This, my friends, is the famous softball field at St. Ann’s school in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Famous…you say?
Well yes. It’s where an ultra competitive fifth grader named Tom Finholm made the mistake of missing school when the softball season was nearing its conclusion.
Little did he know that his assistant captain (Jack Holland) would accept the preposterous idea from opposing captain Mike Hall that a triple header be played to end the season.
It just so happens that Hall’s teamed trailed by two games heading into the triple header.
Well, as misfortune would have it, Tom’s team lost all three games to end the season in 2nd. place..
When Mr. Finholm was told of his team’s collapse in class the next day, all hell broke loose in Ms. Yoakim’s classroom. Many astounded witnesses would corroborate this story now sixty plus years ago.
The furious Tom Finholm stopped class to protest this ‘egregious’ bit of ‘chicanery’ by the other captain. He actually stood on a desk with his face as red as Len Dawson’s helmet as his unbelieving classmates looked on.
Mrs. Yoakim allowed this tirade to continue somehow knowing that Tom would blow a gasket if he had to hold this angst inside.
So, even though Tom made a compelling case, Ms. Yoakim allowed the triple header results to stand due to the verbal acceptance by the assistant captain.
Please note that the sign pictured here commemorates in detail one of the darkest days in Mr. Finholm’s life.
The fact that he remains friendly with Mr. Hall is a miracle nearly as impressive as the parting of The Red Sea.
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