Three former area baseball standouts were honored as 2017 inductees to the West Central Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society.
This year's class is:
--- Greg Kallevig, of Bloomington, Illinois: A Willmar native, Kallevig graduated from Willmar High School in 1982. During his prep career, Kallevig was named all-conference and all-area in 1981 and he moved on to play at South Dakota State University. In 1984, he was part of a SDSU team that played in the NCAA Division II World Series. Kallevig was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985. During his time with the Cubs organization, Kallevig played Class A, AA, and AAA.
--- Ronald Tucker, of Willmar: Tucker grew up in Swift County and graduated from Murdock High School in 1945. He played for the Murdock town team during his high school years after the high school dropped its baseball program during World War II. He played for Benson, DeGraff and Kerkhoven. Tucker signed a contract to play with the Boston Braves in 1947. He played his last amateur game in 1962, pitching a perfect game against Raymond.
--- Howard Tucker (1922-1965): Tucker grew up in Swift County and he played baseball and graduated from Murdock High School in 1940. Tucker played with the DeGraff Legion team and helped lead the team to a state championship in 1940. He also participated in the Corn Belt League until 1944 when he entered the Maritime Services. Tucker signed a contract to play with the New York Giants in 1946. He is considered one the top pitchers of his time.
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