Hockenbery returned to Onalaska in 1978, and worked for G. Heileman Brewery until his retirement in 2005. 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. In the 1960s it was difficult for Wisconsin high school players to get a good look from scouts because they played summer ball, and unless they made the state baseball tournament, they often went unnoticed. Bill Terry took the reigns as UWLs head baseball coach in 1969 and kept the job for eleven years. 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. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. Ted Kellner Ted Kellner was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. Skemp died in La Crosse on February 17, 2017. Konetchy and Cardinals manager Roger Bresnahan led the rescue effort, carrying several passengers to safety. Lou Erickson moved to Rockford for the 1949 and 1950 seasons. Kusick made his major league debut on September 8, 1973, going 0-4 against the White Sox. 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. The cost to attend is $25 per person . endstream endobj 60 0 obj <. Leonard (Len) Vingers (1934-2021) was born and raised in La Crosse, graduating from Central High School in 1952. Dee also spearheaded the renovation of an old campus gymnasium into a state-of-the-art indoor training facility. 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. 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. Charlie Abbey (1892) Charlie Bartson (1892) Grant Briggs (1891) Harry Burrell (1892) Joe . Among their many generous gifts was one made in collaboration with UW-La Crosse and the La Crosse Loggers. He impressed the scout and signed a free agent contract with the California Angels. 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. Legendary Blue Ribbons Manager Denny Ruh Passes Away, All-League Teams Announced for 2022 Season, Registration Open for 2022 Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner, Nationals, As Sweep Yearly Awards as WSL Announces Major Award Winners, Class A State Tournament Halted Due to Rain; Nationals Named Winner. 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. His best season was 1976, when he posted a career-best 3.30 ERA and was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team and the AL All-Rookie Team. 92 0 obj <>stream 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. Hock returned to the minors in 1976, fashioning a 5-6 record and striking out five batters per nine innings. He returned to Wisconsin for good after the season and married his high school sweetheart, Donna Johnson. 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. He did not remain out of baseball for long, however. Names of those attending: Check out some of our favorite shots from our 73rd Anniversary Induction Ceremony on Saturday April 1st. Randy Wilke. In three years at AAA he was 18-18 with a 4.92 ERA and 4.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. 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. Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin State League Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner. This data comes from two sources. However, she retired following the 1950 season when she married Burton Sauer. Inductees. READ MORE. The Ghelfi baseball tradition has continued into a third generation. 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 was among a group of students who lobbied the school to offer the sport. 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. 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. He married Marian Dorothy Stellick in 1948, and together they raised four children. 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. This earned him another promotion, this time all the way up to class B Peoria in 1956. The event will take place on Saturday . Former Green Bay Blue Ribbons Manager Denny Ruh passed away on Friday at the age of 82 after a brief health battle. 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. 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. 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. Jorgensen is a University of Wisconsin graduate. The Wisconsin Class A State Tournament qualifiers get underway Tuesday night. hb``a``Z $>2F fah@b$&&{xFMXvlF.I Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. 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. While at Rosemount he also coached football and basketball and was responsible for fundraising that refurbished the baseball field. Ghelfi pitched a total of nine seasons in the minors, compiling a career record of 58-52 with a 3.92 ERA, averaging seven strikeouts per nine innings pitched, and winning ten or more games four times. In 1948 she made her professional baseball debut for Racine of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. He hit .269 in 1101 at bats with 22 home runs, 13 triples and 44 doubles. He worked for the Post Office for 35 years, retiring as Assistant Postmaster in 1971, and served as a La Crosse County Board Supervisor for 24 years. His career slugging average of .641 ranks third all-time at UWL. Richard Francis Dick Ghelfi was born on August 24, 1934, in Genoa, WI. In 1971 he took his talents across the state to UW-La Crosse, then back east for a decade with the Brewers. He was inducted into the schools athletic hall of fame in 2003. | Site Map. 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. Onalaska honored their local hero with Everett Johnson night in 1968. 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. 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. One of his catchers on the Bangor team was future Yankee Elston Howard, who caught for Bangor while stationed at Fort McCoy, Camp McCoy. Photography Credited to Ron Modra and Jim Biever. 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.. 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. Three times (1993, 1994, 1998) he ranked among the top three NL catchers in fielding percentage. Chuck and his wife are enjoying their retirement, following the lives of their three children and five grandchildren. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. In 1953 he was awarded the annual Claire Raith trophy for all around baseball ability, character, and sportsmanship on and off the field. 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. #WSL 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. Baseball in La Crosse, having done it all when it comes to the sport that he loves. Jerry Augustine has done it all when it comes to baseball in his native state of Wisconsin. The first new member is Cy Berg, a baseball coach who led the Old Abes to four state championships. He played baseball at Central High School, posting a 5-0 record and a 2.24 ERA in his senior season, leading the team to the WIAA Class A State Championship Game. The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. 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. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. He split the season between Albany in the Georgia-Florida League and Jonson City in the Appalachian League. 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. 59 0 obj <> endobj The following year he held the same role for Petersburg of the Virginia League, leading the circuit in home runs. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). 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. 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. A talented pitcher, Nehring signed with the Yankees in 1950, playing four seasons in their organization before retiring due to a shoulder injury. Shannon spent his entire big-league . He was then invited to the next round of tryouts, held at Copeland Park, where he was offered a contract with the Cardinals, complete with a $28.50 bonus check. His 2,150 hits included 344 doubles, 181 triples (17th all time), and 74 home runs. Since the Wisconsin State League Hall of Fame was formed in 2007, 78 individuals have had the honor of being inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame. Address. April 25, 2022 1:15pm. Photography Credited to Ron Modra and Jim Biever. Anderson was selected as Packers most valuable defensive player for three consecutive years. He reported to spring training with the Cardinals in 1953 and was assigned to their class D minor league affiliate in Hazelhurst, Georgia. The 2021 campaign will once again feature a 30-game regular season . His teams made five state tournament appearances, winning it all in 2009. 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). Kootch was a regular on the ballfield for 18 years. 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. He passed away on September 27, 2006 in St. Paul, MN. 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. After retirement, Schmidt completed his bachelors degree from the University of Minnesota and earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin. Box 32 He guided the girls ski team to the 1979 state championship. In 1979 he made a successful move to the bullpen, where he spent the remainder of his career. Box 32 Box 32 Lee Wetenkamp. He pitched in a total of three games that season, finishing with a 1-1 record in 14.1 innings pitched, with an impressive 3.14 ERA and 14 strikeouts. The 27-member class for 2022 will be inducted at the WIAC Hall of Fame . All Rights Reserved. He played part of 1985 in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins. 1 talking about this. 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. Tony Ghelfi was born in La Crosse in 1961. 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. 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. In 1995 he accepted a position as head coach of the UW-Milwaukee baseball team. Cloud, Lynchburg, Charlotte and Tacoma before his promotion to the Twins, he batted .288 with a .492 slugging average and 113 home runs. 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. 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. At Viterbo he set school records for highest career batting average, most doubles, and most RBI. He continues to operate his insurance company and call games for the Brewers on Fox Sports Wisconsin. His teams posted a 262-154 record and won seven sectional championships. 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. He appeared in 16 games for the Angels that year, pitching a total of 41 innings, mostly in relief. Later that same year he was honored by the city of La Crosse for his lifetime contributions to the local softball scene. The Wisconsin State Baseball League settled on three catchers and two pitchers for induction into its Hall of Fame. Jay Buckley is Mr. He was named sectional coach of the year six consecutive years. Gwen Jorgensen Gwen Jorgensen is an Olympic Gold Medal Winner from Waukesha, WI. He finished his lone professional season with .215 batting average but a healthy .364 OBP in 107 games, hitting seven homeruns and compiling 43 RBIs. From 1948-50 he was a standout outfielder for the La Crosse Stars American Legion team. 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. After graduating in 1941, he received scholarships for both basketball and baseball at Notre Dame. In 1953 she married Arthur J. Zielke. In 30 years he compiled a 459-131-1 record. A cash bar reception will begin at 4:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6 PM and the awards program to follow. Address: The event will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI. The league operated as the High-A West in 2021, then resumed its original moniker in 2022. 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. Committee members say potential inductees face a tough process before they are chosen. After the fighting ended in Europe, Pavela played for US service teams in a highly competitive fastpitch softball league. His generous donations have made a major impact at both the Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium. Klawitter was a physical education teacher at Parker High School in Janesville, Wisconsin . After World War II she settled in La Crosse, first working as a clerk at Trane Company, then starting a restaurant on the Trane campus. He led the Blackhawks to the league title that year and continued to manage the team until the league dissolved after the 1942 season. He also played American Legion ball, and was a member of the 1978 state championship team. Sheboygan, WI 53082-0032, 2023 Wisconsin State Baseball League. 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. Five Coaches Join WBCA Hall of Fame as the Class of 2016. After three years with the Braves, Konetchy was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1919 season. He coached over 125 players who went on to play baseball at the collegiate level, ten of whom signed professional contracts. After signing with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent, Schmidt retired in 1999. The Wisconsin State League is one of the premier semi-professional/amateur baseball leagues in the mid-west. He was hitting .359 when the St. Louis Cardinals purchased his contract for $1000 in June of 1907. 117 of his players were named first or second team all conference, 17 players were named All-Region honorees, and eight earned All American status. His final professional record was a very respectable 31-22 in 74 games. During his senior year he was spotted by a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals and invited to a tryout camp in Red Wing, Minnesota, where he impressed the scouts by striking out all three batters he faced. Manager Hawley hailed from Beaver Dam, Brothers Ben and Willard Dodge were from Cambria, and Ross Jones, while not born in La Crosse, played three years for the Pinks and remained in the area for the rest of his life. The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame 73rd Anniversary Induction Class: Ahman Green - Ahman Green is the Green Bay Packers All-Time Leading Rusher with 9,205 rushing yards. Hockenbery began his professional career later that summer at class A Quad Cities in the Midwest League. He retired as a player after the 1926 season and remained in Texas for another ten years, managing the Brownsville entry in the the Texas Valley League in 1938 before returning to LaCrosse to take the helm of the new La Crosse Blackhawks in the Wisconsin State League. His success at the collegiate level earned him an invitation to the 1991 Olympic Baseball Trials. This performance caught the attention of the Seattle Mariners, who planned to call him up, but he injured his ankle, costing him the entire 1977 season. He left school after the eighth grade and began working at the Funk Candy Company. He also tied his career-high with three home runs. hbbd```b``"D2vK0y,&I#Yf)q`$`q]-"U2L@ uLg`: tH Babe passed away at his home on August 19, 1998. 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. Schmidt made his major league debut at Yankee Stadium on May 17, 1996. 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. %%EOF He played college ball for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and was a part of the UWL squad that reached the NAIA World Series in 1979. After the season, he was claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round of the MLB expansion draft. Over a fifteen year MLB career, Ed Konetchy led National League first basemen in fielding eight times and batted .281 in 2,085 games. She has won two gold medals at the ITU Triathalon World Championships. A cash bar reception will begin at 4:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6 PM and the awards program to follow. He currently resides in Onalaska, where he has lived most of his life. Sheboygan Athletic Club Launches New Website, Logo . 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. After the war Henley continued playing for local teams.