Resources
Spring Chapter Meeting Set for April 30
The Halsey Hall Chapter spring meeting will be Saturday, April 30. It may be at the usual spot at Faith Mennonite Church in Minneapolis.
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 Dave Lande or Gene Gomes 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 will finalize the schedule of research presentations by April 16, two weeks before the meeting, so proposals must be submitted by then.
One presentation slot is always reserved for a first-time presenter until four weeks before the chapter meeting, which is April 2. If a slot remains after that, any member can submit a proposal until April 16, two weeks before the meeting, when the Research Committee will finalize the schedule of presentations. 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.
In addition, members are invited to submit a proposal for a poster presentation. Proposals must be sent to Research Committee co-chairs Dave Lande or Gene Gomes and include a title and brief outline of what the presentation will consist of with emphasis on the research that will be included.
Two oral presentations have been approved so far by the committee:
Sign Stealing Before Video: Was It Legal? by Dan Levitt
Abstract: It took only five years after the introduction of modern binoculars in 1894 for a baseball team to use them to steal signs. The Phillies set up an elaborate system to intercept, decode, and relay the catcher’s signals. The team’s owner dismissed the complaints. The other owners disagreed and tried to censure the Phillies at the NL meetings. One owner proposed that the Phillies’ players and team records be vacated from the official record. No formal rule, however, was adopted.
In my presentation, I look at sign stealing before the use of video and the bizarre, ambiguous response from baseball’s hierarchy. Was it or was it not “cheating?”
2017 Pool D World Baseball Classic at Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico by Brenda Himrich
Abstract: The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is the only senior baseball tournament to grant the title “World Champion,” and this was Mexico’s chance to show the world how it does baseball. Zapopan, a city in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, was hosting Pool D of the first round of this round-robin tournament. The teams competing were Mexico, Italy, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. There would be six games, and if necessary, for the first time in the WBC, a seventh tiebreaker game.
The 2017 Pool D will be presented from Mexico re-qualifying to play, the preparations at the Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco, the opening ceremonies, play on the field, injuries, fights in the stands, late night official meetings, new rules affecting tie-breakers and the seventh game of the pool. Through a little more culture, and after a quick review of how these four teams fared in the rest of the 2017 WBC, you will agree with the presenter that this was the most exciting Pool to watch.
Research Committee members are Brenda Himrich, Sarah Johnson, Dan Levitt, Doug Skipper, Stew Thornley, Rich Arpi, Dave Lande, Anders Koskinen, Hans Van Slooten, Gene Gomes, Mike Haupert, and Bob Tholkes.
Other Events
Note: The screening of 39 Seconds, about John Donaldson, scheduled for the Capri Theater in Minneapolis on January 22, has been postponed. It may be rescheduled this spring or summer.
The Halsey Hall Chapter Book Club will meet Saturday, February 5 at 9:30 a.m. at Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall in Roseville. The book selection is Let’s Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub, The Life of Ernie Banks by Ron Rapoport.
Brent Heutmaker has organized a list of all the book selections since the book club started in August 2002: Halsey Hall Book Club Selections
Brent Peterson is making a special presentation on new Hall of Famer Bud Fowler, who played in Stillwater in 1884, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, at the new Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 S. Greeley Street, Stillwater 55082. From the Twin Cities, take Minn. Hwy. 36 and go east to Greeley, turn left, and go about a third of a mile. The center will be on your left.
Howard Luloff is organizing the annual outing to see the Minnesota Gophers at U. S. Bank Stadium. The game will be Saturday night, March 5 at 7 p.m. versus Kansas. Howard also plans to schedule a trip to St. Cloud for a Northwoods League game this summer. For more information, contact Howard, hfan77@centurylink.net, 952-922-5036
The Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, an informal breakfast gathering for the purpose of talking baseball, will at Bunny’s Northeast, 34 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis 55413 (behind the keg warehouse of the old Grain Belt Brewery), 612-545-5659 on Saturday, March 12 at 9:00 a.m.
Keep up to date with chapter activities on social media:
SABR Halsey Hall Chapter Facebook page
Halsey Hall Chapter Twitter page
Please visit both pages, and, if you haven’t yet, “Like” the Facebook page and “Follow” the Twitter page and set your notifications to be alerted to new posts.
Also:
Regular Events
Video Archives of Past Events
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Research Committee News
The Research Committee will meet at 7 p.m. February 21 via Zoom. The committee is looking at having a meeting for all members and guests in May with presentations by Bob Tholkes and Brent Peterson on new Hall of Famer Bud Fowler and the season he spent in Stillwater. It will be at Brookdale Library and will give people the chance to view the display on Minnesota baseball being organized by our chapter. For more information, contact Dave Lande or Gene Gomes.
The election of Fowler and Minnie Miñoso to the Hall of Fame adds a couple of entries to our Beyond the Twins: Hall of Famers in Minnesota banner since Fowler played with Stillwater in 1884 and Miñoso with the St. Paul Saints in 1993 and 2003. The banner is being updated, and the handout of Hall of Famers in Minnesota has been updated and is on-line:
Beyond the Twins: Hall of Famers in Minnesota (PDF)
Feel free to print copies of the handout for friends and others, who may be fascinated by it all and even encouraged to join SABR (info on SABR is on the website).
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New Member Jake Smith
A lifelong Cubs fan, Jake Smith is from northwestern Indiana. He now works in data management but went to school to be a librarian “so information and its organization obviously fascinates me.” His first Cubs game (and first professional game) was a doubleheader against the reigning champion Florida Marlins in 2004 at Wrigley Field. Jake went with his dad (it was also his first game), and they got on WGN. His favorite baseball moment came in 2016 when Javy Baez hit a walk-off homer in the 13th inning against the Nationals. “My mom and I were fairly close to the plate and it was an absolutely incredible homerun. Another moment I remember vividly is sitting out along the right field line and watching Vladimir Guerrero throw an absolute rope to third base.”
Jake shares his July 23 birthday with your crusty editor and former late member George Rekela as well as Don Drysdale, Nomar Garciaparra, Pee Wee Reese, Ginger Beaumont, Ival Goodman, Woody Harrelson, Haile Selassie, William Titcomb Cobb, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Monica Lewinski, and Schottzie.
Also new to the Halsey Hall Chapter: Name
Know a potential member? Here are resources for getting that person happily involved in SABR:
Membership application
Get more out of your membership experience by checking out SABR Member Benefit Spotlight Series.
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Blasts from the Past
Get a load of this: chapter member Randy Krzmarzick and his wife rabble-rousing outside the Metrodome—from the April 7, 1982 Minneapolis Star and Tribune.
Randy and others will be busy again this October with the Sleepy Eye Centennial, marking the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel playing in Sleepy Eye, as noted in the December 2021 The Holy Cow! (Scroll down a little in that section to read about it so you make can plans to attend.)
Another blast:
A chapter member was on ESPN’s Sports on Tap in November 1994 (the show aired two years later). Tune in to see how he did and how he looked with dark hair:
Sports on Tap February 16, 1995
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Cow Chips
Mike Haupert was consulted and quoted extensively by Jesse Spector of Deadspin for a December 24, 2021 article, Check It Out: The Reason We Know What Players Get Paid.
Terry Bohn has written about Jay “Babe” Towne and Frank Thompson for the SABR BioProject.
Influencers Sought
John Rosengren has a collection of baseball articles coming out this March in a book, Classic Baseball: Timeless Tales, Immortal Moments, that will include profiles of Tony Oliva, Willians Astudillo, Mark Hamburger, and Seth C. “Dr. Fan” Hawkins in addition to a lengthy interview with Harmon Killebrew, a recap of John’s time at Twins Fantasy Camp, and account of how Sandy Koufax spent his time in Minnesota when not pitching in the World Series on Yom Kippur, and an article about snowshoe baseball (played in the summer) in Wisconsin. “Plus a whole lot more,” says John, who is offering a free advance-reading copy to anyone interested in spreading the word about the book. If you are interested, contact John, john@johnrosengren.net.
Lloyd Kepple and his son, Ben (pictured above—Ben is the good-looking one), were teammates on Game 7, a team coached by Frank Viola and Jeff Reardon, at the Twins Fantasy Camp in Florida. Lloyd reports that Game 7 followed the pattern of the hosts by having a strong regular season (6-1 in pool play) and getting knocked out in the playoffs.
A new newsletter for the SABR Official Scoring Committee is on the virtual newsstands: SABR Official Scoring Committee: January 2022 Newsletter
The January 2022 edition of Keltner’s Hot Corner, the newsletter of the Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter is on-line:
Keltner’s Hot Corner, January 2022
For past Keltner’s Hot Corner newsletters:
Keltner’s Hot Corner
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Calendar
February 5—Book Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., Let’s Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub, The Life of Ernie Banks by Ron Rapoport.
February 8—Bud Fowler presentation, Washington County Heritage Center, Stillwater, 7:00 p.m.
February 20—Halsey Hall Chapter Board of Directors meeting, 6:00 p.m. For more information on attending, contact Gene Gomes.
February 21—Research Committee meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m. via Zoom. For more information, contact Dave Lande or Gene Gomes.
March 5—Minnesota Gophers baseball at U. S. Bank Stadium. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.
March 12—Fred Souba Hot Stove League Saturday Morning, 9:00 a.m., Bunny’s Northeast.
April 30—Spring Chapter Meeting, 9:00 a.m. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.
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Board of Directors 2021-2022
President—Gene Gomes
Vice President—Stew Thornley
Secretary—Sarah Johnson
Treasurer—Jerry Janzen
Daniel Dorff
Dave Lande
John Swol
Events Committee Chair—Howard Luloff
Research Committee Co-Chairs—Dave Lande, Gene Gomes
Membership Committee Chair—Stew Thornley
The Holy Cow! Editor—Stew Thornley
Ass. Editors—Jerry Janzen and Brenda Himrich
Webmaster—John Gregory
Ass. Webmasters—Frank Kadwell, Hans Van Slooten, and Stew Thornley
Social Media Directors—Bob Komoroski, Facebook; Hans Van Slooten and Tom Flynn, Twitter
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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