Wilson’s guy with the O’s

By Vince Hancock
Ellsworth County I-R

To all appearances, Duane “Butch” Janne is a reluctant raconteur. He doesn’t want anyone to think he has a big head, and he might not have said anything if his family didn’t urge him. But he would like some kind of record showing that yes, a kid from Wilson, Kan. can get a lot further than one might think — such as pitching professional baseball. Fifty-five years ago, he was that kid.

“I hope this won’t take too terribly long,” he said a few weeks ago, as the school year came to a close. Janne had stepped away from Blue Stem Auto in Wilson, his vehicle sales business.

Behind him, at the Ellsworth Rec Center diamonds, the girl and boy Bearcats, which include Wilson players, warmed up for practice.

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