From article published in the Jefferson Herald, September 9, 1970 Rippey old-timers turned back the clock more than 30 years Sunday afternoon when former Rippey baseball players went a few innings for the enjoyment of Centennial participants. Among the veterans of former Rippey teams were (from left) Dwight Crumley, of Rippey, Raymond Crumley of Des Moines, Harold Radebaugh of Des Moines, Joe Fouch of Rippey, Merval Moraln of Ames, Burt Councilman of Ogden, John Rinker of Boone and Steve States of San Jose, CA.
Many of the veterans can remember when the team played semi-pro ball at Spring Lake every Sunday afternoon during the summer, meeting teams from Cedar Rapids; Des Moines, Collins, Pilot Mound, Paton, Colfax, Cambridge and other communities. The team used to play on a diamond in Alex High’s pasture north of Rippey, then moved to Lee’s pasture a mile east of Rippey.
Harold Radebaugh, who managed the club for a time during the middle 1930’s at Spring Lake, recalled that Rippey had been a strong baseball town since the late 19th century.
Radebaugh’s uncle Roy Radebaugh, a pitcher, played and managed at Hartford in the Connecticut League and at Columbus, GA, in the Southern Assn., starting with the Cedar Rapids Three-I League squad.