Long before tailgates and turf fields, the Minnesota Vikings traded helmets for softball gloves—and headed to Ostrander, Minnesota. From 1970 to 1973, the Vikings made an annual summer pilgrimage to this small Fillmore County town, playing charity softball games to raise funds for the Ostrander Park.In this episode of Roots & Riddles, Lenora and Preston step onto the diamond of memory, revisiting the years when NFL legends like Alan Page, Carl Eller, and Fran Tarkenton drew crowds not for touchdowns—but for home runs. Through newspaper clippings, eyewitness accounts, and local lore, they explore how a big-league team helped a small-town dream take root, and why those games still echo in the hearts of those who watched from the bleachers.Sources📚The Lime Springs Herald, July 15, 1971The Lime Springs Herald, July 13, 1972Event Posters, 1970 & 1973 curtesy of the Hovey family Interviews with attendees

Ver todos los episodios