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

June 2014

Editor:
Stew Thornley

• Big Doings in June
  
• Member News
  
• New Members
  
• Calendar
  
• Board of Directors
• Resources
  

Big Doings in June
Road trip: This year’s Northwoods League outing will be Saturday, June 14 to Rochester to see the Honkers play the Alexandria Blue Anchors at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field.

Three options:

• Meet at the ballpark, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester 55904. Go east on Center Street from Broadway (U. S. Hwy 63) in downtown Rochester.
• Meet at Bilotti’s at 4:30 for a pre-game meal. Bilotti’s is at 304 1st Avenue SW, Rochester 55902, 507-226-0006. From U. S. Hwy. 52, take Exit 55B toward the hospital. Go east on 2nd Street SW, and take a right onto 1st Avenue SW. The restaurant is on the left just past 3rd Street SW.
• Meet at Doug Skipper’s at 3:00 to form carpools. Doug lives at 13984 Ember Way, Apple Valley 55124, 612-876-1408. Take Hwy. 77 south to 140th Street. Turn left (east) and go to Pilot Knob Road. Turn left (north) on Pilot Knob Road, right on Essex Trail, and right on Essex Way. Or take 35E south to Pilot Knob Road (Exit 97A). Go south on Pilot Knob Road, take a left on Essex Trail and right on Essex Way.

A special meeting of the Research Committee on Monday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. will feature a presentation by Shane Williams, who was part of the winning team in the Diamond Dollars Case Competition, with a case study identifying the top three pitching assets in baseball. Shane is following up with a study on the importance of a first-pitch strike “as well as providing information about specific starting pitchers, such as when they are most susceptible to get hit hard in a game or what pitch is their most hittable pitch, as well as finding any other specific trends. I am currently looking at starting rotations within the AL West, and that is likely what I will be presenting over in June. My goal of this research is to look at every at bat through the entire 2014 season and be able to provide quality information about any pitcher in Major League Baseball.”

The meeting will be at the Hennepin County Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center 55430, 612-543-5600. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson.

The committee is continuing with its Spread of Baseball project, started by Rich Arpi. Two webpages have information on the spread of baseball, Pre-pro Baseball and Pre-pro Clubs and Games in Minnesota. The Research Committee will also be coordinating poster presentations at future chapter meetings.

Other Upcoming activities:
The Halsey Hall Chapter Book Club will meet Saturday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m. at Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall in Roseville to discuss The Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a Thirty-Year Slump by Terry Pluto. In addition, the group will discuss the telecast of Game Seven of the 1991 World Series. The complete game is available for purchase from iTunes or for viewing on YouTube: 1991 World Series, Game 7: Braves @ Twins.

The next Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, an informal breakfast gathering for the purpose of talking baseball, will be at 9:00 on July 12 at Bakers Square in Richfield (66th Street to the east of York Avenue).

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Member News
Anthony Bush has written an article, Zenith City Online: 1911: White Sox build new field on Minnesota Point, never use it.

Tom Swift is downsizing his library of baseball books and invites anyone interested to contact him.

Terry Bohn and Dan Levitt had articles in the SABR Baseball Research Journal. Dan wrote a biographical blurb about Marc Okkonen, a recipient of the Henry Chadwick Award, and Terry wrote about 19th century baseball in the Dakota Territory. Terry also has a website, North Dakota Baseball History, with links to research he has done on the topic.

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New Members
Brian Williams is a seventh-grade student at Saint Thomas Academy, where he plays baseball and basketball. He started playing baseball when he was four (and, according to his dad, his first word was “ball”). Brian attended Game 162 in 2009, the Twins win over Kansas City to set up Game 163, and he has gone to spring training to watch the Twins.

Brian’s 12-and-under team played in Cooperstown in 2013, and he hit six homers during the tournament, including three in consecutive at bats. He has been invited to play this summer for the 14-and-under Southern California National Travel Team, which will play in several national tournaments, including the USA Baseball National Championships in Jupiter, Florida.

Brian lives in Mendota Heights with his mom and dad, two sisters, and one brother. He shares his August 15 birthday with Scott Brosius, Eric Fox, Tom Kelly, Billy Conigliaro, Joe Lis, Joey Jay, Barney Schultz, Charles Comiskey, Jim Lange, Gene Upshaw, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lawrence, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Tall Rhonda Bates, Ethel Barrymore, Sir Walter Scott, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Julia Child.

Also new to the Halsey Hall Chapter: Rachel Makarrall, Jim McNearney

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Calendar

    June 14—Book Club and Vintage Game Video Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., The Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a Thirty-Year Slump by Terry Pluto, and Game Seven of the 1991 World Series. For more information, contact Art Mugalian, 612-721-2825, and Gary DeSmith, 320-286-5127.

    June 14—Northwoods League Road Trip to Rochester, 7:05 p.m. (leave mid-afternoon from the Twin Cities). For more information, contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791, or Doug Skipper, 612-876-1408.

    June 16—Research Committee Meeting, Hennepin County Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson.

    July 12—Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, Bakers Square, 66th and York, Richfield, 9:00 a.m. For more information, contact Mark Johnson, 952-831-1153.

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