Duluth checks in on Verne and The Crusher

Mark Stodghill was a sports writer and cops reporter at the Duluth News-Tribune. More recently, he found the tranquility of a government job with St. Louis County. Mark sent me a couple of anecdotes in reaction to the death of Verne Gagne:

By MARK STODGHILL

"I grew up watching Casey and Roundhouse and Verne and Marty O'Neill, as well as Frank Buetel on Channel 11, then WTCN. My favorite wrasslin' show was when the Crusher broke a bottle of Gera-Speed over Verne's head while Marty looked on during his interview.

"I watched Verne and the Crusher and the boys wrasslin' on Saturday nights, but what was most entertaining was watching my late uncle watch wrasslin'. He really got into it.

"I was a visiting team batboy for the Twins in 1962 and 1963 before moving into the home clubhouse in 1964 and '65. I remember Verne coming into the visiting clubhouse at the old Met when the Yankees were in town and how surprised I was that it was evident that he seemed to be pretty good friends with Mantle and Ford.

"I remember Verne's status went up in this young boy's eyes at that time. As a boy, I couldn't figure out how the Yanks knew him. Now I assume that he must have performed in New York City.

"The chuckle anecdote is this: I worked for the Twins' and visiting teams clubhouses in three different eras, during high school, after high school and after the military while going to college.

"You might remember at the Met that there was a grounds crew shop just down the hall and across the way from the visiting team clubhouse.

"The Crusher asked me where he could find a saw. He stayed in character with me. I took him to the shop. He had one of the grounds crew maintenance guys saw the handle of the bat almost all the way through and then he went back to the Twins' clubhouse, got a roll of tape from Doc Lentz and put some tape over the sawed portion.