Resources
Levitt Re-elected as SABR Treasurer
Dan Levitt staved off a stiff challenge from three write-in votes to win re-election as SABR treasurer by 837 votes.
Dennis Degenhardt of the neighboring Keltner Badger State Chapter and Mike Haupert were among those running for director, which had a whole plethora load of candidates. Though not elected, Mike and Dennis performed well. The key to a successful organization is people willing to serve, and we appreciate their going for it. We’re kinda proud of all these folks.
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Upcoming Events
Because of weather, the April Book Club was banged and rescheduled for Saturday, June 10 at Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall at 9:30 a.m. The book selection will remain the same, The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series by Tyler Kepner. Brent Heutmaker has organized a list of all the book selections since the book club started in August 2002: Halsey Hall Book Club Selections
On Saturday night, June 10, the St. Paul Saints will wear St. Paul Gophers uniforms as they honor Billy Williams, who played on several integrated teams more than 100 years ago, was the captain and only African American on the St. Paul Amateur Baseball Association team, and served as an assistant to 14 Minnesota governors between 1904 and 1957. The Saints have invited our chapter to have a table in the concourse to promote SABR. We will have our Hall of Fame banner featuring those who have played in Minnesota and will have membership materials. If you would like to be there, help staff the table, drink copious quantities of beer, and watch some baseball, please let me know, stew@stewthornley.net. (As far as I know, the Saints will leave passes for those who will be there. I am confirming that and will need the names of people.
The next chapter board of directors meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 and will include all current board members and the newly elected board members; the board term for the latter will begin July 1 although the incoming board members and the holdover board members (John Buckeye, Daniel Dorff, Rich Arpi, Howard Luloff, David Karpinski, Jerry Janzen, and Bob Tholkes) will elect, from among themselves, a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
The next Research Committee meeting, via Zoom, will be Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth). Research Committee members are co-chairs Dave Lande or Gene Gomes as well as Brenda Himrich, Sarah Johnson, Dan Levitt, Doug Skipper, Stew Thornley, Rich Arpi, Anders Koskinen, Hans Van Slooten, Mike Haupert, Bob Tholkes, Daniel Dorff, Darryl Sannes, Tom Swift, David Karpinski, Glenn Renick, John Buckeye, Terry Bohn, Art Mugalian and Bob Komoroski. Let Dave or Gene know if you would like to attend and/or join the committee.
Join your fellow members and friends to eat, guzzle, talk baseball, watch the All-Star Game, and check out the new cans at Manning’s, 22nd and Como in southeast Minneapolis, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11.
The Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, an informal breakfast gathering for the purpose of talking baseball, will be at Manning’s at 22nd and Como in southeast Minneapolis on Saturday, July 15 at 9:00 a.m. We can get tables reserved if we have some idea of how many are coming. Please RSVP to me, stew@stewthornley.net, if you plan to attend. This is an informal RSVP, so feel free to show up even if you haven’t RSVP’d and/or don’t sweat it if you RSVP and can’t make it (although an un-RSVP, if possible, would be appreciated).
Also, members may be interested in the topic of the next SABR Scouts Committee meeting as Paul Scimonelli will present on Joe Cambria, a noted scout who signed many players for the Washington Nationals/Senators and Minnesota Twins. The zoom meeting will be at 11:00 a.m. in the morning on Saturday, May 27. The meeting is free, but pre-registration is necessary.
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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New Members
Chris Άngel hails from the Central Coast of California, right on the border of Giants fandom and Dodgers fandom. He says the hardest part of adjusting to Minnesota was not the winter weather, but the time of west coast night games. By day he works as a church musician.
His formative baseball memories include the heartbreak of the 1987 NLCS, wearing three layers to Candlestick Park for a night game in early May, watching Bryan Hickerson’s major league debut, discovering Bill James’ The Baseball Book, and spending months hunting for Steve Decker’s Score rookie card in a pre-internet age.
Chris shares his May 1 birthday with Josѐ Urquidy, Marcus Stroman, Josѐ Lind, Scooter Gennett, Armando Reynoso, Casey Mize, Charlie O’Brien, Roy Lee Jackson, Rudy Meoli, Von Joshua, Johnny Berardino (Beradino when he played Dr. Steve Hardy on General Hospital), Kate Smith, Jack Paar, Sonny James, Junius Booth, Judy Collins, Louis Nye, Jack Paar, Rita Coolidge, and Calamity Jane.
Matthew Joshua “Josh” Ruffin is the assistant director of player development research (“We do our best to turn minor leaguers into major leagues”) for the Minnesota Twins. Born in
Panama City, Josh grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, with his mom, Paulette; brother, Christopher; and grandma, Rosetta.
Being in the D. C. area, he was an Orioles fan, but he also rooted for the Dodgers because of Jackie Robinson and also a Little League team he played on. He switched allegiances when the Nationals came to Washington and few home from Minnesota, where he had just started working for the Twins, to see the 2019 World Series. He has also been to one All-Star Game and one Home Run Derby.
Josh played baseball through college and was a walk-on at Duke University. He was also the closer in a perfect game his team pitched in high school.
Born in 1991, Josh shares his July 4 birthday with George Steinbrenner, Mickey Welch, Ed Armbrister, Hal Lanier, Jack Warhop, Bill Tuttle, Jared Hughes, Chuck Tanner, Vinny Castilla, Coco Laboy, Al Davis, Ann Landers and Dear Abby, Gina Lolabrigida, Geraldo Rivera, Neil Simon, Rube Goldberg, Erich Barnes, Mitch Miller, Bill Withers, Calvin Coolidge, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Floyd Little, Abe Saperstein, Stephen Foster, Post Malone, Malia Obama, Tokyo Rose, Trigger, Leona Helmsley, and H. M. King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.
Also new to the Halsey Hall Chapter and SABR: Paul Batesel
The Halsey Hall Chapter has welcomed three new members since our previous chapter meeting and has 165 members. Gene Gomes is noting this as he compiles our chapter annual report for 2022-2023. Gene will be wrapping up an active and successful multi-year term as chapter president on June 30, and he has regularly participated in quarterly SABR Chapter Leaders meetings. These meetings are recorded, and members (especially chapter leaders) are encouraged to watch them: SABR Chapter Leaders meeting: May 10, 2023
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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Who’s Going to SABR 51 in Chicago?
So far, Dan Levitt, Dirk Lammers, Hans Van Slooten, John Gregory, Rich Arpi, Rich Bogovich, Art Mugalian, Bob Komoroski, Bill Parker, Daniel Dorff, Joe O’Connell, Paul Spyhalski, T. S. Flynn, Cary Smith, Gene Gomes, and Mike Haupert of the Halsey Hall Chapter have registered for the SABR convention in Chicago July 5-9. Join the cool kids and get signed up: Community Calendar. SABR has a video with instructions to help people navigate the registration process. Also, feel free to sign up to be an onsite volunteer.
Main Convention Page
SABR 51 Onsite Volunteers Sign-Up Sheet
If anyone is driving and has room for another passenger, please contact Daniel Dorff, daniel.dorff@gmail.com, 612-816-1917.
For those heading down a day early and have time for a stop in Milwaukee, the Cubs are visiting the Brewers for a 3 p.m. game July 4 at a locale next to the former site of County Stadium.
It’s possible that a convention in the next few years will require less travel. The Halsey Hall Chapter, which has hosted SABR conventions in 1988 and 2012, is in line to host the convention in one of the next two years. Stay tuned for exciting developments. While we don’t have any on-line recaps of our 1988 convention (we were lucky to be able to chronicle that one on foolscap), there is a good recap of the 2012 event:
SABR 42
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“Hooray, Hooray, the First of May” Quiz by Gene Gomes
The May Research Committee meeting included a quiz submitted by Gene Gomes.
- The 2023 Oakland A’s payroll is $56.9 million. This pitcher, a starter-turned-reliever for the Twins from 2014-2020, is their highest-paid player at $7 million. Who is he?
- This All Star outfielder’s best year was 1973 when he socked 25 homers and batted .303. He was later traded to Atlanta in November 1974 for Henry Aaron. Who is he?
- This first-round pick by the Cubs played from 1990-99 for six teams. He was first in fielding % (.994) for left fielders two years after leading the league in errors (5). He is the son of the OF in question #2. Who is he?
- Originally a California Angel, this lefty won an ERA title for an AL East team during his third stint with that team, which won the division that year but lost in the ALCS. He finished with 152 career wins. Who is he?
- This Dodger righty, nicknamed Big Red, came up in 2019, posted a playoff win in 2020 as a reliever, and is now in the starting rotation. Who is he?
- This slugger was traded to the Astros in a multi-player deal for Joe Morgan. He later went to the AL and overall launched 354 career homers with a 27.3 WAR. Who is he?
- This first-round pick by the White Sox led the league in assists, errors, and fielding % in various years playing left field and first base. In 1972 he hit .308 and was an All Star. He is the little brother of the player in question #6. In what month was he born?
- He backed up catcher Manny Sanguillen for the 1970 Pirates and then was traded to the Royals along with Freddie Patek for pitcher Bob Johnson. Who is he?
- He backed up catcher Manny Sanguillen for the 1971 World Series Champion Pirates. You shouldn’t have to look up his last name!
- First name of the actress who said, “Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.”
Quiz answers below
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Cow Chips
A new book by Joel Rippel, Hidden History of Twin Cities Sports, is being published by Arcadia Publishing/The History Press and will be released June 12. It will have chapters on Perry Werden, Walter Bond, Ken Landreaux, Spencer Harris, Terry Felton and three Minnesotans who have a career earned-run average of infinity. It can be ordered on the usual on-line sites as well as from Arcadia Publishing.
Joel also noted that Brandon Williamson, born in Fairmont, made his debut May 16. Williamson grew up just outside of Joel’s hometown of nearby Trimont, where Joel went to school with Brandon’s dad and uncle. Brandon pitched at North Iowa Community College and Texas Christian University and pitched well in his first game, with the Reds, giving up one run in 5-2/3 innings. Joel believes Williamson is the first native of Martin County to pitch in the majors.
On the topic of Minnesotans with infinite ERAs, Randy Krzmarzick wrote about one of them:
Weeds by Randy Krzmarzick: Doc Hamann’s brush with baseball fame
The SABR Games Project has a new entry by Tom Merrick: July 30, 1957: In first game with Cleveland, Johnny Gray tosses 3-hit shutout against Baltimore
Carl Rogan was featured in a story on KMBC-TV in Kansas City for his efforts in getting a prominent grave marker for his grandfather, Hall of Famer Bullet Rogan. Carl is on the left in the photo below with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, on the right.
Brenda Himrich had one of her watercolor paintings, Lanai Palm, on display at the Primavera Springtime Celebration of the Arts at the Plymouth Community Center. (She had demurred on her husband’s suggestion of a different title, Rosie Palm.)
The Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal has an article, “Celebrating the Nons: Many ‘Unofficial’ No-Hitters More Fascinating than the ‘Real’ Ones,” by a chapter member as well as a profile written by Todd Peterson of Chadwick Award recipient Robert Whiting.
The May 2023 edition of Keltner’s Hot Corner, the newsletter of the Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter, is on-line:
Keltner’s Hot Corner, May 2023
The chapter also put out a special addition with an announcement of a group outing June 3 to a game between the Fond du Lac Spiders and Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
Keltner’s Hot Corner, Special Edition
For past Keltner’s Hot Corner newsletters:
Keltner’s Hot Corner
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Answers to “Hooray, Hooray, the First of May” Quiz by Gene Gomes
- Trevor May
- Dave May
- Derrick May
- Rudy May
- Dustin May
- Lee May
- Carlos May
- Jerry May
- Milt May
- Mae (West)
Added Bonus! One of the answers above is also a member of the prestigious Anatomical Omissions Team:
C: Charlie (Legs) Bennett
P: Catfish (Toes) Hunter, Jim (Hand) Abbott, Bert (Leg) Shepard, Monty (Leg) Stratton, One Arm (One Arm) Daily, Three-Finger (Two Fingers) Brown, Curt (Toes) Simmons, Jim (Testicles) Umbright, Dave (Left Side) Dravecky, Bob (Fingers and Scalp) Ojeda, Bob (Fingertips) Wickman, Whammy (Eye) Douglas, Dennis (Nipple) Bennett
1B: John (Testicle) Kruk
2B: Mike (Testicle) Gallego
SS: Roger (Fingers) Metzger, Danny (Fingers) Shay
3B: Mike (Testicle) Lowell
OF: Pete (Arm) Gray, Carlos (Thumb) May, Lou (Part of an Ear) Johnson, Walt (Neck) Williams, Ted (All but the Vitrified Head) Williams
DH: Bo (Hip) Jackson
MGR: Harvey (Leg) Kuenn, and if we can count someone who played a Little League manager on the big screen, Vic (Head) Morrow
—Compiled by Stew (Vas Deferens) Thornley
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Calendar
June 10—Book Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series by Tyler Kepner.
June 10—SABR table at Saints game honoring Billy Williams. For more information on attending, contact Stew Thornley.
June 11—Halsey Hall Chapter Board of Directors meeting, 6:00 p.m. For more information on attending, contact Gene Gomes.
June 19—Research Committee meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m. via Zoom. For more information, contact Dave Lande or Gene Gomes.
July 11—All-Star Game Viewing Party, 7:00 p.m., Manning’s, Minneapolis. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.
July 15—Fred Souba Hot Stove League Saturday Morning, 9:00 a.m., Mannings’s, Minneapolis.
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Board of Directors 2022-2023
President—Gene Gomes
Vice President—David Karpinski
Secretary—Sarah Johnson
Treasurer—Jerry Janzen
Daniel Dorff
John Swol
Bob Tholkes
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, Brenda Himrich, and John Buckeye
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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