Mel Antonen, dead at 64

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  • JackJD
    Super Moderator
    • Apr 2004
    • 12422
    #1

    Mel Antonen, dead at 64

    Mel Antonen, former USA Today's Major League Baseball reporter and columnist, died Saturday (1/30/21) from a rare acute auto-immune disease and complications frrom COVID-19. Mel grew up in Lake Norden and was an Augustana grad (1978 I believe) . Good story by his friend, Chuck Raasch (a member of this board, and an SDSU journalism grad from Castlewood). Link:
    MSN
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/former-usa-today-mlb-reporter-who-lived-for-baseball-dies-at-64/ar-BB1dgn5k?li=BB15ms5q


    Mel was a big deal in sports journalism.


    Tags: None
    • MontanaRabbit
      Associate Professor
      • Feb 2007
      • 5765
      #2
      I've never met Mel, but the story about his baseball roots is pretty cool. SD has a very unique thing with amateur baseball and it's popularity especially in the small towns is really cool. I played baseball in Bryant back when I was in college and there were several years we would play Lake Norden in the 4th of July game. That game was a big deal for that small town. There were several hundred people there to watch the game and the fireworks that followed. From the stories I hear, years ago it didn't take fireworks to make the town show up to a game. I can see how that would foster a love of baseball in Mel.

      JackJD, I imagine Chuck is related to Paul? Paul played for Lake Norden for years.

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        • jacksfaninne
          Bachelor of Hareology
          • Aug 2004
          • 1313
          #3
          Another excellent tribute.

          Remembering the life of baseball writer Mel Antonen – The Athletic
          https://theathletic.com
          Mel Antonen, who spent decades covering baseball for USA Today and for MASN and SiriusXM radio, died Saturday.
          @JacksFanInNeb

          I've always believed that if someone wants to run a country, he should know how to run a tractor first.
          --Steve Hartman, CBS Sunday

            Comment

            • JackJD
              Super Moderator
              • Apr 2004
              • 12422
              #4
              Originally posted by MontanaRabbit
              I've never met Mel, but the story about his baseball roots is pretty cool. SD has a very unique thing with amateur baseball and it's popularity especially in the small towns is really cool. I played baseball in Bryant back when I was in college and there were several years we would play Lake Norden in the 4th of July game. That game was a big deal for that small town. There were several hundred people there to watch the game and the fireworks that followed. From the stories I hear, years ago it didn't take fireworks to make the town show up to a game. I can see how that would foster a love of baseball in Mel.

              JackJD, I imagine Chuck is related to Paul? Paul played for Lake Norden for years.
              Chuck's got a lot of relatives in Hamlin County...pretty safe bet he's closely related to anyone with Raasch as a last name.

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