Parents waited, fans from Mason City waited, grandparents waited. On Thursday, June 12, our MHS Bobcats were supposed to have a doubleheader against Mason City, starting at 5 p.m. Around 4 p.m. we had a sudden rainstorm that came down fast and furious leaving our baseball field soaked and full of many areas with mini ponds of water. The boys did not whine or wonder what to do next, they just went to work. As a Marshalltown baseball player you learn early on that this field is yours to care for. Coaches, boys and even a few Mason City players went to work. For approximately 45 minutes they did everything possible to get their field ready for the game. Sponges, buckets, shovels and rakes with many hands our boys did their very best to make their field playable. In the end there were just too many holes and with a field that was deemed too slippery to safely play. The Cats did their very best.

There were no stats to report, no player of the game and no photos to share for the following day’s newspaper. A rough season, but these boys do not give up. They do not turn and walk away from rough situations. Baseball in our community has taught them lessons that will last their lifetime. No trophies, no flashy rings or banners, but parents, grandparents and fans learned again what we already knew. Never give up, work hard, play the game you love. This is why these young men are truly “Our Boys of Summer.”