by Jill Funke

When he was just a kid hitting a ball with a bat and cherishing his glove like a beloved family member, Larry McKenney had no idea that the sport he loved would one day lead him to be enshrined in the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. When he was younger, kids his age didn’t have many activities to choose from, and baseball was the most popular thing to do in Larchwood. Larry played for the Legion team in 1959, and was picked up for the independent Larchwood team in 1960 to 1961 before he went into the service. Upon his return home, Larry resumed his participation in the sport in 1965, playing for Larchwood’s town team from that year until about 1980 when he went from playing to managing.

Looking back on those early days, Larry remembers the town of Larchwood being known for its baseball teams. He recalls a number of local boys who were very good baseball players, and feels lucky that he had the opportunity to call them his teammates. At that time, Larry says that baseball was popular with both players and fans, and spectators arrived early for games just to find an available parking space. Larchwood had a roster of 15 players who never missed a game. While Larry sees that the loyal Larchwood fans might still give their team boasting rights for the best following in the league, he is also aware that many players in the league are also involved in other activities and some teams struggle to get 9 players at every game during the season. Even though Larry understands that the players are often juggling more commitments today than they did when he was playing, he admits that it is a little disappointing to see a team fight to even have enough players for a game. Yet that disappointment pales in comparison to the scandals that have infiltrated the baseball world today. The most recent news stories detailing accounts of players using steroids and performance enhancing drugs, and other dishonorable behavior by those in professional baseball as well as other professional sports is disheartening for Larry, and it detracts from the great game that has been so important to his life. He finds the drug use particularly sad as most of the players are gifted athletes who are naturally good enough to play at the highest possible levels. Still, Larry feels that all of the scandals in the news don’t change the nature of the game for all of the parents and children who spend quality time playing catch and improving batting swings.

As it had been part of his childhood, it was only natural that baseball became something Larry enjoyed with his three sons. After farming in the Larchwood area until 1985, he went to work for Austad’s Golf and then the Sioux Falls Canaries baseball team. Still employed by the Canaries, Larry works with sponsors and seatholders during the off-season and cares for the field during the warmer months. Although the Canaries saw a decline in regular attendance during games the past few years, Larry is happy to see that about 3000 people came to watch the team at each game this season. He tries to follow the Larchwood Diamonds as much as he can and was exited that they had such a good year.

Although he wasn’t aware of the nomination, Larry’s name was submitted for the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. Located so close to the boarder of South Dakota, Larchwood belongs to the South Dakota league and this made him eligible for the hall of fame in the neighboring state. Larry received an unexpected phone call at the beginning of the summer that informed him that he had been selected for the hall of fame and would be enshrined on September 29. He and his family attended the banquet where he was presented a special plaque in front of about 260 people. While three other people were also inducted that night, this was the first time an out-of-state player was received into the Hall of Fame. Larry says that he was honored for the recognition and had a lot of fun at the event. Reflecting on his long history with baseball, Larry thanks every person he played with for a lifetime of wonderful memories.