March 2003

Gophers beat Fighting Irish 8-2 Book Club Meets on April 5th Ten members took in a game at the annual Dairy Queen (formally the Hormel) Baseball This meeting of the Halsey Chapter Tournament at the Metrodome on Book Club will be focused on the topic Saturday afternoon March 1. They of labor relations in baseball. At the last witnessed the home town, defending meeting on February 8th, it was decided Big Ten champion Gophers, dismantle that everyone would read Marvin the University of Notre Dame Fighting Miller’s memoir, “A Whole New Ball Irish, a team that made the eight team Game,” Carol Publishing Group, 1991. College in 2002. Pitching Members were encouraged to also read was the key for the Gophers, who another book on baseball labor relations evened their 2003 record at 3 wins and and report to the group. Thus in one 3 losses. Starter C.J. Woodrow retired meeting there could be a good the first 14 Notre Dame batters and in discussion of many of the current books his six innings of pitching allowed only on baseball’s labor relations without four hits, one unearned , no walks Most people read captions first. members having to read them all. Other and eight strike-outs. Brian Bull They motivate a busy audience to books mentioned for possible reading pitched the last three innings for the read on. This is a test to see if you were “Hardball” by Bowie Kuhn, “The Gophers allowing an unearned run will read the rest of this newsletter. End of Baseball as We Knew It” by along with two hits, one walk and one Charles Korr; “Money Pitch” by Roger strike-out. I. Abrams, “The Last Commissioner” SPRING REGIONAL Batting stars for the Gophers were by Fay Vincent; and “Lords of the third baseman David Hrncirik (three for Realm” by John Helyar. three, a walk, three runs and a double) is scheduled for Saturday, May The April 5th meeting is scheduled and second baseman Luke Appert (two 10th at the Minnesota History Center at for 10 a.m. at the coffee shop of the hits including a homerun and 3 rbis). 345 Kellogg Boulevard West in St. Paul Edina Barnes & Noble, which is located The defensive play of the game (right off I-94 across from the St. Paul one block south of the Southdale Mall occurred in the 5th inning when Cathedral). The meeting will start at 9 a. in the Galleria shopping center. Gopher center-fielder Sam Steidl raced m. and will break for lunch around The book club has been meeting in to grab Irish first baseman Joe noon. Members can then buy lunch at every other month since summer 2002 Thaman’s two-out, two runner on, line- Cafe Minnesota, at the History Center, and is open to all members of SABR or drive at his shoe tops. The score was 3- or go elsewhere. The meeting will potential members of SABR. 0 Gophers at that point and Thaman resume shortly after 1 p.m. and continue Attendance at the last meeting was easily could have had a double and two until 3:30 or so. double of the original meeting and rbis and the score would have closed to Contact Fred Buckland if you included Mark Johnson; Stew Thornley; 3-2. would like to give a presentation and if Art Mugalian; Tom Swift; Jim Sexton; Upcoming Gopher games at the you would like to attend that night’s Tom Dolen; Bob Tholkes; and Rich Metrodome are March 5 vs UMD game against the , send Arpi. Organizer Tom Swift welcomes (6:30) and Cal-State Fullerton, March 7 $ 13.00 per ticket to Howard Luloff by suggestions concerning future book or at 6:30; March 8 at 2 at March 9 at April 1st. A special feature of this topic selections. noon. The first home games at Siebert meeting will be the baseball exhibit Field are scheduled for March 28-30 (opening on March 22) and a chance for against Michigan State. a behind the scenes tour of the museum storage areas and time to view other exhibits. The page numbers are on the Page 2 The Holy Cow

READY FOR PRIME TIME? For most of its existence, the charge, so that participation can be free not available. Production sessions will Halsey Hall Chapter has sponsored a to chapter members. be scheduled well in advance. local access cable TV show, under the 3. Each local access cable system The Halsey Hall Chapter board original title Baseball Roundtable and requires that a show be submitted by a hopes that this revised television format later The On Deck Circle. This half- resident of its local area. Produce sounds like a fun and different addition hour show has had a free-discussion sufficient copies of the show (on VHS) to your baseball hobby. If interested in format centering on different and arrange to get them to Chapter participating in one OR MORE or these contemporary or historical baseball members who will submit them to their functions, please contact Bob Tholkes topics, with the occasional interview. local systems. by April 6th, either by e-mail at The show usually ended when its The Chapter board will decide at its [email protected] or by phone at 763- volunteer producer either moved away April 6th meeting whether to launch 781-6161. or quit, but the last effort ended in 2000 this effort, or not, depending on how when participation dwindled to the much participation can be expected. point where it could no longer be Voting sustained. There were several problems. Chapter members are needed to: Its always-informal structure was liable to decline into aimlessness. Distribution Distribute the show to their local According to the Minneapolis Star- of the show to a wide (potentially, at access cable provider. This usually Tribune, 81 of 85 ballots were returned least) audience was difficult. Equipment means filling out a form and either meaning that 61 votes were needed for and production problems at dropping off or mailing in the VHS selection. Nobody was elected this year. Minneapolis Television Network tape. Results were listed as follows; Gil (MTN) seemed constant, making Hodges (50); Tony Oliva (48); Ron participation a frustrating experience. Contribute segments to the show. Santo (46); (29); Maury Wills Competition for members’ time with (24); Vada Pinson (21); Joe Gordon other Chapter activities (notably the (19); (18); Marty Marion Quicksteps vintage base ball team) Proposal by Bob Tholkes to (17); Carl Mays (16); Minnie Minoso (16); (16); Dick Allen increased, so that MTN’s requirement revive the Chapter’s cable of a monthly schedule became a burden. (13); Mickey Lolich (13); Wes Ferrell Having found another volunteer access televison show (12); (11); Don Newcombe producer (Bob Tholkes, who presently (11); Curt Flood (10); Ken R. Williams edits the Holy Cow Extra quarterly These may be on any conceivable (8); Rocky Colavito (7); journal), the Chapter board is interested baseball topic, and can be presentations (6); Bob Meusel (6); Bobby Bonds (5); in reviving the show if sufficient of research or other factual matters, Ted Kluszewski (4); member interest exists, with some shows of baseball collectables and (4) and Mike Marshall (the ), (3). changes: memorabilia, or a presentation of opinion or viewpoint, and can be either 1. Adopt a magazine-style format, individual or joint efforts. Guests may with segments on specific topics be invited as joint presenters or presented by different members, to interview subjects. No minimum or encourage broader participation and add maximum length has been set. structure. 2. Move the show to the If you are interested in contributing production studio of Columbia Heights segments, HOW OFTEN? Community Television. There is no minimum schedule requirement, so that Operate a camera or the sound the frequency of production can be system at the production sessions. For suited to the level of participation. It is in-studio productions, only brief on-the- also a small operation - the facility spot training by the studio coordinator coordinator on duty would have no is required. other claims on his time when Participants must be available on assistance with equipment or production Monday evenings, the only evening is needed. As a Heights resident, Bob offered by Columbia Heights Television can produce the show there free of on a regular basis. Weekend hours are The Holy Cow Page 3

1850s/1860s Minnesota Baseball Research Continues Project update by Dean Thilgen ballplayers in electing” General Sibley. would like to join us, contact either Now we have a better idea. The most Rich or myself. I’m certainly not the first person to influential and successful Minnesota research 19th century Minnesota club of that day was the North Star Club Note from the editor: Much of the baseball history. The definitive article of St. Paul, and the player held in the research done by SABR members over on the subject remains Cecil O. highest regard was their ace pitcher, the last thirty years has centered on Monroe’s article in the Minnesota Captain Rollin C. Olin. Our research professional base ball or on the early History magazine from 1938. However, has found that Olin was Sibley’s judge days of base ball in New York, my curiosity rose after I started playing advocate at the Dakota trials in 1862 Massachusetts and other eastern states. vintage base ball five years ago. I joined and his aide-de-camp during the Sibley This project hopes to document amateur others in the quest to build on Monroe’s Expedition in 1863. Sibley’s base ball in Minnesota in the nineteenth work and we are now developing a big relationship to Olin continued in base century, and thus add a valuable piece picture of how the fraternal game from ball a few years later. The players to the base ball history puzzle. the big city of New York found a place association elected Olin vice president. Hopefully, sometime in the next few in the fast-growing Minnesota Territory Research now focuses on the first months, members will be able to access and how it grew in popularity in the organized Minnesota club in Nininger, a the Halsey Hall Chapter web-site and small towns and countryside. Our planned community on the west bank of find the articles on 19th century research is building up to the 2007 the Mississippi River, upstream from Minnesota base ball history uncovered sesquicentennial of the first established Hastings. All the grandiose plans for by Deano and myself...... Rich Arpi baseball club in Minnesota (editors Nininger, including its base ball team, note...the Nininger club of 1857) evaporated quickly when the financial Hall of Fame Voting: Monroe’s disadvantage of having depression, known in history textbooks to flip the pages of the old, heavy bound as the Panic of 1857, set in. That first newspapers was a slow and tedious In case you missed it, the voting process. And in the 1930s, not all ot the While not as popular as it results for the 2003 induction class for extant newspapers were gathered in one would become, base ball was the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York were as place. It is clear he focused on papers played in Minnesota before the from St.Paul, Red Wing, and Lake City, follows: Minnesota. Despite these shortcomings, Civil War...... 496 members of the Baseball his work is thorough and correct. Writers Association of America were Today, we have the luxury of virtually club was formed just as the new lot eligible to vote, which meant 372 (75 every known surviving Minnesota owners in town were defaulting on their %) votes were needed for election. newspaper on microfilm at the mortgages and pulling up stakes. There Eddie Murray (423) and Minnesota History Center. These is no indication that the club continued (387) were elected. The following men frames of film can be accurately into 1858. We know baseball was received votes but fell short of election; reproduced with the press of a button. played casually in Hastings after that Bruce Sutter (266); (259); Monroe would undoubtedly be envious. time and upriver in St. Paul, starting in (248); Ryne Sandberg In his article, Monroe hinted that the summer of 1859, when the Olympic (244); Lee Smith (210); Rich Gossage many of Minnesota’s towns had base club was playing twice per week. There (209); Bert Blyleven (145); Steve ball clubs in 1867, but now we can is evidence that Red Wing, Stillwater, Garvey (138); (130); Tommy prove it. The base ball fever so oft’ and Afton had organized clubs in 1860, John (116); Jack Morris (113); Alan repeated in standard base ball histories but further research is needed to fill in Trammell (70): (68); applies to Minnesota in a big way. It these stories. (58); Dave Concepcion was the big fad of the summer here. Rich Arpi and I have spent most (55); Dave Parker and Fernando And recent research in a Minnesota Saturdays digging up these stories of Valenzuela (51); (30); farmer’s diary tells us it reached all the the long forgotten first Minnesota base Darryl Kile (7); Vince Coleman (3); way into the rural countryside, too. ball teams from the newspaper Brett Butler, Sid Fernandez, Rick Monroe mentions that General microfilm. With the help of several Honeycutt,Tony Pena (2); and Darren Henry Hastings Sibley was elected other people, the Minnesota 19th Daulton, Mark Davis and Danny president of the new state base ball century base ball project is progressing. Tartabull (1) players association in 1867, but he did We should have a good handle on the not understand why “the convention 1860s sometime next year. If you have ignored the delegates and active anything to add to our research or Page 4 The Holy Cow

Chapter Authors Halsey Hall Chapter Three chapter members have if you have a non-white, non-male, or Board of Directors finished or are working on books that non-Twin Cities burial spot in mind. should be published shortly. Roger Dan Levitt has a book on baseball due Godin has finished a manuscript out this spring and more information

entitled “The Brooklyn Football will be forthcoming in a future President: Fred Buckland Dodgers: The Other Bums” that he newsletter, which will be closer to the Vice-President: Bob Tholkes hopes will be published sometime release date. Secretary-Treasurer: Rich Arpi during 2003. He is also working a on

book about the St. Paul Athletic Hockey Calendar: Other Board Members: Dan Club, 1914-1926, that might be Cagley, Cary Smith, Dean Thilgen, and published by the Minnesota Historical Jim Wyman. Society Press. Stew Thornley is March 22 - Baseball exhibit opens

researching a book with a working title at Minnesota History Center. Come Web-master: Dean Thilgen of “A Tour of Minnesota Graveyards” visit with chapter members and talk

that will be part of the Minnesota baseball. Afternoon 1 to 5. Halsey Hall Chapter web-site: Historical Society Press’s “Explore April 5 - Book Club meeting at http://halseyhall.org Minnesota History!” series with a Barnes and Noble at Edina Galleria.

projected publication date of Halloween April 6 - Chapter Board meeting at Membership information: contact 2004. The focus will be on notables Dan Cagley’s home in Bloomington. 5

buried in the state. Stew is trying to May 3 - Chapter breakfast at Rich Arpi at address below. balance the book by getting diversity in Baker’s Square at 66th and Xerxes in

race, gender, species, and reason for Richfield. 9:30 notability, as well as burial location. May 10 - Chapter Regional Send nominations to Stew; particularly meeting at the Minnesota History

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Halsey Hall Chapter - SABR Rich Arpi, Editor 2445 Londin Lane East, # 410 Maplewood, Minnesota 55119-5593

“The ball once struck off, Away flies the boy to the next desired post And then home with joy.” Anonymous, 1774.