MITCHELL — A staple in the Winner baseball community, John Calhoon was honored for his contributions on Monday.

Calhoon was recognized for his contributions to South Dakota amateur baseball when South Dakota Amateur Baseball President Dale Weber presented him with a lifetime pass at Cadwell Park.

Calhoon received the lifetime pass midway through Winner/Colome’s second round win over Mount Vernon during the Class B state amateur baseball tournament. Individuals have received lifetime passes since 1944. 

“It’s very nice,” Calhoon said. “I put a lot of volunteer time in for 10 or 15 years, doing all the scheduling for the Winner team. So it was very nice.”

And carrying on with tradition, Weber gave no prior indication of the honor and Calhoon was surprised by the recognition. Public address announcer, Joe Van Goor, listed off Calhoon’s contributions to amateur baseball as Weber presented the pass in front of another strong Cadwell Park crowd. 

“I was definitely surprised,” Calhoon said. “Dale asked me to come down and he needed to talk to me for a minute. I didn’t really know what was going on. I have known Dale for a while. His grandson, Drew, coached in Winner when I was president of the baseball association. So we got back about 10 years.”

Calhoon is president of the Winner Baseball Association, organizing the schedules at Leahy Bowl. In previous years, he also worked on the umpires’ schedules, fundraising and parent work schedules. He also coached many of the current Pheasants in Little League. 

It’s all been beneficial to strong baseball traditions across all levels in Winner. The Pheasants are again playing in the Class B state amateur baseball tournament, while the high school, teener and American Legion programs have strong traditions.  

It all makes Calhoon beam with pride. 

“I take a lot of pride in it,” Calhoon said. “We get a lot of support from the town and it’s a tradition. There’s a lot of history there and Leahy Bowl has a lot of history. I am very proud of the tradition.”

Calhoon’s oldest son, Austin, plays for the Pheasants and his youngest son, Riley, plays for Dell Rapids PBR. PBR is also playing in this year’s state tournament. 

So Calhoon and his wife, Jodi, have once again been regulars at Cadwell Park during the tournament. 

“It’s a beautiful place,” Calhoon said. “We love coming to Cadwell.”

It’s also another reminder of how special South Dakota amateur baseball is to Calhoon. 

“It keeps the small towns going and it’s something to do in the summer,” Calhoon said.