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While most people know
Langenfeld from his officiating days in more
recent times, many may not know he was the
only pitcher on A.L. Trout’s only baseball
team at Centralia High School (CTHS) in
1947. The team played 14 games in the summer
months and had a record of 12-2. They were
conference co-champs with Harrisburg. Langenfeld
pitched every inning of every game, except
for part of one inning when his arm was sore
he switched places with catcher, Corky
Locke, but quickly returned to the mound
before the inning was over. He pitched three shutouts, 2 one hitters, 2
two hitters, and 2 three hitters and batted
clean-up for the team. The most hits given
up in any game were 8 as he averaged 12
strikeouts per game. Langenfeld’s 12 wins
by a pitcher in a single season is still a
record at CHS. After high school, Langenfeld went to
Arkansas State on a football scholarship.
After one year, he transferred to Illinois
to play baseball, but before playing a game
for the Illini, he signed with the Chicago
Cubs. After five years in the Cubs
organization, he ended his career in
Janesville, WI, and was released outright at
his own request with a chipped bone in his
elbow. He says his biggest mistake was going
to Wisconsin where the weather was cold
instead of L.A. where the weather was
warm. Red didn’t stay away from sports as he
became an official and called basketball
games for 31 years, football for 28 years
and baseball for 20 years.
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