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November 2004 October 23 Chapter Meeting Recap The
annual Fall meeting of the Halsey Hall Chapter of SABR took place on Saturday,
October 23 at the Community United Methodist Church in Columbia Heights. After
members introduced themselves and said a few words, research presentations
commenced. Rex Hamann was first up and he gave an interesting talk about
a trip he and his wife took this past summer. Rex’s passion is the old American
Asssociation (1902-1960 minor league) and he spends some of his free time
tracking down the grave sites of ex-American Association ball players. The
Hamann’s spent two weeks traveling around Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio,
Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa visiting graves and leaving markers honoring the individual’s
baseball career. Dan
Levitt gave a talk about how the New York Yankees of the 1920s and 1930s
built their club and how Yankee ownership plowed money back into the team, thus
making it stronger, when other teams paid dividends to stockholders and thus
had little to reinvest into the club. Long time member, but first time
attendee, Rich Cohen from Hamiliton, New York then gave a talk about the
career of Hamilton’s only major leaguer, pitcher George “Hooks” Wiltse. Next, Gregg
Nelson gave an interesting talk about the career of his brother and current
major league umpire, Jeff Nelson. The odds of making the major leagues as an
umpire are greater than a player (think about it...60 some umpires...900 some
players) and umpires have to graduate from one of the two umpiring schools in
order to be placed in the minor leagues. Jeff was amazed at the number of
people who show up at these umpiring schools with little or no amateur umpiring
experience. After
lunch of chili (thanks Rex) and sub sandwiches (thanks Howard) and the business
meeting the panel of ex-Gopher baseball players held court. Appearing were Greg
Wasick (outfielder in 1968-1969); Bill Davis (senior in 1964 and a brief major
leaguer); Don Evans (1961-1962 teams); Richard “Woody” Erickson (catcher on
1956 NCAA championship team); and Glenn Gostick (1949-1951 teams and assistant
coach on all three national championship teams). All remarked that Dick “Chief”
Siebert was a player’s coach who looked the other way at some of things that
went on (off the field) since he had
been a player. A trivia
contest, in the form of a Jeopardy game, emceed by Howard Luloff, ended
the meeting nicely. Chapter
Calendar and Notes Chapter Breakfast
has been changed to Saturday, November
13th at 8:30 a.m. at the normal place of the Baker’s Square at 66th and
Xerxes in Richfield. It previously was
announced for this Saturday, November 6th. Web Page Meeting will be held on Saturday, December 4 between 7:30 and 8:30 at the
Baker’s Sqare at 66th and Xerxes in Richfield. Members interested in the future
of the chapter’s web-page are urged to attend. Board Meeting will be held on Saturday, December 4 at 8:30 a..m., following the
web-page meeting at the Baker’s Square at 66th and Xerxes in Richfield. Book Club Meeting on December 11th at 9:30 at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the
Edina Galleria (see back page). Hot Stove Saturday Night on January 22nd. Time and place to be
announced. Twins Fest....the
Halsey Hall Chapter plans to have a table again this year. January 28-30,
2005 at the Metrodome. Contact Rich Arpi (rwaces@cs.com or 651-739-6986) Spring Chapter Meeting scheduled for May 21. Milwaukee will be the
Twins opponent that night. Newsletter editors: I have resigned as newsletter editor, effective after the December 2004
issue, and Bob Tholkes has resigned as editor of the Holy Cow Extra. Contact
the board of directors if want either job or have suggestions. May our new President,
who ever he is, have the intelligence and patience of our first President. Book Club
and Open House on November 6 The book
club of the Halsey Hall Chapter of SABR (we really need a snazzy name, don’t
we?) will meet on Saturday, December 11 at 9:30 at the coffee shop of the
Barnes and Noble store at the Edina Galleria. The featured book is Nine
Innings by Daniel Okrent, published by Ticknor and Fields in 1985. The
book uses a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles as a
backdrop to analyzing both teams, players on both teams, and the state of major
league baseball. Moderator Tom Swift has mentioned that author Daniel Okrent
will field questions about the book from members, so contact Tom (507-645-2280
or tomswift@nickelcurves.com) to take advantage of this unique opportunity to
interact with an author about his book. At the meeting we will be able to talk
about some of these exchanges and possibly contact Okrent with some other
questions after the meeting. Moderater
Tom Swift announces that he has signed his first book contract with the
University of Nebraska Press to write a biography of Charles “Albert” Chief
Bender that will be published in 2006 or 2007. Bender, a Hall of Fame pitcher
who spent most of his major league career with the Philadelphia Athletics, was
born on the White Earth Reservation in Crow Wing County. Until 2001 when Dave
Winfield was inducted, Bender was the only Minnesota born player enshrined
in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Tom welcomes
suggestions and information from members. For more information visit Tom’s
website at www.nickelcurves.com. Stew and
Brenda are holding an open house at their condo on November 6 to celebrate the
publication of Stew’s book, Six Feet Under. Stop by between four
and 10 p.m. (651-415-0791). Brewer book
walks off- Please pay up. Rex
Hamann sends notice that one of his books entitled, “The American
Association Milwaukee Brewers,” published this summer by Arcadia Press
that was left on one of the tables at the chapter meeting on October 23 is
missing. Perhaps Rex did not make it clear that these books were for perusal
only and if someone wanted a copy they were supposed to pay Rex for a copy ($
20.00 each). If you
are the individual who walked off with a copy, please make arrangements with
Rex about payment. Rex can be reached at 763-862-8187 or pureout@msn.com. Rex
and the chapter are sorry about the confusion over this book and hopes members
in the future will ask before taking, if there is any doubt. The Holy
Cow Halsey
Hall Chapter of SABR Rich
Arpi, editor 2445
Londin Lane, Apt. 410 Maplewood,
Minnesota 55119 “They say
anything can happen in a short series. I just didn’t expect it to be that short.”
Chuck Tanner not commenting on the 2004 World Series (meaning some previous series). |