Rochester Inductees ‐ Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame 1982 Hall of Fame ‐ Tom Connolly Tom Connolly is considered throughout southern Minnesota as one of the finest third basemen ever to take the filed. He began his career in 1932 with the 7‐Up team in Rochester and later played on most of the better teams in southern Minnesota. Among them were the Rochester Elks, Brown Derby, Boutelle & Sons, Normandy Bar, Eagles Lounge and the North Star Bar. Connolly and his teams played in more than 20 Minnesota state tournaments during his career. Tom retired from playing in 1968 after 36 year of softball. He was 53 at the tine and still was playing at the classic league level. Many fans and players who have observed the state tournaments throughout the years mention Tom Connolly. His tremendous hitting ability and intensity for playing the game made him one of the finest in Minnesota. 1982 Hall of Fame ‐ Stan Mount Stanley, “Stony” Mount started playing organized softball in 1935. A catcher during his career, he was considered as one of the finest in southern Minnesota. His steady play behind the plate and his ability to hit all pitches were the main reasons Rochester teams consistently finished near the top in state tournaments. In fact, Stoney participated in 22 state tournaments during those 32 years he played. Some of the teams Stony played for included: Brown Derby, Elks, Normandy Lounge, Eagles Lounge and the North Star Bar. These teams, with Stony catching, won many invitational tournaments throughout southern Minnesota. Many fans and players who are familiar with state tournament over the years all mention Sony Mount as an all‐star catcher and one of the better hitters in the state. 1983 Hall of Fame ‐ Vince Beyer Vince Beyer started playing softball in high school leagues in the Rochester area in the late 1030’s and early 40’s. In the army in 1942 and 1943, Vince played in Kentucky and Tennessee, where he got the chance to perfect his skills. When he got out of the army he played in the Rochester “B” leagues a couple of years, then moved up to the Class “A” leagues. With C.M.B., Merchants, and North Star teams, they always drew large crowds during league and tournament play. In tournaments, Vince and the Rochester teams played in Lacrosse, Waterloo, and most of top teams in the Twin Cites that featured pitches such as Joe Purcell, Johnny Vollmer, Bill Klesk, and Dutch Albers. With North Star Bar, Vince played in 12 state tournaments; however they were always the bridesmaid and never the bride. In a state final against Herges Bar of St. Paul, Vince hit a triple with no one out. As the home team, you guessed it, he died on the third base in the eight, and Herges came back in the ninth inning to win the game. Vince always was one of ht first players opt be picked up by other teams in Rochester whenever they were going to a tournament. Hits hitting always carried many a team. From 1946‐1966, Vince played in over 100 games per season by filling in for teams in tournaments. During his playing days, Vince also prepared the softball fields for the Rochester Park Department after work. They were considered some of the very best in the area. After his playing days had finished, Vince turned to umpiring by working baseball, fast pitch in both league and tournament play. In addition, he also worked 10 state tournaments. 1984 Hall of Fame ‐ Ray Sibley Ray Sibley was a fastpitch catcher for 29 years form 1938‐1967 in Rochester. He was a quick, aggressive, vocal and strong‐armed receiver who excelled in all defensive phases, particularly throwing handling pitcher, and fielding bunts. Offensively, Sibley was a rare mixture among catchers, a power hitter and a fat, daring base‐runner. Ray was especially tough in the clutch, and was known for his hot hitting streaks, where he would literally carry a club for a couple of weeks. A 9‐11 binge in the City league playoffs, helped to propel under‐dog Louie’s Bar to the state tournament back in the early 1960’s. Ray played on numerous strong teams in the always tough Rochester “A” league, including 10 state tournaments; most memorable of these were the powerhouse Huey’s and Circus Bar club of the 40’s, and 50’s. Sibley regularly caught such great pitchers as Carl Miller, Ralph Synogournd and Hall of Famer Morrie Turbenson. He caught these men in Rochester league, tournament and all‐star games. Unquestionably the strongest team Ray ever played on was fearsome barn‐storming team know a “Turbie’s Hill Topper’s”. From the late 1940’s through the 1950’s, this wreaking crew dominated tournament in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. But for all of the classy pitchers and super teams ray played with, it was his handling of mediocre pitchers and leadership of unsung clubs that showed his true greatness. A fierce competitor, Ray always relished the role of the under‐dog. Through many of his playing years, Ray performed the difficult dual‐role of player‐manger. Ray was also a well respected umpire, working both men’s and women’s fast pitch, a take charge type of arbiter, today at 64, he is still an active umpire, working both the Rochester and Elgin branches of the Rochester Park & Rec. fast pitch leagues. He also does youth 4‐H and an occasional slow pitch game. Ray has also serves as a long time officer and director in the Rochester Fast pitch softball association and in the 1970‘s and up to the present he has helped to found and maintain the Governors Slow Pitch League. He remains an officer of that organization to this day. Ask Rochester to name A “Mr. Softball” through all the years, and the answer is likely to be Mr. Ray Sibley. 1986 Hall of Fame ‐ Dan Juenger In Southern Minnesota, Rochester’s Dan Juenger was one of Minnesota’s most remarkable hitters and infielders. For the years from 1953‐1075, he led the Union Club, Mengedoth Sheet Metal and North Star Bar to countless City League Titles, Invitational, State and regions Tournament Championship. Many times Rochester teams advanced in state tournament play on the hitting of Dan Juenger. In one year, playing 80 games for the North Star Bar, Dan hit 38 homeruns. He led the Rochester City Leagues in hitting for over 14 year and had a life time average of 312. Dan played in 12 state tournaments, was league president and secretary for 8 years in for the Rochester Softball Association. In later years he coached “A” women’s team to 2 state tournaments and once the final of the “AA” tourney. We welcome Dan Juenger in The Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. 1986 Hall of Fame ‐ Mike Sternberg Rochester’s Mike Sternberg has to be one of the truly special and remarkable softball players for the years past, although Mike died in 1949 at the age of only 36, those who knew him and saw him in action on the field, will never forget what a great hitter and defensive first baseman he was. Mike’s playing career stared back in the pioneer days of softball, in the very early 1030’s, when the game was still known as “kittenball’, later becoming “diamond ball”. Mike at first base, together with his brother, Phil at shortstop, and Ben in centerfield provided a defensive nucleus for a number of the better teams in R Rochester during the heyday yeas of fastpitch in Rochester and other cites in the Upper Midwest. The three Sternberg Brothers, hitting always in the meat of the batting order, with Mike in the clean‐up spot, produce many game winning runs for such top city league teams of that era as Natural Gas, Mercantile, Coolerator and Dr. Pepper as they fought for the right to represent Rochester in the AA Division of the state tournament each Labor Day Weekend. Swinging for the left side of the plate, Mike Sternberg thrilled the hometown crows, of up to 5,000 fans at Soldiers Field exhibition games, with his towering blasts that would roll into the street in right filed, over 400 feet from home plate. There were no outfield fences at that time, but the ball couldn’t be caught non‐the‐less. Mike loved the challenge offered him by the pitchers of those great teams including Winona’s Hall of Fame Pitcher, San Kropick and Twin Cities Hall of Fame Pitching Stars Johnny Vollmer and Bill Klesk, who were regular visits in Rochester to throw their best and especially at Mike. Mike had a sure glove at first base fielding bunts and ground balls; in addition to scooping the errant throws from his infielders…..all of this was especially amazing to the spectators as well as the opposing players and even his own teammates. Mike’s stature totally belied his ability and agility. He was only 5’ 10” tall but he weighted in at 275 pounds. This pear‐shaped crown‐pleasing magician repeated his timely performance at the plate and in the filed throughout his playing yeas to the great delight for all. His trip around the bases, after one of his tape measure blows, was the cause of admiring wonderment as to how he managed to put it all together. But, he did it and consistently. Mike’s career batting average was over 0.350 and he averaged over 20 homeruns each year. He also got his base hits in the 7 state tournaments that he participated in.