MULLEN SOFTBALL LEAGUE

by Marguerite Long

Entry T78 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Mullen softball field in the background, stands and
the score board to the right by the lunch stand.

The first Mullen Soft Ball began their play
on the ground south of the Farmer's Elevator.
This area was donated by manager, Lewis
Folk in the late 40's.

In the early 50's, the game was moved up
by the High School Football field. The village
and the School Board installed lights in the
field where the games are still played.

At the beginning, there were just two teams
made up of women and girls. The High School
girls were managed by Marquerite Long and
the married women were managed by Ray
Ridenour. Both teams traveled to adjoining
towns. Later women's leagues were devel-
oped; The Angels and the Peanuts, the Clinic
and the High School Girls. The Clinic and the
High School girls leagues are still going
strong.

The men also started with a shortage of
teams but in the late 50's their league was
started with High School Boys, Co-Op,
Mackes, and North Country. Now they are
known as Mackes, North Country, Bank and
Feed Store. The away games are getting
scarcer.

This year, 1987, the league had a Floyd
Long Memorial tournament with eight teams
competing. The Champions were a team
managed by Dale Ginkens, son of Lloyd L.
Ginkens Jr.

Marguerite Long has kept score for the
games through most of the years from 1957
and some even before that. Ray Ridenour
announced over the loudspeaker for a num-
ber of years and when he retired, Floyd Long
took over the announcing.

There have been a host of familiar names
that have played over the years on both the
women's teams and the men's, mother and
daughters, fathers and sons and other rela-
tives. To name a few: Longs, Boyers,
Schencks, Szwaneks, Elliotts, Phipps,
Arends and many more.