Another Hit from Harmon

Harmon Killebrew was the highlight of the Halsey Hall Chapter meeting on October 23 in Columbia Heights. Events chair Joe O’Connell organized the meeting and lined up the appearance by Killebrew, who talked about signing with the Washington Senators, swapping autographs with Dwight Eisenhower, and enjoying the camaraderie of playing in the infield.

The meeting also included four research presentations:

S. Thornley—Unsolved Mysteries of the Polo Grounds

Mendal Mearkle—Doc Cramer for the Hall of Fame

Bob Tholkes—The Life and Career of Andy Nelson

Jim Wyman—The Best of Their Time but Not in the Hall of Fame

Rich Arpi presented a trivia quiz for the audience as a whole. Dan Levitt, in abstentia, provided another trivia quiz. Jim Wyman had the top score in Dan’s quiz, followed by Bob Tholkes and Rich Arpi.

Back in the fold

Bob Evans, a charter member of the Halsey Hall Chapter, has rejoined the chapter.

David Trombley, a SABR member for several years, has also joined the Halsey Hall Chapter. Bob and David are both listed in the 1999-2000 directory.

Welcome (and welcome back) to David and Bob.

 

Directory Correction

Ray Luurs’s e-mail address is incorrect in the directory. It should be: luurscgj@aol.com

Events

On Deck Circle

Lee Temanson, Cary Smith, Jed Levitt, Stew Thornley, Fred Buckland, and producer Howard Luloff were on hand October 16 to tape another episode of the On Deck Circle, discussing “A Minnesota Baseball Millenium.” The group explored the history of Minnesota baseball starting in 1001 with emphasis on the great year by Norm Conquest in 1066. The next taping, on November 20, will be the last show of the series. The taping will be at 10 a.m. at the Minneapolis Television Network studios. For more information, contact Howard Luloff at 612-922-5036.

Hot Stove Saturday Morning

The next HSSM will be back at Baker’s Square in Richfield on December 4 at 8:30 a.m. The after­breakfast event will be a visit to the former sites of Nicollet and Lexington parks.

Cow Chips

George Rekela caught a 12-pound Northern Pike on Perch Lake on September 21. . . . John Gregory’s son, David, is playing on the Incline High School junior varsity football team. . . . Brenda Himrich and her current husband went to South Dakota and Wyoming. . . . Jed Levitt is working 50 hours a week at Pace Ana­lytical Services, analyzing industrial water for suspended and dissolved solids. . . . S. Thornley met Tom Ferebee, the bombardier on the Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. . . . Howard Luloff completed a season of public-address announcing for the Premier Prep Hockey League. . . . Lee Temanson switched jobs and is now working at Caribou Coffee. Lee also went to England recently with his wife.

Rich Arpi is continuing his longtime service to SABR’s Bibliography Committee as the editor of its quarterly publication, Current Baseball Publications, which is now available on the web at:

http://www.sabr.org/cbp.shtml

Glenn Gostick loaded up at the bargain table with copies of SABR’s Home Run Encyclopedia at a discounted price. He still has a few left and is making them available at only $6 each. If you’re intrested, contact Gos at 612-491-4072.

Chapter Profile: Fred Buckland

Fred Buckland has been collecting things since he was a tyke. He started with baseball cards when he was 7 and has since shifted to pocket schedules and postcards. He became serious about the latter in 1987 when he joined the Twin Cities Postcard Club after seeing an article in the local paper about some collectors. “At the time,” he says, “postcards were a good value. Sports cards had started to get expensive.” Fred combined the two interests with sports postcards—in particular, postcards of stadiums and teams—as his focus.

His postcard collecting also spurred an interest in the St. Paul Colored Gophers. After discovering a postcard of the Gophers, Fred began researching the team and made on presentation on the subject at the Fall 1996 Chapter Meeting. His presentation came to the attention of the Twins’ Jeff Jurgella, who was organizing a promotion as part of a mandate by major league baseball to have each of its teams honor black baseball in 1997 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the

Calendar

November 20—On Deck Circle taping, 10 a.m. Theme: The 1990s

December 4—Hot Stove Saturday Morning, 8:30 a.m., Baker’s Square, 66^th and Xerxes, Richfield

November Birthdays

10—Nancy Jo Leachman (also Norm Cash, Jack Clark, and Claude Rains)

12—Charles Manson

25—Joe DiMaggio

 

Halsey Hall Chapter—SABR

The Holy Cow!

Stew Thornley, Editor 1082 Lovell Avenue

Roseville, Minnesota 55113-4419

breaking of the color barrier in the majors. The Twins decided to honor Larry Doby, who was the first black in the American League, before a game in which the Twins and their opponents, Cleveland, would wear uniforms of black teams from their area. The Indians wore the uniforms of the Cleveland Buckeyes and the Twins of the Colored Gophers. Jurgella contacted Fred for more information on the Gophers. Fred also assisted Mark Engebretson (a former producer of the chapter’s television show) for an article the Twins magazine on the 1909 series between the Gophers and Leland Giants. Fred was a special guest at the game and was on the field for the pre-game ceremonies honoring Doby. Fred also helped promote the event with a five-minute interview (“Hardly enough time to embarrass myself,” he says) on Minnesota Public Radio.

Fred was recently profiled in a postcard collector newsletter that folded right after his profile appeared. “I hope it’s not a bad omen,” he says.

Halsey Hall Chapter

Board of Directors 1999-2000

President—Jim Wyman
Vice President—Cary Smith
Secretary-Treasurer—Kevin Hennessy
Mark Johnson
Joe O’Connell
Brent Peterson
Bob Tholkes

The Holy Cow! Editor—Stew Thornley