He played baseball for local legion and semipro teams and in city softball leagues for more than 25 years, playing his final game on his fiftieth birthday. He eventually returned to La Crosse, where he continued to play baseball, as well as softball. In June of 2009 the university announced plans to cancel the sport, and Terry spearheaded an effort to raise more than $175,000 to save the program. . Dick attended Aquinas High School, where he played baseball for four years, graduating in 1952. In 1920, his 13th season in the majors, Koney, as his name was often shortened in box scores, played in his first and only World Series. Box 32 The Wisconsin State League is one of the premier semi-professional/amateur baseball leagues in the mid-west. He continues to help as part-time pitching coach, and is a regular at the legion games. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday for the Janesville Sports Hall Fame's induction dinner Saturday, May 20, at the Janesville Country Club. The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced the members of its 2022 Hall of Fame class. In 1979 he made a successful move to the bullpen, where he spent the remainder of his career. Gus Burwell - Madison . He also tied his career-high with three home runs. The Wisconsin State Baseball League will induct five into its Hall of Fame next October and an additional inductee gets the honor of being the first to be selected for a new wing of the Hall of Fame. He went 5-4 with a 3.29 ERA, striking out 50 in 63 innings. Baseball, was described as a walking baseball encyclopedia. He also helped Team USA win a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics and a silver medal in the 1987 Pan American Games, and earned USA Baseballs Alumni Award in 1994. In 1910 Konetchy put together a 20-game hitting streak, batted over .300 for the first of four times, and won the Triple Crown in fielding, leading NL first basemen in fielding percentage, putouts, and assists. He served as a scorekeeper and umpire for area leagues and the Stars of Tomorrow tournament, remaining active into his 70s. 92 0 obj <>stream He retired at the conclusion of the 1986 season, and left baseball to open an insurance agency. | Site Map, Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Marshfield Chaparrals, Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Oshkosh Giants, Racine, Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Marshfield Chaparrals, Oshkosh Giants, Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Oshkosh Giants, Sheboygan A's, Beloit Blues, Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Janesville Aces. Five Coaches Join WBCA Hall of Fame as the Class of 2016. He earned his second win a week later. She still lives in Arcadia, making occasional appearances at baseball events and Loggers games. Hockenbery began his professional career later that summer at class A Quad Cities in the Midwest League. In 1925, while playing for the Ft. Worth Cats, Konetchy, who turned 40 at the end of the season, batted .345 and led the Texas League with 41 home runs and 166 RBIs. During Buckleys 29 years coaching, Central High School won 20 city championships and made 15 trips to the state tournament, winning two state championships. The Wisconsin State Baseball Leagues is considered one. He opened the 1952 season at class A Binghamton but suffered a shoulder injury and was sent down to Quincy at the end of the season to recover. . Henley, who stood 58, was known locally as The Mighty Mite. Despite his diminutive stature, he was an accomplished ballplayer, and pitched professionally for two seasons (1940-41) with the La Crosse Blackhawks in the class D Wisconsin State League. The Hall of Fame data is found for the years 1920-1948 and the Ashwill data is found from 1904-1919. Skemp died in La Crosse on February 17, 2017. The Burlington Barons used seven hits to help drive in eight runs to close out the regular season with an 8-1 victory over Kenosha Saturday. Lens connection to baseball extended beyond his playing career. After a year with Toledo of the American Association, he became player-manager of Omaha of the Western League in 1923. The cost to attend is $25 per person . To the top. Steve Pavela (1923-2021) was born in La Crosse, and attended Aquinas High School, where he starred in baseball and basketball. The 27-member class for 2022 will be inducted at the WIAC Hall of Fame . 1) The Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group put together by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum thanks to a grant provided by Major League Baseball. After graduating from UWL he took over the family furniture business and signed on as an assistant coach for his alma mater Lancers. Dave and Barb Skogen, true friends of baseball, have demonstrated through their actions that the most important requirement to be a philanthropist is a passion for making a difference. He impressed the scout and signed a free agent contract with the California Angels. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). He played professionally for one more season, splitting 1978 between Vancouver in the PCL and Jersey City in the Eastern League, turning in a fine 3.44 ERA and 8-11 record, before hanging up his spikes. He led the AL in fielding in 1978 when he won a career-high 13 games. The Wisconsin State League is one of the premier semi-professional/amateur baseball leagues in the mid-west. He died on June 23, 1980 while listening to a baseball game on his car radio. He took his talents up the river to St. Marys College in Winona, where he continued to set scoring records on the court and excelled in baseball. In 1959 he accepted a position as executive secretary of the Wisconsin Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association (WCIAA), which later became the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association (WISAA). A cash bar reception will begin at 4:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6 PM and the awards program to follow. Green Bay Packers All-Time Leading Rusher Ahman Green and National Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher and Brewers Legend Rollie Fingers, are among five Wisconsin sports legends who will be inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame at the 73rd Anniversary . Box 32 Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. He was named to the WIAC All-Time Centennial Team in 2012. He split the 2000 season between the Giants and Colorado Rockies before returning to Houston in 2001. In 1995 he accepted a position as head coach of the UW-Milwaukee baseball team. In 30 years he compiled a 459-131-1 record. P. O. Carroll graduated from Aquinas High School in 1932, joined the U.S. army in 1942 and retired four years later at the rank of Major. The Wisconsin State Baseball League settled on three catchers and two pitchers for induction into its Hall of Fame. Craig Kusick was born on September 30, 1948 in Milwaukee. Among other teams, he played for the La Crosse Mohawks, the Spring Grove City team (as one of only two paid players) and the La Crescent City team. They celebrated 71 years of marriage before she preceded him in death by two years. After signing with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent, Schmidt retired in 1999. He continues to operate his insurance company and call games for the Brewers on Fox Sports Wisconsin. Committee Member Dick Bezanson said Of the ballots cast, you had to be named on a majority or over 50 percent of the ballots, which with all the candidates we had, that was quite a thing to stand out that much.. The big right hander usually batted cleanup and eventually attracted the attention of professional scouts. By the time he reached high school age he had to drop out and go to work to help support his family. Konetchy, who was only 19 and playing in his first professional season, batted .222 in 106 games for the Pinks, scant evidence of the batting prowess that would lead him to a 15 year MLB career. Before the 1914 season Konetchy was traded to Pittsburgh for five players. He married Marian Dorothy Stellick in 1948, and together they raised four children. While at Rosemount he also coached football and basketball and was responsible for fundraising that refurbished the baseball field. endstream endobj startxref Considered a top prospect in the Angels minor league system, Schmidt was selected to play three seasons in the Arizona Fall League, and was named to the 1996 and 1997 AAA All-Star Teams. The Wisconsin State Baseball League will induct five into its Hall of Fame next October and an additional inductee gets the honor of being the first to be selected for a new wing of the Hall of Fame. Saturday, April 1, 2023 AP Photo/Matt Slocum. Shannon is a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame and a two-time World Series champion. Harnish He worked for at the La Crosse Allis-Chalmers plant for 28 years and then moved to Continental Can for 17. Manager Hawley hailed from Beaver Dam, Brothers Ben and Willard Dodge were from Cambria, and Ross Jones, while not born in La Crosse, played three years for the Pinks and remained in the area for the rest of his life. All Rights Reserved. In 1961 he moved from high school coaching to college coaching when he joined the football staff at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL). Ted Simmons (2020) The eight-time all-star during his 21-year career was twice so honored during his five years with the Brewers (1981-85). Konetchys playing days, however, were far from over; he remained active in the minors until 1926. Inductees. From 1948-50 he was a standout outfielder for the La Crosse Stars American Legion team. He got his only post season experience with the Cubs in 1998, and made the most of it, getting two hits in three at bats. He was a slugging first baseman and designated hitter, pounding 23 home runs and 25 doubles in only 631 at bats over the course of his two most productive seasons in 1976 and 1977. Martin talked him out of it and in addition to tying the triples record, Kober went on to an 11-year career and finished with a .324 career batting average, 80 doubles, 23 triples, 65 home runs and membership in both the A's and Wisconsin State League Halls of Fame. OTBA Hall of Fame Inductees picture taken at Miller Park.) In 2011 Scott Servais joined the Los Angeles Angels as Assistant General Manager of Scouting & Player Development. Pavela was recognized as a talented ballplayer at a young age. Len played first base for Centrals state runner-up squad in 1952. Before he could report however, he was drafted into the navy, where he played the next two years for the Kaneohe Klippers, a naval team stationed in Hawaii. During the 1940s and 1950s the local baseball scene was quite active and highly competitive, featuring teams from Camp McCoy that often featured major league players, against whom Henley frequently pitched, and held his own. Servais made his Major League debut on July 12, 1991 for the Astros in a pinch hitting role. The Coon Valley native played baseball at Westby High School and Creighton University before being drafted by the Houston Astros in 1988. He did not remain out of baseball for long, however. George Williams was born in La Crosse on April 22, 1969, and graduated from Central High School in 1987, when he was named the Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Player of the Year. In 1952 Babe signed on with the newly formed semi-pro La Crosse Peerless Mohawks. He earned the nickname Hambone for his tall lanky frame. Edward Joseph Konetchy was born in La Crosse on September 3, 1885. He moved from teaching jobs in Maxwell, IA to Westby, WI, where he began his coaching career, assisting the legendary head football coach Elmo Gulsvig. The Sheboygan A's defeated Greater Green Bay 9-1 Tuesday night as a couple players set milestones in the process. Together they raised two daughters. He played baseball for Onalaska High School, and then for a regiment team in the Army National Guard at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Boyer also coached the La Crosse Loggers from 2006 to 2007, compiling a 61-75 record. The demands of the Skogens growing grocery business eventually forced Dave out of an active role in baseball, but his love for the sport never faded. He also coached the La Crosse Juniors for 22 years, winning a national title in 1986. Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. He even contributed on the mound, appearing twice in relief and once as a starter. He spent seven seasons in the Angels minor league system where he posted 10 wins and 41 saves with 313 strikeouts in 486.2 innings. Marinette partnered with neighboring Menominee, Michigan, playing as the Marinette-Menominee Twins in 1914. In 1948 she made her professional baseball debut for Racine of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. 25 Main St Cooperstown, NY 13326 The WIAC established a Hall of Fame to coincide with the conference's celebration of its 100th anniversary, which took place during the 2012-13 academic year. In her retirement, Erickson-Sauer coached softball and took up bowling, a sport she played for more than 30 years. A talented pitcher, Nehring signed with the Yankees in 1950, playing four seasons in their organization before retiring due to a shoulder injury. The Stars tournament was one of the earliest and most successful national youth baseball tournaments in the country. This data comes from two sources. In addition to baseball, Thornton also coached basketball, football, and both boys and girls skiing. . His interest in managing waned after that, and he turned down an offer to manage in the Reds minor league system, instead returning home to Onalaska where he continued to play ball on local teams while working in the construction business. The center fielder wore this batting helmet in 1989, when he won his second AL MVP Award after winning one at shortstop in 1982. During this time he threw a no-hitter and several one and two-hitters and was a member of the Junior League All-Stars in 1939 and 1940. Chuck and his wife are enjoying their retirement, following the lives of their three children and five grandchildren. Kellners accomplishments in business, being a leader in the WI community, and in supporting world-class athletics in our state has earned an induction into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. 81 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<34AD5237C78F3A4094D229A901819B31><160854A0A140AC428BD3E8A43C3A407E>]/Index[59 34]/Info 58 0 R/Length 107/Prev 199370/Root 60 0 R/Size 93/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream In recent years Dave and Barb have found joy in giving. Grant Berkovitz will be inducted into the Sheboygan A's Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 15th between games of the A's/Lombard Orioles Wisconsin State League doubleheader. Nehring started his career by going 13-6 with a 3.49 ERA at class D Fond du Lac in the Wisconsin State League. Unfortunately for Henley and La Crosse baseball fans, World War II interrupted Henleys career, and ultimately led to the dissolution of the league. He was involved in local labor circeles, and was honored one year as the Labor Day Parade Marshal. Williams made his major league debut in 1995 after parts of five seasons in the minor leagues. Babe played both fast pitch and 16-inch softball during and after his baseball days. To date the Corrine Zielke Fund has provided a half million dollars to area teams, communities, and schools for baseball equipment and facilities. The highest-ranked recruit, Indianapolis native Xavier Booker, stands a spindly 6-foot-10, 205 pounds, and he is entering the most physical league in college basketball. Tony Ghelfi was born in La Crosse in 1961. All Rights Reserved. Servais played college baseball at Creighton University, where his head coach was former Cubs GM Jim Hendry. He was signed by the Boston Red Sox in 2001, but an early season elbow injury ended his playing career. In 1950 she opened Corinnes Caf at 2215 South 17th Street in La Crosse and operated it until 1970, when she retired and sold the property to Trane. Pavela interrupted his college career to serve three years in the Navy during WWII. He played college ball at Des Moines Area Community College, Mira Costa College, and the University of Texas Pan American before being drafted in 1991 by the Oakland Athletics. He led his teams to a 199-144 record, racking up the third most wins in school history, and tenth most in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference history. Augustine compiled a career record of 55-59 with a 4.23 ERA in 944 innings. During the 1930s and 1940s Major League and Negro League ballplayers often barnstormed around the country after their regular season ended, taking on local teams. In between, he and his wife Marilyn raised eight children, he starred on the baseball field, and made a mark on the community that has been commemorated with a baseball field and an apartment building bearing his name. All Rights Reserved. Lou Erickson moved to Rockford for the 1949 and 1950 seasons. This data comes from two sources. He began his coaching career at Central High School, serving as assistant baseball coach to Frank Thornton (La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2015). Thornton was twice named the Wisconsin baseball coach of the year (1980 and 1986) and in 1999 became the first recipient of the La Crosse Tribunes Sportsperson of the Year award. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. The 2021 campaign will once again feature a 30-game regular season . He played football, basketball, and baseball at Aquinas High School, graduating in 1952. Before he joined the Central High School faculty, Thornton had a brief career as a railroad fireman. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. Green is also a four-time Pro Bowl selection. Cornerstone Table Partner for $20,000 Two front row table locations, including a Hall of Fame Legend or award nominee sitting at 1 of your tables, 18 total VIP passes to Champions Club. He attended Viterbo University and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round of the MLB amateur draft in June of 1990. Members of the Wisconsin State League . Johnson stuck with the Reds for half the season, serving as the bullpen catcher, but never saw action, finally being sent down to Charleston of the Central League, where he hit .269 in 34 games. He graduated from UW-La Crosse in 1968, lettering in baseball. Kellner also has been an influential leader in bringing Milwaukee Bucks new arena, the Fiserv Forum to life, and he is a minority owner of the Bucks. Ed Konetchy died from heart disease on May 27, 1947. Nehring started his career by going 13-6 with a 3.49 ERA at class D Fond du Lac in the Wisconsin State League. He appeared in seven games, including two starts, without a decision. In three years at AAA he was 18-18 with a 4.92 ERA and 4.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. Picture Captions: OTBA 2021 Hall of Fame Ceremony. During his tenure the Golden Gophers made seven NCAA tournament appearances. Wuest was an outstanding all-around athlete, and was inducted into Centrals Hall of Excellence in 2005. Konetchy and Cardinals manager Roger Bresnahan led the rescue effort, carrying several passengers to safety. He will be inducted on Jan. 27 at league's 12th Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center. Founded in 1951, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame was created to preserve the legacy and rich history of sports and athletic achievements in our state. He ranks sixth in all time appearances for Brewers pitchers with 279 and 10th in complete games with 27. He attended Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, IA on a baseball scholarship and was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round, the 14th overall selection, in the January 1980 MLB draft. Upon his return, he renewed his baseball career by signing up to play of the American Legion in the La Crosse City Baseball League. Ghelfi spent six more years in professional baseball, including stints in the Indians and Padres systems, before retiring in 1989. His career totals included 172 games, a .243 batting average with 10 home runs, 19 doubles, two triples, 104 hits and 62 runs scored. While at UWL, Augustine helped lead the Eagles to back-to-back conference titles in 1972 and 1973, when he was named to the All-Wisconsin State University Conference First Team. John Anderson John Anderson was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, and he is in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. He began his baseball career in middle school, played four years at La Crescent High School and then at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and never stopped. She and Burt returned to Arcadia, where they raised two children and ran a bowling alley. Winners were determined by a vote of League general managers, Managers, and personnel. He played varsity baseball all four years at Aquinas, which were the first four years the sport was offered by the school. She helped Rockford to the league championship in both 1949 and 1950. During his 11 year career, he hit .262 with 87 homeruns. He was a regular at nearly every Central High School sporting event, and frequently provided baseball equipment to the team when athletic budgets were tight. With the tournament field down to its final three teams, rain Sunday morning and throughout the day made the field unplayable, canceling the remainder of the tournament. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. Green Bay Packers All-Time Leading Rusher Ahman Green and National Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher and Brewers Legend Rollie Fingers, are among five Wisconsin sports legends who will be inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame at the 73rd Anniversary Induction Ceremony. %%EOF He also helped establish the local meals-on-wheels program. Over his career, Kusick appeared in 497 games, batting .235 with a .392 slugging average, 46 home runs, 99 extra base hits, and 171 RBIs. He left school after the eighth grade and began working at the Funk Candy Company. The Pinks were managed, and named after, former Major League pitcher Emerson Pink Hawley, and featured La Crosse native and future Major Leaguer Ed The Candy Kid Konetchy (2015 La Crosse Baseball Area Hall of Fame inductee). In Hazelhurst he sported an 11-4 record and 3.23 ERA in 128 innings pitched. The 1986 team finished the season ranked 19th in the nation by USA Today. On June 28 that year he began an incredible streak, knocking out two singles and a double. He played sparingly until late September when he garnered his first two major league hits in a game against the Giants and finished the season on a 6 for 16 tear. His stellar play resulted in a lifetime offer to play with a national championship softball team back in the US. The following year he held the same role for Petersburg of the Virginia League, leading the circuit in home runs. He pitched for Mabel and Houston teams in Minnesota, winning 13 of his teams 17 games one season. Baseball in La Crosse, having done it all when it comes to the sport that he loves. In 1988 Pavela served as Festmaster of the La Crosse Oktoberfest, and in 1990 he was named a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. 2) Gary Ashwill and his collaborators. He returned to La Crosse, where he played semipro ball for several teams in the area, including the La Crosse Mohawks, for whom he was the highest paid player on the team. Scott Servais was born on June 4, 1967. He did not last long in the construction business. He also set the single season record for doubles and batting average. He practiced law with a Madison firm before joining the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department in 2004. His local honors include being named the 2000 La Crosse Tribune sportsperson of the year, and induction into the Viterbo University Wall of Fame in 2001. As a result of the turf infield, Copeland Park is able to host more than 200 games each season, including local high schools, UW-L, American Legion, and of course, the Loggers. Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. He also owned and operated Hocks Scoreboard Tavern in Onalaska from 1980 to 2013. This output earned him a call up to the big league club in 1975. He was a feared slugger on the diamond, leading the Bodega softball team to a national title in 1932 and the UAW of America Union 396 team to the 1939 state amateur baseball championship. During his 20-year big league career, all with the Brewers, Robin Yount amassed 3,142 hits, including 583 doubles and 251 homers. 1) The Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group put together by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum thanks to a grant provided by Major League Baseball. He returned to Wisconsin for good after the season and married his high school sweetheart, Donna Johnson. After three years with the Braves, Konetchy was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1919 season. Sheboygan A's. 2007. In June of 1990 he was drafted in the 20th round by the Minnesota Twins, and made his professional debut that summer, homering in his first at bat with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League. Anderson was selected as Packers most valuable defensive player for three consecutive years. Three times (1993, 1994, 1998) he ranked among the top three NL catchers in fielding percentage. 2) Gary Ashwill and his collaborators. This performance earned him a promotion to Joplin, in the class C Western Association, in 1954. The late Dick Allen missed election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by a single vote the last two . This data comes from two sources. Ghelfis career was cut short by injury after four years of steady progress in the Cardinals minor league system. His success at the collegiate level earned him an invitation to the 1991 Olympic Baseball Trials. Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. In 1983 he advanced through AA (Reading) and AAA (Portland), before making his major league debut that year with the Phillies. The first new member is Cy Berg, a baseball coach who led the Old Abes to four state championships. Wuest served two terms as La Crosse county sheriff in the 1960s and worked thirty years at Electric AutoLite, never losing his passion for local sports. His first professional season was his best. Upon graduation, Schmidt attended the University of Minnesota on a baseball scholarship. His baseball career began as a ten year old in the Powell Park midget league, helping his team to the championship, his first of many. In his only season in the Federal League, Konetchy set career highs in batting average (.314), hits (181), and triples (18), finishing in the Top Five in almost every offensive category while winning his second fielding Triple Crown. She retired again when the store closed in 1984, but volunteered at the Gundersen Lutheran Hospital gift shop until shortly before her death. This earned him another promotion, this time all the way up to class B Peoria in 1956. 2) Gary Ashwill and his collaborators. One of his catchers on the Bangor team was future Yankee Elston Howard, who caught for Bangor while stationed at Fort McCoy, Camp McCoy. 1) The Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group put together by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum thanks to a grant provided by Major League Baseball. Address: Prior to her professional debut, she had never played organized ball. In 1987 he was the first recipient of the United States Baseball Federation Volunteer Amateur Coach award, and in 2000 he received the WBCA Distinguished Service Award. Address: Augustine finished his professional career at the AAA level, playing for the top minor league clubs of the Yankees and Orioles in 1985 and 1986 after finishing his Brewers career in 1984. By the age of 21 she had already been named to two All Star teams, had a .680 career winning percentage with a 2.13 ERA and compiled a 4-1 postseason record, helping her team to two championships. Please join us in congratulating these honorees for the positive impact they have made on our state.. The Induction will be hosted by Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Champion, All-Time Leading Receiver, Dancing with the Stars Champion, AMVETS Humanitarian of the Year, and New York Times best-selling author and President of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Donald Driver. From there he moved on to slow pitch softball, organizing two different local leagues, earning the Claire Raith 12 Softball Award for his efforts. During the summers, he switched from coaching to playing. After having played against the likes of Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson, Johnson wasnt interested in segregated baseball. Marinette won the 1891 Wisconsin State League championship. He enrolled at Aquinas High School, where he continued his high school baseball career. He was limited to a 135 games over the next two seasons, but hit well enough (.290 with six home runs) to attract the attention of the Cincinnati Reds, who drafted him out of the Cubs organization and put him on their opening day roster in 1950. Today, the Wisconsin State League has released the 2021 summer schedule. More than 50 of his former players turned professional, most notably three time All Star Curtis Granderson. Buckley Baseball Tours now sponsors 25-30 multi-city tours each summer, guiding as many as 1500 fans a year to stadiums across the country. Rick Boyer (1952-2021) was Mr. He also played eight seasons in the minors, finishing his career in Hawaii in 1981, appearing in 43 games and batting .272 with 16 extra base hits in 125 at bats. The Eau Claire Baseball History Committee will induct 2 new members into its Hall of Fame. %PDF-1.6 % During his three seasons (1947-49) he was named to the La Crosse All-Star team three times He also pitched for South Ridge, Bangor and Coon Valley. 2007. This performance caught the attention of the Seattle Mariners, who planned to call him up, but he injured his ankle, costing him the entire 1977 season.