West Bend, WI – The weather was windy, rainy and cool with temps in the 40s on Friday, May 28, but the contractors were a bunch of tough guys and within a quick 30 minutes they installed the Horicon Bank press box atop the new grandstand at Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field in West Bend.
The project is headed by the West Bend Baseball Association.
The team from Horicon Bank was on hand. “West Bend has always been a baseball city, even when I was a kid shagging foul balls for the state tournament,” said Mike Fleischman. “That has a lot to do with it we want to give back to this community and Horicon Bank is really excited to be partnering with this awesome project.”
Bob Meyer with the WBBA was inducted into the Wall of Fame in 2018. Meyer was on hand for the installation of the press box. “My favorite memory of playing at Carl Kuss Field is the East vs. West games,” he said. “From before Willie and I played until today; the most excitement and energy and great rivalry and that will continue hopefully with this brand new ballpark.”
Willie Mueller has been with the project since Day No. 1. Mueller, a WBBA Wall of Fame inductee in 2012, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1974 when he was 17 years old.
Click HERE to watch the March 2021 demolition of the grandstand at Carl M. Kuss Field
“After the 1972 state championship we went jumping in the creek back here and there were a lot of great ball players came out of here,” said Mueller. “I was West in 1974 and East moved along but as soon as I lost I went to the Brewers stadium and pitched to George “Boomer” Scott and Milwaukee invited me down and a day later I signed and I was in Newark, New York three days later. East beating us hurt me.. but signing three days later, that was pretty memorable.”
“We just keep plugging away and hopefully get the lights done. We’re still short about $250,000 in order to get the lights but hopefully we get enough to at least get things lit.”
The West Bend Baseball Association is still raising money for the project. “This is a $2.1 million project and we still need to raise about $300,000,” said Mueller. “We’re really thankful to the people who have donated so far but we need a bit more so we can finish it off and hit it outta the park.” (sorry – not sorry. baseball analogy intentional)
Click HERE to make a donation or for traditional mail by USPS:
West Bend Baseball Association
PO Box 575
West Bend, WI 53095
