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Injury cut short Dobbek’s potential

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins Dan Dobbek is pictured in a Minnesota Twins uniform in 1961. The Ontonagon native was a strong candidate until an injury shortened his career.

ONTONAGON — His name was once mentioned in the same breath as Minnesota Twins sluggers Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison.

But Ontonagon native Dan Dobbek saw his baseball career shortened by an injury, and never could reach the same heights as the late Hall-of-Fame great Killebrew.

Dobbek ran into an outfield fence in Kansas City in 1961 while going after a fly ball.

“I banged up the arm after hitting the fence,” Dobbek recalled in a story in 1995. “It never was the same …. after that. I wasn’t able to swing he bat with the same power I once had.”

Growing up in Ontonagon in the early 1950s, Dobbek displayed a lot athletic ability.

He was a standout in basketball, football and track for the Polar Bears (the school nickname back then).

In basketball, he earned respect from all opponents.

The late Spencer Carlson of Houghton was the winner of the prestigious Albert Funke Award (given to the top senior athlete in the area) in 1953. He remembered Dobbek as “a big, rugged guy.”

“He was a physical basketball player with a nice touch,” Carlson said in a 2001 interview. “He could play inside or outside.”

Jim Mattson of L’Anse High School had the chance to go up against Dobbek in basketball and football.

“He (Dobbek) was a very good all-around athlete,” Mattson said a few years ago. “He played quarterback and was a pretty agile guy.”

Of course, Dobbek also played baseball for the local American Legion team.

Playing in the Legion tournament in 1952, he came up against Mohawk’s talented pitcher George Brunet. He managed to get a double off Brunet, who would have a long baseball career.

“Dobbek was a real good hitter,” said Brunet, who played baseball for 23 seasons. “I ran into him a couple of times when we both were in the majors.”

Dobbek was signed by the Washington Senators in 1955 after playing two years at Western Michigan University. He also played basketball at WMU.

He attracted the attention of the Senators by hitting .340 at Hobbs, N.M. in the old Southwest League. He belted 27 homers and drove in 140 runs.

Dobbek spent two years in military service in 1957 and 1958.

He was called up briefly to the big club in 1959 after hitting 28 homers at Chattanooga of the Sally League in 1959.

That earned him a shot in Washington in 1960. Playing in 110 games for the Senators, he batted .263 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs.

When the Senators moved to Minnesota as part of expansion in 1961, Dobbek went with them. But a .168 average in Minneapolis kept him down.

“I felt I was just getting the hang of things, but then came the injury in Kansas City,” he said. “It was never was the same.”

Traded to Cincinnati for catcher Jerry Zimmerman the following year, the Ontonagon product kicked around the minor leagues before retiring in 1963.

He moved to the state of Washington before relocating to Portland, Ore.

Dobbek was active in the Senior Olympics (50 and Over) and did quite well.

One of his baseball memories was hitting against Brunet.

“I usually hit George pretty well,” he recalled. “But he developed into quite a pitcher.”

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