Baseball in Amana

In early Amana baseball was not allowed, actually sports of any kind. The Elders of the church thought sports were frivolous and a waste of one's time and energy as there was plenty of work to do. There were no baseball diamonds, little leagues, no teams or backyard games. Some children did not play or see a game till they were 12-14 years old. When the strict traditions of the Amana communal system became more lax every village had its own baseball team and diamond. Every Sunday later on, there was a game,  including nearby towns of Norway, Walford,and Cedar Rapids. Two men in the Amana area that played for professional teams were Bill Zuber and Ralph Zuber.