Web Site Open to Baseball Writers

In May, Halsey Hall chapter member Tom Swift launched GameDay Daily (www.mngameday.com), a companion web site to GameDay, the independent program and scorecard sold outside the Metrodome at Minnesota Twins home games.

The site is usually updated at least once each day during the week and at least once during the weekend. The content of the site is focused on the Twins and other baseball topics. Readers have the opportunity to sign up for a free, confidential e-mail alert that announces content updates. One day per week, a baseball card expert and contributor also writes a column. There is usually a baseball book review each week.

Swift said he is open to other possible regular contributors, especially Halsey Hall chapter members who enjoy writing about baseball history as it pertains to the contemporary game.

If you are interested or if you have content ideas, feel free to contact Swift at tomswift@mngameday.com or call 507-645-2280.

Did you know that the Minnesota amateur baseball tournament has been held annually since 1924? .

Speaking of Web Sites

If you are all interested in the history of amateur baseball in Minnesota check out the web site of the Minnesota Baseball Association at www.minnesotabaseball.org. When the main page comes up, click on the state tourney icon and then on state tournament records. In front of you, you will have all the scores of all the state tournament games, in all classes, arranged by decade, since the start of the tournament in 1924.

Other parts of the site document this years teams, schedule of games and other annoucements about amateur baseball in the state. So if you want to find out the schedule of the Sebeka Stingers or the roster of the Asbby A’s, this is the site for you. The site is well done and contains a number of photographs which add to its attractiveness. This year’s state tournament is scheduled in Northfield and Dundas between August 14th and Labor Day.

Big Inning key for Crusaders

A nine run fourth inning was the key reason the Crusaders from St. Cloud Cathedral beat Breck 12-2 for the Class 2A high school baseball title at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud on June 13th. The reason this has more significance than any other high school game is that the Crusaders are coached by Halsey Hall Chapter members Bob Karn (head coach) and Jim Karn (sometime assistant coach). St. Cloud Cathedral finished only third in its conference during the regular season but continued to win during the post-season playoffs to finish the season at 22-6. It was the fifth state title for Bob Karn in 33 years of coaching and Karn’s victory total now equals 481 wins.

AnotherNorthwoods Game

Another chapter get-together will take place at the Mankato Moondogs vs. the St. Cloud River Bats Northwoods League game on Sunday night, August 3rd. Game time is 7:05 at Dick Putz Field, 5001 8th Street North in St. Cloud. If interested in attending contact organizer Howard Luloff at 952-922-5036 or hfan77@webtv.net.

Chapter Breakfast

The next every other month chapter breakfast will take place at the usual location of the Baker’s Square, 66th and Xerxes in Richfield at 9 a.m. on July 19th. The annual tour of the fabulous Lakewood Cemetary in south Minneapolis will take place afterword at around 10:30. Members wishing only to participate in the cemetary tour should met inside the front gate of the cemetary around 10:30.

Book Club

The next meeting of the book club will be on Saturday morning, August 2nd at the Barnes and Noble coffee shop (downstairs) in the Edina Galleria at 10:00 a.m. The featured book is co-authored by chapter member Dan Levitt and fellow SABRite Mark Armour and is entitled, Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way.

National Convention July 9-13

Long time SABR members need no introduction to the SABR event of the year, the national SABR convention. This year the convention is in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado and that beautiful locale will give chapter members a chance to renew acquaintances with other SABRites from around the country. The convention is what you might expect, if you have ever attended a local meeting, but on a much larger and longer scale. Instead of a few hours to talk baseball, attendees have several days to talk about and absorb the national pastime. Attendees receive a goody bag of baseball items, which for years has included a free special publication on the baseball history of the host city or state. An limited number of this publication is available for purchase for those members unable to attend the convention. Reseach presentations, of course, are a big part of the national convention and most attendees take in several sessions each day. Research committee meetings for SABR’s twenty or so Research Committtees are another big part of the Convention. If you have an interest in any SABR Committee, I urge you to join it and participate in its research activities. It will enrich your SABR experience many times beyond your yearly dues.

Player panels of retired players and front office people are another popular event during the convention as is the luncheon, which usually bosts a noted baseball figure as the head speaker. Conventions also feature a SABR night at the local ball park which this year features the Rockies hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. For the last twenty years, I have made the SABR convention part of my summer vacation; hopefully you can do so sometime soon.