Bob Mohr throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Thursday’s Valmeyer Junior Legion baseball game at Borsch Park.
(Corey Saathoff photo)

Valmeyer honored one of its most dedicated sports boosters last week, celebrating his more than 55 years of keeping an accurate reflection of games and teams that have helped shape the town’s history.

Bob Mohr, 78, first began keeping score for the Valmeyer Junior High School boys basketball team in 1951. He did so well with that assignment and has continued assisting with Valmeyer athletics in some capacity ever since.

Only an eight-year relocation to Texas for work purposes and busy times following the Flood of 1993 have kept him away from Valmeyer sports.

Mohr had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Thursday’s baseball game between the Valmeyer Junior Legion and Waterloo’s SLABA League team. After he threw the pitch, Mohr went right to his usual area of the dugout, reading off the lineup and writing down an account of the game.

Mohr still works part-time as a bookkeeper, a career he has been in most of his life. It’s no wonder, then, that Mohr also likes keeping the score and compiling statistics for his hometown sports teams.

“I like working with numbers, I guess,” Mohr told the Republic-Times.

The 1956 VHS graduate said he was fortunate to be the scorekeeper for the 1952-53 Pirates basketball squad that defeated Belleville and East St. Louis to win a regional title that is still celebrated today.

Mohr connects Valmeyer’s sporting past with its present. He kept the scorebook this season for a Pirates baseball program that won its first regional title in 45 years.

“He’s referred to as our baseball Yoda,” Valmeyer head baseball coach Greg Reinhardt said. “His vast knowledge of baseball and its rules has helped the players and coaches at the high school and junior high levels learn and appreciate the game.”

Valmeyer baseball coaches and players also credit Mohr for providing a calming presence that helps keep the dugout relaxed during the heat of battle.

In fact, Mohr offers advice to the baseball coaches during the game, informing them of what the opposing hitter may have done the last time up or pointing out other helpful information.

He even caught opposing teams illegally using courtesy runners a couple of times this season, resulting in outs.

“I try to keep up on the rulebook and help when I can,” he said.

Mohr has either kept the score or served as clock operator for both junior high and high school basketball and baseball, as well as volleyball, for several years. In addition, he keeps the scores and compiles stats for the Junior Legion baseball squad during the summer.

Oh, and he’s also a longtime member of the Valmeyer Village Board.

“I pretty much have something going on every night of the week,” he said. “I don’t like television that much.”

Mohr also played on slow pitch softball teams in the 1960s before keeping score for them as well, and even coached for some women’s slow pitch teams in the 1970s.

He was also instrumental, along with Dale Rose, in restoring Valmeyer’s Khoury League program.

As for keeping score, Mohr said he wants to continue to do it as long as he’s able.

“I just try to do my best,” Mohr said. “I hope to keep doing it as long as I can. It’s fun getting to see all the games. I think it keeps me alert.”