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


March 2017

Editor:
Stew Thornley

Dan Levitt Receives Henry Chadwick Award
SABR announced the Class of 2017 for the Henry Chadwick Award, established to honor the game’s great researchers, and Dan Levitt is one of the recipients.

Dan is is the author or co-author of several baseball books, covering the Federal League, longtime Yankee general manager Ed Barrow, and the evolution of team building. The breadth of his research contributions includes biography, records (discovering the season record for lowest earned-run average), statistical analysis, labor relations (an extensive project with the Major League Baseball Players Association), economics (uncovering the truth behind Harry Frazee’s finances), and more, studying more than a century of baseball history. He has received several awards for his research, and his extensive contributions to SABR earned him the Bob Davids Award in 2015.

“I was completely surprised and utterly elated,” Dan said. “It’s incredible to be included with the distinguished lineup of past winners.”

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Spring Chapter Meeting Set for April 29
The Spring Chapter Meeting of the Halsey Hall Chapter will be Saturday, April 29 at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 E. 22nd Street in south Minneapolis.

Registration for the meeting is at 8:30 with research presentations beginning at 9:00. A business meeting will be held during lunch with a featured guest 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.

Research Presentations
Members are invited to submit a proposal to make a research presentation at the meeting (with the understanding they might not know if they’re available until the meeting date is set. 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 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, and Bob Tholkes) will finalize the schedule of research presentations two weeks before the meeting, so proposals must be submitted by then.

Three presentations have so far been approved:

Longtime SABR member Tom Merrick will travel from Jamestown, North Dakota, to present on the first night game in Jamestown, which occurred in 1931. Tom has been researching Jamestown teams, which were integrated and included various Negro Leaguers and Black Sox-exile Swede Risberg, from 1928-1934.

Ejection Diaries: John McGraw Battles the National League’s Umpires and Executives by Dan Levitt. John McGraw was one baseball’s greatest managers and one of New York’s most celebrated figures. He could be charming and generous. Alternatively, he often found himself in the middle of physical confrontations and bitter controversies, frequently from his abuse of the umpires. The details of many of McGraw’s clashes with the umpires can be unearthed in the massive Garry Herrmann collection at the Baseball Hall of Fame, only relatively recently organized and processed for researchers to use. I have combed these reports to find the umpires’ descriptions in their own words of their confrontations with McGraw and their consequences.

Baseball Scoring and the Law by Stew Thornley, an abbreviated version of a presentation for a Law and the Business of Baseball class at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in June. It looks at various aspects of official scoring—judgment calls and the appeal process and scoring rules—and relates them to various aspects of the law. It will include a few videos of plays.

Speculation on the Origin of the Baseball Umpire by Bob Tholkes.

Elections
Elections for the board of directors will be held during the business meeting. Four members will be elected to the board of directors to succeed outgoing directors Frank Kadwell, Tom Flynn, Lloyd Kepple, and Doug Skipper.

Bob Komoroski has agreed to run for the board. Others are welcome to indicate interest, and nominations from the floor will be open during the business meeting.

Anyone interested in running for a two-year term may contact Stew Thornley, 651-492-5410.

Silent auction
The meeting will feature another silent auction. Bring baseball books, magazines, pennants, bobbleheads, and other memorabilia you’re willing to donate to a good cause (the Halsey Hall Chapter), and bring your checkbook and extra cash to pick up some bargains for yourself.

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From Gomes: A Quiz
Gene Gomes helped me get through a meeting at work by having me ponder this one:

Name at least five members of the Baseball Hall of Fame whose last names are also the first name for a girl or woman.

Answer below

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Upcoming Events
Lots of stuff, including viewing parties and road trips in addition to our usual events, make for an exciting 2017:

World Baseball Classic
Tom Flynn has organized viewing parties for the World Baseball Classic on Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. (Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico), and the championship game Wednesday, March 22 at 8 p.m. The parties will be at Bunny’s Northeast, 34 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis 55413, 612-545-5659 (in what was the keg warehouse of the Grain Belt Brewery).

Research Committee
The Research Committee will meet Monday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at the Hennepin County Southdale Library, 7001 York Avenue South, Edina 55435. For more information, contact Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson.

Book Club
The Halsey Hall Chapter Book Club will meet Saturday, April 8 at 9:30 a.m. at the usual spot, Barnes & Noble in Har Mar Mall in Roseville. The book selection is October 1964 by David Halberstam. The group will also discuss the telecast of the seventh game of the 1987 World Series. The game is available for viewing on YouTube: 1987 World Series, Game 7: Cardinals @ Twins

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 4 at Curran’s, 4201 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.

Dairy Queen Classic Baseball Tournament
The DQ Classic is back. Howard Luloff is organizing a chapter outing to see the Minnesota Gophers play the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at U. S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. Gather by the ticket windows at 6:00 or join others starting at 5 p.m. at Erik the Red Bar (formerly Hubert’s) on Sixth Street and Chicago Avenue. The group will be sitting on the first-base side and should be easy to find.

If interested, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

U. S. Bank Stadium Baseball Games for 2017.

Road Trips
A townball game and two Northwoods League games are planned:

Friday, June 24: Townball game with the Cannon Falls Bears at the Dundas Dukes. The game is at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 15: Northwoods League game with the Waterloo Bucks at the Mankato MoonDogs. The game is at 6:05 p.m., and Howard Luloff is working with the MoonDogs about some possible activities at Franklin Rogers Park in the afternoon.

Saturday, July 29: Northwoods League game with the Mankato MoonDogs at the ThunderBay Border Cats. The game is at 6:05 p.m. (and Thunder Bay is on Eastern Time). This game will depend on the level of interest among members and could be canceled for lack of interest. Contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791 if you are interested. We will try to organize carpools (and members are encouraged to contact others and set up their own, if possible) and leave the Twin Cities early that morning. This will leave time for lunch in Duluth or along the North Shore and some sightseeing in Thunder Bay. (You have to see the Sleeping Giant.) The plan would be to stay overnight at the Super 8 in Thunder Bay and return on Sunday. You may need a passport.

Keep up to date with chapter activities on social media:

SABR Halsey Hall Chapter Facebook page

Halsey Hall Chapter Twitter page

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New Members
Christopher Zurn is from Wausau, Wisconsin, now lives in the Twin Cities, and is a facilities coordinator for Ditech Financial in St. Paul.

Christopher played baseball in high school, attended the 1982 World Series, worked for the Seattle Mariners Class A farm team, and worked for the Minnesota Twins from 1992 to 1994.

Born in 1963, Christopher shares his September 8 birthday with Walter “Buck” Leonard, Gerrit Cole, Gil Meche, Don Aase, Ernie Orsatti, Steve Hargan, Jim Bagby Jr. Ken Forsch, Patsy Cline, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Duffy Daugherty, Peter Sellers, L. C. Greewood, Rogatien Vachon, Frank Cady, and Kid Cann.

Jeff Jurgella is the senior director of corporate partnerships with the Minnesota Twins. He has worked in baseball for many years, including the Madison Muskies, an Oakland farm team in the Midwest League, from 1988 to 1991, and in a variety of roles with the Twins from 1992 to 1998. He left for 15 years and returned to the Twins in his current job in 2013.

Jeff was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and attended his first baseball game at County Stadium in 1975. He got his “most treasured autograph” at that game, from Bobby Mitchell.

Jeff has a wife, Carrie, and three kids: Cal, 20; Katy, 18; and Luke, 16.

Born in 1965, Jeff shares his May 22 birthday with Al Simmons, Foster “Babe” Ganzel, Jim Colborn, Jose Mesa, Chad Tracy, Tommy John, Richie Coggins, Jose Valdivielso, Otis Clark, Walt Hriniak, Dave “Hawg” Hanner, Laurence Olivier, Johnny Olson, Harvey Milk, and Clyde Tolson.

Also new to the Halsey Hall Chapter: Tom Lennon, and Gerry Tucker

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

Halsey Hall Chapter events

Membership application

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Answer to From Gomes: A Quiz
Paige, Kelly, Brett, Terry, Ruth (and more if you include Morgan)

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Calendar
    March 4—Fred Souba Hot Stove Saturday Morning, Curran’s, 42nd and Nicollet, 9:00 a.m.

    March 4—Minnesota Gophers vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, 6:30 p.m, U. S. Bank Stadium. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

    March 10 and March 22—World Baseball Classic Viewing Parties, Cuba vs. Venezuela, 8:00 p.m. Bunny’s Northeast, northwest quadrant of Broadway and Marshall in northeast Minneapolis.

    March 20—Research Committee meeting, 7:00 p.m, Hennepin County Southdale Library, 7001 York Avenue South, Edina. (This meeting will include a recap of the World Baseball Classic games played in Jalisco, Mexico, earlier in the month.) For more information, contact Brenda Himrich or Sarah Johnson.

   April 8Book Club and Vintage Game Video Club, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar Mall, Roseville, 9:30 a.m., October 1964 by David Halberstam and Game Seven of the 1987 World Series.

    April 29—Spring Chapter Meeting, 9:00 a.m, Faith Mennonite Church, Minneapolis. For more information, contact Howard Luloff, 952-922-5036.

    June 23—Townball: Cannon Falls Bears at Dundas Dukes, 7:30 p.m., Memorial Park. For more information, contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791.

    July 15—Northwoods League: Waterloo Bucks at Mankato MoonDogs, 6:05 p.m., Franklin Rogers Park. For more information, contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791.

    July 29—Northwoods League: Mankato MoonDogs at Thunder Bay BorderCats, 6:05 p.m., Port Arthur Stadium. For more information, contact Stew Thornley, 651-415-0791.

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Board of Directors 2016-2017
President—Frank Kadwell
Vice President—Tom Flynn
Secretary—Brent Heutmaker
Treasurer—Jerry Janzen
Gene Gomes
Lloyd Kepple
Doug Skipper

The Holy Cow! Editor—Stew Thornley
Webmaster—John Gregory 
Ass. Webmasters—Stew Thornley and Frank Kadwell
Social Media Director—Tom Flynn

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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