hb``a``Z $>2F fah@b$&&{xFMXvlF.I Names Left to Right: Marcus Hanel, Chris Charnish, Don Wojczulis, (1250 Sports Radio), Lance Allen (WTMJ 4), Noah Miller, Curt Weiskirch . The left-handed Augustine was drafted by the Brewers in the 15th round of the 1974 amateur draft. 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. Two of Dicks grandchildren were drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, and a third is currently playing at the collegiate level. Box 32 The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. He remained active for the rest of his life, playing for local teams in Stoddard, La Crosse and La Crescent, moving on to senior league baseball when he reached his 50s. 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. He advanced quickly through the Phillies system, beginning at Helena in the rookie level Pioneer League in 1980, moving up to A ball in 1981 and 1982. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. Bill Skemp was born in La Crosse in 1934. He was inducted into the schools athletic hall of fame in 2003. Ed Konetchy died from heart disease on May 27, 1947. Parizek worked at La Crosse Peerless Brewery, the La Crosse Rubber Mills, and the La Crosse Post Office. He played baseball for Onalaska High School, and then for a regiment team in the Army National Guard at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Other players of note included veterans John Cahill (who played professionally for 12 years), Lee Hopkins, and Joe Killian (seven years each). Following the 2005 season, he was named Senior Director of Player Development for the Texas Rangers. During his senior year he was spotted by a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals and invited to a tryout camp in Red Wing, Minnesota, where he impressed the scouts by striking out all three batters he faced. On June 28 that year he began an incredible streak, knocking out two singles and a double. She went 16-10 in her final season and was again named an All Star. Members of the Wisconsin State League . After graduating in 1941, he received scholarships for both basketball and baseball at Notre Dame. His stellar play resulted in a lifetime offer to play with a national championship softball team back in the US. Saturday, April 1, 2023 All Rights Reserved. He currently resides in Onalaska, where he has lived most of his life. Photography Credited to Ron Modra and Jim Biever. 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. 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). Box 32 In 2011 Scott Servais joined the Los Angeles Angels as Assistant General Manager of Scouting & Player Development. In addition to baseball, Thornton also coached basketball, football, and both boys and girls skiing. 92 0 obj <>stream 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. The Brewers have retired Rollie Fingers jersey. In 2003 he joined the Chicago Cubs, guiding a dynamic young pitching staff that nearly took him to another World Series. 2) Gary Ashwill and his collaborators. 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. Before he joined the Central High School faculty, Thornton had a brief career as a railroad fireman. | Site Map. He finally began his professional career in 1947 with the Hutchinson Cubs in the Western Association. She still lives in Arcadia, making occasional appearances at baseball events and Loggers games. 2) Gary Ashwill and his collaborators. After retiring in 2002, Servais held the position of roving catching instructor for the Cubs. Jay Buckley is Mr. Coach Terry was inducted into the State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986 and the UWL Wall of Fame in 1994. He appeared in only four games in his brief stint that year, and opened 1970 at Idaho Falls in the rookie league. It was his defense, however, that won him awards. %%EOF Arm troubles limited him to only 17 appearances that year, and he was sent back to class D in 1955, where he flashed his old form, going 13-11 with a 3.47 ERA in 27 games, and batting .271. The Hall of Fame has reorganized the system that considers induction for players like the late Dick Allen, who weren't enshrined through the Baseball Writers' Association of America voting process. He appeared in nine games that year, all in relief, posting a 2-0 record. During his UWL career he coached ten players who went on to play either professional baseball or football, including Jerry Augustine (La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2017) and Craig Kusick (Class of 2016). He was named a National League All Star in 2002, doubling twice in three at bats, driving in two runs and scoring one. 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 guided the girls ski team to the 1979 state championship. %PDF-1.6 % Johnson continues to live there and can frequently be seen in the stands at Copeland Park during a Loggers home stand. He was part of a Brewers staff that transformed the team from 90+ losses each year from 1975-77 into division winners in 1981 and a World Series appearance in 1982. There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905.In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League.Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953.This was also a class D league, but with the majority of teams being affiliated with the major leagues, quality was . This data comes from two sources. Committee members say potential inductees face a tough process before they are chosen. Paul Pip Wuest was born in La Crosse on April 10, 1910, graduated from Central High School in 1929, and attended La Crosse Teachers College (UWL), where he played football for one season. Merlin Nehring was born in 1931. 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). His career slugging average of .641 ranks third all-time at UWL. His baseball career, like many local players, began in Little League, including participation in the Stars of Tomorrow tournament, run by La Crosse Area Hall of Famer Jay Buckley. Nehring started his career by going 13-6 with a 3.49 ERA at class D Fond du Lac in the Wisconsin State League. Anderson was selected as Packers most valuable defensive player for three consecutive years. It was at Westby High School where he first began coaching baseball, and eventually was named Athletic Director as well. Konetchy was not the only local talent on the team. 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. 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. 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. 17:30 22:30. He retired at the conclusion of the 1986 season, and left baseball to open an insurance agency. After the fighting ended in Europe, Pavela played for US service teams in a highly competitive fastpitch softball league. The 2021 campaign will once again feature a 30-game regular season . The Blackhawks played their home games at Copeland Park, and Henley was the star of the team, posting a 20-3 record with a 1.82 ERA in 1940. 59 0 obj <> endobj In 1971 he took his talents across the state to UW-La Crosse, then back east for a decade with the Brewers. The big right hander usually batted cleanup and eventually attracted the attention of professional scouts. Later that same year he was honored by the city of La Crosse for his lifetime contributions to the local softball scene. In 1996 the WBCA named him their Man of the Year. He ranks sixth in all time appearances for Brewers pitchers with 279 and 10th in complete games with 27. He finished his professional career in the Reds organization, with stops in Tulsa and Columbia before retiring after the 1953 season, his career cut short by a shoulder injury he suffered during the 1952 season. 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 played on several outstanding local teams, ranging from Barre Mills, La Crosse, and Onalaska, to Richland Center, Stoddard, and Hokah. The Ironman of the Hill for the Sheboygan A's from 1973 to 1983, Bob Sauger, received long overdue recognition when he was elected to the Wisconsin State Baseball League Hall of Fame. He also owned and operated Hocks Scoreboard Tavern in Onalaska from 1980 to 2013. The Stars tournament was one of the earliest and most successful national youth baseball tournaments in the country. He was named sectional coach of the year six consecutive years. After his playing career ended, Kusick served as assistant baseball coach at Rosemount (MN) High School from 1982-1990 and head coach from 1991-2004. All Rights Reserved. He began playing organized ball as a pitcher and centerfielder for the American Legion Junior All Star team representing La Crosse from 1937-39. Dick attended Aquinas High School, where he played baseball for four years, graduating in 1952. He died on June 23, 1980 while listening to a baseball game on his car radio. He took a team with a losing record in 1998 and turned them into perennial champions, winning 680 games in a 23 year career that featured 12 league championships and six NCAA tournament births. 81 of his former players went on to play baseball at the collegiate level, and nine of them signed professional contracts. He graduated from Logan High School in 1941 where he helped lead Logan to both the intra-city and South Central Conference baseball championships, pitching a no-hitter against Sparta along the way. He was a standout pitcher for the Minnesota Gophers, leading the team to the Big Ten Championship in 1992. There were no girls sports when she attended Arcadia High School, where she graduated in 1946, but she coached in a summer softball league and played neighborhood pickup games with the boys. He returned to Notre Dame, graduating in 1948. He captained the Fighting Irish baseball team his senior year. This data comes from two sources. Boyer spent 45 years coaching at La Crescent High School, the final 17 as head coach, fashioning a 326-143 record. In 2012 he was named to the WIAC All-Time Baseball Team. His generous donations have made a major impact at both the Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium. For the season he hit .265 with 13 homeruns, 22 doubles, and 47 RBI. He also guided his teams to 23 regional titles, 18 MVC championships, and 24 city championships. Minor league baseball teams were based in Marinette, Wisconsin in various seasons between 1891 and 1914. He also led all catchers in fielding percentage in both 2002 and 2004. Address: Servais made his Major League debut on July 12, 1991 for the Astros in a pinch hitting role. 2007. Ted Kellner Ted Kellner was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. Harnish He worked for at the La Crosse Allis-Chalmers plant for 28 years and then moved to Continental Can for 17. Address: Carroll was highly decorated for a lifetime of selfless service. Sheboygan A's. 2007. He began his career as a regular in the Brewers rotation, starting 87 games in a three year span, going 34-42 with a 4.14 ERA. He and Leo Mashak ran the National Baseball Congress tournament for over 40 years. During his 20-year big league career, all with the Brewers, Robin Yount amassed 3,142 hits, including 583 doubles and 251 homers. He earned one save and struck out 15. He graduated from UW-La Crosse in 1968, lettering in baseball. That year he appeared in 15 games, batting .250 with two doubles and four RBIs. Baseball in La Crosse, having done it all when it comes to the sport that he loves. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. He led the AL in fielding in 1978 when he won a career-high 13 games. Mike Dee was born in 1953, and grew up in the Chicago area until his family moved to La Crosse before his senior year in high school. In 1983 he advanced through AA (Reading) and AAA (Portland), before making his major league debut that year with the Phillies. After he graduated, he was a highly sought-after player for regional semi-pro tournaments. In her retirement, Erickson-Sauer coached softball and took up bowling, a sport she played for more than 30 years. 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. He remained in the position for twelve seasons, retiring in 2006 as the schools all-time winningest coach with a 347-297-1 record and three NCAA tournament appearances. Hall of Fame. 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. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. Shannon is a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame and a two-time World Series champion. Names of those attending: He retired as a player after the 1926 season and remained in Texas for another ten years, managing the Brownsville entry in the the Texas Valley League in 1938 before returning to LaCrosse to take the helm of the new La Crosse Blackhawks in the Wisconsin State League. Keep up to date on everything happening in the Wisconsin State League by following the league online on Facebook,Twitter,andInstagram. By then he was the pitching coach for the University of Minnesota, a position he held from 1988-98. He served as a scorekeeper and umpire for area leagues and the Stars of Tomorrow tournament, remaining active into his 70s. 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. Len continued to play ball, moving on to a successful career in fast pitch softball. After high school Babe served in the army during WWII. READ MORE. In 2004 Notre Dame honored him with the Harvey G. Foster Distinguished Alumnus Award. During his tenure the Golden Gophers made seven NCAA tournament appearances. The Hall of Fame data is found for the years 1920-1948 and the Ashwill data is found from 1904-1919. A dozen passengers were killed and 47 others injured. He managed local American Legion and semipro teams for six years before taking over the Western Wisconsin Technical College team. 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.. When the hitting barrage ended, he had collected ten consecutive hits, tying a record set in 1897 that would stand until 1952, and is still the second most consecutive hits in MLB history. After signing with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent, Schmidt retired in 1999. 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. Zielke was born Corinne Swenson on February 18, 1916 in Ettrick, and grew up on a farm near South Beaver Creek, seven miles east of Ettrick. In one such contest at Copeland Park, Henley outdueled Hall of Famer Satchel Paige, leading the local All Stars to a 3-1 victory over the barnstorming team of professional players. That year he batted only .249, resulting in a reduced contract offer from management, spurring him to sign with the Pittsburgh Stogies of the Federal League. He is the winningest coach in UIC baseball history, and was named Horizon League coach of the year a conference record 10 times, six times more than the second most honored coach. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). The Hall of Fame data is found for the years 1920-1948 and the Ashwill data is found from 1904-1919. Lou Erickson moved to Rockford for the 1949 and 1950 seasons. 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 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. He even contributed on the mound, appearing twice in relief and once as a starter. Williams was named head coach of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team in 2002, leading the team to a 26-18 record (19-9 conference). Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. At one point that season Kober was struggling and talking about quitting. Nehring started his career by going 13-6 with a 3.49 ERA at class D Fond du Lac in the Wisconsin State League. The boys were state runners-up that same year. In operation since 1970, the Wisconsin State League is a highly competitive league that features many of the midwest's top current and former collegiate athletes, as well as many former professional baseball players. 5:30pm 10:30pm He caught for the Onalaska high school team as a fifth grader. P. O. He led Aquinas to its first state basketball championship in 1941. 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. 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. 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. In 1935 he married Marie Wahlstrom of Waukon, IA, and they raised two children. After three years with the Braves, Konetchy was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1919 season. He split the season between Albany in the Georgia-Florida League and Jonson City in the Appalachian League. 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. When he was 16 he joined the competitive factory team, and at age 20 he signed his first professional contract with the La Crosse Pinks of the Class D Wisconsin State League. His teams never had a losing season. He appeared in 16 games for the Angels that year, pitching a total of 41 innings, mostly in relief. Most recently he was a member of the Minnesota Bandits 65-and-older team that won the 2019 National Division Championship. All Rights Reserved. IN a game against Rushford in the early 1950s he pitched a no-hitter, striking out 13 and homering for good measure. He also served as a coach for his oldest daughters softball team and his grandsons Boys and Girls club squad. Onalaska honored their local hero with Everett Johnson night in 1968. Today, the Wisconsin State Baseball League officially announced the major award winners for the summer 2022 season. After graduating from UWL he took over the family furniture business and signed on as an assistant coach for his alma mater Lancers. In 30 years he compiled a 459-131-1 record. He was hitting .359 when the St. Louis Cardinals purchased his contract for $1000 in June of 1907. The center fielder wore this batting helmet in 1989, when he won his second AL MVP Award after winning one at shortstop in 1982. Alfred Babe Harnish was born in La Crosse on September 15, 1923. Wuest was an outstanding all-around athlete, and was inducted into Centrals Hall of Excellence in 2005. He is a regular on the circuit, where he races as Thunder Turner. He was instrumental in setting the groundwork for the eventual merger of the WISAA with the public-school Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association in 2000. In 2013, Dee and Granderson teamed up to raise funds for a new baseball facility at UIC. Community leaders and interested parties can participate in this event via the following sponsorship levels. Buckley was inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA) Hall of Fame in 2006. Fingers was named MVP of the 1974 World Series with the Oakland As. Having nearly reached his full grown height of 61 and 185 pounds, he did not look out of place. When the Federal League folded in the fall of 1915 Konetchy was purchased by the Boston Braves. He was named Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 1997, 2000, and 2001. Also inducted will be Dave Johnson, a baseball player who had played with the Eau Claire Cavaliers for 18 years, and managed the legion team for 13 years. Unfortunately for Henley and La Crosse baseball fans, World War II interrupted Henleys career, and ultimately led to the dissolution of the league. Upon her death on February 5, 2000 she left nearly $1 million to be used for the support of baseball in the La Crosse community. He was a multi-sport athlete, but his passion for baseball reigned supreme. The event will take . Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Announces 73rd Anniversary Induction Class for April 1st, 2023, including Ahman Green and Rollie Fingers. After high school he enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), but had to put his college career on hold in order to serve three and a half years in the Air Force. The 1986 team finished the season ranked 19th in the nation by USA Today. Jerry Augustine has done it all when it comes to baseball in his native state of Wisconsin. 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. At its peak, the Stars Tournament drew more than two hundred teams each summer. To date the Corrine Zielke Fund has provided a half million dollars to area teams, communities, and schools for baseball equipment and facilities. Barb graduated from UW-L with a degree in medical technology, and worked in the medical field in La Crosse before joining Dave in the family grocery business. He continues to help as part-time pitching coach, and is a regular at the legion games. 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. April 25, 2022 1:15pm. He volunteers at Coulee Christian School and has coached for the Boys and Girls club baseball teams. Tables will be filled in on a first-paid, first-position order within the category of support donated.