1994 Cape Legion Post 63 team honored for state title run

~ Players from Central and Jackson combined to create Cape Post 63's most successful team

Former Cape Legion Post 63 coach Don Hopper recalls having little doubt that his team would win the state title in 1994, but he did worry about how his players would get along.

Eleven of the 16 Post 63 players played on the Central High School baseball team that won the Missouri Class 4A baseball championship in that same year. The other five players played for rival Jackson High School. At that time Jackson did not have a Legion team, forcing many of their players to join Post 63.

Hopper remembers a bus ride home from a game that changed his mind on the matter rather quickly.

"Doc [Yallaly] and I were at the front of the bus having a conversation about how these guys would be with one another," Hopper said. "I remember saying to him, 'Doc this isn't going so well, they aren't going to get along.'"

At that moment the song "Boot Scootin' Boogie" by Brooks & Dunn came on the radio. Hopper said all 16 of his players sang the song in unison. It became clear to Hopper and Yallaly that their team had set aside their differences to unite and win as a team. Hopper said his team had no trouble winning after that.

"They were so good at what they did," Hopper said. "They were kids that really loved baseball and had the talent to do great things. They weren't there just to be social, they were there to work hard."

Hopper along with his coaching staff John "Doc" Yallaly, Bill Bohnert and members of the 1994 championship team were honored during the fifth inning of the Plaza Tire Capahas game on Saturday at Capaha Field.

Post 63 went 43-12 in the 1994 season and 4-0 in the state tournament. Post 63 used some late inning heroics to overcome Joplin in the championship game.

In the bottom of the seventh tied at five Leroy McCauley led off the inning for Post 63 with a walk. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Two batters later Mark Kiehne singled to score McCauley to put Post 63 ahead for good 6-5.

Lance Craft batted lead off for Post 63 and was named the tournament's most valuable player. He finished 9 for 16 with six runs scored and six stolen bases. He reached base 13 times in 20 plate appearances. Craft remembers the season well and said it didn't take long for Post 63 to unite.

"Once we got here, everybody got on that field and you put that same uniform on it wasn't hard," Craft said. "We were all there to win. We were a part of that team together, so it was pretty easy to get along and come up with a common goal."

Hopper and many of the other players credited Post 63 first baseman Mark Kiehne with unifying the team.

"He was so vocal for us and really encouraged everybody on the team no matter where they were from," Hopper said. "I remember before our first game, Kiehne gathering the boys around before they took the field. They all put their hands in and shouted, 'Cape' at the same time. That was big for us it showed me that they were for real."

Yallaly, who coached Post 63 for more than 40 years, said it was the best team he ever saw in Post 63 uniforms during his coaching career.

"Managing was no problem for us and we didn't hardly have to do any of it," Yallaly said. "Right down to the 16th man we were pretty strong and that's rare to have."

Post 63 starting pitcher David Michel was just one of Post 63's dominant pitchers. But Hopper said Michel's pitching gave them a fighting chance in many of the games he started.

"He was a work horse for us," Hopper said. "He had tenacity and was a bulldog. He had no fear, he kept hitters honest and he was really good at throwing the curve. He was one of those kids that got stronger as the game went on which is hard to believe, but that's the way it was."

Assistant coach Bill Bohnert, along with Hopper and Yallaly, have more than 100 years of coaching experience combined. Bohnert said working with the same coaching staff for several years makes for a lot of good memories.

"Having a group like that and all the personalities we had made it fun and easy," Bohnert said. "We really worked well together. We could calm one another down and make a decision as a group which I always thought was important."

Players and coaches met after the Capahas game for a reception at River Eagle Distributing. Hopper said there would be a lot of catching up to do.

"It's been so long since this many of us have been together, and I wish we could have gotten the whole team out here," Hopper said. "But it's been fun. I'm sure Doc will have some stories and words of wisdom to get us all laughing. It really is good to see everyone."