Tue, Dec 02 2008
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Published May 20, 2008 12:13 pm - Charlie Kentfield Baseball is in his veins By MICHAEL SCHAFFER The Oskaloosa Herald OSKALOOSA — Fifty years at one thing is quite remarkable, yet an 85-year-old Oskaloosa man can claim that, and even more. In 1923, Charlie Kentfield was born in Oskaloosa and he has lived here ever since. And since 1954, he has been involved with Babe Ruth League baseball. Last week, Kentfield explained how it all came about. “I was asked by a local man here who ran the home loan, Robert DeCook II,” Kentfield said. “And he asked me to be secretary of the (Little Bigger) league, and I’ve been the secretary of the league ever since.” In 1954, at the age of 31, Kentfield became the secretary of the Little Bigger League while Robert DeCook II acted as president. It’s a position Kentfield still holds today, but the name of the league changed in 1955, from the Little Bigger League to the Babe Ruth League. “It started out as being called the Little Bigger League. The first year it was called the Little Bigger League,” Kentfield said. “A guy from Iowa City started it up in Iowa and we were one of the first leagues to start.” Four years ago, Kentfield was honored for his dedication for service to Babe Ruth League baseball. “About four years ago, we were recognized by the state and national for having been a charter for over 50 years,” Kentfield said. Kentfield said his duties as secretary includes collecting entry fees and team rosters and lining up umpires for games and chalking the field. Kentfield said as a youth he played the game, or tried to anyway. He said he played in the outfield and as catcher. “We didn’t have Little League at that time. All we played was sandlot,” Kentfield said. “I played at it.” Back then, Kentfield said, the game was played differently. “They don’t play nothing like what we played at that time. We played it just wherever we could find a place that was level and put down something for bases and played that way,” Kentfield said. Kentfield said Joel Sexton, from New Sharon, comes to mind as a kid who came through the league and then went on to play big league baseball. “That was the closest one I had, I think,” Kentfield said. “Then I had some kids from out of town that went a little ways, but not too far.” The Babe Ruth League is for boys between the ages of 13 and 18, Kentfield said. There are 12 teams from Oskaloosa, Eddyville and Pella in the league. Kentfield said Babe Ruth League games started two weeks ago and last for six weeks. After that, tournament play begins. 
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