Gil Mense had fastball worthy of M-C fame
Scheduled for induction into the Mon-Clair Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 3 during the league's annual postseason banquet, Mense, 74, represents more than two decades of baseball. His dedication makes him a man of all seasons.
Consider that at age 17 during the summer of 1950 after his junior year at Marissa High School, he not only struck out 21 batters in a nine-inning victory over Stone Church, a small community east of St. Libory in Washington County. In addition, he struck out 20 vs. the Lickenbrock team (of the St. Libory area), 18 vs. Sparta and 17 in a one-hit victory over Hecker.But the game that established the hard-throwing right-hander came on September 24, 1950. At the Belleville Athletic Field, St. Libory avenged an earlier loss to the Belleville Edwards with an 8-2 victory on the seven-hit, 14-strikeout pitching of Mense, who by then had begun his senior year in high school.
Among the Belleville players were the Grandcolas brothers - shortstop Alan, who would reach Class AAA of profession baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, and pitcher Wayne, who starred at SIU-Carbondale prior to pitching pro ball in Canada.
"That was a big game," said Mense, who was closely watched that summer by New York Giants scout Joe Becker of St. Louis, who eventually signed the 6-foot, 175-pound right-hander after his Marissa High graduation in 1952.
A pitcher of two no-hitters in high school, including a 1-0 loss to Valmeyer, Mense was assigned to Paul Valley, Okla., of the Class D Sooner State League and admitted that adjusting to pro ball led to him having a 2-7 record by mid-season.
"After I got used to being there, I won nine of 10 starts and finished at 11-8," said Mense of his effort that helped lead the Raiders into the postseason playoffs.
One of three sons of Hugo Mense, a St. Libory carpenter, Gil Mense returned from playing pro ball at $175 per month and expected to continue as a carpenter's apprentice only to be drafted by the U.S. Army into the Korean War in January of 1953.
"I walked the 38th parallel a lot," said Mense of his experiences as a corporal in Korea that included playing in a rare pickup game.
"I had not thrown a ball in a year and a half, and without getting in shape, hurt my arm," said Mense, who tried to return to pro ball in 1955 but was released by the Giants from spring training in Melbourne, Fla.
"That was unfortunate," said 67-year-old Lyle Reuss of Marissa, who as a youngster had watched Mense.
"Every time he'd pitch, you'd hear the old-timers say, 'watch him, he's got a Major League fastball,' " said Reuss.
Despite the arm woes, Mense resumed playing for the St. Libory Saints in 1955 and completed his career at age 40 in 1973.
"I played all positions," said Mense, who pitched on occasion and even recorded what might have been the only opening-game no-hitter in county leagues history.
On April 29, 1962, in a 2-0 victory Mascoutah, Mense faced just 29 batters (two reached on errors) and struck out four while employing a curveball he had been taught earlier by Saints' manager/pitcher Art Sandheinrich.
"I couldn't lift my arm the next day, and it hurt the rest of the season," said Mense of the Greater County League contest at St. Libory.
Injuries, though, never slowed Mense, who recalled a game in 1957 when he broke his right leg but continued to play.
"I broke it on a slide into second base in the third inning," said Mense of the game played before a huge St. Libory homecoming crowd in September.
A brother of M-C Hall of Famer Roy Mense, a player-manager for the Saints, Gil Mense noted that he was proud to have played against future Major League pitcher Jerry Reuss, who signed with the Cardinals in 1967 after hurling for Tilden of the M-C.
"We had teams that were mostly composed of players from the St. Libory area," said Mense, who often teamed with brothers Roy and Vern and cousin Ray Mense.
"Ray would have to put two sponges in his catcher's mitt when Gil was pitching," said Roy Mense.
"I'm sure he hit at least 95 miles per hour on some of his fastballs," Roy said of Gil, who also was noted for throwing the ball from the outfield to home plate on the fly.
"I loved the game," said Gil.
EXTRA INNINGS: Also a manager of the Saints for a season, Gil Mense noted that his son Kevin managed the last St. Libory team in the M-C in 1984...Nicknamed "Skip" because as a kid, he'd skip down a road rather than walk or run, Gil Mense and his wife Rosalie (nee Buescher) were married on May 21, 1958, and have sons Kevin, 46, Mike 42, and daughters Mrs. Kathy Brockmeier, 48, and Mrs. Karen Kehrer, 36...
Thanks to the record keeping of the late Norm Rutter, a longtime county leagues secretary-treasurer, scorebooks reflect memorable names, including the 1962 contest when Gil Mense outdueled Mascoutah pitcher Arnie Feldt.
St. Libory's lineup featured Gil Mense and four other future M-C Hall of Famers, outfielders Roy Mense and Ed Lange, second baseman Elmer Lange and shortstop Elmer Sandheinrich. Other players were third baseman Pete Mueller, center fielder Bob Wenneman, catcher Ray Mense, outfielder Dennis Behrman and first baseman Don Rutter...
Used mostly as a second baseman when not pitching, Gil Mense was a .300 career hitter and named to six all-star teams. He concluded his career in '73 after suffering a left knee injury...
Also slated for Mon-Clair Hall of Fame induction are former outfielders, Andy Kassebaum of Litchfield, Ill., who played for Smithton, Belleville and Fairview Heights, and Scott Thies of Fenton, Mo., who played for Mascoutah, Marissa and Waterloo. Tickets at $15 per person can be obtained by contacting any M-C League officer or manager.
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