Resources
Dave Lande Elected President for 2019-2020
Dave Lande was elected president, Hans Van Slooten vice president, Anders Koskinen secretary, and Jerry Janzen treasurer for the 2019-2020 year (with their terms beginning July 1). They will serve on the chapter board of directors with Jim Cox, Gene Gomes, and Frank Kadwell. Outgoing president Tom Flynn and outgoing director Bob Komoroski received a nice tribute at the June 9 board meeting for their contributions to the chapter.
As the incoming vice president, Hans Van Slooten appointed chairs for the standing committees for 2019-2020: Jim Cox for the Membership Committee, Sarah Johnson and Brenda Himrich for the Research Committee, and Howard Luloff for the Events Committee.
SABR members in the area began meeting in 1981 and in 1985 became the first SABR regional group to become a formal chapter. A list of all officers, presidents, regional and chapter meetings, and dead members is on the chapter web site:
History of Officers and Chapter Meetings
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Upcoming Events
Fall Chapter Meeting November 2
The fall chapter meeting will be Saturday, November 2 at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 E. 22nd Street in south Minneapolis.
Registration for the meeting is at 8:30 with research presentations beginning at 9:00. A business meeting will be held during lunch with a featured guest and Howard Luloff’s always-a-hit trivia contest to follow.
The cost for the meeting and lunch is $10. The meeting only is $5. Those wanting lunch must RSVP to Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.
Members are invited to submit a proposal to make a research (oral or poster) presentation at the meeting. Proposals must be sent to Research Committee co-chairs Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson and include a title and brief outline of what the presentation will consist of with emphasis on the research that will be included. Standard oral presentations are 20 minutes (with an additional eight minutes for questions) although the duration may be longer or shorter depending on the needs of the presenter and of the schedule. The Research Committee (which also consists of Dan Levitt, Jim Cox, Doug Skipper, Stew Thornley, Rich Arpi, Dave Lande, Anders Koskinen, Gene Gomes, and Bob Tholkes) will finalize the schedule of research presentations by October 19, two weeks before the meeting, so proposals must be submitted by then.
Three presentations have already been approved (so hurry):
- Rich Arpi: 1890s Millers and Saints
- David Karpinski: This Lineup “Owned” Nolan Ryan
- Corky Gaskell: Making a 19th Century Base Ball
Brenda Himrich and Kenny Jackelen were the door-prize winners among the veteran and new members at the spring chapter meeting, and the board authorized the prizes to continue in future meetings.
Research Committee Meetings June 10 and July 8
The Halsey Hall Chapter Research Committee will meet Monday, June 10 and Monday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center 55430. All members are welcome to attend.
A number of members have been researching the first games played in each of the Minnesota counties, and the committee would like to have information for each of the counties (about 23 are still unaccounted for). Two webpages have information on the spread of baseball, Pre-pro Baseball and Pre-pro Clubs and Games in Minnesota. In addition, a Google Docs spreadsheet is online, Minnesota Spread of Baseball Project, 1857-1923.
Anyone wanting to get involved may contact committee co-chairs Brenda Himrich, 651-415-0791, and Sarah Johnson.
SABR Convention
SABR 49 will be June 26-30. Join your fellow members in San Diego. The event will include panels with Kurt Bevacqua, Randy Jones, Carlos Hernandez, and Mark Sweeney, and umpires Gerry Davis (who was one of the umpires in the first game at the Metrodome, April 3, 1982 vs. the Phillies) and Greg Gibson, along with Sean Forman, David Neft, and Dave Smith.
In addition, the program includes research presentations from the following chapter members:
- Mike Haupert, The Business of Being the Babe
- Dan Levitt, They Deserved Each Other: The Tempestuous New York Giants Ownership of Charles Stoneham, John McGraw, and Frank McQuade
- A. J. Richard, You’re Out! Girls Quit Baseball Due to Culture
SABR 49 Convention Schedule
All-Star Game Viewing Party
Join your fellow members and baseball enthusiasts at Bunny’s Northeast, 34 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis 55413, 612-545-5659 (in what was the keg warehouse of the Grain Belt Brewery), at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9 to watch the All-Star Game.
Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning
The next Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, an informal breakfast gathering for the purpose of talking baseball, will be at 9:00 on Saturday, July 13 at Bunny’s Northeast.
The Spy Behind Home Plate
Jim Cox is organizing a group outing to see The Spy Behind Home Plate, a documentary about Moe Berg, at the Edina Theater, 3911 W. 50th Street, Edina 55424, 952-920-8796. Guests are welcome. The show is in the afternoon (the exact time won’t be known until a few days before—check Landmark Theaters Edina Cinema Showtimes) on Saturday, July 13 (tickets are $13, $8 for seniors), and the group will go to a nearby food and drink establishment after the movie. Please let Jim know, jcox321@hotmail.com, if you plan to go to the show and/or the food/drink establishment, and he will make any arrangements that are needed.
The Spy Behind Home Plate Trailer
Emma Charlesworth-Seiler Umpiring in Cedar Rapids July 27
The chapter is organizing a trip to see the Clinton LumberKings play the Cedar Rapids Kernels at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, and Emma Charlesworth-Seiler will be umpiring. Members may make their own carpool and rooming arrangements with one another. A suggested hotel for Saturday night is the Super 8, off Interstate 80 and 33rd Avenue, 400 33rd Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids 52404. The hotel is about three miles from the ballpark, and rooms are $55 to $60 plus tax. Call the Super 8 at 319-432-7282 to reserve a room.
We will meet Emma for lunch around noon. Howard Luloff is contacting the Kernels to see if some of their staff can meet with us at the ballpark, and he will have a trivia quiz.
Howard will buy tickets in advance (a good idea since it’s fireworks night and may have a big crowd). Let Howard know if you will want tickets at hfan77@centurylink.net, 952-922-5036. The deadline for getting tickets with the group is July 7. Tickets will be around $11 each with a possible fee. Those wanting tickets should pay the chapter directly for them. Once Howard informs you of the exact amount, send a check made out to Halsey Hall SABR to Jerry Janzen, 10201 Phaeton Drive, Eden Prairie 55347-4735. Note: if you order a ticket or tickets, you will be responsible for the payment even if your plans change.
Book Club
The Halsey Hall Chapter Book Club will meet Saturday, August 10 at 9:30 a.m. at the usual spot, Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall in Roseville. The book selection is Ten Innings at Wrigley: The Wildest Ballgame Ever, with Baseball on the Brink by Kevin Cook.
Brent Heutmaker has organized a list of all the book selections since the book club started in August 2002: Halsey Hall Book Club Selections
Even More Baseball
Several members are already planning to attend the 2019 Black Sox Scandal Symposium at the Chicago History Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the scandal September 27-29. The weekend will include a trip to a White Sox game, and several chapter members are now working on an article on the predecessor to the White Sox, Charles Comiskey’s St. Paul Saints, which played in the Western League from 1895 to 1899.
Keep up to date with chapter activities on social media:
SABR Halsey Hall Chapter Facebook page
Halsey Hall Chapter Twitter page
Regular Events
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Name that Member
To celebrate the Regis Jesuit Raiders winning the Colorado state high school championship June 1, this Regis Jesuit alumnus and current distinguished SABR member produced a picture of him enjoying a cheekful of Levi Garrett chewing tobacco when he was on the freshman team in 1982. Who is he/she?
Answer below.
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Name that Team
Matt Bomberg of the Northwoods League received this request from a fan:
I have this Vintage Boys Baseball Team Photo that I would like to identify—The photo is 5" x 7" and marked Schell BATTLECREEK MICH. I think the photo was taken in the early 1900s—I would appreciate it if you could give me the contact info. of a Early Baseball Historian in your area or please forward this question for me.
If anyone has a clue, please contact Matt Bomberg.
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Minnesota 19th Century Base Ball Interdisciplinary Symposium November 16
Details are getting set, setter, and settest for the Minnesota 19th Century Base Ball Interdisciplinary Symposium, which our chapter will host in Minneapolis on Saturday, November 16. Bob Tholkes is the primary organizer and is working with the chapter Research Committee on the program. The symposium is a joint project of the SABR 19th Century Committee, the Halsey Hall Chapter of SABR, and Hennepin County Library.
Confirmed presenters:
- John Thorn, Historian for Major League Baseball
- Larry Millett, popular Twin Cities author and local historian
- Stew Thornley, SABR award-winning author and leading Minnesota baseball historian
- Frank White, historian and author on black baseball
- Dan Levitt, SABR award-winning author
- Mike Haupert, SABR Doug Pappas Award winner in 2014 for best convention presentation
- Kristin Anderson, award-winning teacher at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, and expert on Twin Cities sports architecture
The committee is tentatively planning a pre-symposium reception the evening of Friday November 15 at Stub & Herb’s. A separate room is reserved for the group from 5 to 9 p.m. There is no charge for the room, and attendees will purchase their own food and drinks. However, Stub & Herb’s will expect a certain number of people (40 or so) to be there to make it worth their while. Whether you are planning to go to the symposium on Saturday or not, you and guests are welcome at the Friday night event. If you think you might be going, please notify Stew Thornley and let him know of your plans (definite, maybe, depends on what’s on television that night or you end up with a hot date, etc.). Your response is not binding, but we need to get some idea if enough people—including out-of-towners—plan to go to this. If enough don’t respond, we will cancel the space we have reserved with Stub & Herb’s.
It’s possible that the reception will be Stub & Herb’s, so keep watching for more information. If the event is held, there will be a special Alan Holst Memorial Dead or Alive quiz.
To get on a list to receive updates about the symposium, write to sabrMN19c@gmail.com.
Minneapolis Central Library Parking Information
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Membership
Tom Kirsch is from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He studied physics and astronomy at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (UIUC), and lived there for a year after graduating in 2017 before moving to St. Paul, Minnesota, last November.
His parents still live in Buffalo Grove, along with his youngest sister. He has two other younger sisters, one who graduated from Florida State University and the other who just finished her first year at UIUC.
Tom is now a junior data scientist/scientific program at the University of Minnesota Institute of Health Informatics. He uses statistics and machine learning to help researchers better understand post-traumatic stress and other mental disorders. “I play cello for fun, am trying to join a softball league, plan to try out for the Twin Citites Adult baseball league next year, read various fantasy books, and explore the Twin Cities. I got into baseball analytics after the Cubs won the World Series and I read Brian Kenney’s Ahead of the Curve. Weirdly, I’ve started enjoying watching old Top Gear episodes. ”
As for baseball life, Tom says the “First baseball game I went to was at Wrigley Field back in 2001-2002, where I’m pretty sure Sammy Sosa hit a home run. I played baseball from kindergarten all the way up to my freshman year of high school, where I was on my school’s B team. My dad’s dad was a White Sox fan and my dad’s mom was a Cubs fan, so I’ve grown up rooting for both teams, although I’ve preferred the Cubs since I was a kid (I was more excited to play for the Cubs in Little League than I was for the White Sox). I remember watching the White Sox throughout the playoffs in 2005 with my dad, the Cubs in 2003, both teams in 2007-2008. I really enjoyed when Kyle Hendricks (favorite baseball player) almost threw a no-hitter against the Cardinals in August of 2016 at Busch Stadium. I think it goes without saying that all of the 2016 season was a great experience.”
Finally: “I’m not as into baseball history or trivia as most people, really more into baseball strategy.”
Tom shares his March 18 birthday with Scott Podsednik, Trey Mancini, Dwayne Murphy, Corky Miller, Hiram Bithorn, Leury Garcia, Tomokazu Ohka, J. T. Realmuto, Jimmy Callahan, Johnny Cooney, Nixie Callahan, Elbie Fletcher, Al Benton, Squire Potter (Tom’s favorite, who has an amusing Wikipedia page), Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (famous for Flight of the Bumblebee), George Plimpton, Leslie Parrish, Nick Kahler, Peter Graves, Edward Everett Horton, Queen Latifah, Robert Donat, Grover Cleveland, Neville Chamberlain, Smiley Burnette, Herman Tarnower, Mark Donohue, John C. Calhoun (now John C. Maka Ska), Vanessa Williams, and Congressman Thomas Edmund Scroggy.
Know a potential member? Here are resources for getting that person happily involved in SABR:
Membership application
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Cow Pies
Dan Levitt’s son, Charlie, was named the Division III Offensive Player of the Year. Charlie just graduated from Swarthmore College outside Philadelphia and holds a number of school records and is in the top 10 in many offensive categories.
Swarthmore College Baseball Record Book
As a junior, Charlie helped Swarthmore to get to the Division III College World Series.
Charles Levitt Namced NCAA Division III Offensive Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Baseball Review
SABR member Sam Zygner has written Baseball Under the Palms: History of Miami Minor League Baseball the Early Years: 1892-1960. Anyone interested in purchasing a copy may contact Sam at sflasabr@hotmail.com.
Ballpark Digest has a nice write-up of the new City of Baseball Museum at CHS Field: At CHS Field: St. Paul, City of Baseball
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Answer to Name that Member
Outgoing president Tom Flynn
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Road Trips
A gang of six made it to Austin May 31, purchased fine literature at Sweet Reads book store, fine dined at Piggy Blue’s Bar-B-Que, and got to Marcusen Park only to find that an earlier shower left the field unplayable. (See below for information on the rescheduled date for Austin.) On the way home, half the gang found refreshing Hamm’s Beer at the Mapleview Lodge . . .
. . . and a townball game at Bell Field in Faribault:
Two of the trio made it to Tink Larson Field in Waseca a few days later:
Above: Waseca versus Eagle Lake at Tink Larson Community Field June 5, 2019. Below: Tink Larson (right) with a groupie (left).
The trip to Marcusen Park in Austin is rescheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 14. Paul Spyhalski has provided a primer on the topic:
An introduction to Baseball in Austin and Marcusen Park
Jerry Janzen got the Selig Experience at Miller Park in Milwaukee.
The next day Jerry and cohorts made it to the unveiling of a statue for The Crusher in South Milwaukee.
At an Iowa Cubs game, Tom Flynn saw Jacob Hannemann produce the ol’ HBOBB (hit by own batted ball), which flummoxed the scoreboard operator, who had to figure out a way to record it in Hannemann’s batting line:
Paul Hensler said, in central Connecticut, he got even nicer kicks than being on Route 66:
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Calendar
June 10—Research Committee meeting, 7:00 p.m., Brookdale Library. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich, 651-415-0791, or Sarah Johnson.
June 26-30—SABR 49, San Diego.
July 8—Research Committee meeting, 7:00 p.m., Brookdale Library. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich, 651-415-0791, or Sarah Johnson.
July 9—All-Star Game Viewing Party, Bunny’s, Minneapolis, 7:00 p.m.
July 13—Fred Souba Hot Stove League Saturday Morning, Bunny’s, Minneapolis, 9:00 a.m.
July 13—The Spy Behind Home Plate, Edina Theater, afternoon. For more information, contact Jim Cox.
July 14—Townball, Rochester at Austin, 1:00 p.m. For more information, contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791.
July 27—Clinton LumberKings at Cedar Rapids Kernels. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.
August 10—Book Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., Ten Innings at Wrigley: The Wildest Ballgame Ever, with Baseball on the Brink by Kevin Cook.
November 2—Fall Chapter Meeting, 9:00 a.m, Faith Mennonite Church, Minneapolis. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.
November 16, 2019—Minnesota 19th Century Base Ball Interdisciplinary Symposium, Minneapolis Central Library. For more information, contact Bob Tholkes, 952-922-5036.
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Board of Directors 2018-2019
President—Tom Flynn
Vice President—Frank Kadwell
Secretary—Dave Lande
Treasurer—Jerry Janzen
Jim Cox
Bob Komoroski
Hans Van Slooten
Board of Directors 2019-2020
President—Dave Lande
Vice President—Hans Van Slooten
Secretary—Anders Koskinen
Treasurer—Jerry Janzen
Jim Cox
Gene Gomes
Frank Kadwell
Membership Committee Chair—Hans Van Slooten (Jim Cox beginning July 1)
Events Committee Chair—Howard Luloff
Research Committee Chairs—Brenda Himrich and Sarah Johnson
The Holy Cow! Editor—Stew Thornley
Webmaster—John Gregory
Ass. Webmasters—Frank Kadwell and Stew Thornley
Social Media Directors—Tom Flynn, Twitter; Bob Komoroski, Facebook
Halsey Hall Chapter Web Page
Past issues of The Holy Cow! are available on-line.
Chapter History
Chapter Procedures and By-Laws
Society for American Baseball Research
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Resources
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