Anthony
Walsh Remembers “Quick Moves”
Last
of the Blues Still Active
By
Bill Mang, Scranton Sunday Times Sports Writer
Anthony
“Tone” Walsh certainly hasn’t contemplated stealing any bases in a good many
years. As a matter of fact, his quickest moves now come when he takes his
leisurely walk to church every Saturday evening.
Walsh,
an 86-year-old lifelong Minooka resident, is the last living member of the
legendary Minooka Blues. The Blues played baseball some 70 years ago at old
Burke’s Field in Minooka. They were a neighborhood group of 12-15 year-olds,
who made a habit of beating the stuffings out of teams composed of players
twice their age.
The
team included four players who went on to play in the major leagues, including
Steve O’Neill, who caught for and later managed the Cleveland Indians and
Detroit Tigers; Mike McNally, who was an infielder with the Boston Red Sox and
New York Yankees; Jimmy O’Neill, who was a shortstop for the Washington
Senators; and Charles Shorten, who became an outfielder with the Boston Red
Sox.
Walsh,
who was joined on the team by his brothers Mike and Pete, was the Blues’ second
baseman.
And
while the aging process has dulled the speed of the legs, his mind quickly
recalls those enjoyable years from 1906-09 when he was helping the Blues win
game after game.
