SPOKANE INDIANS COMMUNITY UPDATE • VERSION 4 • SEPTEMBER 23RD 2020 HOME BASE IN THIS EDITION Team Trivia............................................................4 Player Catch-Up: Scott Kapers......................5 Spot the Difference............................................8 Community Corner.............................................9 Q&A w/ Ed Yong................................................13 Remembering Bob Robertson......................18 Hometown Hero - Kim Elkins........................27 Photos courtesy of Janna Juday and James Snook justaddmonsters.com Over $6000 in cash and prizes TEAMTEAM TRIVIATRIVIA This Indians alum won the How many former Spokane 1 first ever Cy Young Award: 6 Indians players opened this a) Don Sutton year on MLB rosters? b) Don Newcombe a) 17 c) Hoyt Wilhelm b) 24 d) Doyle Alexander c) 27 d) 19 Which member of the 1970 2 Spokane Indians helped Before this summer, the last lead the USC football team 7 year without Indians to a national championship baseball in Spokane was: in 1967? a) 1967 a) Steve Sogge b) 1951 b) Tom Hutton c) 1978 c) Steve Garvey d) 1957 d) Sandy Vance Which former Spokane Before becoming Avista 8 Indians player was drafted 3 Stadium, the Spokane by the Houston Texans in Indians played their home 2018? games at: a) Jake Skole a) Key Bank Park b) Jamie Jarmon b) Sterling Saving c) Braxton Lane Stadium d) Jordan Akins c) Seafirst Stadium Which Indians alum has the d) Wells Fargo Field 9 most career MLB home Which son of a former MLB runs? 4 player did NOT play for a) Carlos Beltran the Indians? b) Duke Snider a) Gary Matthews Jr. c) Frank Howard b) John Mayberry Jr. d) Steve Garvey c) Ruben Sierra Jr. MLB HOFer Ryne Sandberg d) Jerry Hairston Jr. 10 attended which high school The last Indians alum to in Spokane? 5 win Rookie of the Year: a) Lewis & Clark a) Neftali Feliz b) Shadle Park b) Derek Holland c) North Central c) Chris Davis d) Ferris d) Jurickson Profar Answer Key: 1) b 2) a 3) c 4) d 5) a 6) b 7) d 8) d 9) a 10) c 10) a 9) d 8) d 7) b 6) a 5) d 4) c 3) a 2) b 1) Key: 3 Answer PLAYER CATCH-UP: SCOTT KAPERS TEXAS RANGERS FARMHAND SCOTT KAPERS STAYS SHARP IN USPBL Courtesy of Brandon Vickrey/ “I arrived in Arizona on Feb. 7, Valparaiso Athletics and was there until March 16,” Kapers said. “After COVID shut spring training down, I went ike everything else for L straight home and spent several everyone in the country and months doing my best to stay across the world, baseball looks active. It was challenging to a little different this year for stay on a diet and find fields former Valparaiso University to practice. I was fortunate to standout Scott Kapers. have my brother (current Valpo The Texas Rangers minor junior) Jake to throw to and league catcher was unable work out with throughout the to compete in a third season whole process.” of affiliated professional Kapers eventually latched on baseball in 2020 since the with the semipro Mishawaka minor league campaign was Brewers to stay sharp before cancelled due to the COVID-19 recently making his way pandemic. However, Kapers to Utica, Mich. to play in has found ways to continue his the USPBL. All four teams development and is currently competing in the league this competing for the Westside season play their games at one Woolly Mammoths of the site, Jimmy John’s Field. Kapers United Shore Professional is living with fellow Rangers Baseball League. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 4 and Mount Carmel High School product had the opportunity to play one game with the Nashville Sounds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League last season. “I woke up one day and they said, ‘You’re going to Triple-A,’” Kapers said. “We had a Triple-A catcher get injured and I was available at extended spring training. I was catching bullpens and minor leaguer Jake Hoover, doing my job while getting who is also playing in the work in. The night before my USPBL. last day with Nashville, they let me know I was playing the “The Rangers organization next day. I actually slept pretty has been unbelievable, paying well and got to the field and us through all this and doing played; I treated it just like any everything they can to help other baseball game.” their minor league players,” TEXAS RANGERS FARMHAND SCOTT KAPERS STAYS SHARP IN USPBL Kapers said. “It’s been great to Numerous coaches have be here in Michigan and have influenced Kapers in the the opportunity to log some professional ranks, including innings behind the plate while his first manager Kenny facing quality pitching. This Holmberg, former big-league league does a great job with catcher Carlos Maldonado and data collection, so I’ve been most recently Kenny Hook. learning more of the statistic In his final season at Valpo side and educating myself on in the spring of 2018, Kapers what each pitcher throws for strikes and other information.” The stop in Michigan is the latest chapter in a professional career that began when Kapers was selected in the 17th round of the 2018 draft by the Rangers following his junior year at Valpo. He played in 54 games over the last two seasons, with the majority of those coming for the Spokane Indians of the Class-A Northwest League. The Schererville, Ind. native CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 5 Proud Sponsor of the SPOKANE INDIANS FIND YOUR NEAREST LOCATION! 619 S Fir Ave, Deer Park, WA 99006 814 US-12, Kamiah, ID 83536 (509) 276-3000 (208) 935-2134 123 S Broad St, Medical Lake, WA 99022 307 Michigan Ave, Orofi no, ID 83544 (509) 299-9100 (208) 476-5519 5978 WA-291, Suite 10 Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026 6637 Fry St, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 (509) 464-3994 (208) 267-7771 503 W Appleway Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 910 Main St, St Maries, ID 83861 (208) 765-3434 (208) 245-5515 126 W Main St, Grangeville, ID 83530 612 Bank St, Wallace, ID 83873 (208) 983-5555 (208) 753-9003 threw out 37.5 percent of “Everyone at Valpo has treated would-be base stealers (21 our family extremely well,” caught stealing) and picked Kapers said. “The community is CURBSIDE PICK-UP & CONTACT-FREE off six runners. He garnered enjoyable and it’s a nice town. DELIVERY AVAILABLE Missouri Valley Conference The academics are elite and All-Defensive Team and All- walking away with a Valparaiso Tournament Team accolades education is very beneficial. My while learning from head coach parents recognized that value Brian Schmack and his staff. and were supportive of us in our decisions to attend the “Coach Schmack knew what University.” it took since he played in the big leagues,” Kapers said. “He helped me straighten out my mindset and focus on what I wanted to be as a player. The team camaraderie at Valpo stands out. Learning how to be a good teammate in college has helped me in my professional career.” Valpo is a family affair for Kapers, as his sister Madison recently graduated from the University and is now in dental school in Arizona, while his aforementioned brother Jake is entering his third season as a catcher for the Valpo baseball team. 6 Proud Sponsor of the SPOKANE INDIANS FIND YOUR NEAREST LOCATION! 619 S Fir Ave, Deer Park, WA 99006 814 US-12, Kamiah, ID 83536 (509) 276-3000 (208) 935-2134 123 S Broad St, Medical Lake, WA 99022 307 Michigan Ave, Orofi no, ID 83544 (509) 299-9100 (208) 476-5519 5978 WA-291, Suite 10 Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026 6637 Fry St, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 (509) 464-3994 (208) 267-7771 503 W Appleway Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 910 Main St, St Maries, ID 83861 (208) 765-3434 (208) 245-5515 126 W Main St, Grangeville, ID 83530 612 Bank St, Wallace, ID 83873 (208) 983-5555 (208) 753-9003 CURBSIDE PICK-UP & CONTACT-FREE DELIVERY AVAILABLE 7 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Can you spot the 10 differences between these two photos? 8 Deck Ribby’s on Ribby 10. color, wristband of Change 9. shirt, Buckeyes on logo Ohio Missing 8. baseballs, replacing logos Doris 7. sign, circular Caboose Light Coors 1. Color on scoreboard clock, 2. Lights on scoreboard 3. OTTO towards the back of caboose, 4. Missing star on Capitan America shirt, 5. Missing peace sign, 6. Change of color on on color of Change 6. sign, peace Missing 5. shirt, America Capitan on star Missing 4. caboose, of back the towards OTTO 3. scoreboard on Lights 2. clock, scoreboard on Color 1. COMMUNITY CORNER PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF OUR WATERWAYS Courtesy of Avista helps us better understand conditions important to the fish The Spokane River provides who live in the lake. us all with clean and affordable Lake Spokane is managed to electricity, and much more, promote both warm water including a home for fish, and cold-water fish, and to habitat for wildlife and support sports fishing and opportunities for recreation. native fish restoration. “Cold We are committed to helping water fish, such as trout, are protect and enhance the health looking for water with cooler of the river. One way we work temperatures and high oxygen toward that end is in our fishery levels. That’s the sweet spot,” efforts in the river and nearby said Monica Ott, environmental lakes. scientist with Avista. “To better Avista’s Long Lake Dam creates understand their preferred the reservoir known as Lake areas we are exploring Spokane, a great place to temperature and oxygen levels swim, boat, fish and live.