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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Clarinda A’s 37th annual Hall of Fame banquet date is set for Saturday, January 14, 2012 at the Clarinda Academy Activities Center.

Celebrity guest list is not complete at this time, but Ozzie Smith, 2002 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, and Von Hayes, who played the longest part of his major league career with the Philadelphia Phillies, will be here for the autograph session which will open the evening’s festivities.

Items are being gathered for the silent auction of sports memorabilia. Tickets will go on sale December 15. Advanced tickets are $16 for students K-12 and $20 for adults; at the door they will be $20 and $25. Each ticket is good for one autograph from each visiting celebrity, dinner and a bidding number for the silent auction. Extra autographs will be $20. All proceeds from this event go into the A’s operating budget.

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

Event Times:

4:30 - Doors Open to view silent auction items

5:30 - Autograph session w/ Ozzie Smith and Von Hayes

6:30 - Dinner and program - Q&A w/ Ozzie Smith, Von Hayes, and scouts closes the evening

Many Improvements Made At Stadium

Anticipation builds as the time draws closer for the opening of the Clarinda A's 57th consecutive baseball action. The A's board, management and auxiliary have been busy since the end of last season to fund raise, recruit players, do improvements and find housing so the "boys of summer" will be able to take the field once again.

Opening day will be May 29th with a 5:00 double-header with the Ozark Generals in non-league action, followed by a 1:00 game on Memorial Day. MINK League play will open with Omaha Diamond Spirit on June 1. League action will involve a 42 game schedule and 10 non-league games. Thirty-one of those contests will be played at Clarinda Municipal Stadium-Eberly Field, with 21 games to be on the road. Season tickets are now available and remain a value at $25 for a family pass and $15 for a single. Admission at the gate is $2, with K-12 students free.