Clarinda A's Baseball

Darwin Buch, long time A’s board member, statistician, bus driver & all around supporter of the A’s died September 12 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. From the early 70’s till his health failed about three years ago, Darwin could be found at the ballpark every game night as well as on the road trips. To say he will be missed is an understatement – his work on any building project, fund raiser, etc., as well as his humor made him a favorite of the players as well as those who worked with him on the board of directors. He and his wife Bev opened their home to players during the summer for several years.
           
September 18 Paul Wilcoxson of Bedford, IA died of complications from cancer. He was a player on the teams of the late 50’s and later umpired during the 1960’s. It is important to remember those who were on the early teams – without their participation in those days, there would not have been a program as we know it today.
           
Just over a year and a half after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Bev Shaw wife of former A’s coach Milan, succumbed to the disease October 9. Milan had been a catcher for the A’s when he moved to Clarinda to teach at the Clarinda Middle School in the late 50’s and later was a coach for the A’s during the 80’s, including ’81 when the team won the National Championship. The following year at the tournament, many of the players came down with various types of a flu bug and RN Bev will be remembered for her nursing and mothering of those boys that season. The Shaw’s were also houseparents for the “boys of summer”.
           
Lloyd Muller, a local farmer who had taken an interest in the A’s over 20 years ago, died October 31 of complications of Parkinson’s. He served on the A’s board of directors for many years and he and wife Venita were houseparents for almost 20 years, loving the player’s reaction to farm life. Daughter Andrea was a batgirl for the team for several years. Lloyd was a “vocal: fan of the game and the family usually followed the team to the NBC World Series in Wichita where he made many friends.
           
Both Buch and Muller were members of the Clarinda Baseball Hall of Fame, Darwin being inducted in 1983 and Lloyd in 1986.