New Ulm HALL OF FAME Member

Jack Reitter

Non-Player (Director)

Selected 1995

          John (Jack) Reitter probably never played for New Ulm, yet he was the first president of the New Ulm Baseball Association. He has further become known for his association with a baseball legend involving Babe Ruth.

          Non-player inductee Reitter, a former county sheriff, was dedicated to New Ulm baseball from 1939 to 1951. He was one of the original members of the board of directors and was elected its first president in 1939. During his first year the Association, he worked out a loan with the city of New Ulm to build Johnson Park.

          Reitter served 13 years on the NUBD, including one as president and one as vice-president. He was a Western Minnesota League representative from 1941-43.

          Reitter served as a committee chairman in the 1944 and 1953 state amateur baseball tournaments in New Ulm.

          The legend involving Babe Ruth occurred during the baseball great's barnstorming appearance in Sleepy Eye in 1922. Yankee star Bob Meusel appeared with Ruth. The legend was that Ruth called for a pitch-hitter from the stands when Meusel didn't want to bat in an extremely-cold, wintry October exhibition.

          The legend has been twisted and turned often since then, and it was repeated by Ruth in his retirement farewell dinner in New York. Most accounts agree, however, that Ruth claimed a country "appleknocker" hit the first pitch far into the cornfield and then refused to circle the bases. Many people agree that it was Reitter.

          Reitter did play for Morgan and Sleepy Eye baseball teams and even caught some games behind the plate against New Ulm at the fairgrounds. In the 1920's he also had a professional stint with Bismark, N.D.