A trio of Hall of Fame inductees, the presence of a member of the 1954 state championship team and a 10-0 win made for a perfect Saturday atYankee Field
THREE OF THE MILROY YANKEES’ MOST PRODUCTIVE OFFENSIVE PLAYERS IN THE LAST 30 YEARS WERE HONORED AT YANKEE FIELD ON SATURDAY DURING THE PROGRAM’S 80TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.
The day featured raffles, giveaways and even buy-one-get-one cans of beer from time to time. But what made the afternoon really special was the gathering of about two dozen former Yankees, including Eric Dolan and Matt Bauer, who were both inducted into the Yankees’ Hall of Fame, and Justin Schlemmer, who recently became a charter member of the Corn Belt League Hall of Fame. After receiving their individual accolades, they were joined along the first base line by familiar faces from the past, including Gene Philippe, a member of the Yankees’ 1954 state championship team.
“Winning the state championship was pretty great,” said Phillippe, a member of that ‘54 squad. “Playing with the Dolans, Bob Zwach, Reed Lovsness — he was so good. We had a lot of good ballplayers, and it was good family. It’s fun seeing all these players, and Milroy, again. Baseball has meant a lot to Milroy.”
That very well might be the biggest understatement that has ever fallen Phillippe’s lips, as Milroy and baseball has been a marriage made in heaven since the 1940s.
Milroy actually started out as the Irish before officially becoming known as the Yankees in 1964. When the Milroy team was conceived in 1945, the team was assembled by Bob Zwach. Lyle Kramer was the manager, but Zwach took over and eventually changed the name of the team to the Yankees, a nod to his affection for the New York Yankees.
Since then, the orange- and black-clad boys of summer have been entertaining baseball fans from near and far. Driven by a true sense of family and passion for baseball, hundreds of Yankees have called Yankee Field home. But Saturday, three grabbed the spotlight before the first out was even recorded.
Longtime public address announced Donny Schmidt first introduced Dolan, who ranks in the Top 10 in Yankee history in numerous categories: third in at-bats with 1,849; third in singles with 482; sixth in hits with 551; and eighth in RBI with 290. He reached base 734 times.
“This means a lot, it’s kind of surreal,” Dolan said. “I don’t know if I really deserve it all that much. At no point was I ever the best player on the team; we had some really good players. I just feel lucky I played at the same time as some of those guys.”
Dolan was a Yankee player from 2001-2021, starting his tenure with the team right out of high school. He played some defense his first year and was DH’ed for, and started playing shortstop and second base after his first year of college at SMSU. He was a full-time DH toward the end of his playing career and credits his longevity with the team to the family-like atmosphere inside and outside of the dugout.
“It’s not just about baseball, it’s about coming back and playing with your friends, kind of growing up with them,” he said. “We were at each others weddings, we watched their kids grow up. That’s the stuff that keeps you coming back and wanting to be a part of it. The guys that buy into being part of the team and being friends with everyone on the team, they’re the ones that stick around a lot longer. Being with the guys in the dugout means more to me than I’ll ever be able to express. Being a Yankee meant the world to me.”
Bauer is the team’s all-time leader in doubles (147) and RBI (466). His 71 career home runs is second behind Schlemmer, and his lifetime batting average as a Yankee is .383. He is also fourth in hits with 643 and fifth in runs with 367.
Bauer, who played in nine state tournaments, said being honored after devoting almost 20 years of his life to the program is truly special in many ways.
“This is where you kind of grow to love the game — you can play in other places, but you always come back here,” he said. “I really enjoyed it — that’s why I played so long.”
Bauer, called by Schmidt one of the best lefthanded hitters in Yankee history, credits the Dolan family for always welcoming those who weren’t part of the Dolan clan with open arms.
“It was super easy to get along with everyone — it was more about development, and they cared about how you progressed as a player,” he said.
Bauer’s fondest memory as a Yankee was the team’s memorable run in the 2021 state tournament. He remembers many moments vividly. “We had a really hard time my whole career at the state tournament, and then we finally won a few,” he said. “I remember that first game against Bemidji especially. That was just a great year. I appreciate all my teammates — they made the game so much fun to play.” Schlemmer, who like Dolan played for Milroy for two decades, was surprised upon hearing of his induction into the Corn Belt League Hall and honored to be going in with guys he played against. “It’s pretty neat to see the other guys inducted — and I get to be part of it, too,” said Schlemmer, the team’s all-time leader in homers with 80. “It’s pretty special. And this is a great day, just to get together with the guys, telling stories, having some beers.”
Schlemmer said the relationships he built with his teammates is something that he will always appreciate, as is appearing in the state tournament.
“Going to state with the guys … winning in regions and going to state — that’s really the goal every year,” said Schlemmer. “I regret we never won it, but we made the final four, and I was on the ’94 team that got second. I was just a pup at that time, but I learned a lot about baseball here.”
The inductions were just one part of an important day in Yankee history.
“It’s just a really awesome day,” said former player Pat Dolan. “We saw two wonderful ballplayers inducted into our hall of fame. They represent us so well; they’re great ballplayers, great kids, helped the team on and off the field. They are what the Milroy Hall of Fame is all about.”
Dolan said the day was about more than a baseball game, as so many former Yankees were in attendance to honor the inductees, and pay tribute to the Yankees’ past.
“It was great seeing all of these guys,” Dolan said. “We all have a lot of nice memories.”
Schmidt said being at the ballpark with so many dear friends was the best part of the day.
“Sure, we played baseball, we were competitive, but when I start looking at all these guys that I played with, they’re just like family to me,” said Schmidt. “They’re some of the dearest friends you’d ever want to meet. They’re the teammates I would want to win with and the team I would want to lose with because we became so close.”
Schmidt played for Milroy from 1972-1983 and became the voice of the Yankees shortly after his playing days ended.
Eric Dolan said playing for the Yankees was about more than just playing baseball.
“After I got done with college, it was all baseball and I felt like I was getting burned out a little bit, but coming back with the guys every summer … it was always comfortable, we always had fun,” he said. “And winning helps.”
“It’s been a memorable 80 years,” said Tom Dolan, son of the legendary Spike Dolan, who was a member of the 1954 team. He said he always tried to follow in his father’s footsteps — another example of the Dolan legend that has been such a big part of the Yankee lore that has been created over the last eight decades. “My dad won at state, and Eric followed after me. It’s always been a family.”
Tom is proud the Dolan legacy has carried on, even though there aren’t as many family members playing today.
“When my dad played, there were about six or seven (Dolans),” Tom said. “It’s been great to have the family going that long, being able to play on the same team. There’s nothing better.”
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This is where you kind of grow to love the game — you can play in other places, but you always come back here. I really enjoyed it — that’s why I played so long.
— MATT BAUER
