Clarinda A’s will host the 38th Annual Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet Saturday, November 17, 2012 at Clarinda Academy Activities Center. This is a change of date from the past few years

Prices will remain the same as in the past, advance student tickets are $16 and adult, $20. At the door they will be $20 & $25. Each ticket is good for one autograph from each visiting celebrity, dinner and participation in the silent auction. Extra autographs will be $20. All proceeds from this event go into the A’s operating budget.

National Hall of Fame player Ozzie Smith and Von Hayes, both of whom played for the A’s, will be here to participate in the autograph session as well as the Q&A to close the evening. A’s board is waiting to hear from several other former A’s who are or have been in the major leagues regarding their attendance.

Items for the silent auction have started coming in with two signed jerseys, one from Buddy Black, manager of the San Diego Padres and John Kruk, former Philadelphia Phillies, now a sports media personality, among the early arrivals. Black was a pitcher for the A’s in 1977 and 78.

Tickets will be available November 1. Reserved seating will be assigned as paid ticket orders are received. For further information, call (712) 542-4272 or send your ticket order and remittance to Hall of Fame Banquet, 225 E. Lincoln, Clarinda, IA 51632. Locally tickets can be purchased and picked up at the Chamber of Commerce office and J’s Pizza & Steak House.

Journalist Michael Tackett is working in cooperation with Mrs. E. to write the definitive book on Merl, the A's and the great town of Clarinda. You can help. He is looking for stories, anecdotes, letters, articles, photos and other memories that help tell the remarkable story. You can reach him directly by email at miketack@gmail.com. Please respond ASAP.

CLARINDA A’s INDUCT FIVE NEW MEMBERS INTO HALL OF FAME

Clarinda’s  Hall of Fame, it is unique as we honor not only the ball players, but also those who have had a hand in keeping baseball alive & well in this community for so many years.

Elaine Farwell is the first woman to be inducted for a few years. Her job as director of the Chamber of Commerce is to promote Clarinda and in doing this she is a tireless worker on all fronts. For the A’s particularly she is so important as she always includes the program in so many of the outgoing mailings, personal appearances and this past year had done a special basket of A’s items for the Western Iowa Tourism meeting. Mrs. E says she is invaluable to her, as she keeps her on her toes about getting information to her during the year.

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The 37th annual Clarinda A's Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet may have been the first without the late Merl Eberly, the longtime manager and general manager of the team, but there may never be another one where he wasn't honored more than he was Saturday evening at the Clarinda Academy Activity Center.

Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer, St. Louis Cardinal great, and former Clarinda A's player Ozzie Smith presented Merl's wife, Pat, and the rest of the Eberly family with a hall-of-fame like bust of Merl, which you can see in the picture.

Smith and former major-leaguer and Clarinda A's player Von Hayes were in attendance to welcome the newest five members of the A's hall-of-fame. They are Elaine Farwell, Craig Larscheid, Gordon Kokenge, Alan Mahaffey, and Bob Steinkamp.

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