Mel Antonen, dead at 64

[JackJD]

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:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/oth...5k?li=BB15ms5q

Mel was a big deal in sports journalism.

[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.

[jacksfaninne]

Another excellent tribute.

[JackJD]

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.