Mansch: 40 years ago, Great Falls Chargers dominated

It was 40 years ago this month, a time when Great Falls was the capital of American Legion baseball in Montana.

The Electrics had won state championships in 1972 and 1973. And now the 1975 Chargers, in just their second year of existence, were taking on the powerful Electrics in the state championship game.

It's a long time ago. Memories fade. Things change. But there's something about the 1975 Great Falls Chargers that remains the same.

"We had played together for a lot of years and we were good friends," said Gene Ulmer. "We had a lot of good athletes. And everybody expected the same out of everybody, to play up to their potential."

Ulmer, the Chargers' standout shortstop and leadoff hitter who lives now in Boise, paused a moment.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "A lot of good guys. A lot of us, we don't live in the same town now and we don't see each other very much, but we're still friends. And we always have been."

THERE'S A REUNION of that 1975 Great Falls Chargers baseball team planned Sunday at Centene Stadium. Many of the players will return to the venerable old ballpark to greet each other and be honored as the Tribune's "Championship First Pitch" promotion continues in conjunction with the Pioneer League's Great Falls Voyagers.

The Chargers of that era were a special team.

"I remember our first year out of the blocks (in 1974) we were something like 20-0 before we got beat," said third baseman Jerry McKinley. "And we were a first-year Legion team in the state of Montana. We had a good group of athletes and a lot of parental support. All of our parents were really involved with the team. The team was there and so were the families.

"1975 was a great year for us."

The Chargers finished 44-15.

THE CHARGERS met the Electrics in the state championship game in Billings. Both teams were loaded with multi-sport athletes, stars who went on to play college ball and, in some cases, professional baseball.

Talk about a win-win for Great Falls.

The State AA tournament was played in Billings at Cobb Field, but players from the Electric City dominated. Of the 10 players ultimately named to the all-tournament team in a balloting of sportswriters and sportscasters that covered the event, eight were from Great Falls.

The Chargers, who had been 20-4 during the conference season, dominated the state championship game.

Mike Schultz, who two years later would be drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, pitched a complete game. He struck out 10, did not allow an earned run and yielded but five singles. Schultz also went 4-for-5 at the plate and knocked in three runs as the Chargers won 8-3.

McKinley had three hits, while Joe Shupe went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Gary Anderson scored twice and contributed a double, and Dale Taylor contributed a hit and an RBI.

Brad Bauman, a catcher who went on to play three years in the San Francisco Giants' organization, was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and sacrifice fly.

"Really I don't think we knew we were all that good," Bauman said. "We were just starting out. We played because we loved to play. We were a new program and really didn't realize we were that good. We just played hard and played for the right reasons."

THE TEAM was managed by Clarence Kropp. Ken Kelly was the coach.

"We were a team," Bauman said. "Clarence and Ken were our coaches, and I think they would have been the first to tell you they didn't know everything about the game. But they knew how to work with young people and we did the best with what we had."

The squad included Gene Ulmer, Brad Bauman, Jimmy Flannery, Joe Shupe, Gary Anderson, Dale Taylor, Rick Vancleeve, Jerry McKinley, Mike Schultz, Bill Preston, Jerry Olson, Steve Owings, Glen Carter, Steve Vukasin, Ken Duffy, Ernie Fulp and Lee Cline.

Vukasin and Cline were on the pitching staff with Schultz. And so was Anderson, a swift athlete who played centerfield when he wasn't on the mound. All four pitchers won at least 10 games, Bauman remembered.

Anderson is gone now. He died of a heart attack a few years ago.

"Andy was a good guy," said Shupe, who played football at Montana and recently retired from high school coaching after a long career in Harlem. "Our whole team was close. It was a family kind of thing. We all played together for a long time and that made it to where we knew what was going on. We'd been playing together since Little League. It was a tight-knit group."

FLANNERY WAS THE 3-hole hitter.

"We had a lot of camaraderie, and we played together as a team," he said. "We got along well with each other. We didn't have any issues with each other."

That's not necessarily the case with every championship team.

"It really was a pretty amazing collection of athletes," said Vancleeve, who went on to a football career at Montana State. "I think I was probably the worst player on the team that started."

Then he chuckled.

"Do you have time for a quick story about that team?" he said. "I mean one I can tell you. Because there's plenty that I can't tell you."

He laughed heartily.

"Well, Jerry Olson played behind me and before we even started the season I said hey, I gotta go to Montana State for football after we win the state title. Because we were sure we were gonna win it."

Another laugh.

"Anyway, we all knew that going in. So we win the title and go to regionals, and everybody's wondering about me. So they go out there and Jerry Olson hits like three home runs and is the best hitter on the team and the guys are all going, 'Why were we playing Vancleeve anyway?'"

And yet more laughter.

THOSE DAYS 40 years ago were magical for Legion baseball fans in this town.

"The year before, in 1974, we'd played the (Billings) Royals for the state championship in Helena," Bauman said. "And it was played in snowstorm in Helena. They brought a helicopter in and set it on the field in Helena to blow the water off. Then we played in the mud and it snowed a good portion of the game. We lost that one and the next year we won it in Billings."

There was drama in 1975, too.

"Shupe and Vancleeve and I were all on the Shrine (football) team," Bauman said. "So we flew back and forth between practice and the state tournament and played the Electrics for the championship. Both teams were strong, and when we played each other it was nothing for us to get six or seven hundred people come to the game."

Bauman went on to a successful career in pro baseball, playing on some talented teams. But the 1975 Chargers, he said, was a special bunch.

"Now as we look back, I know it was filled with a bunch of good people. That's for sure," Bauman said. "We cared about each other and what was going on with each other. I think that's important. Because if you're going to get something accomplished you've all got to pull on the rope the same direction."

THE TRIBUNE'S "Championship First Pitch" promotions in conjunction with the Voyagers will continue this month at Centene Stadium.

We're also offering a fan to throw out the ceremonial first pitch one night at the ballpark in a contest that runs until the last week of the season. To enter, describe in 250 words or less why you're the best fan of the Voyagers. Fans can also nominate others for the honor by emailing me at smansch@greatfallstribune.com

Scott Mansch is Tribune Sports Columnist and can be reached at 791-1481 or smansch@greatfallstribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @GFTrib_SMansch.