After signing with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent, Schmidt retired in 1999. In 1996 the WBCA named him their Man of the Year. When his playing days ended, he turned to coaching, umpiring, and part-time scouting for major league teams. Konetchy was not the only local talent on the team. 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. There were originally seven nominees for this years class, those who werent voted in this year will automatically be on next years ballot. Jeff Schmidt was born in Northfield, MN and grew up in La Crosse. He was one of the first pitchers to be used in the role of what has now become known as the set-up man, most often entering in the 7th or 8th inning and then giving way to the likes of Hall of Fame closer Rollie Fingers. Hambone graduated from Logan High School, where he played baseball and basketball. endstream endobj 60 0 obj <. Len continued to play ball, moving on to a successful career in fast pitch softball. One of his catchers on the Bangor team was future Yankee Elston Howard, who caught for Bangor while stationed at Fort McCoy, Camp McCoy. More than his accomplishments on the field as a player or coach, Boyer is best remembered for the positive impact he had on those around him, especially the hundreds of high school athletes he coached in in his nearly half-century affiliation with La Crescent Lancers baseball. . 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. It was at Westby High School where he first began coaching baseball, and eventually was named Athletic Director as well. 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. This data comes from two sources. Ghelfi spent six more years in professional baseball, including stints in the Indians and Padres systems, before retiring in 1989. He started 16 completing 14. 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 All Rights Reserved. %PDF-1.6 % Steve Pavela (1923-2021) was born in La Crosse, and attended Aquinas High School, where he starred in baseball and basketball. 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. 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. endstream endobj startxref The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. 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. From the time he joined the Packers in 2000 through the end of the 2004 season, Green gained more yards from scrimmage . Fingers led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first playoff appearance in 1981 and received the American League Most Valuable Player Awards and Cy Young Award. The Coon Valley native played baseball at Westby High School and Creighton University before being drafted by the Houston Astros in 1988. Its here to recognize not only our great sports icons but each of you, the people of this state, and your incredible passion for sports. Their legacy is here for all Wisconsinites to celebrate and honor for generations to come. Names of those attending: 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. Chuck and his wife are enjoying their retirement, following the lives of their three children and five grandchildren. After a year with Toledo of the American Association, he became player-manager of Omaha of the Western League in 1923. 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. Merlin Nehring was born in 1931. The cost to attend is $25 per person . For the season he hit .265 with 13 homeruns, 22 doubles, and 47 RBI. Stepping away from the baseball diamond did not mean he stopped contributing to the community though. Everett Johnson was born on October 7, 1926 in Onalaska. With a 5-3 victory over Kenosha Tuesday night, the As have advanced to the second round of the Wisconsin State Leagues step-ladder playoffs. He was also a respected and successful manager. He remained at the helm for 30 years, overseeing all interscholastic sports for private high schools in Wisconsin. 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. Kootch was a regular on the ballfield for 18 years. He spent three summers pitching in the Junior Legion League. In 1983 he advanced through AA (Reading) and AAA (Portland), before making his major league debut that year with the Phillies. In 2010 he was named the La Crosse Tribune Sportsperson of the Year for his successful efforts to save UWL baseball. He played baseball for Onalaska High School, and then for a regiment team in the Army National Guard at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He guided the girls ski team to the 1979 state championship. The Stars tournament was one of the earliest and most successful national youth baseball tournaments in the country. 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. 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. Jerry Augustine was inducted into the UW-La Crosse Wall of Fame in 1984 and the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014. P. O. Bill Terry was born in Cresco, IA in 1930, but grew up just down river in Lansing, IA, playing baseball and basketball at Lansing High School. Scenes From our 73rd Anniversary Induction Ceremony. While one gauge of success is how much wealth one acquires in a lifetime, the more meaningful and lasting measurement is how much one gives away. Coach Terry was inducted into the State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986 and the UWL Wall of Fame in 1994. Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. He was known locally as the father of youth baseball, in part because of his oft repeated philosophy to let em all play.. 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. Box 32 The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada.A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. Later that same year he was honored by the city of La Crosse for his lifetime contributions to the local softball scene. Baseball, was described as a walking baseball encyclopedia. Charlie Abbey (1892) Charlie Bartson (1892) Grant Briggs (1891) Harry Burrell (1892) Joe . Leonard (Len) Vingers (1934-2021) was born and raised in La Crosse, graduating from Central High School in 1952. He even contributed on the mound, appearing twice in relief and once as a starter. He was also selected by Milwaukee baseball writers as the Brewers Rookie of the Year. During his day job overseeing his grocery business, he employed many young ballplayers, among them another La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Famer, Jerry Augustine. 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. After three years with the Braves, Konetchy was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1919 season. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. Before the 1914 season Konetchy was traded to Pittsburgh for five players. 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. 1958 to sign a professional baseball contract with the Cardinals. After the war Henley continued playing for local teams. He starred for Quality Lumber & Coal and the Johnson Doughboy Fryers, earning recognition as an All State third baseman in a career that stretched through the 1960s. His teams played in the Junior American Legions State Championships in 1938 and 1939. He continues to operate his insurance company and call games for the Brewers on Fox Sports Wisconsin. 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. A dozen passengers were killed and 47 others injured. However, she retired following the 1950 season when she married Burton Sauer. 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. Born in Alma Center and educated at UWL (undergraduate) and Winona State (graduate), Buckley began his professional career as a teacher at La Crosse Lincoln Junior High School. Contact Us: Ph: 262-292-4002. A total of 34 players earned all-conference honors under Terry. 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. A cash bar reception will begin at 4:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6 PM and the awards program to follow. She helped Rockford to the league championship in both 1949 and 1950. He and Leo Mashak ran the National Baseball Congress tournament for over 40 years. In 2013, Dee and Granderson teamed up to raise funds for a new baseball facility at UIC. Upon graduation, Schmidt attended the University of Minnesota on a baseball scholarship. In 30 years he compiled a 459-131-1 record. While she does not have Daves baseball background, they are both Cardinals fans, and even spent their honeymoon in St. Louis attending Cardinals games. After having played against the likes of Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson, Johnson wasnt interested in segregated baseball. After two seasons with the Cubs organization, he became a professional scout for the Rockies. He split the 2000 season between the Giants and Colorado Rockies before returning to Houston in 2001. Unfortunately for Henley and La Crosse baseball fans, World War II interrupted Henleys career, and ultimately led to the dissolution of the league. 0 Vision problems short-circuited his career. In 1953 he was awarded the annual Claire Raith trophy for all around baseball ability, character, and sportsmanship on and off the field. His best single season was 1976, when he hit .259 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles, 33 runs scored and 36 RBIs in 109 games. 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. He currently serves as the Badgers Associate Athletic Director for Administration and Legal Affairs. His family moved to La Crosse in 1945. Corinne Zielke was a true friend of baseball. This data comes from two sources. 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. They celebrated 71 years of marriage before she preceded him in death by two years. 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. 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. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. The Hall of Fame Committee will induct the following into the Wisconsin State League Hall of Fame: Nick Mitidiero - Lombard . John Anderson John Anderson was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, and he is in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. The Wisconsin State League welcomes five new members to the Hall of Fame. He assisted Jay Buckley in running the Stars of Tomorrow baseball tournament for 29 years, and umpired and officiated local baseball, football, and basketball games for more than 30 years. And when that wasnt enough, he organized a baseball league (the 13th Ward Baseball League, founded in 1961) and a tournament that grew to be one of the biggest in the country. Over the course of his minor league career, which included stops at St. Following the 2005 season, he was named Senior Director of Player Development for the Texas Rangers. He led Aquinas to its first state basketball championship in 1941. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the fall of 1969 and graduated in 1972, two years after he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins. %%EOF 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. Sheboygan A's. 2007. Check out the Wisconsin ties to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was chosen to serve as Oktoberfest Parade marshal in 1969, named Man of the Year in 1971 by the greater La Crosse area Chamber of Commerce, and was honored by Viterbo University in 1985 as a recipient of the prestigious Pope John XXIII Distinguished Service Award. 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. Hockenbery began his professional career later that summer at class A Quad Cities in the Midwest League. Jeff, his wife and daughter reside in Madison. 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. Leadership Table Partner for $3,500 Dinner and Premium Open Bar - Table for 8 people. After discussions with league officials, the Wisconsin State League has announced its decision to postpone the Hall of Fame Banquet, originally scheduled for January 30, 2021. He impressed the scout and signed a free agent contract with the California Angels. He also served as a coach for his oldest daughters softball team and his grandsons Boys and Girls club squad. 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. Dave and Barb Skogen have been married more than fifty years, and have spent much of their working lives as partners in the grocery business. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. Servais played college baseball at Creighton University, where his head coach was former Cubs GM Jim Hendry. He split the season between Albany in the Georgia-Florida League and Jonson City in the Appalachian League. Lou Erickson moved to Rockford for the 1949 and 1950 seasons. Having nearly reached his full grown height of 61 and 185 pounds, he did not look out of place. Ghelfi advanced to the next level as a standout player at Central High School, where he was coached by La Crosse Area Hall of Famers Frank Thornton and Jay Buckley. By the time he reached high school age he had to drop out and go to work to help support his family. 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. In 1956 he took a managerial position in Dickinson, South Dakota, but was soured by the fact that the team refused to allow black players on the roster. From the time he joined the Packers in 2000 through the end of the 2004 season, Green gained more yards from scrimmage (9,036) and rushing yards (6,848) than any other player in the NFL. The 1905 La Crosse Pinks were champions of the six-team class D Wisconsin State League, compiling a gaudy 68-41 record. He spent seven seasons in the Twins minor league system, hitting .276 with 39 homeruns, while establishing himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the minors. The Wisconsin State League, also known as the Wisconsin State Baseball League, was established in 1970 and is considered by many as one of the top semi-pro baseball leagues in the mid-west, if not the entire country. Babe passed away at his home on August 19, 1998. Augustine compiled a career record of 55-59 with a 4.23 ERA in 944 innings. This historic class also includes US Olympic Gold Medal Winner and University of Wisconsin (UW) Badgers Legend Gwen Jorgenson, UW Athletic Hall of Fame Member and Milwaukee Bucks Minority owner Ted Kellner and Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer and NFL All-Decade Team Honoree John Anderson. He retired at the conclusion of the 1986 season, and left baseball to open an insurance agency. In 2003 he joined the Chicago Cubs, guiding a dynamic young pitching staff that nearly took him to another World Series. He appeared in seven games, including two starts, without a decision. He volunteers at Coulee Christian School and has coached for the Boys and Girls club baseball teams. From there he moved on to slow pitch softball, organizing two different local leagues, earning the Claire Raith 12 Softball Award for his efforts. 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 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. 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. While at UWL he earned all-conference honors in 1970, and led the team in RBI in 1969 and 1970, batting .325 over the two seasons. The Hall of Fame data is found for the years 1920-1948 and the Ashwill data is found from 1904-1919. Support provided by Market New York through I LOVE NY/ New York State's Division of Tourism as a part of the Regional Economic Development Council awards. After the fighting ended in Europe, Pavela played for US service teams in a highly competitive fastpitch softball league. The Wisconsin State League has released the all-league first and second teams for the 2022 season, as voted on by the team's General Manager's and league personnel. Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. He also led all catchers in fielding percentage in both 2002 and 2004. His first win came on July 14, 1996, when he tossed two innings of one-hit relief and was credited with the victory as California rallied to beat Texas 10-7. In 1982 he went 12-6 with a sparkling 2.64 ERA and struck out 162 batters in only 160.1 innings while pitching for the Peninsula Pilots in the Carolina League. When the Federal League folded in the fall of 1915 Konetchy was purchased by the Boston Braves. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954 and spent the season in their minor league system, batting 489 times for a .254 average, including seven homeruns and 24 doubles. hbbd```b``"D2vK0y,&I#Yf)q`$`q]-"U2L@ uLg`: tH He was signed by the Boston Red Sox in 2001, but an early season elbow injury ended his playing career. 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. In 1952 Babe signed on with the newly formed semi-pro La Crosse Peerless Mohawks. 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 appeared in nine games that year, all in relief, posting a 2-0 record. He was a historian of the game and an eager and talented participant. He also played semipro ball for the La Crosse American Federation of Labor team, managed by La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Pip Wuest. Buckley served as Director of the La Crosse Stars of Tomorrow Baseball Tournament for 16 years. She has won two gold medals at the ITU Triathalon World Championships. Ted Kellner Ted Kellner was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. 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 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. His career slugging average of .641 ranks third all-time at UWL. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). Keep up to date on everything happening in the Wisconsin State League by following the league online on Facebook,Twitter,andInstagram. The event will take place on Saturday . He continued to play baseball, appearing regularly at Copeland Park as a member of the La Crosse Old Styles in the 1980s. 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. In 1999 he signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent, hitting .279 and sharing the catching duties with Brent Mayne and Doug Mirabelli. | Site Map. After his sophomore year in high school, he was offered professional contracts by both the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals, but turned them down. He played on several outstanding local teams, ranging from Barre Mills, La Crosse, and Onalaska, to Richland Center, Stoddard, and Hokah. The league operated as the High-A West in 2021, then resumed its original moniker in 2022. The Wisconsin State League's 2021 Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner is taking place tonight at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. 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. Baseball in La Crosse, having done it all when it comes to the sport that he loves. The event will take . He founded the Stars of Tomorrow baseball tournament in 1967 and guided it through its first six years before stepping down due to health reasons. More than 50 of his former players turned professional, most notably three time All Star Curtis Granderson. 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. 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. In his first MLB game, Ghelfi struck out six in five innings of work, picking up the win over the Giants. That performance caught the attention of the major league team. During Buckleys 29 years coaching, Central High School won 20 city championships and made 15 trips to the state tournament, winning two state championships. Before he hung up his spikes, he took the Central baseball team to 17 state tournaments, winning twice (1978 and 1986) and finishing second six more times. Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Executive Director Brian Lammi: We are thrilled to honor this remarkable class of Wisconsin athletic legends that have excelled on and off the field across a wide variety of sports. He made his major league debut on August 10, 1997 as a pinch hitter against Mariano Rivera and the New York Yankees. On June 28 that year he began an incredible streak, knocking out two singles and a double. 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. Alfred Babe Harnish was born in La Crosse on September 15, 1923. 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. 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. Frank Thornton was born in Portage, WI on February 25, 1944. Williams made his major league debut in 1995 after parts of five seasons in the minor leagues. Green is also a four-time Pro Bowl selection. During an eleven year career that included time with the Astros (1991-95, 2001), Chicago Cubs (1995-98), San Francisco Giants (1999-2000) and Colorado Rockies (2000), Servais batted .245 with 130 doubles, 63 home runs and 319 RBI in 820 games. Louie Erickson Sauer was born on June 2, 1929 in Whitehall, WI. In his five seasons with Arizona he hit .269 with 48 homeruns in 467 games, helping them to the 2001 World Series championship. Baseball Hall of Fame alumni. 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. P. O. 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. 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. 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.