by the Outlook’s Dave Schmidt

(6-21-24) In the beginning…the Grand Lake Mariners started as a dream, in the past 35 years the organization has grown into one of the key members of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.

The start of the dream began on a trip by Dave Schmidt and Grinny Fox to see the Lima Locos play a game at Shawnee High School. Grinny loved his baseball and he liked what he saw…it lit the fire that is still burning today.

One key person in the getting the Mariners in town was Celina Rec Director Jim Hoess…Jim encouraged me to go for it even when it meant that Eastview Park would need a net in a short centerfield. Jim was behind the entire project. The city administration was not as supportive questioning at every opportunity why Celina and Mercer County needed a summer collegiate baseball team. They would put up constant roadblocks. Jim stood fast in his position on the Mariners.

This venture would survive that start…but it came with many sleepless nights and lots of morning discussions at the Orchard Tree over a cup of coffee.

How have the Mariners survived 35 years? Easy it has been because of community wide support and a strong group of board members. The Mariners is a success story because of how they have helped bond the baseball community together.

The Mariners have allowed local players to have a quality summer team to play on…in the first year Trent Dues and Dean Dean Mueller, both from Coldwater, were key members of that 1st team. Tom and Mark Brunswick were 1st year assistant coaches…Tom would later become the manager and lead the team to two league titles (1994 & 1997) and is a member of the GLSCL Hall of Fame.

The many, many volunteers who just enjoyed being a part of Mariners have been a key part in the success…during season 1 Scott and Denise Anderson, owners of the Willow at that time, ran the concession stand and donated the money from the sales back to the team.

How many 50/50 tickets has Pat Smith sold over the years…those type of money programs are a key in this operation of the years.

Arlene Steinbrunner and the late Oneda Lyda have been keys over the years, who started out as fans and became great volunteers.

Whitey Klosterman, since the start of the Mariners, has played catch before games with a whole bunch of those players and his favorites were always catchers.

Two bat boys did the majority of the duties…Charlie Steinbrunner and Kyle Schmidt…still both baseball fans today.

Numerous Mariner alumni have made it to the big time playing for numerous MLB teams.

Host families over the years for the Mariner players has been a successful program…including long-lasting relationships that still go on today. Host families do a lot for a program and players like the Mariners.

Plus those mentioned in the Mariners’ program (above) this year were BIG parts of keeping the train rolling.

So to all of those folks who said the Mariners would never make it or last…35 years later Bill Montgomery and the board are a good example of what a community can do.

So the next time you attend a Mariners games…say thanks to all of those folks who a part of the Mariner organization…PLAY BALL!

Did you know…

The biggest rivalry that first year and still today is the Lima Locos.

Two umpires associated with Major League Baseball (MLB) stayed at Scotty’s Beach during that first year in a program meant to give them an opportunity to move up to the next level.

The first year a business man, Marshall Laskey, from St. Louis made constant visits and became a financial backer to the team…until city administration decided he was bad for the community.

The Weather Channel was the most watched station that first year…rain was a constant visitor to Eastview Park.

The uniform disaster…the brand new Mariners uniforms were cleaned at a local business…but a little bit to much bleach changed all of that.