. Harvey De Raad had 21 strike outs in the game which brought the total of strike outs for Hudson pitchers to 75.
During the summer of 1951 Hudson continued to win many of the conference games. In July of 1951 they played Canton beating them in league play 6 to 0. Amacher’s 16 strike outs, Hudson’s fancy base running and good fielding helped to hold Canton scoreless.
Also in July the Hudson team took their first conference loss to Centerville and even though Bill Amacher struck out 16 batters the team lost with a score of 5 to 0. Leonard Horner who played third baseman displayed some fancy defensive work for the Hudson squad.
Hudson played Lennox the end of July easily beating them by a score of 13 to 1. Hudson scored one run in the first inning, four in the second and five in the fourth inning, adding one more run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh. Lennox was only able to score one run in the ninth inning.
Glenn Larson and Bob Bonthuis each knocked out three hits, while Fred Wood, Curt Vipond and Bill Amacher each hit twice safely. Amacher, Bonthuis and Miller were the batteries for Hudson.
By August of 1951 the team would be playing a game against the Red Jackets of Sioux Falls and the Hudson team needed a win to assure them the privilege of a play-off. The Hudson team met that goal and defeated the Red Jackets with a score of 4 to 3. Hudson scored twice in the fifth frame when Leonard Horner, Bill Amacher and Glenn Larson each countered with hits. They added two more runs in the sixth inning when Don Horner knocked in two runs allowing himself and Dale Thorpe to score. Amacher had 14 strike outs in this game. The victory gave Hudson the privilege of playing Centerville in a five game play-off to determine top league honors.
Hudson defeated Centerville 5 to 2 to win a place in the District Six Tournament. Bill Amacher hurled Hudson to a 5 to 2 “sudden death” playoff win. This gave Hudson the right to represent the Southeastern South Dakota amateur baseball league in the District Six tournament. Amacher once again struck out 20 batters and allowed only two hits in the game. When Hudson played Milltown in the District Six tournament at Avon they won the game 3 to 2, beating Milltown who was the South Central league champ, in the first round of the District 6 tournament.
Hudson won the right to represent the district when they won the second round by playing the Wagner team at Avon in a 16 inning game. Hudson won the game after a strong duel between the two team’s pitchers; Bill Amacher of Hudson and Jack Swan of Wagner. Everything happened to the Wagner team in Hudson’s half of the 16th with two men down. Glenn Larson reached first on an error and went on to second on an overthrow to the first baseman and Bill Doty singled Larson home and was able to get on second base. Amacher hit a fly ball to right field which was dropped, allowing Doty to score with the winning run and end the game.
The District 6 champion players from Hudson for 1951 were, Leon “Jake” Marshall manager, Jim Buckstead (Centerville player), Dale Thorpe, Dick Reyer, Don Horner, Leonard Horner, Glenn Larson, Bill Amacher, Ray Reinke (Canton player), Raymond “Smoky Joe” Nitz assistant manager, Bill Doty (Centerville player), Curtis Vipond, Ray Smit (Centerville player), Charles Marshall, Elmer Torkelson scorekeeper and Mickey Horner batboy.
Hudson was allowed to choose players from other District 6 teams to take to the tournament and chose Everett Jensen of Irene, Harold Howard of Stickney, and Ray Reinke of Canton all pitchers. Bill Doty of Centerville a catcher and Jim Buckstead of Centerville a utility player were also chosen. The state baseball tournament was to be played in Watertown.
Hudson played three games in the state tournament. The first round game was against Spearfish. Hudson had a hit by Curt Vipond and Dale Thorpe in the fourth inning and then added two more scores in the seventh inning when Leonard Horner knocked a safety, then stole second and scored on Bill Amacher’s double off the right field wall. Amacher advanced to third base and then was able to score on a wild pitch. Hudson beat Spearfish 4 to 2 in the first round game.
Hudson lost to Wilmot by a score of 7 to 1 in the second game of the state tournament. Amacher reached first on an error, advanced to second and scored on a single by Leonard Horner.
Hudson was eliminated in the third game by Redfield with a score of 5 to 4 in a 13 inning game. The tournament was won by Mobridge in 1951 when they defeated Wilmot in the final round of play.
Don Horner, who played on the Hudson town team, said a big part of the team was Bill Amacher who was a heck of a pitcher. The games always drew large crowds. Don remembers helping put the lights up in the Hudson city park and said there was a lot of camaraderie.
Bill Amacher, Hudson’s pitcher and High School coach, was invited to play with the Park Grant baseball team of Watertown, South Dakota in the Western Amateur Little World Series in September of 1951. Teams playing in the tournament were from Oregon, Washington, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Montana. It was reported that Bill Amacher deserved the honor bestowed upon him by the invitation for he has been one of the outstanding ball players in amateur competition in the mid-west this summer.
Hudson continued on with a great team in 1952.
