June 2000
Bruce Stone Dies
Spring Chapter Meeting
SABR Members at Ripken Milestone
Cow Chips
New Members
Directory Information
Dues
June Birthdays
Board of Directors
Calendar
Bruce Stone Dies
Longtime Chapter member Judge Bruce C. Stone died
of cancer on Tuesday, April 25 at the age of 84. Bruce was an active member
of the chapter. He served on the board of directors and attended most of
the Chapter Meetings as well as the SABR national conventions. Bruce could
always be counted on to provide a research presentation on short notice.
One of his favorite topics was an analysis of unearned runs from the previous
baseball season.
Bruce was appointed to the Hennepin County Municipal Court by Governor Elmer L. Andersen in 1961. Seven years later, Governor Harold LeVander appointed Bruce to the Hennepin County District Court. Bruce served on the bench until his retirement in 1982. One of the cases to come before him involved an issue related to the construction of the Metrodome. Bruce loved to tell the tale of asking one of the attorneys in the case about the possibility of putting a retractable roof on the new stadium. “Oh, we couldn’t do that,” the attorney told Judge Stone. “That would be too much money. It might cost another million dollars.”
According to the Star Tribune, Newspaper of the Twin Cities, Bruce joined the Army Air Force in 1941, served in World War II, and retired as a lieutenant colonel after 17 years in the service. He had received his law degree in 1940 and went into private practice following his military service. He then joined the Hennepin County attorney’s office and worked there until his appointment to the bench.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 20, at 1 p.m. at Washburn McReavy on West 50th Street and Highway 100 in Edina.
36 Attend Spring
Chapter Meeting
In addition to featured guest Terry Ryan, 36 members
and guests attended the Halsey Hall Chapter Meeting on May 6, setting an
unofficial attendance record (topping the 33 who attended the meeting in
the spring of 1985).
Ryan, the Twins general manager, was the highlight of the meeting. In a straightforward manner, Ryan discussed the issues facing the Twins and baseball, including realignment, revenue sharing, and the umpires. He then fielded a host of questions, ranging from his opinion of Twins pitching coach Dick Such to the situation with Travis Lee, who had been originally drafted by the Twins.
Activities following Ryan’s appearance included research presentations by Ted Hathaway, Stew Thornley, Roger Godin, and Dan Levitt, as well as Dan’s trivia quiz.
Cary Smith had the highest individual score in the trivia contest. Cary then teamed with Rich Arpi (one of the others with the top four individual scores) to defeat Jim Wyman and Stew Thornley in the finals.
A silent auction raised $91 with the top individual bid of $31 made by Mark Johnson for Total Baseball, Sixth Edition.
During the business meeting, Rich Arpi and Dan Levitt were elected and Kevin Hennessy was re-elected to the board of directors. The new board will meet in July to elect officers from among themselves.
The by-laws amendment regarding the appointment of editors for chapter publications, which was printed in the last two newsletters, passed unanimously.
In addition, Cary Smith and Ray Luurs announced that they are trying to resurrect the chapter’s monthly television show.
SABR Members See
Ripken Milestone
The crowd of Chapter members who were at the Metrodome
on April 15th to see Cal Ripken get his 3,000th hit included your scribe,
Glenn Poser, Lee Temanson, Brian Thilman, Jim Wyman, Paul Rittenhouse,
Phyllis Thornley, Brenda Himrich, Mark Johnson, Jed Levitt, Julian Loscolzo
(who found it appropriate that Ripken’s 2,999th hit was a Baltimore chop),
Barry Bengtsson, Connie Hill, and, of course, Seth C. “Dr. Fan” Hawkins,
who has been present for the 3,000th hits of the last 16 players to do
it. Dr. Fan was the subject of an article by Jim Souhan that appeared in
the Sunday, April 16 Star Tribune, Newspaper of the Twin Cities.
Cow Chips
While in Florida with his family on spring break,
Jerry Janzen saw the Marlins second game of the season, against
the Giants, as well as the season opener for the Fort Myers Miracle, in
a game against Charlotte. They also visited Big Cypress National Preserve,
Everglades National Park, and Biscayne National Park (numbers 207, 208,
and 209 on Jerry’s list of National Historic Parks, Sites, Monuments, and
Battlefields visited). . . . Charlie Rekela, son of George,
was the co-recipient of the Top Math Student of the Trimester Award for
Higher Algebra at Osseo Senior High School.
New Members
Gregg Arlen Omoth is a lifelong fan who saw
his first major league game in 1981 as Fernando Arroyo took on the Texas
Rangers at Met Stadium. Gregg is from Spring Grove, Minnesota (where he
was a “mediocre outfielder” in high school) and lived in Winona and Mankato
before moving to the Twin Cities last July. Gregg works as an Underwriting
Technician for an insurance company. He has a B. A. in history from Winona
State and is now finishing up his M. A. in history at Minnesota State-Mankato.
His interests in baseball research are Minnesota baseball players, Latin
American baseball, baseball biographies, and the use of computers and the
internet to expand research possibilities. Gregg is engaged to be married
this September.
A native of Detroit (where he sold orange pop in the bleachers at Tiger Stadium as a youth), John Gordon has been a SABR member for 20 years. He’s also been a Twins broadcaster since 1987. John has a wife, Nancy; son, John, Jr.; and daughter, Jean.
Tracy Tool is from Fargo and went to Shanley High School (the high school of Roger Maris and Rick Helling). He went to undergraduate and law school at the University of Minnesota and has lived in the Twin Cities since 1984. Tracy is a lawyer, specializing in employment law, and has a wife, Joanie, and a dog, Lucy. Tracy has an interest in St. Paul and gangster history. He’s a big fan of the Twins and Herb Carneal. One of the best baseball games he ever saw was during the 1987 pennant race. In September Frank Viola dueled Len “Perfect Game” Barker of Milwaukee. Billy Beane won the game with an extra-inning bloop single. Tracy called it “a key game in the first real Twins pennant race in my memory.”
Directory Information
John Gordon
4784 137th Street West
Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124
952-423-4345
E-mail: gordo@wcco.com
Gregg Omoth
1405 Olive Lane North, Apt. 109
Plymouth, Minnesota 55447
763-449-6446
E-mail: gomoth@uswest.net
Tracy Tool
369 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102
651-228-9008
E-mail: tntappy@aol.com
Directory Update
R. J. Lesch
100 Market Street, #508
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
515-244-7072
E-mail: rjlesch_usa@yahoo.com
Dues
If you haven’t already done so, please submit your
subscription dues of $12. If you’re not sure of your dues status, contact
Treasurer Kevin Hennessy at 651-227-5183 or via e-mail at BBWSMIN@aol.com.
Send a check, made out to Halsey Hall Chapter, to Kevin Hennessy, 608 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102.
June Birthdays
12—Ron Replogle (also Ryan Klesko,
Otto Knabe, Damon Buford, Marv Albert, George Bush, and Jim Nabors)
15—Seth Hawkins, Jerry Janzen,
Bill Larson (also Billy Williams, Andy Pettitte, Dusty Baker, Lance Parrish,
Champ Summers, Ramiro Mendoza, Wade Boggs, and Mario Cuomo)
22—Joe O’Connell, Pete Hepokoski
(also Carl Hubbell)
30—Phyllis Thornley (also Davy
Jones, Tony Fernandez, Ron Swoboda, Garret Anderson, Al Newman, and Chan
Ho Park)
Halsey Hall Chapter
Board of Directors 1999-2000
President—Jim Wyman
Vice President—Cary Smith
Secretary-Treasurer—Kevin Hennessy
Mark Johnson
Joe O’Connell
Brent Peterson
Bob Tholkes
The Holy Cow! Editor—Stew Thornley
May 20—Bruce Stone Memorial Service, 1:00 p.m., Washburn-McReavy Edina Chapel, W. 50th and Highway 100
June 10—Hot Stove Saturday Morning,
8:30 a.m., Baker’s Square, 66th and Xerxes, Richfield
Please direct news about chapter events, about yourself
or about other chapter members to:
S. Thornley
1082 Lovell Avenue
Roseville, Minnesota 55113-4419
E-mail Stew
Thornley
http://member.aol.com/halseyhall/Home.html