PHOTO COURTESY OF CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSEUM

Whether it’s baseball, softball, or T-ball, hearing the crack of the bat for the first time has been one of the best parts of spring for generations of kids. This photo from the Chippewa Valley Museum, which dates to 1953 or 1954, shows an Eau Claire Little League Team called the Midgets. In 1953, the Midgets were sponsored by the U.S. Rubber Co., which had a tire factory in what is now Banbury Place. Other teams in the league were the Hobbs-Phoenix Bantams, the Police Cadets, the Sterling Paper Co. Mites, the Presto Kids, and the Book Store Cubs. More than 60 years later, some of those business still exist in the Chippewa Valley. As for these players, look closely, because one of them could be your grandpa!