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Bandits to honor longtime fans

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By Steve Batterson | Tuesday, April 01, 2008 |

Before the first pitch of the 2008 season is thrown Thursday at Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park, the Quad-City River Bandits will pause to remember two longtime fans.

The lives of Dorothy Wulf and Jim Duggleby, two Davenport residents who were fixtures at minor league baseball games, will be recognized at Thursday’s 7 p.m. Midwest League opener against Wisconsin.

Wulf, who attended the first game played at what was then Municipal Stadium in 1931, died last Thursday at the age of 91. Duggleby, the founder of the fan club that assists players during their stays in the Quad-Cities, died Nov. 4 at the age of 59 after a brief illness.

“We’ll have a tribute to them on our video board prior to the game and remember them for their love of baseball and all they’ve meant to the Quad-Cities organization over the years,’’ River Bandits general manager Kirk Goodman said. “We’ve lost two good fans.’’

Wulf spent more than eight decades watching professional players work toward their big-league dreams from the stands of the Davenport stadium.

Wulf, who worked in the club’s front office for six years before retiring in 1978 and was named as the franchise’s “Fan of the Century’’ in 2000, cherished the friendships she made while watching the sport.

“That’s the great thing about baseball, once you make a friend, you have a friend for life,’’ Wulf said in a 2006 interview with the Quad-City Times. “When we come to the ballpark, we know we’re surrounded by friends.’’

Duggleby shared that passion.

“He never asked for as much as an autograph,’’ said Kevin Boles, who managed the Swing of the Quad-Cities in 2004. “Jim did it because he saw a need to help these young players out, whether it was providing them with a hot meal or helping them find them a place to live. He provided a helping hand to hundreds of players over the years.’’

Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.