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


March 2020

Editor:
Stew Thornley

Index to past stories in The Holy Cow!

  • Mike Haupert Receives Henry Chadwick Award
  • Spring Chapter Meeting May 2
  • Upcoming Events
  • Answers to Whodunit quiz
  • New Member
  • Cow Pies
  • Calendar
  • Board of Directors
  • Resources

    Mike Haupert Receives Henry Chadwick Award
    Mike Haupert joins Dan Levitt as a Halsey Hall Chapter member who has been recognized by the Society for American Baseball Research with the Henry Chadwick Award to honor baseball’s top researchers, historians, statisticians, archivists, and analists (it’s possible that this should be spelled “annalists”). Mike will receive the award at the SABR convention in Baltimore this summer for the work he has contributed to the history of the business of baseball as it relates to player salaries. The salary information you can find on Baseball-Reference.com comes from Mike’s database for nearly 7,000 player-seasons. His research covers the white and black major leagues as well as the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. From his research, Mike has published more than 60 articles on the business of baseball.

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    Spring Chapter Meeting May 2
    The Halsey Hall 2020 Spring Chapter Meeting will be Saturday, May 2 at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 E. 22nd Street in south Minneapolis. Howard Luloff has lined up former local sportscaster Tom Ryther as the featured guest. Ryther will bring copies of his book, The Hummelsheim Kid.

    Registration for the meeting is at 8:30 with research presentations beginning at 9:00. A business meeting will be held during lunch with the featured guest and Howard Luloff’s always-a-hit trivia contest to follow.

    The cost for the meeting and lunch is $10. The meeting only is $5. Those wanting lunch must RSVP to Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

    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 Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson 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 (which also consists of Dan Levitt, Jim Cox, Doug Skipper, Stew Thornley, Rich Arpi, Dave Lande, Anders Koskinen, Gene Gomes, and Bob Tholkes) will finalize the schedule of research presentations by April 18, two weeks before the meeting, so proposals must be submitted by then.

    Three research presentations have been approved so far:

    The Research Committee encourages new presenters and will hold a spot for one until the deadline.

    During the business meeting, the chapter will elect three members to a two-year term on the board of directors. Anyone interested in being a candidate may contact Dave Lande.

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    Upcoming Events
    Vintage Base Ball Making Workshop
    Daniel Dorff is organizing an event to follow up on Corky Gaskell’s presentation at the chapter meeting last fall about making 1800s baseballs. Daniel asked Corky about having a baseball-making workshop. Corky is up for it and says it would cost $20 per person, and attendees could keep their ball. Corky will supply all the materials although people can bring their own tools if they have them: sharp scissors to cut leather, pliers, and plastic head hammers. This will help the ballmaking go faster so that people don’t have to wait in line to use just one set of tools. Corky says the workshop would last three to four hours. Daniel askes that people interested in a Vintage Base Ball Making Day contact him: Daniel Dorff, 612-816-1917. After he finds out how much interest there is, he will contact Corky about scheduling the workshop.

    Research Committee Meetings March 2 and April 6
    The Halsey Hall Chapter Research Committee will meet Monday, March 2 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Brookdale Library, Study Room J, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center 55430. The April 6 meeting will be in Study Room I at the Brookdale Library. All members are welcome to attend.

    A number of members have been researching the first games played in each of the Minnesota counties, and the committee would like to have information for each of the counties (29 of 87 are still unaccounted for). See the MN Counties list.

    Two other web pages have information on the spread of baseball, Pre-pro Baseball and Pre-pro Clubs and Games in Minnesota. In addition, a Google Docs spreadsheet is online, Minnesota Spread of Baseball Project, 1857-1923.

    Anyone wanting to get involved may contact committee co-chairs Brenda Himrich, 651-415-0791, and Sarah Johnson.

    Research page updated:
    The Research Committee page has been updated and includes a list of research projects by members. If you would like research added, contact me, (Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791).

    As always, check out the chapter’s Baseball Research Primer as a source for any research you are doing.

    Other Events
    Pre-Draft Hot Stove Grumpy’s Gathering of Baseball Enthusiasts
    Join your fellow fans to talk baseball at Grumpy’s Bar and Grill, 2200 4th Street Northeast, Minneapolis 55418, on Saturday, March 28. Gathering begins at 5 p.m. and continues as long as people can walk a straight line.

    Book Club
    The Halsey Hall Chapter Book Club will meet Saturday, April 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the usual spot, Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall in Roseville. The book selection is The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci.

    Brent Heutmaker has organized a list of all the book selections since the book club started in August 2002: Halsey Hall Book Club Selections

    Minnesota Gophers at U. S. Bank Stadium

    Minnesota vs. Duke February 29
    Howard Luloff is organizing an outing to the Minnesota-Duke baseball game at U. S. Bank Stadium at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 29. Contact him for more information: Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

    Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning
    The next Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, an informal breakfast gathering for the purpose of talking baseball, will be at 9:00 on Saturday, March 14 at Bunny’s Northeast, 34 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis 55413 (behind the keg warehouse of the old Grain Belt Brewery), 612-545-5659.

    For those looking for an after-breakfast activity on March 14, a chapter member will be giving a presentation on official scoring at 1:00 at the Penn Lake Library, 8800 Penn Avenue South in Bloomington, 55431. The presentation will include video clips of plays, and the audience will have the chance to vote on whether it should have been called a hit or error.

    This year’s townball outing will be to Rochester to watch the Royals host the Elko Express at 2:00 on Sunday, June 14.

    In other event news, the chapter had a table again at Twinsfest, thanks to the organizing efforts of Doug Skipper and volunteers, who Doug would like to thank: Joe O’Connell, Rich Arpi, Dave Lande, Jim Cox, Howard Luloff, and Tom Flynn.

    Keep up to date with chapter activities on social media:

    SABR Halsey Hall Chapter Facebook page

    Halsey Hall Chapter Twitter page

    Regular Events

    Video Archives of Past Events

    Speaking of Facebook, Bob Komoroski is seeking ephemera to put on the chapter’s page. Contact Bob if you can help or would like to know the definition of ephemera.

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    Answers to Whodunit quiz
    Gene Gomes won the two Twins tickets for getting the most correct answers in the Whodunit quiz based on the (new index) for The Holy Cow! newsletter and special columns.

    The answers to the quiz (from the February issue) are, in order, are Ray Luurs, Glenn Gostick, Jerry Janzen, Stew Thornley, Mark Johnson, Brenda Himrich, Pete Hepokoski, Howard Luloff, Connie Hill, Deano Thilgen, Jeff Brubaker, Seth C. “Dr. Fan” Hawkins, Cary Smith, a chapter miscreant, Bob Evans, Jay Behrens, Bill Stixrud, Ehron, Bob Komoroski and Stew Thornley, Brenda Himrich, John Gregory, Dr. Fan, Bill Haller, Joe Niese, Mike Haupert, Mark Sannes, Brenda Himrich, Jeff Nelson, Wesley Ellenwood, Bob Komoroski.

    Below is a photo of Bucky the Otter with a live performance at the Aquarium of the Americas:

    Bucky the Otter

    Footnote: Bucky died June 9, 2015—with a smile on his face.

    Answer to the bonus question (name 6 to 9 members of the All-Missing-a-Body-Part Team that was in a past newsletter): Charlie (Legs) Bennett, Catfish (Toe) Hunter, Jim (Hand) Abbott, Bert (Leg) Shepard, One Arm (One Arm) Daily, Three-Finger (Two Fingers) Brown, Red (Toes) Ruffing, Monty (Leg) Stratton, Curt (Toes) Simmons, Dave (Whole Left Side) Dravecky, Bob (Fingers and Scalp) Ojeda, Wayne (Fingers) Osborne, Whammy (Eye) Douglas, John (Testicle) Kruk, Mike (Testicle) Gallego, Roger (Fingers) Metzger, Danny (Fingers) Shay, Ghost (Chunk of Nose) Marcelle, Mike (Testicle) Lowell, Pete (Arm) Gray, Carlos (Thumb) May, Lou (Ear) Johnson, Buzz (Finger) Arlett, Walt (Neck) Williams, Bo (Hip) Jackson, Harvey (Leg) Kuenn, Vic (Head) Morrow [Morrow portrayed Coach Turner in Bad News Bears], Bill (Leg) Veeck, Dennis (Nipple) Bennett.

    Gene Gomes, as the Whodunit winner, submitted a keepsake photo from June 2019 at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park showing Gene, his son Evan, and Gene’s grandchildren:

    Gene Gomes and family

    Gene notes that they have all been raised properly, as Yankees fans.

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    New Member
    New to the Halsey Hall Chapter: Mike Rodriguez

    Know a potential member? Here are resources for getting that person happily involved in SABR:

    Membership application

    Chapter membership chair Jim Cox has been at work building the membership and contacting past members to see about them signing up again. He has been joined by Gene Gomes, and the pair would love to have one or two other people on the committee with them. If you are interested, contact Jim: jcox321@hotmail.com.

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    Cow Pies
    Emma Charlesworth-Seiler is about to leave for spring training and will be umpiring in Advanced Class A this year, the Carolina League, her fourth season of umpiring in organized baseball.

    Dan Levitt made another appearance on MLB Now on the MLB Network on February 5, talking baseball with Scott Braun, Ron Darling and Dan O’Dowd:

    Dan Levitt on MLB Now

    Tom Merrick had two game stories published on the SABR Games Project page:

    Anthony Bush has been researching Dick Newberry and Joe Caffie, whom he believes were the first black players on the Duluth Dukes in 1951. He found Newberry’s obituary in the October 28, 1982 Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities and combined it with other research to create this page:

    Find-a-Grave: Richard A. Newberry

    Anthony also made provided a link to a story by Frank White that covers Newberry’s semi-pro days in Minnesota:

    Minnesota Black Baseball Project: Dick Newberry

    In researching an 1886 Duluth baseball player, Llewellyn M. Legg, Anthony found this 1904 article:

    Leggs Will be Parted

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    Calendar
        February 29—Gophers vs. Duke, 7:00 p.m., U. S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

        March 2—Research Committee meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Brookdale Library, Study Room J. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich, 651-415-0791, or Sarah Johnson.

        March 14—Fred Souba Hot Stove League Saturday Morning, Bunny’s, Minneapolis, 9:00 a.m.

        March 28—Pre-Draft Grumpy’s Gathering of Baseball Enthusiasts, 5:00 p.m., Grumpy’s Northeast.

        April 6—Research Committee meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Brookdale Library, Study Room I. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich, 651-415-0791, or Sarah Johnson.

       April 11Book Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci.

        May 2—Spring Chapter Meeting, 9:00 a.m, Faith Mennonite Church, Minneapolis. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

        June 14—Townball: Elko Express at Rochester Royals, Mayo Field. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

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    Board of Directors 2019-2020
    President—Dave Lande
    Vice President—Hans Van Slooten
    Secretary—Anders Koskinen
    Treasurer—Jerry Janzen
    Jim Cox
    Gene Gomes
    Frank Kadwell

    Membership Committee Chair—Jim Cox
    Events Committee Chair—Howard Luloff
    Research Committee Chairs—Brenda Himrich and Sarah Johnson

    The Holy Cow! Editor—Stew Thornley
    Webmaster—John Gregory 
    Ass. Webmasters—Frank Kadwell, Hans Van Slooten, and Stew Thornley
    Social Media Directors—Tom Flynn, Twitter; Bob Komoroski, Facebook

    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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