Wausau's baseball history goes way back

WAUSAU — Gary Gisselman grew up just blocks away from Athletic Park in Wausau. He played pickup games with friends and neighborhood kids on Sunday afternoons on the Little League diamond that sits behind the baseball stadium.

Gisselman, a lifelong baseball fan, will be one of the main presenters during the Marathon County Historical Society's "A History of Wausau Baseball and Football" talk, set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Woodson History Center at 410 McIndoe St. in Wausau. There is no charge for the presentation.

Gisselman will cover the history of baseball in Marathon County, stretching from the formation of the first team in 1871 through the Wisconsin Woodchucks, who have played in Wausau since 1994. Photos, programs and other memorabilia covering the history of the teams will be part of the presentation as well.

Matt Foss will focus on the area's football history in the second half of the presentation, including a look at Win Brockmeyer and some of the memorable teams he coached at Wausau High School from 1937-70.

"As a person who has looked at Marathon County history for quite awhile, one of the common threads is our sports history," said Gisselman, who heads the Historical Society's research library. "We have some great sports figures who have come out of or through Wausau and Marathon County. One of the longest histories coming out of Wausau is our baseball history. It's not just the profession or semi-professional teams playing up at Athletic Park, but was a lot of Sunday teams as well. A lot of the industries in Marathon County had their own teams that would play in city leagues.

"Along with that in the pre-1900s was Werle Park Field on the west side close to Marathon Park. There were baseball parades down Third St. going to Werle Field," Gisselman said. "Baseball was a big thing back in the early days."

Among the most notable players in local history is Wausau-born Johnny Schmitz, who had a 15-year major league career, beginning with the Chicago Cubs in 1941. Schmitz was a left-handed pitcher and his nickname was "Bear Tracks" for his size 14 shoes and the way that he would walk to the mound.

Among the baseball collection at the Marathon County Historical Society is a poster that went along with a car that the City of Wausau and Marathon County presented Schmitz with when he retired in 1956.

Tim Johnson can be reached at 715-845-0731 or at timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com. Find him on Twitter @timmyjo11.

Dive into local sports history

What: "A History of Wausau Baseball and Football"

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Woodson History Center, 410 McIndoe St., Wausau

The discussion is free and open to the public.