CONTRIBUTED PHOTO - John Liepa (Iowa's own "Mr. Baseball"), historian and Professor Emeritus at DMACC, will be making a presentation on Dec. 1 at the Conrad Public Library at 1:30 p.m.

CONRAD — “How Iowa Met Baseball: The Myths, The History, The Players” is a special presentation about the myths regarding the invention of baseball, the origins and evolution of the early game in the United States, how the Civil War played a role in accelerating the spread of the game, the very first mention of the game’s first coming to Iowa in 1858 and how it caught on.

John Liepa (Iowa’s own “Mr. Baseball”), historian and Professor Emeritus at DMACC, will be making this presentation at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Conrad Public Library as a part of Conrad’s Museum on Main Street/Main Street Iowa’s hosting of the Smithsonian Institute’s “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” traveling exhibit which is on display at the Alexander Meeting Room of the Library and Conrad Heritage Hall Museum until Dec. 31.

Dressed as Iowa first major league player, Cal McVey of Montrose, Iowa, who played for the Cincinnati Redstockings in 1869, Liepa brings to life some of the first players from Iowa who played a critical role in the development of the game. 

“We are extremely excited to have him come to Conrad,” said Peg Brown, co-chair of the Hometown Teams exhibit project. “He comes dressed in a period uniform and brings with him lots of baseball cards and memorabilia for visitors to look at after the presentation. He is also very willing to take questions and answers from audience members.” 

“Coming to Iowa in the 1860s, people would first want to build their homes, then a church and school and then they had to establish a baseball team,” Liepa said. “And this became very competitive among small towns in Iowa. In 1865 there were about a dozen town teams. This grew to 30 in 1866 and to more than 200 in 1867. 

“In Des Moines proper, that number grew from one in 1865 to nine in 1867.”

Liepa said he will have four showcases of cards and will feature some of the area major league player’s cards such as “Cap” Anson of Marshalltown, Billy Sunday of Ames/Nevada area and Vern Clemons of Clemons as well as those of Bob Feller, Fred Clarke and Cal McVey. 

“I will also have in the collection that I bring, the oldest baseball card known in Iowa,” Liepa remarked.

Liepa, from West Des Moines, is a Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science at DMACC – teaching courses in Political Science, Iowa History and U.S. History form 1972-2010. He received an Excellence in Education Award in 2001, and was honored as DMACCs educator of the year in 2004.

A life-long baseball card collector, Liepa owns an extensive collection of cards and memorabilia representing Iowa’s 221 major leaguers, featuring Iowa’s seven Hall -of-Famers. He is a charter member of Iowa’s “Field of Dreams” chapter of the society for American Baseball Research, and has had numerous articles on Iowa baseball published. During the past seven years, Liepa has made more than 110 presentations on baseball history throughout Iowa and the Midwest.

He served five terms on the State Historical Society of Iowa’s Board of Trustees and on the Iowa Historical Society Foundation. Since retiring, Liepa has taught courses at the Senior College of Greater Des Moines on “Iowa’s Role in the Civil War,” Iowa’s Ethnic Heritage and Origins” and “Early History of Baseball in Iowa.” 

With Dec. 1 being Christmas in Conrad, Conrad Chamber – Main Street Executive Director Krista Grant said that this unique event provides another family opportunity to come and enjoy what the community of Conrad has to offer.

Brown said that Liepa’s appearance is just another in a series of speakers that accompanies the “Hometown Teams” exhibit. On Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m, Union-Whitten’s star 6-on-6 girls basketball player Denise Long Rife will speak at the Conrad Public Library, and then Aaron Thomas, author and son of Aplington-Parkersburg legendary coach Ed Thomas will speak at the First Presbyterian Church on Dec. 15 at a time to be announced.