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The Newsletter of the Halsey Hall Chapter
Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)

November 2015

Editor:
Stew Thornley

• Big Turnout for Fall Chapter Meeting
  
• New Members
  
• 1965 Twins Book Published
  
• Upcoming Chapter Activities
  
• Fun Links
  
• Calendar
  
• Board of Directors
• Resources
  

Big Turnout for Fall Chapter Meeting
Thirty-seven members and guests—Lee Temanson, John Gallo, Howard Luloff, Joe O’Connell, Tom Flynn, Brian Madigan, John Swol, Bob Komoroski, Stew Thornley, Brenda Himrich, Rich Arpi, Jim Hurt, Paul Spyhalski, Dave Jensen, Bob Tholkes, Art Mugalian, Gene Gomes, Steve Ginader, Roger Godin, Dave Lande, Frank Kadwell, Jay Fetyko, Hans Van Slooten, Mendal Mearkle, Emmma Charlesworth-Seiler, Sarah Johnson, Aaron Sinner, Gene Zavadil, Steve Elsberry, Lyn Elsberry, John Rosengren, Jerry Janzen, Brent Heutmaker, Lloyd Kepple, Kate Kepple, Josh Ostergaard, and George Rekela— attended the Halsey Hall Chapter fall meeting at Faith Mennonite Church in Minneapolis. Steve and Lyn came all the way from Windsor Heights, Iowa.

The featured guest was Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Mike grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, on a thoroughbred horse ranch. He was the sports editor for his high-school newspaper and continued covering sports when he went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After college he followed a sportswriting career in Charlotte and Durham in North Carolina. After a year in New York, Mike came back to Durham and was an assistant editor for Baseball America. One of his assignments was to spend a week following the Northern League in its first year of operation in 1993.

After a stint in Augusta, Georgia, Mike worked 15 years for the South Florida Sun Sentinel before being laid off in late 2012. The following February he took over as the Twins beat writer for the Pioneer Press.

Mike shared his insights on covering baseball and on the Twins and took the time to explained what happened last spring when Torii Hunter called him a prick during a press conference.

The meeting included the following research presentations:

• Bob Tholkes: The National Baseball Club of Washington’s Western Tour of 1867
• Emma Charlesworth-Seiler: Invisible Baseball: Why Baseball Isn’t America’s National Pastime
• John Rosengren: The Fight of Their Lives

The meeting concluded with Howard Luloff’s ever-popular baseball quiz.

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New Members
James J. “Jim” Hurt is from Cicero, Illinois; Westmont, Illinois; and Maplewood, Minnesota. He has a wife, Joan, and kids Debra, Laura, John, and Steven. Jim handled freight claims for Burlington Northern railroads for 31½ years and started MVP Building Services for 20 years. He retired in 2006. A fan all his life, Jim played, manager, and umpired baseball from 1949 through 1962. The first game he attended, in 1949, was between the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox. He has attended four no-hitters—Bob Keegan in 1957, Joel Horlen in 1967, Wilson Alvarez in 1991, and Mark Buehrle in 2007—as well as Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009. He has been to 15 major league parks and to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, of which he is a member.

Born in 1935, Jim shares his July 4 birthday with George Steinbrenner, Mickey Welch, Hal Lanier, Bill Tuttle, Chuck Tanner, Al Davis, Ann Landers and Dear Abby, Gina Lolabrigida, Geraldo Rivera, Neil Simon, Rube Goldberg, Mitch Miller, Calvin Coolidge, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Abe Saperstein, Stephen Foster, Tokyo Rose, Leona Helmsley, and H.M. King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.

Also new to SABR: Stephen Lee, Moorhead

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1965 Twins Book Published
A Pennant for the Twin Cities: The 1965 Minnesota Twins, edited by Gregory H. Wolf, has been published and is available for purchase or download from the SABR website. The book contains biographies on all players, coaches, and announcers, along with a recap of every game, and contains contributions by chapter members Kevin Hennessy, Dan Levitt, S. Thornley, Joel Rippel, J. G. Preston, Doug Skipper, Rick Schabowski, and John Swol.

Members can buy the book off the SABR web site or download a free electronic copy: SABR Digital Library: A Pennant for the Twin Cities: The 1965 Minnesota Twins.

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Upcoming Activities
The Research Committee will hold a meeting at the Minnesota History Center Saturday, January 23 to show members the research resources and how to access them in the library and microfilm room. The convocation will include a special behind-the-scenes tour by Dan Cagley on the Minnesota Historical Society’s collection of artifacts and how they are preserved.

The next Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, an informal breakfast gathering for the purpose of talking baseball, will be at 9:00 on November 7 at Curran’s, 4201 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.

Charles Clark will host a group outing to see the Burleigh Grimes Museum in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, on Saturday, November 14. Carpools will form at 9 a.m. at the Himrich-Thornley home. Those interested in attending may contact Stew Thornley. Directions

The Halsey Hall Chapter Book Club and Video Club will meet Saturday, October 3 at 9:30 a.m. at Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall in Roseville to discuss Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series by Eliot Asinov or any other book on the Black Sox. The group will discuss the telecast of Game One of the 1988 World Series. The complete game is available for viewing on YouTube: 1988 World Series, Game 1: A’s @ Dodgers.

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Fun Links
Although this link, Army-Navy 1974 & Lightweight Football Story - CBS Evening News, focuses on football, it brings back the voice and prose of Heywood Hale Broun, who was known for his baseball commentary, as well; in addition, the coach of the Army lightweight team is former St. Paul Saints star Eric Tipton. (Go to the 2-minute point in the video for the start of Heywood Hale Broun.)

NOT Top 10 Plays of the 1st Half of the Major League Baseball Season

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Calendar
    November 7—Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, Curran’s, 42nd and Nicollet, 9:00 a.m.

    November 14—Burleigh Grimes Museum, Clear Lake, Wisconsin. For more information, contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791.

    December 5—Book Club and Vintage Game Video Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series by Eliot Asinov and Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

    January 23—Research Committee Orientation and Tour of Minnesota History Center. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson.

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