Few could be as excited for the A Iola Indians summer season as Indians assistant coach Bob Johnson.
In his playing days, Johnson competed for Iola’s American Legion baseball team from 1986-90. During his five years playing Legion ball, Johnson helped the Indians bring home Iola’s first AA state championship in 1988.
Johnson is once again in familiar territory, except this time the roles are reversed. His father and longtime Register reporter Bob Johnson served as his head coach for all five of his Legion seasons. On Monday, Johnson stood at third base directing baserunners while also coaching his son Maddox during the Indians scrimmage.
“It is kind of surreal to play, and be part of the first state championship, and now get to coach my own son,” Johnson said. “It didn’t bring a tear to my eye, but it was kind of fun.”
When Johnson first started playing Legion ball in 1986, his father went with the name “Indians,” because of Iola’s history with the mascot.
The Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League (KOAM League) which was established in 1946, fielded a team from Iola in all six of its seasons. For the first two seasons, Iola was known as the Cubs before coming to be known as the Indians for the final four seasons.
Johnson’s first two seasons playing Legion ball came at the A level before moving up to AA in 1988. Single-A gives opportunities to play talent from cities varying in size from across Kansas, which only helped Johnson and the Indians later down the road.
When Johnson and his teammates were eligible to play AA ball, and opponents paralleling a similar population size — they learned how good they really could be.
“We had to beat Fort Scott in 1988 to win our region, and had to beat Shane Dennis who went on to Wichita State for four years and played in the big leagues for the Padres,” Johnson said. “I think we split with them a couple times during the year, but in the zone championship we won 4-2.”
In Iola’s win over Fort Scott, Johnson recalls a sea of Iola fans supporting the Indians on their road to success. After winning the zone championship, Iola traveled to Norton for the state tournament. Although the Indians were far from home, Johnson recalls a good following of fans making the six-hour trip to cheer on Iola.
The Indians beat El Dorado in the state championship before losing to Salina the next week for a chance at nationals. The Indians title run was honored later in the summer during Farm City Days, and the achievement is one Johnson still savors.
“You have times in your lives where you look back and think ‘wow, how lucky was I to be a part of that,’” Johnson said. “We were all so young. I turned 16 while at the state tournament. We only had two seniors on the team, and then probably over half were sophomores going to be juniors. Mostly it was a 16-, 17-year old team.”
The Indians state success might have been the biggest achievement of Johnson’s tenure, but far from as memorable as the relationships he built during his five seasons.
“It was kind of like a club, and especially in ‘88, ‘89, ‘90 when we were really kicking it hard. We did everything together,” Johnson said. “If there was something going on after the game, we didn’t pick two of our buddies and go do it. All of us went and did it, whether it be a party in the country, bonfire, hanging out in the park — it was kind of like a fraternity.”
Johnson understands that summer activities like Legion baseball are supposed to be fun. And while winning is important, the memories of post-game meals and laughs shared will trump the number of W’s and L’s at the end of the year.
