• Originally published October 28, 2009 at 11:27 p.m., updated October 28, 2009 at 11:35 p.m.

Most people look at the H-E-B on Rio Grande St. and see a grocery store. Otis Linam pictures a practice field.

Linam remembers practicing on the York Oil field where the grocery store is now located as a member of the baseball team at Patti Welder High School in 1948.

Linam wasn't a member of the first high school team in Victoria. Patti Welder fielded a team in the 1920's, but the team had been disbanded and the 1948 team marked the beginning of a program that evolved to where it is today.

"It wasn't advertised too much," Linam said. "A lot of people didn't even know there was a baseball team. Outside of family members, there were like five people in the stands at our games. It was a real secret around Victoria."

Linam got a chance to reminisce with former teammates Jake Thormahlen, who also lives in Victoria, Dick Kinsel of Pearland and Ben Wilson of Huntsville when the Patti Welder Class of 1949 held its 60th reunion last weekend.

Buddy Brock of Edna, who also played on the team, was unable to attend.

Linam, who played third base, is unsure who decided to restart the baseball program, although he's almost certain it would have been Ed Shinn, who coached the football and track and field teams at Patti Welder.

The baseball coach was Ray Dorsett although most of the players were self-taught.

Linam said there were no Little League teams and most of the players were members of American Legion teams that had outside sponsors.

Wilson was one of the two pitchers on the team and he figured out on his own how to throw a curve ball.

"The enthusiasm was there," Wilson said. "Our catcher, Ray Kalich, would put up his glove and show me where to throw it and that's what I tried to do."

Linam said the players used their own gloves, shoes and practice uniforms, which he described as "old khakis or blue jeans."

The game uniforms were "humongous," and the team started the season with three bats - 29-, 30- and 31-ounce models.

Thormahlen, who played center field, remembers getting out of school on Friday afternoons so the team could scrimmage at the old city field where St. Joseph High School is located.

Thormahlen and Kinsler, who played left field, still chuckle about the time Kinsler ran into the wall at Rosebud Stadium chasing a fly ball.

None of the players, who are in their late 70's, can remember how many games they won that first season, although they admit it wasn't many.

"I'm reaching back," Wilson said, "but I'm not getting the old picture."

The picture they do get is starting a program that led to numerous playoff appearances, a Class 5A state championship won by Stroman in 1985, and served as the launching point in establishing Victoria as a baseball town.

Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.

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