John was born May 22, 1943 and raised in Terre Haute, and played boyhood and Gerstmeyer High School games, including his last one in 1961, at Spencer F. Ball Park on Eighth Avenue.

In 1963 a series of gas explosions upended buildings and won the city the derisive title of “Boomtown, U.S.A.” More and more, Terre Haute (1968 pop. 72,500) leaned for revenue on Indiana State ...