The feature page about interesting people, places and things to do Section B OH! Wednesday, September 15, 2010 KNOWN AS ‘SUBMARINE TWIRLER’, Elden Auker record showed a total of 131 games won. The Elden Auker pitched for the Detroit Tigers in the 1935 World Series winning Park was constructed in his honor on the main street of his over the Chicago Cubs. A native of Norcatur, his pitching home town by the Norcatur community. Norcatur man pitched in the World Series games By MARY LOU OLSON “However, the next day, and the “Chicago Cubs announcer Ron- sophomore, Auker injured his right [email protected] next, my, what a change in the facial ald Reagan landed an interview with shoulder so that he couldn’t throw a As baseball fans cheer on their expression of the local people — Kansan Elden Auker, formerly of ball overhand. He started throwing favorite teams, hoping they will what a different feeling prevailed. Norcatur, who was already a base- from the side, then under. make the World Series, it brings Sheer hope and confidence came ball legend as a pitcher.” He signed with the Tigers for back memories of the excitement back. Every nook and corner held Two years earlier, Auker made $450 a month. during the “Dirty 30s” in Norcatur its gathering Friday, when Elden his major-league debut at Yankee In the 1934 World Series, Auker when townspeople gathered around Auker was holding forth as the Stadium. He first faced Babe Ruth, lost Game 7 of the series to Dizzy their radios to cheer on one of their central figure in the big contest at striking out the famous slugger on Dean after winning Game 4 10-4. own, Elden Auker. Chicago.” four pitches. His first endorsement as a base- His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred They gathered again on Saturday, Asked years later if he had en- ball player was for Camel cigarettes. Auker, left in early October 1935 just as they did everywhere in Amer- joyed his rookie triumph, Auker For lending his name, he received for Detroit, where they expected ica. Again intense moments were replied, “I didn’t have time. Lou $500 a year and was given 12 free to arrive in time to see the open- enjoyed, or endured, as the play-by- Gehrig was up next.” cartons of cigarettes. ing game of the World Series and play came over the distance. Detroit Auker, who had grown up playing In his book, Auker wrote that the watch their son play with the Detroit won by a close margin. on the sandlots in northwest Kansas, cigarettes were so strong, he went Tigers, the 1935 pennant winners in “On Sunday, the weather was wrote in his autobiography, “Sleep- to the local grocery and traded them the American League, according to chilly — the local listeners were the er Cars and Flannel Uniforms,” for the brand he really preferred — a story in the Norcatur Centennial same …. The Cubs were hot and the that he tried not to think about the Lucky Strikes. Edition. local fans disheartened. big names in front of him. He just Auker played 10 years in the Elden ranked first among pitch- “Monday, the crowd increased concentrated on the 60 feet, 6 inches majors for the Tigers, Boston Red ers in the American League, the and from the Detroit field again, between him and the batter. Sox and the St. Louis Browns. His story records, and everyone from interest was more intense. It was Auker was known for his sub- pitching record shows a total of 131 his home town hoped the record a critical period. Hope ran high, marine pitching style, which he games won, including the World Se- would be such in the series that he nerves were taut — Auker’s team- began using after he injured his right ries win for Detroit in 1935 against would come through triumphant, mates must win! They must gain the shoulder playing college football. the Chicago Cubs. with his team, to become world World Championship.” Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, He retired from baseball after the champions. “Everyone was happy when the who hit his first major league home 1942 season to work for a company When it was time for the first final score was tallied for that Mon- run off Auker, later described Auk- that made anti-aircraft guns for the game, business in Norcatur was day, ending the series and giving the er’s style: “He threw it from about war effort. sidetracked. Who cared, when a Tigers their first World Champion- as low as you could go without In 1969, he returned to Kansas to World Series was on — when a ship in a long time. Fans were also untying your shoes. Any lower, and be inducted into the Kansas Sports young man they had watched grow pleased to hear Elden’s voice over you’d scrape your knuckles on the Hall of Fame. A banquet was held up was on the mound for a team that the air after the victory.” pitching rubber.” for him and his wife on Jan. 17, worked all summer to win the pen- A story taken recently from the Auker was born Sept. 21, 1910, 1969, in Norcatur. A city park in nant, then a world championship? Norcatur Newsheet, written by in Norcatur. He attended the Kansas downtown Norcatur was dedicated Craig Electrical Radio donated use Reach Beccy Tanner, said, “It was Agricultural and Mechanical Col- to him on Memorial weekend of of its loudspeaker system, and a back in the 1930s, when the nation lege, now Kansas State University, 2000, which was his last visit to his IN HIS BOOK, “Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms” Elden crowd parked their cars nearby to was in the depths of the Great De- in Manhattan. hometown. listen to the games. pression, that a struggling young In college, Auker earned nine He died in 2006, at age 95 at Vero Auker tells of his lifetime of memories from striking out Babe “It was a blue bunch that first day radio announcer got his first chance varsity letters playing football, Beach, Fla. Ruth to Teeing Up with the President, along with fascinating when the Cubs were clawing at the at the big time in the 1935 World basketball and baseball. stories from a baseball era that never grows old. vitals of the Tigers,” the story says. Series: In his first football game as a .