2020 Sheboygan A's Gameday Program

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome...................................................................... 4

Fun For the Fans: That’s the Plan.............................45

President’s Message................................................... 7

New POS System Will Decrease Wait Time...............49

Rebuilding Blackboards............................................. 9

SAC Has Been, Is, Will Be Busy.................................58

What Could Have Been..............................................13

The A’s Are Callilng: Help Make It Happen................59

Trio Tops Pitching Staff..............................................15

Six Decades of A’s Baseball.......................................61

Immediate Impact......................................................17

Albert Joins WSL Hall of Fame..................................77

WSL: 2019 Recap.......................................................21

A Day to Remember...................................................81

NEWBL: 2019 Recap..................................................23

HOF Roster Diminished by Two.................................87

Stepping Aside...........................................................29

Aurora Keep’s the A’s Healthy...................................89

Tim Moyer Named 19th A’s Manager..........................31

PBR............................................................................90

Winning Formula.......................................................35

Brewers Teach Fundamentals...................................91

Setting the Tone.........................................................41

The SNIPE..................................................................94

New Players Could Make The Difference..................43

Late Arrivals Provide Punch, Depth..........................97

@shebbaseball | 3

As we look forward to another great season of A’s baseball, we are reminded that they are one of the many gems that make Sheboygan County a great place to live, work and play. We welcome the players, their families and their fans to Wildwood Baseball Park, now home to state of the art lighting, new this season, thanks to the hard work and efforts of the Sheboygan Athletic Club.

The Sheboygan A’s have provided family entertainment and enjoyment since 1963 and continue to give our residents and visitors alike a place to gather together and enjoy one of our country’s favorite pastimes. The A’s continue to capture the hearts of our residents, providing a unique hometown experience, that we are so lucky to have while supporting our economy in so many different

ways.

This is only my second A’s season here in Sheboygan and I am greatly looking forward to spending time at the ballpark with my family, friends and fellow Chamber members. So, come on out and join us, enjoy a tasty Sheboygan brat and cheer on our baseball team. We’ll see you at the ballpark!

Regards,

Deidre Martinez, Executive Director Sheboygan County Chamber 621 S. 8th St. Sheboygan, WI 53081 Direct: 920-395-8700 Chamber: 920-457-9491 deidre@sheboygan.org

Welcome to Mary T. Knauf Field, the home of the Sheboygan A’s.

As mayor of the City of Sheboygan, I welcome all baseball fans to Sheboygan’s Wildwood Baseball Park. The Sheboygan A’s have been a great partner in the operation and development of this venue. This year we celebrate with them the recent installation of new stadium lighting.

Along with the support of you, their fans, and sponsors, they have kept a competitive team on the field for 57 seasons. The Wildwood Park schedule includes the A’s home games, weekend tournaments, high school games, and American Legion games that allow residents who love baseball ample opportunity to enjoy a day at the ball park.

The Sheboygan A’s baseball team and the supportive volunteers in the Sheboygan Athletic Club make this venue one more asset that makes Sheboygan a great place to live, work, and play. Thanks for coming to the A’s game today.

I hope that you have a great time, and be sure to root, root, root for the home team!

Best wishes for a winning season,

Mike Vandersteen, Mayor City of Sheboygan 4 | sheboyganbaseball.org

Welcome to Sheboygan County and the Wildwood Baseball Park, home of the Sheboygan A’s! During these extraordinary times, we all need a night out at the ballpark more than ever.

Watching the Sheboygan A’s with my family and friends always reminds me of the good ‘ol days, playing catch with my Dad and son, fond memories of little league baseball, and playing 30 years of softball with close friends. Whether you are in the field or stands, there is just something special about being at a ballpark.

The Sheboygan A’s have played competitive baseball for decades, have an exceptional General Manager, and provide a great opportunity to unwind with family and friends. For residents and visitors alike, it is a wonderful way to spend an evening and a terrific value.

So sit back and relax, enjoy a Sheboygan brat, hot dog and refreshment, and make some more memories. Thank you for your support and hope to see you there!

Best Wishes,

Adam Payne Sheboygan County Administrator

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From the president 2020: A Year of Review and Evaluation

By Scott Stangel President, Sheboygan A’s As I write this letter in March, I am unsure what the 2020 baseball season will look like or will it look like anything at all? As we all learn to adjust to the many changes to our daily lives COVID-19 has given us, one that the Sheboygan Athletic Club is grappling with is preparations for the coming Sheboygan A’s baseball season. Will we play or will we not? Unfortunately, at this time I believe that decision will be made for us. Stay safe, take care of yourself and be positive.

Being the ever optimist, I am looking forward to a summer full of crack of the bat, A-1 leading the cheers, and the “play ball kid” hollering PLAYBALL! It is time for A’s baseball!

Our longtime general manager Denny Moyer, is extremely excited about this year’s team. I have not seen him this “giddy” in a long time. He says the team has on its roster seven very talented starting pitchers. It is a deep team with several returning veterans and some exciting newcomers. It promises to be an exciting team to watch.

T aking an off the field view of the club, as an A’s investor, you are aware of the many operational improvements the club has implemented.

These improvements were necessary to ensure the continual growth of the club.

The improvements made at the park include the installation of new field lighting. The introduction of a new premium seating area with catered food (Bud Light Social Deck). The team store opened, and several operational changes were made in the concession stand. Prior to last year we added a new building for baseball equipment storage, and the eventual team store. Upgrading the park’s sound system and keeping with our mission of supporting youth, we began an internship program several years ago offering students a learning opportunity.

• CONTINUED ON PAGE 25 •

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It is mid-March and I’m bummed.

I was all fired up to tell you that I thought we had a chance to have a great ball club this summer.

I was going to tell you that at this writing we had seven solid starting pitchers lined up and a pretty good bullpen. I was going to tell you that I was trying to confirm another outfielder and another catcher, but other than that, our offense and defense looked pretty good, too. I was going to warn you, though, that it was March and a lot of things could change.

They changed in a hurry. Coronavirus took care of that.

Strong feelings surfaced on the part of the state’s semi-pro baseball leaders to cancel the season. I balked at that. I proposed that we hold off on making

a decision until May 15 and give 2020 baseball every chance to survive.

But at this writing, painful discussions were taking place. Everything was in flux. There might not be baseball this year. The older you get the more precious each season becomes. There has to be baseball. For 56 years the A’s have played. They’ve always played.

Sure, in years past Chuck Zeichert took us to a game with eight players and somebody’s younger brother or father to round out the team, but the A’s have always been there for baseball and baseball has been there for the A’s. I can’t accept the fact baseball may be taken away from our players and our community this year.

That just can’t happen; Terence Mann said so: • CONTINUED ON PAGE 27 •

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The 2019 Sheboygan A’s fought through the loss of four starters with injuries and still came in with a 29-23-2 record. From left, first row: Jake Falish, Jake Arens, Jacob Bonin, Kyle Peterson, Brent Wider.

Second row: Coach Tim Moyer, Cole Miklavcic, Logan Vietmeier, Josh Gates, Alex Dee, Drew Nuanes, Jacob Neese, Ben Gordon. Back row: Ross Krist, Elliot Danhoff, Jimmy Juergensen, Manager Derek Loomans and Harry Steldt. (Irish Studios Photo)

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The Sheboygan A’s play good teams and they are going to lose some ball games. They realize that and their fans realize that. They don’t make excuses, so what follows is not to be construed as an excuse. But in all honesty, the 2019 season would have changed considerably if the A’s had been able to avoid the injury bug.

Long-time A’s ace Taylor Schwarz hurt his arm in is first start and was out for the season. In his third game, Zach Lechnir, a Central Michigan University recruit, had a walk and a hit in the book against the perennialpowerhouse Lombard Orioles and then took a bad hop in the face and was out for the year with a concussion.

Mark Wanner, of NCAA D2 Washburn University, had hit safely in eight straight games and was the catalyst in the A’s winning nine of their last 12 games when he was hit by a pitch and was lost for the season with a broken arm. TD Walker, Jacksonville University, played as much as he could with a painful back injury, but had to finally throw in the towel on June 23.

It all caught up with the club as it lost nine of its last 13 games.

Still, some had good years. Alex Dee (pictured) from UI-Chicago survived a cold start to hit safely in his last nine games and in 13 of his last 14, finishing with a .340 average to lead A’s hitting. Jimmy Juergensen (Niagara University) hit .324., Jake Falish .313, and Josh Gates .302. Jimmy Juergensen led in home runs with four, while Harry Steldt topped in doubles with 15 and RBI with 30. Another quick bright spot was the three-game stint by Taisei Fukuhara, who homered in his first at-bat as an A, before signing a pro contract for the remainder of the summer.

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When you have 60 games scheduled in a 10-week season, you better have enough pitchers to cover them. The A’s sent 25 different people to the mount last year- unfortunately they weren’t all pitchers.

Three had remarkable seasons.

Drew Nuanes (7-1, 3.40 ERA 1.12 WHIP), Eric Schmitz (3-3, 2.24, 1.17)

and Brad Rindfleisch (4-2, 3.34, 1.33) led the mound staff in 2019.

Nuanes and Rindfleisch were first year players – the former from Marian and the latter from Stout – and both will return to the team this year.

Schmitz, the club’s veteran who always wants the ball, will be back as well Schmitz came in with a 2.26 ERA

last year to lead the team. He ranks 7th on the all-time ERA list: 2.10 in 322 innings.

Rindfleisch struck out 62 to top Schmitz by one and Nuanes’ seven victories easily topped that list.

The three were cited as Tri-Most Valuable Pitchers at last year’s awards dinner.

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It doesn’t happen often, but when The Big Agent in The Sky sends one to you, all you can do is look to the heavens, smile, and say thank you.

We are talking about a player that trots onto the field and makes an immediate impact. One that completely characterizes the kind of play you have been trying to instill in your team. Players that play hard, play smart and play with class.

“When Kenosha beat us, it was always that skinny kid playing shortstop that did something to turn the game around,” A’s general manager Denny Moyer said.

“He’d coax a walk, steal second and score on a scratch hit or turn what looked like a base hit into a double play or knock down a ball that was headed for the outfield that kept the runner on third base.”

The skinny kid playing shortstop for Kenosha was Jake Falish. He plays shortstop for Sheboygan now.

“I’d like to say I recruited him, but I can’t take credit for his being here,” Moyer said. “He was a gift.”

Falish is a student at Marian University and last year had to stay in Fond du Lac for the Summer.

Have you got room for a middle infielder?” Bryan Burgert, a member of the Marian coaching staff asked.

“Jake would like to play in Sheboygan this summer.”

Jake? The skinny shortstop from Kenosha? After I pulled my tongue back out of my throat, I managed to squeak out a “sure, I think so.”

Jake was instructed to explain the situation to Kyle Stone, Kenosha’s GM, and secure a release. He did. He showed up. He pulled on #5, jogged onto the field and made an immediate impact.

Despite being nicked up and black and blue a lot, especially in the final week when he got hit by pitches four times in the July 27-28 series against his former team, he had a great season. Falish hit .337 in the WSL, .298 in the NEWBL and .313 overall. He was named to the first All-NEW team and the all WSL second team.

And after last season he accepted the R. Erlien Jewelers gold ring and plaque after his teammates elected him as their Most Valuable Player.

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2 0 1 9 A W A R D W I N N E R S

MVP: Infielder Jake Falish (right) was voted on by his teammates as the 2019 R. Erlein Jeweler Most Valuable Player as well as the Most Valuable Defensive Player.

Most Valuable Pitcher(s): For the first time ever, there was a 3-way tie for Most Valuable Pitcher. Brad Rindfleisch (left), Eric Scmitz (right) and Andrew Nuanes (not pictured) took home the award.

Sine Qua Non Award: Manager Derek Loomans presents Outfielder Mark Wanner (right) with the 2019 Sine Qua Non Award, chosen by General Manager Denny Moyer. Wanner shared the 2019 award with Catcher Logan Vietmeier, who was unable to attend the year-end awards banquet.

Leading Hitter: First-year infielders Alex Dee (right) took home the 2019 Leading Hitter Award.

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Vietmeier, Steldt, Rindfleisch Cited by WSL Led by three first-team all-league players, the Sheboygan A’s finished in third place in the Wisconsin State League last year, one-half game behind West Allis and six behind perennial champ, Lombard.

Catcher Logan Vietmeier, third baseman Harry Steldt and pitcher Brad Rindfleisch were named to the all-league first team and shortstop Jake Falish to the second.

Dylan Gilbert of Lombard won the batting title with a .418 average. Falish hit .337 to finish fifth in the League. Vietmeier was seventh, .310; Jimmy Juergensen, 10th, .305, and Steldt 14th, .290.

Ben Ellifson led pitchers with a 5-0 record and a 0.78 ERA.

Rindfleisch finished third, 4-1 and 3.78.

For the 17th consecutive year, Lombard won the league title with its 24-3 record.

Gilbert was the league’s MVP, West Allis’ Ellifson most valuable pitcher, Tyrese Mitchell of West Allis Rookie of the Year and Steve Elliott of West Allis Manager of the Year.

Lombard led the league in hitting with a .324 team average, and in pitching with a 1.64 earned run average. Sheboygan led in fielding with a .958 average.

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Schmitz, Falish, Gates Honored by NEWBL The Sheboygan A’s floundered to a 6-6 record in the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League last summer, but of those six victories, Eric Schmitz figured in half of them. Schmitz won two games and saved a third.

Schmitz ranked fifth in the league in earned run average, 2.17, but had a 0.94 WHIP, tops in the league on three walks and 24 hits given up in 29 innings work. A’s pitcher Brendon Bille, 0.68 led the league in ERA. Schmitz was named to the League’s all-NEW first team for his effort. He was joined on the first team by shortstop Jake Falish .298 and outfielder Josh Gates .393. Infielders Jimmy Juergensen .333 and Harry Steldt .290 were named to the

second team.

The 6-6 (.500) record was the worst record the A’s ever posted in the A’s 16-year history with the Northeastern Wisconsin League. The closest they have come to a .500 finish prior to this year was their 11-9 mark in 2007.

Menasha posted a 9-2 record to win it in 2019 and the champion Macs walked off with all the hardware, too. MVP was Hunter Barber, Most Valuable Pitcher was Sam Hawley and co-Rookies of the Year were Barber and Quin Henwood of Appleton.

JOSH GATES @shebbaseball | 23

NEVER HEARING A CHALLENGE they wouldn’t accept, the members of the Sheboygan Athletic Club, led by their visionary Board of Directors, have accomplished the major goals that they set. Now comes the challenge of wrapping up the string of accomplishments by paying down their creditors. Guiding the club through this year’s challenge from left: Director Bill Weinaug, Director John Brezonik, President Scott Stangel, Vice President C.J. Skelton, Secretary Wayne Palm, Director Sheila Syrjala, Treasurer Tom Willis, and General Manager Denny Moyer. Missing is Director Tom Howe.

Here’s to Another Great Season, A’s . . .

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• STANGEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 • Operationally we made a significant shift with our accounting operation. Updated the club’s constitution and by laws in order to create a new board position - Treasurer.

Club members are more involved with operations, serving on structured operational committees and offering suggestions and improvement ideas. A strategic plan was written 2 years ago and a business plan is currently being discussed.

All these initiatives were implemented with the goal of sustaining Sheboygan A’s baseball for many years to come. As a club, we realized that if we are not changing and creating growth, we are falling behind. Knowing this, it required the club to create a path of constant improvement which has spanned several years.

Knowing clearly all that has been invested in the baseball experience and club operations, the board decided this year would be a time of review and evaluation.

Outside the implementation of an electronic point of sale payment system throughout the park, we will take the time throughout 2020 to improve upon what we have already implemented, while evaluating its results.

This is a full year process employing the entire membership, but it also extends to the community as a whole.

The Sheboygan Athletic Club has many community investors who have a deep interest in the club and the team.

These partners include sponsors, advertisers, community leaders and fans. All need to be involved in the review and evaluation process. Here are just a few of the questions the board wants answers to:

Are investors getting the results they expected when they invest in the program by purchasing an ad or becoming a financial partner?

Are fans getting the experience they expect while attending an A’s game at Wildwood Park?

Is there something you think we can do better, or something you think should be implanted?

What do you believe the team and/or the club should look like in the future?

The answers to these questions will determine the future direction of the park and the club, while creating the path to future changes and improvements So as an A’s investor your help is needed. As a club we want your input. Feel free to offer your thoughts to any club member. If you choose, send an email to info@ sheboyganbaseball.org or feel free to contact me personally at sstangel@sheboyganbaseball.org.

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WORKING ‘ROUND THE CALENDAR to bring the best in amateur baseball to their community are the working members of the Sheboygan Athletic Club. They are from left, front row, Reinie Palm, Barb Stangel, Karen Hinze, Wayne Palm, Denny Moyer, Donna Moyer, Sheila Syrjala, Mike Feudner, Sharon Van Veghel. Back from left, Phylis Preder, Dick Oehldrich, Scott Stangel, Bill Weinaug, Lorrie Wettstein , Bob Wettstein and Tom Willis. (Irish Studios Photo)

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• BLACKBOARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 •

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been

baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again.

But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and could be again.

At this writing we were preparing for the season that might not be. We were asking businesses for support: businesses that had closed their doors and told their employees to stay home; we were trying to sell season tickets to people who have been told to stay home and group tickets when people have been told to avoid groups.

I had to put the brakes on begging. Yes, I, fearless beggar that I am, quit begging. Just couldn’t bring myself to ask for help from my friends, when they had to send their employees home.

But we are carrying on. There are businesses in this town that have been supporting us by purchasing ads in this book every year for the past 20, 30, 40, and some 50 years. Many didn’t respond to our plea this year. Nonetheless, we are going to run their ad. There are fans who have bought tickets for years as well who have not responded this year. Nonetheless, we are going to send them tickets. If those advertisers and

ticket holders recover and are able to pay later, fine.

If not, it will the A’s contribution to the Coronavirus recovery effort.

This crisis will end. World War II ended. The Great Depression ended. Coronavirus will end, too. And just as it did after the war and the depression, baseball will return and help solidify the country.

Despite the odds, your ball club is hoping this pandemic, will subside so we can get on with our lives and on with baseball. A precious spring was already been taken away from our college players. The young people we recruit are young people who need the game, who need to play. We must come through.

Right now, our hands are tied. It is amazing that we can compete with a lefty who throws in the 90s, but we are brought to our knees by a micro-organism.

It is mid-March as I write; we feel we have until mid-May to make our call on the season unless the call is made for us. By the time you read this, this dilemma and our spring problems will be history. Still, I wanted to share with you the things we have to deal with to rebuild the blackboard.

Earl Wilson said “A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown that is divided into nine innings.”

Denny Moyer says: Trying to operate a semi-pro baseball team is simply a nervous breakdown divided into 12 months.”

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Citing too many travel, work and personal commitments to devote to the time required to do the job, Derek Loomans stepped aside after managing the A’s for five seasons.

After graduating from Lakeland College, Loomans returned to acquire the necessary credentials and accepted a teach position in the Fond du Lac school system.

His sacrifice these past five years was compounded by the fact that he resides in Brandon (near Ripon) and had a solid hour of

highway time to each game. And to further complicate matters, his parents’ farm was devastated by a tornado two years ago and he devoted as much time as he could to help his family rebuild.

It just got to be too much.

“I owe Derek a lot,” A’s General Manager Denny Moyer said. “He bailed us out of a jam and stuck with it for five seasons.”

Loomans volunteered for the job after Chad Langley was forced to resign to comply with NCAA rules (Langley was a volunteer coach at

Marian University, and because Marian players were on the A’s roster, it would have been a rules violation).Since then he has directed the A’s to a 161-108 record.

His 161 wins rank him fourth all-time with Chuck Zeichert 333, Dave Moyer 265 and Bob Sauger ranking ahead of him.

Loomans will continue to pitch for the A’s. He comes into the season with a 30-19 record and a 3.45 earned run average.

He is slated to pitch in the starting rotation.

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“He knows this program inside and out. He knows what I’m trying to accomplish here. And he knows baseball.

“He’s a perfect fit,” A’s General Manager Denny Moyer, Tim Moyer’s father said after he signed Tim to a contract to manage to club this year.

Was there any nepotism involved?

“You bet there was. He was the best candidate and I wasn’t going to let him get away,” the senior Moyer said putting that issue to rest. ”When we first started talking about this, Tim insisted I talk with Harry Steldt and Ben Folger. Harry has been with us for 10 years and Tim felt he should be given a chance to manage if he was interested.”

And Tim felt that if Ben Folger, who is helping coach at Ripon College was looking for a resume builder, we should offer the job to him.

Citing time commitments because of their current jobs, both refused saying they had all they could do to get to the park on time for games and couldn’t handle the pre-game responsibilities.

“Either would have been good, but it is a lot easier on me when the man-

CAD Drafting Municipal Maps Laminating Engineering Graphics Custom Mounting and Framing

ager lives in town,“ Moyer said. Steldt resides in West Bend while Folger lives in Cascade.

Tim has been around the A’s all his life. In fact, his dad recalls changing diapers on the Legion Park dugout bench on more than one occasion when the boys tagged along to chase fly balls during batting practice.

Moyer replaces Derek Loomans, who resigned following last season after accepting a teaching job in Fond du Lac. He will continue to pitch for the A’s on an availability basis. Loomans posted a 161-108-2 record in his five years as the A’s leader. Only three A’s managers have won more games. He was 88-57 in the Wisconsin State League with three second-place finishes, and 56-34 in the Northeastern Wisconsin with three second places and two thirds.

His club won the 2018 West Bend Amateur Baseball Classic Tournament.

Moyer has served in a bench coach capacity for Loomans in recent years. He knows he has big shoes to fill.

“I thought Derek did a great job,” Moyer said, “especially emphasizing to the new players that they are role mod-

els to our younger fans.”

It is truly fun to see the players grow up over the course of the season once they see how important they are to the young kids and families that come to watch them play. I’ve always felt the Sheboygan A’s are a family and not just an organization. That family includes the players, the workers and the fans.

I thought Derek did a great job building that association,” Moyer said.

“I’m looking forward to managing this year,” he said. “I’ve been around the A’s as long as I can remember. I started when I was little at Legion Park hanging the scores on the scoreboard for each inning, then graduated to bat boy, then score marker, and then announcer followed by statistics and ultimately playing for several years. I honestly cannot remember a time in my life without the A’s.”

Moyer played four years at Sheboygan South, four years with the Legion team, four years with the Marquette University Club team, three years in the Milwaukee Langsdorf League and 10 years with the A’s.

• CONTINUED ON PAGE 33 •

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All of us c h e e r i n g for you.

At U.S. Bank, we team together to support our customers and our communities. We are pleased to champion athletic programs that enrich the quality of life for everyone. You can count on every U.S. Banker to serve you – and to cheer on the spirit of teamwork – from the start of the game to the final out.

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• CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 •

In addition to working under Loomans, Moyer served as an assistant coach at South High School for six years, was a Diamonds coach and board member for six years, assistant coach at North for seven years and was the Sheboygan Legion baseball secretary/ board member for seven years.

“Other than being around family, there is nothing quite like being in the dugout with a great group of guys. We’ve had not only good baseball players and good athletes, but good people in recent years. I hope I can help continue that.

It is truly fun to see the players grow up over the course of the season and become a family. I’m looking forward to an exciting summer for the team and the fans,” Moyer said.

Tim becomes the second Moyer to manager the A’s. His brother Dave ran the club from 1991-1998 and won two Wisconsin State League championships.

“David was an excellent manager,” Denny Moyer said, “and while he won’t say it, I’m sure Tim feels some pressure of trying to match David’s accomplishments. But he is not getting any comparison pressure from me. David has a good baseball mind. Tim has a good

MOYERS THREE: Tim, Denny and Dave Moyer share a dugout moment prior to a 1993 game. baseball mind. I expect him to do a good job and I have confidence he will do a good job, just like any other manager I have hired. David has nothing to do with it. The fact that Tim is my son has noth-

ing to do with it. He’s got the job because I think he can develop players and I think he can win games.”

@shebbaseball | 33

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The blend is the key. You don’t win with all old guys and you don’t win with all young guys. To win you need a mixture. You need guys that have been around for a while to keep things settled down, moving along smoothly, avoiding the peaks and valleys that come with competitive baseball.

But you also need those fearless, gung-ho first and second-year players who can score from first on a double and catch up to that drive

up the alley that puts an end to the other club’s rally.

The A’s will have several players on their 40-man pre-season roster who can legitimately be called veterans. The A’s lean on these veterans to lead the dugout and guide the young players through the ups and downs of playing nearly every day for the entire summer. In 2020, the veteran corps will be led by: pitchers Eric Schmitz, Mitch Gardner, Kyle Peterson, and position players Harry

Steldt, Jake Arens, Jake Falish, Cole Miklavcic, TD Walker, Mark Wanner and Ross Krist.

Player profiles on each of the A’s returning veterans are featured on the next few pages of the program.

BASEBALL

#19 HARRY STELDT Fan favorite Harry Steldt is starting his 10th year with the ball club. The 3-time MVP and 2-time Sine Qua Non winner, and 8-time All-Wisconsin State League player comes in with a .330 career average. His best year was 2017 when he hit 395. He has led the club in runs batted in for the past three years.

Harry can’t get enough baseball. When the A’s aren’t playing, he plays with Kewaskum or anybody else who will have him. He has averaged 100 games a summer these past few years. Harry and his wife Vanessa were married late last summer. They reside in West Bend where Harry owns a landscaping company.

#8 ERIC SCHMITZ One of the best things to happen to the Sheboygan A’s happened over the winter of 2014-15 when Eric Schmitz decided his full-time team was the Sheboygan A’s. A bulldog, he has given the A’s a minimum of eight starts and 50+ innings every year since. The club’s 3-time Most Valuable Pitcher has a career 2.10 earned run average. The UW-Whitewater grad brings 27 wins into the season. Employed in the finance department at Kohler Co., Eric and his wife, Meghan, reside in Sheboygan where he helps coach the North High School baseball team.

#9 MITCH GARDNER After a 2-year hiatus, Mitch Gardner is returning to the A’s pitching staff.

He spent the last two seasons pitching for the veteran Cleveland Wildcats, but he says they have enough pitching and he’s coming home. Gardner is the only A’s pitcher to record two no-hitters. He no-hit Thiensville-Mequon, on June 2, 2010, and came back to no-hit the Manistee Saints on May 26, 2012. Gardner is 25-16 with a 3.53 ERA. Mitch and his wife, Kathy, reside in Sheboygan where he works for Nemschof.

@shebbaseball | 37

#24 COLE MIKLAVCIC Work conflicts held Miklavcic to 19 games last year, but it was a solid season as he came in at .288, just a hair over his career .284 average. He is a lay-out centerfielder and base-runner despite missing the 2016 season with knee surgery. A Florida native and Marian grad, Miklavcic and his new bride Jess reside in Sheboygan where he is employed at Meijer. Miklavcic begins his 6th season with the club this year after playing at Marian University.

#29 JAKE ARENS Some guys just get the job done. First base or second, hitting anywhere in the line-up, Jake is one of those guys. He made a late decision to return for his fourth season and the A’s are elated to welcome the free-swinger from Marian back. Arens brings a three-year career .273 average with him into his fourth season. He has seven home runs, 21 doubles along with 62 RBI in 120 career games.

#44 KYLE PETERSON Kyle Peterson, a Sheboygan Falls native and Ripon College grad, is entering his fourth season.He is a smooth-fielding first baseman, but had some strong outings out of the bullpen and is likely to see middle / late relief assignments this year. He has appeared in 80 games over the past three summers in the field, and 13 games on the hill.

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Business Forms

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3:00 – 6:00

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Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday

Newsletters

Pool Tables ● Darts ●Meeting Halls ● Party Bars

Letterhead

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& More

#22 TD WALKER Forced out of his plans to do post-graduate work at Jacksonville University by Covid-19, TD Walker elected to do it at Concordia University (Wisconsin) and will return for another season. His 2019 season was cut short by a back injury. Injury-throughout his time with the A’s, his best season was 2018 when he hit .261 in 43 games. If he is healthy, is due for a breakout season – he has the tools.

#16 MARK WANNER Mark Wanner’s season also ended early last year when a hit-by-pitch resulted in a broken arm. He was on a hot streak prior to that and finished with a .333 average. The versatile Wanner plays both infield and outfield. He has limited availability due to his job, but he will be in the line-up whenever his work schedule permits. Wanner played collegiately a Washburn University (NCAA D2).

#31 ROSS KRIST An outstanding high school player at Sheboygan Falls, Krist transferred his talents to UW-Platteville where he was scheduled to start at third base this year. A 2-year starter, Krist has a .284 career average in 91 games with the A’s. He was the recipient of the first annual Denny Ruh Wisconsin State League scholarship last year. He is a model of consistency and A’s fans will see a lot of him this year.

#5 JAKE FALISH Although Falish isn’t technically an A’s veteran, yet, he is a baseball veteran after a several-year run with the rival Kenosha Kings. In 2019, Falish made the switch from the black and red to the cardinal of Sheboygan. All he did in his first season with the club was take home the R. Erlein Jeweler Most Valuable Player award as well as the Most Valuable Defensive Player award.

He hit .313 and stole 13 bags last summer.

@shebbaseball | 39

SHEBOYGAN A’S

LIVE BROADCASTS POWERED BY LMSG.TV

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Six first-year players had a huge impact on the team in 2019. All six are expected back in some capacity in 2020.

The big six were: Jake Falish: The Marian University player and former Kenosha King emerged as the team leader. Elected MVP by his teammates, the shortstop hit .313 overall and was named to both the WSL and NEWBL All-League teams.

Jimmy Juergensen: Fresh out of high school, Juergensen won the A’s first ever Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .324 and leading the club in home runs. He is playing at Grand Canyon University.

Brad Rindfleisch: The UW-Stout grad from West Bend

went 4-2 with 3 saves and a team high 62 strikeouts in 37.2 innings. Named to the first All-WSL team.

Josh Gates: Another Marian player, Gates’ big swing accounted for 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 23 RBI in 36 games.

Elliot Danhoff: Danhoff, who played at UW-Superior, turned out to be skipper Derek Loomans’ first choice out of the bullpen. He has electric stuff, recording 34 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Jacob Bonin: Invited by Loomans to join the club and “help out,” Bonin worked in 11 games, covered 29 innings and came out of it with a win and a tie as a reliable strikethrower.

@shebbaseball | 41

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NEW PLAYERS COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE If the 2020 crop of first-year players is as rich in talent as it is in numbers, it could make the difference – the difference in being competitive and coming out of this thing with a pennant.

One thing General Manager Denny Moyer made clear to his prospects was that if their thumbnails said “ofp” or “if-p” or “anything-p” they were going to get an opportunity to pitch.

“This old man vowed to himself that we are not going to run out of pitching this year,” Moyer said.

Two Sheboygan natives top the new pitchers list.

Right-hander Jared Reklaitis, a UW-Milwaukee strikeout artist from Sheboygan South, and left-hander Jackson Pothast from Sheboygan North. He lost his scholarship at Indiana State due to an injury requiring Tommy John surgery. He had a couple good outings at Heartland State in Normal, IL, until COVID-19 ended the season.

Other pitchers who have expressed an interest are left-handers Scott Henrich of West Bend (Missouri S&E); Bryce Lovisa of Escondido, CA (Marian University), Austin Reimann of Clearwater, FL (Marian University); Zach Sandoval of Santee, CA (Marian University); Ethan Scherg from the Sheboygan Legion; and Davis Wilson of Neenah (Bethel University).

At this writing the catching job belonged to first year player Shane Ryan. The Central Michigan player hails from Green Lake.

Nathan Ebersole from Madison College appears to be the top new middle infield prospect. He played for Burlington last year where he hit .273 in 25 games.

Jacob Neese (Parkland CC), who played with North High School and with the Legion team last year, will see a lot of time at third base and is likely to get some second base starts. Dan Stangel (Kewaunee) Ripon is also in the second base mix.

Manager Tim Moyer has some bruisers vying for time at first and third base in Jacoby Endreas (Sheboygan Falls - Ellsworth CC), Fletcher Dallas (Valders - Ripon College),

and Wilson, although he also has a P after is name and will get work on the mound as well.

Sam Nemetz (Janesville - Marian University) is the only new outfielder.

Jared Reklaitis

Jackson Pothast

Shane Ryan

Nathan Ebersole

@shebbaseball | 43

GAME CHANGER.

FUN FOR THE FANS: THAT’S THE PLAN BY: DENNY MOYER

Those guys on the field are dead bent on winning this ball game. It is serious business to them. Very serious.

But you guys in the stands are here to have fun. Lots of fun. And the working members of the Sheboygan Athletic Club are dead bent on seeing that you do.

This what we want for you: 1) We want you to appropriately be welcomed by our ticket booth people, our fan services table people and our ushers. So welcome that you feel you are part of the A’s family.

2) We want your toes to be tapping and your memory jogged back to the good ol’ days as II Cool entertains with the top 40 of years gone by.

3) We want you to enjoy the interaction with your coworkers, neighbors or members of your club as we offer reduced prices for groups.

4) We want you to enjoy the array of offerings in our concessions stand which has a reputation to uphold.

Visiting fans and players call it the best in on the state’s semi-pro circuit and if they got to one out of town game a year with their team, you can bet Sheboygan date is circled on their calendar.

5) And we hope you enjoy and appreciate the effort put

forth by the A’s and the visiting team’s players. The top to bottom strength of the Wisconsin State Leauge and the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball Leauge is unmatched.

It is good baseball, and remember, players will meet you and your family after games for autographs and pictures.

We hope you enjoy your time at the game, and we hope that you decide to return often to support Sheboygan’s team.

@shebbaseball | 45

Official Brat of The Sheboygan A’s

Score a delicious Miesfeld’s brat at the concession stand.

4811 Venture Drive, Sheboygan, WI (920) 565-6328 | miesfelds.com 46 | sheboyganbaseball.org

@shebbaseball | 47

62 • SHEBOYGANBASEBALL.ORG

48 | sheboyganbaseball.org

IT’S MORE THAN JUST A GAME

New Point of Sale System Will Decrease Wait Time Continuing their efforts to improve the fan experience at Wildwood Baseball Park, the Sheboygan A’s have integrated a point of sale system with more terminals throughout the ballpark.

As fans purchase tickets, souvenirs and concessions, they will be able to pay for all items with either cash or credit cards.

Each order placed will have a unique identification number to match the order with the purchaser which will both expedite the process and insure accuracy.

All of the items in the souvenir stand can be purchased online at sheboyganbaseball.org.

When an item is purchased either at the ball park or online, inventory counts are automatically updated. This new system of inventory control allows the A’s staff to know what is available what has to be ordered. It will be particularly helpful in apparel where keeping a variety of sizes available for men, women and youth has been problematic.

Fans will now have the best selection of A’s souvenirs, and an easier time fulfilling their food and beverage needs while attending A’s games.

Since 1941 | torkecoffee.com @shebbaseball | 49

BUDWEISER PARTY DECK ADVANCED COMFORT SYSTEMS SKYBOX PRE-GAME TAILGATE PARTIES BIRTHDAY PARTIES GENERAL GROUPS ...AND MORE! WE HAVE PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR YOUR GROUP - CONTACT US TODAY! 50 | sheboyganbaseball.org

MENU OPTIONS THE LEAD OFF HITTER The Sheboygan standard - Miesfeld’s brats and hamburgers served on hard rolls. Comes with the works on the side. Served with choice of American potato salad or macaroni salad, chips and battle beans.

THE BASE STEALER Secret Sloppy Joes on pan rolls, comes with sliced cheese, pickles, and mayo on the side. Served with choice of American potato salad or macaroni salad, chips and Battle beans.

THE DOUBLE PLAY Veterans Q broasted chicken with broasted potatoes, and dinner rolls.

Also comes with choice of American potato salad or coleslaw.

THE GOLD GLOVE BBQ Pulled Pork on pretzel buns with cheese and pickles on the side. Served with choice of coleslaw or macaroni salad, chips and our signature mac n cheese.

CATERING PROVIDED BY SHEBOYGAN VFW POST 9156

SETUP YOUR GROUP OUTING To setup a group outing with the Sheboygan A’s, email us at: groups@sheboyganbaseball.org

@shebbaseball | 51

52 | sheboyganbaseball.org

2020 PRE Season roster Roster as of June 24, 2020

# Pitchers

T

Ht.

Wt.

Age

Hometown

School

37 Jacob Bonin

R

6-0

190

20

Sheboygan, WI

Sheboygan South High School (Alum)

6 Ryan Fields

R

5-11

175

23

Grand Rapids, MI

Edgewood College

9 Mitch Gardner

R

6-0

195

30

Sheboygan, WI

Marian University (Alum)

49 Noah Imrie

R

6-5

255

21

Hubertus, WI

Marian University

30 Bryce Lovisa

R

6-3

195

20

Escondido, CA

Marian University

25 Billy McConnell

L

5-11

195

20

Mishicot, WI

William Penn University

40 Drew Nuanes

R

6-0

215

22

Denver, CO

Marian University

44 Kyle Peterson (INF)

L

6-0

195

21

Sheboygan Falls, WI

Ripon College

35 Jackson Pothast

L

6-3

215

19

Sheboygan, WI

Heartland Community College

10 Austin Reimann

R

6-1

170

19

Clearwater, FL

Harper College

20 Jared Reklaitis

R

6-3

215

22

Sheboygan, WI

UW-Milwaukee (Alum)

42 Brad Rindfleisch

R

6-0

210

24

West Bend, WI

UW-Stout (Alum)

33 Zach Sandoval

R

6-0

195

22

Santee, CA

Marian University

43 Ethan Scherg

R

6-1

170

19

Sheboygan, WI

Sheboygan Legion (Alum)

8 Eric Schmitz

R

6-0

170

31

Sheboygan, WI

UW-Whitewater (Alum)

R

6-3

255

19

Oakfield, WI

Marian University

50 Vaughn Williston 41 Davis Wilson

R

5-10

210

19

Neenah, WI

Bethel University

B-T

Ht.

Wt.

Age

Hometown

School

27 Shane Ryan

R-R

6-0

200

19

Green Lake, WI

Central Michigan University

28 CJ Toutant

R-R

6-0

200

19

Hortonville, WI

Milwaukee Area Technical College

# Infielders

B-T

Ht.

Wt.

Age

Hometown

School

29 Jake Arens

R-R

6-0

205

22

Mauston, WI

Marian University

46 Tyler Brandenberg

R-R

6-3

230

19

Saukville, WI

Purdue University

21 Fletcher Dallas

R-R

6-2

215

19

Valders, WI

Ripon College

47 Griffin Doersching

R-R

6-4

250

20

Greendale, WI

Northern Kentucky

2 Nathan Ebersole

R-R

5-7

165

19

Whitefish Bay, WI

Madison Area Technical College

R-R

6-2

226

18

Sheboygan Falls, WI

Ellsworth Community College

R-R

6-0

160

23

Gurnee, IL

Marian University (Alum)

32 Jimmy Juergensen

L-R

6-4

215

19

Jackson, WI

Grand Canyon University

17 Jacob Neese

R-R

6-0

180

19

Elkhart Lake, WI

Parkland Community College

R-R

6-0

165

19

Kewaunee, WI

Ripon College

19 Harry Steldt

R-R

6-1

260

28

West Bend, WI

UW-Stevens Point (Alum)

14 Brent Widder

R-R

6-0

190

19

Sheboygan, WI

University of Evansville

# Outfielders

B-T

Ht.

Wt.

Age

Hometown

School

36 Josh Gates

R-R

6-2

225

21

Santee, CA

Marian University

31 Ross Krist

L-R

6-3

205

21

Sheboygan Falls, WI

UW-Platteville

24 Cole Miklavcic

R-R

5-11

175

26

Tarpon Springs, FL

Marian University (Alum)

7 Josh Moses

R-R

6-2

210

22

Cedarburg, WI

UW-Platteville

48 Sam Nemetz

L-L

6-0

150

19

Janesville, WI

Marian University

22 TD Walker

R-R

6-1

200

22

Grafton, WI

Jacksonville University

16 Mark Wanner

R-R

6-3

195

21

Rochelle, IL

Washburn University

# Catchers

39 Jacoby Endreas 5 Jake Falish

4 Daniel Stangel

Field Manager: #34 Tim Moyer

General Manager: Denny Moyer

Roster as of June 24, 2020. Roster subject to change. View SheboyganBaseball.org for the latest. @shebbaseball | 53

BASEBALL

BASEBALL

54 | sheboyganbaseball.org

HELPING YOU LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST T H AT ’ S T H E D I F F E R E N C E

www.BankFirstWI.bank 2600 Kohler Memorial Drive, Sheboygan

Unhappy, Yes, But No Apologies Those who long for the good ol’ days may never again find them.

COVID-19 has struck a blow that as scarred every facet of our world, our country, of us, Sheboygan A’s Baseball. It was a blow from which we may never fully recover. It will be in the back of our minds until our lights go out for the last time.

The A’s are unhappy that you, our fans are inconvenienced and that we have taken you out of your comfort zone. But you, our fans, are the lifeblood of our organization and we have put out these whacky rules and instructions in place to keep you, our players and volunteers healthy and safe. Those are the three prongs of the Sheboygan A’s trident; we need you and we care about you: our fans, players, and volunteers. That is why we made the changes we did.

And believe me when I say, we’re not happy about it either. But we felt it was necessary; we can’t let up in the fight against COVID-19 and so we are not going to apologize for the inconveniences we have caused by the precautions we have taken.

We felt it was necessary and we hope and pray we are able to bring you the joys of baseball with no consequences.

Please work with us, observe the distance recommendations, wear a mask, wash your hands carefully, do everything you can to help us win this biggest game of all.

- Denny Moyer

BASEBALL

2020 Numerical roster

#

Name

POS.

2

Nathan Ebersole

INF

4

Danny Stangel

INF

5

Jake Falish

INF

6

Ryan Fields

RHP

7

Josh Moses

OF

8

Eric Schmitz

RHP

9

Mitch Gardner

RHP

10 Austin Reiman

RHP

14 Brent Widder

INF

16 Mark Wanner

OF

17 Jacob Neese

INF

19 Harry Steldt

INF

20 Jared Reklaitis

RHP

21 Fletcher Dallas

INF

22 TD Walker

OF

24 Cole Miklavcic

OF

25 Billy McConnell

LHP

26 Ken Neese

Coach

27 Shane Ryan

C

28 CJ Toutant

C

29 Jake Arens

INF

30 Bryce Lovisa

RHP

31 Ross Krist

OF

32 Jimmy Juergensen

INF

33 Zach Sandoval

RHP

34 Tim Moyer

MGR

35 Jackson Pothast

LHP

36 Josh Gates

OF

37 Jacob Bonin

RHP

39 Jacoby Endreas

INF

40 Drew Nuanes

RHP

41 Davis Wilson

RHP

42 Brad Rindfleisch

RHP

43 Ethan Scherg

RHP

44 Kyle Peterson

LHP

46 Tyler Brandenberg

INF

47 Griffin Doersching

INF

48 Sam Nemetz

OF

49 Noah Imrie

RHP

50 Vaughn Williston

RHP @shebbaseball | 55

56 | sheboyganbaseball.org

GO GO!

@shebbaseball | 57

ATHLETIC CLUB HAS BEEN, IS, WILL BE BUSY If you read Sheboygan Athletic Club President Scott Stangel’s piece to introduce this program you know that the Sheboygan Athletic Club has been busy. If you haven’t read it, please take the time to turn back to it.

The Sheboygan Athletic Club was formed in the winter of 1962-63. It was to be a baseball team where post-high school age ballplayers could continue playing the game they loved.

It still is that, and as you will see in the next few words, that part of the mission has grown immensely. But as Stangel eloquently states, the club is much more than that. It has become a dynamic economic driver for our community.

Let us first look briefly at the team itself. The ball club has become a traveling billboard for Sheboygan; the players ambassadors in spiked shoes.

When they step off the bus donned in

58 | sheboyganbaseball.org

clean, quality uniforms; when they play the game intensely, with classy hustle obeying the written and unwritten rules of the game; when they show respect for the arbiters, the opposition and their fans; and when they play with intensity and intelligence, it reflects well on their community.

If preparing and presenting that team 65 times a summer was the extent of Sheboygan Athletic Club activities, that alone would qualify the club for an outpouring of community support and respect.

But as Stangel points out, that isn’t half of it. Working closely with the City of Sheboygan, the club has given in abundance to its community.

It really started in 1981 when the club contributed more than $30,000 for the construction of Wildwood Baseball Park. Since then the club has: - built the grandstand, press box,

skybox, restrooms building - expanded and remodeled the concessions stand three times; - built the pavilion and brought in three storage buildings - built new dugouts - purchased and installed a new scoreboard - erected a new safety net in front of the grandstand - added the Budweiser Backstop and Budweiser Baseline seating sections All of that is in addition to putting on ”the show” some 35+ times a year and hosting high school and Legion games another 30-somes.

Club members have done a agnificent job, but they are tiring and in need of reinforcements. Would you consider helping? If your answer is yes, read the next page for more information.

THE A’S ARE CALLING: HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN BY: KATHLEEN DONOVAN

The Sheboygan Athletic Club is actively seeking new members. If you are looking for a way to serve your community, this is a great opportunity. It is an all-volunteer organization in which members do what they can and the club is happy to except whatever time members can give.

That has worked since 1963 and despite the expanded challenges the club has adapted, it will continue to work if a few good people will work along.

Besides the satisfaction you will feel, you will enjoy a circle of new friends and a variety of social opportunities as well. You are most welcome; please consider joining.

“But I just don’t have time to join another organization.”

Take our word for it, Sheboygan Athletic Club members know

what a problem time is. But they do understand there are a lot of organizations out there that need volunteers. In that light, please note the following.

More than 300 businesses, industries, organizations and individuals work with the Sheboygan Athletic Club in a variety of ways, like purchasing advertising, tickets, sponsoring nights, renting group areas for private parties, making outright contributions and assisting with in-kind donations. The club is always seeking additional sponsorship-the bigger the family, the more the club can accomplish for the young athletes, the fans, the wonderful Wildwood Park facility and the community.

The club is a group of roughly 40 hard-working men and women who are dedicated to their community and

it’s young athletes. They see organize competitive baseball as a way of getting young people to strive for positive goals.

In addition to the A’s hardworking members, there are also opportunities for businesses and corporations to sign up for volunteer opportunities. Do you have three, ten or twenty co-workers that would like to work together? Send them our way! We can provide projects both during the workday and during games.

For more information on becoming a member or corporate volunteer opportunities please contact: Bill Weinaug (bweinaug@sheboyganbaseball.org) or Kathleen Donovan (kdonovan@sheboyganbaseball.org).

@shebbaseball | 59

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60 | sheboyganbaseball.org

six decades OF A'S BASEBALL BY: DENNY MOYER The hanging of the new calendar on New Year’s Eve brought on not only a new year, but a new decade.

That prompted my son Dave, a former A’s player and later manager of the club, to suggest selecting an A’s All-Star Team for each decade.

“We could contact each of the allstars and have a massive reunion at one of the games at the ball park,” he said.

We talked about how the players and/or fans of each decade could pick their all-stars and we could have them all come to the ball park and have a big reunion or maybe have separate nights for each decade with themed music and costume contests appropriate to that decade. We agreed we’d have to order lots of brats and beer. It will be a great time. We were talking faster and faster and getting more and more excited about his idea.

The next day brought some thoughts that weren’t discussed the night before.

Where are we going to find all these people to vote? And, let’s face it, they are going to vote for their teammates or the players they knew.

Not out of prejudice or favoritism, but in the vast majority of cases, they aren’t going to know anything about the players who weren’t teammates.

And they aren’t going to be 100% impartial. They become fast friends and they are going to vote for their buddies. And further, they aren’t going to have access to statistics, not to mention not knowing the players and those intangibles that go into making an all-star.

It would take somebody who really knows all the players and has been with the team through the years and has access to the records to take on

this. . .

Oh-oh. This looks like a job for The Geezer.

The guy who has been with the club since its inception, appears to be the logical candidate to take a stab at this project.

(Many weeks later . . . .)

Well, The Geezer took his stab.

Here are the GM’s all-decade teams.

Note that he tried to pare each team down to four outfielders, four middle infielders, four corner infielders, two catchers and six pitchers but at times the “I can’t leave this guy off” got in the way and additional players were added.

When a player’s career spanned more than one decade, arbitrary decisions were made, or in some cases the player was named in both decades.

Note also that one good season does not make a decade player, hence the one-year wonders section.

@shebbaseball | 61

THE GUYS WHO STARTED THIS THING. When the Kingsbury Brewery ceased sponsorship of the Sheboygan semi-pro baseball club, these three guys picked up the pieces and launched the team that would become the Sheboygan A’s. They are, from left, Carl Geringer, Del Ohlschmidt and Chuck Zeichert.

The Geezer knows in advance that there will be players who feel they were slighted and parents who feel their sons were slighted. The Geezer did his best and hopes that the All-Decade players will be on hand when they are honored in July.

the 1960s This whole thing started at the bust-up picnic of the Kingsbury Brewers following the 1962 season. The brewery told team manager Al Wegner that it would no longer sponsor the team and at the picnic the players, led by Chuck Zeichert, Del Ohlschmidt and Carl Beringer with help from others, Bob Dortman, Bob Ayers, Jim Splittgerber, Denny Moyer among them, the Sheboygan Athletics were born and played their first season in 1963.

That first season was a good one (17-6), but then they fell on hard times and the club disbanded operations for a year in 1966.

They retooled and started up again in 1967, suffered through a 6-12 season, but came back in 1968 to win their first championship, the Land O’ Lakes Northern Division title. The 1968 team was a solid one pretty much up and down the line-up. The club was 12-2 in the Lakes to beat out West Bend and Saukville by one game, but lost in the Grand Championships to Monches, 3-2, and Menomonee Falls, 8-7.

The A’s were 79-57-1 in the decade of the 1960’s.

62 | sheboyganbaseball.org

A’S OF THE DECADE: 1960’s Catchers

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Pitchers

Y

G

W-L-S

ERA

Jim Hayon

5

113

2

50

.203

.534

Bobby Ayers

2

13

6-3-0

2.74

Dan Weiskopf

4

53

0

21

.213

.554

Don Diener

9

74

23-15-0

3.46

Outfield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Wayne Harju

4

28

12-8-0

2.57

Jerry Laack

5

68

1

22

.244

.650

Ron Herr

5

48

21-9-1

2.23

Denny Moyer

16

165

5

46

.224

.622

Rick Reiss

6

55

13-16-3

2.01

Rick Reiss

8

116

11

78

.301

.876

Mark Simon

2

11

7-3-0

2.46

Gordy Zastrow

2

22

0

9

.376

.842

Jim Zajkowski

5

46

12-18-0

3.23

Middle Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Dave Gehr

19

569

6

269

.302

.849

Charlie Kometer

7

250

14

170

.290

.782

Pat Murray

3

40

0

18

.350

.861

Chuck Zeichert

15

83

0

24

.317

.785

Corner Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Jim Cullen

3

29

0

18

.320

.804

Dick Gartman

2

32

0

8

.333

.844

Dick Larsen

6

16

13

124

.311

.836

Tom Seifert

4

78

6

42

.249

.735

Manager: Chuck Zeichert (Del Ohlschmidt and Carl Beringer were officially listed as managers, but it was Zeichert who held it together.)

Geezer’s Notes: Because of the loss of continuity when the 1966 season went without a team, the scrambling around that it took in the latter half of 1965 to field a team, and the reorganization in 1967, this was the most difficult of the decades to select an all-decade team. The managerial triumvirate of Chuck Zeichert, Carl Beringer and Del Ohlschmidt piece-mealed teams of questionable talent levels together on a number of occasions. It is difficult to pin an all-decade label on someone who got in only 20-40 games or couldn’t even hit two and a quarter, but these

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were the best we had.

Unsolicited factoid of the 1960’s: When the team was formed in the winter of 1962-63, it was named the Sheboygan Athletics, which was pretty much an arbitrary call by one of the organizers, Del Ohlschmidt. In 1967, Andy Andersen’s Sporting Goods gave the club a huge donation to reorganize. In initial discussions the team’s name was going to be changed to Andersen’s. Denny Moyer, who arranged for the sponsorship and who was a sportswriter for the Sheboygan Press at the time, pointed out to Andersen that just like “Athletics,” ”Andersen’s” was too long to fit in headlines. The club would get bigger headlines if the name were shortened to A’s which could represent the original Athletics name as well as the new Andersen’s. Andersen bought in and the Sheboygan “A’s” were born.

a really “top-notch traveling league.” The State League was born in 1970 with teams from Green Bay, Horicon, Madison, Menasha, Racine and Sheboygan playing a home and home schedule.

American Orthodontics Corp, purchased Legion Park and knocked down the rickety grandstand in 1977. To this day the A’s are grateful to Dan Merkel and American Orthodontics for delaying their building project for two years so that the A’s would have a place to play, even though it was without a grandstand and running water.

The A’s were 198-216 in the decade of the 1970s. It was to be their only “losing” decade.

the 1970s Three things happened in the early 1970’s that had a deep impact on the ball club. First, Denny Moyer and Cal Gerber of Racine started the Wisconsin State League which immediately upgraded the quality of competition. Second, they lost their ball park, and third, the A’s lost a 1-0 game to Marytown.

Following good seasons in 1968 and 1969 (19-12 and 22-13-1) the A’s were agreeable to Gerber’s proposal to start

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64 | sheboyganbaseball.org

The Legend Signs On: Assaulting Gene Mand who would wind up setting just about every career record in his 25year career joined the club in 1971. He would go on to win the Sheboygan A’s Most Valuable Player award seven times during his 25-year career.

Geezer’s Notes: The 1970’s were tough for the Sheboygan A’s as they adjusted to the demanding competition of the Wisconsin State League, but it was a decade of transition to an expanded program in terms of schedule and quality of competition. The players of this group readily accepted the challenges and can be credited with starting the Sheboygan A’s brand: when you play Sheboygan, you are in for a battle from a bunch of hardnosed kids.

Unsolicited factoid of the 1970’s: The A’s of the Decade, the 1970s: The A’s were the host team of the National Baseball Congress district tournament and in 1970 were denied a trip to “State”. Gene Mand, playing for Marytown,

Power Hitters of the ‘70s: Assaulting Legion Park’s distant leafy brick walls were from left: Dale Ahrens, Dave Kober, Steve Kohls and “The Legend” Gene Mand, all four of which were inducted into the A’s Hall of Fame between 1998-2001.

A’S OF THE DECADE: 1970’s Catchers

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Pitchers

Y

G

W-L-S

ERA

Dick Larsen

6

162

13

124

.311

.836

Arlie Dombrock

7

83

29-30-5

4.16

Dick Rasmussen

7

542

6

90

.313

.848

Tom Forsterling

7

101

31-34-0

4.75

Outfield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Ron Herr

5

48

21-9-1

2.23

Dale Ahrens

10

287

41

198

.266

.814

Steve Kohls

10

121

32-38-2

4.33

Steve Kohls

11

274

25

154

.314

.871

Mike Martin

3

27

7-1-0

3.42

Gene Mand

25

1087

137

850

.319

.906

Bob Sauger

12

164

48-51-3

4.30

Rick Reiss

8

116

11

78

.301

.876

Middle Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Rick Baumgart

17

494

4

180

.272

.746

Dave Gehr

19

569

6

269

.302

.849

Charlie Kometer

7

250

14

170

.290

.782

Jerry Walters

5

172

15

193

.271

.782

Corner Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Tom Grams

9

303

7

278

.278

.675

Dave Kober

11

375

65

336

.324

.939

Tom Martin

8

198

6

99

.277

.737

John Moriarity

2

42

3

27

.269

.753

DH

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Jeff Goetz

10

164

13

131

.352

.879

Manager: Chuck Zeichert (333-314, .515)

hit a home run that decided the 1-0 game and knocked the A’s out of the tournament. The A’s decided that was enough of that and recruited Mand to play with them. Mand would hit in the middle of the A’s order for the next 25 years.

Related unsolicited factoid of the 1970’s: Gene Mand joined the Sheboygan A’s for the 1971 season, but because of the “home town” rule, he was prohibited from playing in Land o’ Lakes League games. At the league meeting following that season, Denny Moyer and Chuck Zeichert argued that Gene was one or their players and he was going to be in their line-up. The league wouldn’t budge, “you can have Gene Mand in your line-up or you can play in the Lakes,” they said. Moyer and Zeichert looked at each other, and without saying word, got up and walked out of the meeting. Gene Mand was their guy, and that is all there was to it.

@shebbaseball | 65

the 1980s Two major personnel acquisitions highlighted the decade of the1980’s.

Lee Wetenkamp (pictured on the left next to Gene Mand), in the minds of many the best player ever to wear an A’s uniform, arrived on the scene.

As did ‘The Class of ’86,” by far the finest class of baseball players ever produced by the Sheboygan public school system. Both acquisitions would make huge contributions to the A’s first Wisconsin State League championship, but that is a story tor for another decade.

When all hands were on deck, the A’s were capable of putting a powerful line-up on the diamond, always anchored by the “murderers’ row” of Wetenkamp, Mand, Kober and Kohls until the Class of ‘86 came on the scene.

What was the Class of ’86? Well, would you believe Jeff Feudner, Gary Fritsch, Tom Gardner, Rob Johnson, Jeff Koellmer, Steve Leonhard, Ken Neese, Jeff Splittgerber and Ron Wilke all joined the club that year?

Wetenkamp retired after 11 years with a .397 career average that included four .400 plus season, two of them were .450-plus.

Fred Forsterling appeared 187 of is club record 237 games in the 1980’s.

The A’s were 298-217 in the decade of the 1980’s.

66 | sheboyganbaseball.org

A’S OF THE DECADE: 1980’s Catchers

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

DH

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Gary Fritsch

7

260

1

84

.261

.668

Dave Kober

11

375

65

336

.324

.939

John Fuhs

3

98

2

33

.247

.707

Pitchers

Y

G

W-L-S

ERA

Outfield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Denis Coons

6

50

17-17-3

3.35

Al Alberg

7

300

31

181

.332

.930

Fred Forsterling

16

239

71-41-10

4.97

Ron Grall

5

164

7

68

.314

.803

Jeff Geidel

3

44

16-11-6

4.24

Steve Kohls

11

274

5

154

.314

.871

Rob Johnson

7

79

23-10-7

4.29

Kevin Schwoch

6

173

2

61

.294

.760

Steve Kohls

10

121

32-38-2

4.33

Ron Wilke

7

255

22

162

.307

.801

Steve Leonhard

3

42

12-2-0

5.84

Middle Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Mike Piaskowski

6

50

14-11-5

5.69

Rick Baumgart

17

494

4

180

.272

.746

Tim Spiro

11

164

42-25-12

4.91

Tom Gardner

10

380

20

204

.341

.929

Dave Gehr

19

569

6

269

.302

.849

Tom Martin

8

198

6

99

.277

.737

Corner Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Greg Grall

4

90

22

82

.326

1.013

Gene Mand

25

1087

137

850

.319

.906

Ken Neese

8

325

27

193

.301

.824

Lee Wetenkamp

11

521

117

628

.397

1.164

Manager: Bob Sauger (188-136, .581)

Geezer’s Notes: This might have been the toughest team of all to pick. Leaving catcher Doug Gonring off was a tough call, but he played in only 32 games and that made it a little easier – but, man, you should have seen that guy throw. And the five outfielders, sorry, but I just couldn’t cut any of those guys. I was already hurting from bumping Ben Fuller and Jeff Ristow who moved to the outfield after coming up as a shortstop. Same dilemma with the seventh pitcher.

@shebbaseball | 67

68 | sheboyganbaseball.org

Geezer’s Notes Sub 1: The across the board strength of the Wisconsin State League became clearly apparent in 1988 when the A’s set a club record with 44 wins (although two were forfeit wins), but finished a mediocre 18-18 in the State League that year.

Unsolicited factoid of the 1980’s: The A’s moved into Wildwood Baseball Park in 1981. The A’s were able to contribute some $32,000 to the city to aid in the construction of the park.

Related unsolicited factoid of the 1980’s: The new ball park was great and 1981, the first year in it, was a great year (39-11), but 1980, the building year, sure was miserable. The A’s had no ball park that year and played every game on the road save for a couple “home” games at Sheboygan Falls and Howards Grove.

Pictured on left page: A’s bulldog pitcher Fred Forsterling delivers a pitch in one of his club record 239 games.

These Guys Meant Business: Jason Bartelt, Randy Wilke and Clay Schwartz were key figures in the A’s most successful decade, the 1990’s. All three find their plaques now hanging on the wall in the skybox as members of the A’s Hall of Fame.

the 1990s Championships and major park renovations led to the A’s enjoying the best decade of their history – the 1990’s.

After 20 dry years in the Wisconsin State Baseball League, pennants finally flew over Wildwood Baseball Park in the 1990’s.

The maturation of the “Class of ‘86” and the signing on of a young manager who convinced his team that they could win in the State League were the prime ingredients of a magical 1991 season. And then an incredibly talented pitching staff came together for another title in 1997. The A’s won their first State League championship and their first championship of any kind since 1968 when they swept the 3-game series in Rockford and walked off with the State League trophy under fiery first-year manager Dave Moyer.

The “Class of ’86” melded with hard-hitting veterans to form the most memorable team in Sheboygan A’s history. The team finished with a 26-4 record in the State League and a record-setting 49-9 overall record that year.

Tom Eckhardt won 12 games in1991 after winning 12 in 1990 as well. The all-time A’s work horse put 1,001 innings on his right arm for the A’s, most of them in the 1990s.

The second championship in 1997 was due in a large part to the arrival of Jason Bartelt and the performance of one-year wonder players. Tommy Cerasuolo went 8-0 and Craig Glysch was 9-1 for the A’s that year while centerfielder Jack Buckwalter hit .344 and Central Arkansas teammate and Nick Valencia hit .346. The A’s came in with a .353 team batting average which still stands as a one-season record.

Jack Taschner, who would go on to a solid Major League career, added two wins to the cause. If you averaged out all the years, Bartelt joins Lee Wetenkamp and Randy Wilke as the most productive players in A’s history. In his five years, Bartelt averaged 59 runs per year, 84 hits, 44 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases each year. His career batting average is .393.

Co-highlighting the decade with the championships was the huge remodeling project at Wildwood Park. A new grandstand, an expanded concessions stand and a new building that housed rest rooms, a press box and a sky box party room were added to the complex.

The A’s finished 336-199 in the decade of the 1990’s. @shebbaseball | 69

THE 1991 SHEBOYGAN A’s ball club was the first to win a Wisconsin State League Championship.

From left, first row, are Rob Jonson, Al Albert, Mark Holzman, Anthony Ahrens, Chad Beaumont.

Second row from left, batboy Andy Seipel, Lee Wetenkamp (standing in back), Ken Neese, Gary Fritsch, Tom Gardner, Tom Eckhardt, Whitney McCurdy, Gene Mand (standing). Back row from left, Tim Nesst, Dave Moyer (Mgr.) Randy Wilke, Greg DePagter, Tim Spiro, Ron Wilke. Missing: Jeff Hendrickson, Tim Moyer. The team was 26-4 in the State League and 49-9overall.

A’S OF THE DECADE: 1990’s Catchers

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Corner Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Clay Schwartz

11

509

64

289

.288

.897

Gene Mand

25

1087

137

850

.319

.906

Bill Wilhelmi

3

137

16

116

.333

.908

Greg Oehldrich

4

139

21

94

.336

.969

Outfield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Nick Valencia

2

86

21

90

.382

1.123

Jason Bischoff

8

415

56

278

.296

.901

Randy Wilke

17

817

122

697

.323

.880

Nick Bischoff

5

167

9

108

.355

.873

Pitchers

Y

G

W-L-S

ERA

Greg DePagter

6

134

14

86

.311

.847

Brian Binversie

2

20

10-5-1

4.00

Todd Prutz

3

119

7

75

.346

.843

Michael Casper

10

148

69-30-12

2.65

Carey Schrank

4

154

22

107

.337

.925

Tom Eckhardt

14

204

73-56-14

3.66

Ron Wilke

7

255

22

162

.307

.801

Jeff Hendrickson

6

75

23-10-1

4.18

Darin Zeinemann

3

114

6

58

.316

.842

Mark Holzman

6

57

19-12-4

4.60

Middle Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Will Madson

14

97

36-24-11

3.89

Jason Bartelt

5

275

34

217

.393

1.038

Eric Van de Hei

2

19

11-2-0

5.77

Billy Fries

4

113

1

54

.347

.791

Manager: Dave Moyer (265-169, .611)

Tom Gardner

10

380

20

204

.341

.929

Mike Johnson

7

334

3

136

.293

.702

DH

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Andy Friess

2

98

18

88

.408

1.023

Geezer’s Notes: The exception is edging closer and closer to the rule. Winning championships is the objective, but that requires good players and makes narrowing down the all-star list most problematic. The Geezer ran over the limit with seven pitchers and six outfielders. You cut somebody; the Geezer can’t. The borderliners made too many contributions.

70 | sheboyganbaseball.org

Unsolicited factoid of the 1990’s: The initial ball park renovation in 1997 ran way over estimates and with Mayor Dick Schneider’s support, Chuck Zeichert and Denny Moyer were able to secure a bank note. That note, along with a $100,000 gift from the Mary Testwuide Knauf family enabled the A’s to finish the project.

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the 2000s After going 20 years without winning a State League Championship, the A’s of 2000 provided the club with its third title in the past 10 years. And just as the “Class of ’86,” help create the miracle of ’91, so, too, did the “Turn of the Century Group” led by Randy Wilke and Jason Bartelt lead the most spectacular period of success in A’s history.

After winning the 1997 pennant, key losses in personal left the A’s with a 29-26 record in 1998, but from 1999-2002 the A’s posted records of 44-13, 44-14. 46-16 and 46-20.

Craig Kloes managed the first two teams, Marc Marizzaldi and Mike Steed the last two.

All three enjoyed the privilege writing Wilke and Bartelt on their line-up cards. In those four years, Wilke drove in 237 of his 697 runs and enjoyed four of his 13 .300+ seasons.

Because of his coaching job at Marian, Bartelt had to leave after the 2001 season, but in his five years with the A’s he hit. .432, .429, .347, .425 and .335. Other key players in that amazing run were Clay Schwartz, Jason and Nick Bischoff, Chad Gorman, Mike Johnson, Billy Fries and Phil Ducat and those were the years that Michael Casper (pictured on left) was putting every pitch exactly where he wanted and went 42-13 in that stretch, Geoff Lefeber (pictured on right) was 28-7 and Will Madson 17-2.

The A’s were 372-220 in the decade of the 2000’s.

72 | sheboyganbaseball.org

A’S OF THE DECADE: 2000’s Pitchers

Y

G

W-L-S

ERA

Jason Bunton

4

54

28-14-2

2.63

Michael Casper

10

148

69-30-12

2.65

Cody Griebling

2

19

9-2-2

1.54

Mike Johnson

7

39

21-11-1

2.84

Geoff Lefeber

3

49

28-7-6

2.73

Brandon Magee

5

45

18-8-2

3.01

Mike Rauwerdink

5

48

22-12-1

3.02

Ryan Shcmitz

3

28

10-7-0

2.83

Aaron Sorenson

4

43

16-10-3

2.27

Lucas Wilsing

5

24

15-6-0

2.95

Catchers

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Clay Schwartz

11

509

64

289

.288

.897

John Vandenberg

2

75

3

30

.303

.765

Kurt Miller

6

180

8

87

.236

.676

Outfield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Jason Bischoff

8

415

56

278

.296

.901

Joe Nowicki

3

134

5

81

.320

.837

Tim Patzman

6

267

23

183

.344

.931

Ryan Schilter

5

96

1

51

.314

.759

Middle Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Jason Bartelt

5

275

34

217

.393

1.038

Grant Berkovitz

6

250

11

168

.320

.805

Charlie Reschke

7

205

15

106

.298

.794

Matt Schilter

3

167

0

78

.304

.706

Corner Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Phil Ducat

2

83

8

55

.340

.908

Chad Gorman

5

239

24

158

.319

.891

Ross McCoy

2

105

9

55

.291

.807

Lucas Wilsing

6

125

1

58

.314

.759

DH

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Randy Wilke

17

817

122

697

.323

.880

Manager: Chad Gehr (108-67, .617), Craig Kloes (88-27, .759), Randy Wilke (64-55, .538) Geezer’s Notes: Once again the numbers limit rule was broken in the pitchers’ department, but who do you drop from that list.

Unsolicited factoid of the 2000’s: If you wonder why so much is made of championships in the Wisconsin State League, consider that Sheboygan (twice), Green Bay (twice) and Chicago (once) are the only teams to wrest a championship away from the Lombard Orioles since they

TWO OF THE FINEST infielders ever to wear the “A” both played after the turn of the century, Grant Berkovitz, left, and Charlie Reschke. Both brought bats to the park, too, Berkovitz hitting .320 and Reschke .298.

joined the league in 1992. The Lombard Orioles have won or shared the Wisconsin State League championship in 23 of the last 28 years and the last 15 straight years.

Related Unsolicited factoid of the 2000’s: The A’s joined the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League in 2004 so that they could replace exhibition games with meaningful league games, and while they have been close, they are still looking for their first championship in that league. The one year they won the regular season championship. they were knocked out of the playoffs.

Still another: The 2000’s ushered in the “business” of amateur baseball. “Academies” sprung up all over, bilking dreamers and their parents and filling them with false hopes of scholarships and contracts. Collegiate leagues, once confined to true prospect leagues, had become profit centers for owners rather than developmental opportunities for players to which scouts gravitated. Hometown baseball suffered for it. @shebbaseball | 73

In 2014, the A’s finally won another championship, when they swept the Kenosha Kings in the 2014 Langsdorf League finals. It was the thrid sraight year the WSL rivals met in the Langsdorf finals, with Kenohsa taking the first two titles in the decisive third-game of the best-of-three championship series, before the A’s swept them in 2014. That offseason, the Langsdorf League merged into the Wisconsin State League.

the 2010s From 1999 through 2015, the Sheboygan A’s had 12 different managers. Chad Gehr stayed for three years, Randy Wilke, Tyler Martin and Craig Kloes two and all the rest were one and done. They were all good men and good baseball people, but they were all looking to move onto positions in college or professional baseball.

Continuity returned when Derek Loomans signed on in 2015. In his five years, his clubs posted a 161-108 record, three second place finishes to Lombard and a Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Classic Tournament championship.

Loomans’ 161 wins are surpassed by only Chuck Zeichert 333, Dave Moyer 265 and Bob Sauger 188.

Three veteran players have helped immeasurably to sustain continuity before and during Loomans tenure:

74 | sheboyganbaseball.org

infielder Harry Steldt, and pitchers Eric Schmitz and Taylor Schwarz. Steldt was the club’s bell cow, earning the respect of every opposing club.

The A’s did pull one championship out of the 2010’s. They played in the Langsdorf League for three years and got to the championship finals in all three where they would face State League rival Kenosha, copping the title in 2014.

The Langsdorf Run: 2012: finished second (11-7), won the step-ladder play-in but lost the rubber game in the best of three playoff against Kenosha.

2013: tied for the league title (13-3), beat West Allis to get to the finals, but lost the decisive third game, 3-2 to Kenosha.

2014: tied for league title (15-5), won the play-in to get to the championship where they beat Kenosha in two straight to win the title.

The A’s were 330-222 in the decade of the 2010’s.

A’S OF THE DECADE: 2010’s GEEZER’S ONE-YEAR WONDERS Pitchers

Y

G

W-L-S

ERA

YEAR PLAYER

G

W-L-S

ERA

Mitch Gardner

11

82

25-16-6

3.53

1972

Tim Gardner

13

4-5-0

2.04

Derek Loomans

8

81

30-19-4

3.48

1989

Chris Thousand

9

7-0-0

2.89

Eric Schmitz

7

58

27-10-1

2.10

1991

Whitney McCurdy

11

10-0-1

1.24

Taylor Schwarz

12

78

44-12-2

2.61

1994

Kevin Mlodic

12

8-2-0

4.07

Ben Stanczyk

6

41

23-4-2

1.74

1994

Jared Washburn

13

6-4-0

3.18

Brandon Winfield

4

59

20-14-10

2.46

1997

Damon Day

15

8-2-1

1.18

Catchers

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

1997

Tommy Cerasuolo

12

8-0-0

3.42

Taylor Grimm

3

123

11

93

.305

.800

2006

Andrew Wolcott

11

6-3-0

1.30

Justin Hunt

4

164

4

75

.221

.597

2011

Colin Weyer

10

7-3-2

2.74

Outfield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

2019

Drew Nuanes

9

7-1-0

3.40

Carter Amundsen

3

42

0

34

.331

.772

YEAR PLAYER

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

Wyatt Olson

2

94

6

73

.336

.891

1984

KJ Dickmann

24

3

15

.345

1.011

Tim Patzman

6

267

23

183

.344

.931

1986

Chris Holder

50

0

27

.345

.842

Colin Willis

3

91

1

44

.352

.901

1986

Dan Miller

32

5

33

.348

1.047

Middle Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

1994

Don Garvey

12

1

10

.436

1.080

Jake Arens

3

120

7

62

.273

.782

1996

Jack Buckwalter

30

0

10

.344

.843

Hunter Berry

2

42

1

15

.276

.753

1999

Tom Gessner

53

12

50

.507

1.229

Nate Heili

3

67

4

66

.304

.820

2008

Shawn Wozniak

43

6

38

.422

1.150

Trevor Theissen

4

112

0

31

.288

.696

2017

Josh Moses

45

7

34

.385

1.137

Corner Infield

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

2019

Jake Falish

50

1

30

.313

.821

Blake Fleischman

3

80

6

56

.353

.935

Cole Heili

4

148

12

101

.321

.950

Chad Langley

4

159

5

89

.280

.738

Mitch Sutton

2

90

1

35

.331

.837

DH

Y

G

HR

RBI

AVE

OPS

T.J. McCoy

2

39

1

22

.404

.974

Harry Steldt

9

435

27

293

.330

.921

Manager: Derek Loomans (108-67, .599) Geezer’s Notes: It needs to be noted that while the team was enjoying success on the field, the efforts of the off the field members of the Sheboygan Athletic Club need to be recognized and commended. The Club continued to pound away at its goal of making this the finest semi-pro baseball program in the Midwest. After the completion of the grandstand project in 1997, the club built new dugouts, erected new safety netting, replaced the sound system, expanded capacity with the Bud Backstop and Bud Baseline field-level seating sections, replaced the scoreboard while adding a video display, added a new apparel shop, and redesigned the concessions stand to improve efficiency in service. In addition, during 2019 the club built the Bud Light Party Deck, further adding more options for groups to enjoy an outing at the park.

Manager: Mark Marizzaldi (2001: 46-16), Mike Steed (2002: 46-20), Shawn Wegner (2011: 32-17) Geezer’s Final Notes: There it is, the A’s all-decade teams. Surely someone was forgotten, surely someone will be upset that he was not named, but that is the way of allstar teams. Almost by definition, baseball is arbitrary – ask any umpire. The hope is that it brought back memories.

Bring on the 2020s! The new decade begins with a new manager, Tim Moyer, and several new players. It also begins with a six-decade history, a sting of 14 straight winning seasons and a strong cast of returning players. Bring it on!

GEEZER’S LINEUP CARD 1. Bartelt (SS) 2. Willis (CF) 3. Wetenkamp (3B) 4. Wilke (1B) 5. Nowicki (RF) 6. Mand (DH) 7. Patzmamn (LF) 8. Schwartz (C) 9. Gehr (2B) P: Casper P: Eckhardt P: Herr P: Stanczyk

Dave Gehr @shebbaseball | 75

Sheboygan A’s Hall of Famer and former Wisconsin State Baseball League batting title winner Al Albert invites you to his newly remodeled three bedroom condo, ideally located at the junction of the 101 and 202 Freeways (Tempe and Mesa border) and two miles from the junction of the 101 and 60 Freeways.

The location jumps from convenient to ideal when you learn that you are just 10 minutes from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. Within a short distance are two popular outdoor malls (Tempe Marketplace one mile away and Mesa Riverview two miles) that deliver ever pleasing shopping and dining experiences.

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You’re also located ½-mile from the new Cubs Spring Training complex, and within 10 minutes of four other Spring Training sites, 15 minutes from downtown Phoenix with its Major League Baseball, NBA, WNBA and Arena Football, cultural and performing arts, shopping and restaurants. 30 minute drives take you to the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals and the Fiesta bowl and to the Phoenix Open golf tournament as well as Jobing.com Arena, home of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.

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@shebbaseball | 76

Sheboygan A’s stalwart infielderoutfielder Al Albert, who led the Wisconsin State League in hitting with a robust .470 average in 1987, was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame.

Albert and four others were inducted at the league’s annual awards dinner held in January at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan.

Inducted with Albert were Tom Bennett (Madison), Mike Brooks (Janesville) Mike Ruechel (Green Bay) and Steve Ryder (Addison).

Albert, who is from Waubeka and was a standout athlete at Ozaukee High School, joined the A’s in 1985 and made an immediate impact. He hit .338 that year, followed by an even .300 the next year and then tore up the league in 1987 with his .470 league-leading average.

He finished with a .312 career average which ranks 22nd all-time among State League players with 700 or more plate appearances.

Albert’s close friend and teammate Gene Mand, who holds just about every Sheboygan A’s and Wisconsin State League career hitting record, presented Albert at the dinner.

Albert is the 14th Sheboygan A’s player to be picked for the Hall.

Others are: Mand, Denny Moyer, Lee Wetenkamp, Randy Wilke, Chuck Zeichert, Dave Gehr, Michael Casper, Tom Eckhardt, Tom Gardner, Jason Bartelt, Dave Kober, Bob Sauger and Clay Schwartz.

Overall, Albert hit .332 in his career with the A’s with 55 doubles, five triples, 31 home runs and 181 runs batted in.

He led the A’s in runs scored in 1988 and in stolen bases four straight years.

He ranks in the top 15 in most A’s offensive categories including holding down the third spot in hit by pitch and stolen bases. He held the club’s hit by pitch record until Clay Schwartz, the best in the NCAA at that manly art, broke it.

Bennett was a player and manager for the Madison Leske Supper Club and Howard Johnson franchises from 1973 through 1978.

Manager of the Year in 1974 and 1978, he piloted Madison to divisional titles in 1973, 1974 and a league title in 1978. An accomplished infielder, Bennett finished his 7-year playing career with a .296 batting average.

An infielder for the Janesville Aces,

Brooks finished his 6-season career with a .315 batting average and .946 fielding percentage. He was a key player in their championship teams of 1989 and 1990 and was the league’s co-MVP (along with teammate Tom Imhoff) in 1990. His best years were his .379 season in 1988 and his .373 year in 1990.

Always a long ball threat, Ruechel hit .348 with a .702 slugging percentage and a rousing 1.124 career OPS, helping Green Bay to championships in 1985, 1989 and 1992.

He was named to the league’s initial all-league team in 1989 when he had his best year for average, .393. He has a .348 career batting average and 32 home runs which ranks him 10th.

The fleet Ryder was a mainstay at the top of the Addison Braves line-up for eight seasons and finished with a career .420 on base percentage and 78 stolen bases, third on the all-time list.

He won the league batting title with a .419 average in 2002 and stole 21 bases that year. He finished his career with a .312 average.

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Good luck Sheboygan A’s baseball team.

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80 | sheboyganbaseball.org

When a good player also emerges as your team leader you have something special.

In Tom Martin’s case, you have a hall of famer.

Martin’s reliable play and his leadership got him the nod from the Hall of Fame committee, and last summer he became the 30th member of the Sheboygan A’s Hall of Fame.

Martin was an infielder, who over the course of his career played every position on the dirt part of the field.

He played from 1971 through 1978, appearing in 198 games and compiled a career .277 average with 188 hits, 139 runs scored and 98 driven it. He hit .285, .301, .335, and .333 in four consecutive seasons.

His best year was 1976 he led the club and hitting .335 in a teamhigh 43 games played. He also led the club in plate appearances 178, at bats 155, runs scored 36, hits 52, RBI 33, triples 7, and total bases 78.

He was the shoo-in Most Valuable Player that season.

His seven triples set a club record that year. Dave Kober tied that record in 1978. After that the shared record stood until 2014 when Colin Willis hit eight three-baggers. The triples record is an interesting story because 1976, the year Martin set the record, was Kober’s first season with the ballclub. At one point that season, Kober was struggling and talking about quitting. In something of an animated conversation, Martin convinced him to stay, and in

addition to tying the triples record, Kober went on to a have a tremendous career finishing with a .324 career average and membership in both the Sheboygan A’s andthe Wisconsin State league Hall’s of Fame.

Martin had a way of holding the team together, mostly by example, but occasionally by convincing discussions.

He and Dick Larsen are the only two to have participated in two triple plays.

Although 40 seasons have passed since Martin left the club, he is still ranked on several career charts. He

Year G 1971 20 1972 39 1973 33 1974 37 1975 23 1976 43 1977 2 1978 1 8 198

ranks second in career sacrifice with 29, only bat magician Dave Gehr had more, and fourth in triples with 15. He is also on the career assists list, 11th with 414, and double-play list, 10th with 85.

Despite the passing of nearly a half century, Martin still has fond memories of Chuck Zeichert and his teammates, particularly Kober, Gene Mand, Charlie Kometer and Ron Herr.

After retiring as an active player, Martin served on the A’s Board of Directors and played with the Thielman’s Athletic Club softball team. He resides in Collierville, TN, a suburb of Memphis, with his wife Joan. They have two children, a daughter Allison and a son, Ryan, and four grandchildren. He is retired from Konica Minolta.

MARTIN STATS

AB R H RBI SB 2 3 HR AVE 56 10 13 4 2 3 1 0 .232 116 18 28 13 2 5 2 1 .241 117 22 27 14 6 4 3 0 .231 144 28 41 23 4 7 3 1 .285 83 22 25 11 1 3 2 1 .301 155 36 52 33 0 3 7 3 .335 6 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 .333 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 678 139 188 99 15 25 18 6 .277 @shebbaseball | 81

82 | sheboyganbaseball.org

THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF BALLPLAYER here as Gene Mand, left, and Lee Wetenkamp, right, congratulate Al Albert after his induction into the Wisconsin State Baseball League Hall Fame. The three, who were teammates on the Sheboygan A’s 1980’s teams, have become best friends. Mand presented Albert at the induction ceremonies.

Wisconsin State League Hall of Fame 2007: Jim Coulter (Janesville), Dan Davis (Beloit/Green Bay/Rockford/ Janesville), Greg Howell (Green Bay), Greg Lavarone (Lombard), Tom Klawitter (Appleton/Janesville), Gene Mand (Sheboygan), Denny Moyer (Sheboygan), Denny Ruh (Green Bay), Lee Wetenkamp (Sheboygan), Randy Wilke (Sheboygan) 2008: Rich Capparelli (Lombard), Mark Miller (Green Bay), Steve Rothenbach (Oshkosh), Jeff Vukovich (Lombard), Terry Young (Green Bay) 2009: Troy Cota (Green Bay), Dan Miller (Oshkosh/Sheboygan/Green Bay), Phil Plamann (Appleton/Green Bay), Tim Richardson (Lombard), Chuck Zeichert (Sheboygan) 2010: Pat Campbell (Janesville), Dave Gehr (Sheboygan), Mark Hinske (Menasha/Green Bay), Mark Rohde (Horicon), Dick Zeratsky (Green Bay)

2011: Michael Casper (Sheboygan), Dave Christman (Racine/Green Bay/ Oshkosh), Tom Imhoff (Janesville), Paul O’Callaghan (Lombard), Tom Zoch (Oshkosh/Green Bay/Marshfield)

2012: Marty Bell (Madison), Tom Eckhardt (Sheboygan), Tony Gerharz (Menasha/Oshkosh), Larry Kurkowski (Addison), Bryan Purchatzke (Oshkosh), Cory Schaefer (Oshkosh/Green Bay), Mark Zeratsky (Green Bay) 2013: R.D. Boschulte (Madison), Troy Evers (Green Bay), Tom Gardner (Sheboygan), Bill McQueen (Janesville), Mike Pierce (Addison/Lombard), Steve Schulz (Green Bay) 2014: Jason Bartelt (Sheboygan), Rich Graham (Addison/Lombard), Dave Halford (Madison), Josh Krowiorz (Sheboygan/Manitowoc), Joe Shere (Janesville)

2015: Jim Kating (Lombard), Chris Kilen (Janesville), Carl Maglio (Madison), John Nelsen (Green Bay), Howie Norsetter (Madison), Tim Pulizzano (Kenosha) 2016: Steve Colaizzi (Addison), Jerry Frisque (Green Bay), Dave Kober (Sheboygan), Greg O’Brien (Madison), Dan Zeratsky (Green Bay) 2017: Matt Fredricks (Janesville), Steve Ploetz (Madison), Boyd Rohde (Horicon), Matt Rohde (Horicon), Bob Sauger (Sheboygan) 2018: Billy Johnson (Kenosha), Randy Johnson (Kenosha) Brian Neveau (Oshkosh), Clay Schwartz (Sheboygan), Paul Wilmet (Green Bay) 2019: Al Albert (Sheboygan), Tom Bennett (Madison), Mike Brooks (Janesville), Mike Ruechel (Green Bay), Steve Ryder (Addison)

@shebbaseball | 83

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GORMAN PICKED FOR A’S HALL OF FAME Thick and barrel-chested, Chad Gorman looked the prototype of the all-conference catcher, fullbacklinebacker and state qualifying wrestler that he was at Waukesha North. And after a stint at Carthage College, he stepped onto the Lakeland College campus and there, too, he had a good career, in fact he left with the school’s runs batted in record.

Then he stepped onto Wildwood Park’s turf and threw his hat into the semi-pro ring. That took a little while, but once cracked the line-up he stayed there.

In 1995 the A’s had a 22-29 record.

Along came Chad Gorman.

The A’s went 29-9, 39-14, 39-36, 44-13 and 4414 . . . and they won two Wisconsin State League championships. Gorman was in the middle of the line-up on those clubs – and his strong suit was his bat.

“He could hit. Period. We played him everywhere we could to keep his bat in the line-up,” his manager Dave Moyer said. “I remember him being hurt a lot, but he still hit. Always.

“I also remember him being a great teammate: put him anywhere in the line-up, play him anywhere. It didn’t matter and he didn’t care. He loved to play. He competed like nobody’s business. He wanted to play and he cared about the team.”

This recognition is well deserved and I am as proud of him now as I always was then,“ Moyer said.

Gorman hit .319 with an on-base percentage of .404 and an OPS of .891. His best years were in 1996 when he hit .366 and 1998 when he hit .339 with 19 doubles, six home runs and 43 RBI. He finished with a .319 average in 238 games with 52 doubles, 24 home runs and 158 runs batted in.

“I feel absolutely honored,” he said when he was told about his selection to the A’s Hall Fame.

“My fondest memories are the guys I play with: Jason and Nick Bischoff, Jason Bartelt and others . . . these guys are still my best friends; I think of them like brothers,” Gorman said.

He also remembers “beating Klawitter” (Tom Klawitter, the ace of the league who played for Janesville), “legendary Sheepshead games on Year G bus rides” and, on occasion, “bodyslamming the mascot.”

1996 36 “But when I think of the A’s, I think 1997 41 of all the workers that donated their 1998 54 time to make the A’s experience one of 1999 52 the best times of my life,” he said.

2000 56 Gorman left the A’s to take a job as assistant baseball coach at Dana 5 238

College in Nebraska. He was named head coach there and held the position for three years before settling in Eau Claire with his wife, Leslie, and sons Jack (13), Tyce (11) and MJ (7).

When he’s not coaching the Eau Claire A’s, his son Jack’s 13U travel team, he owns and operates Diamond Fundraising.

Gorman’s Hall of Fame Induction is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 between games of the doubleheader against Addison.

GORMAN STATS

AB R H RBI 2 3 HR 101 20 37 17 7 0 3 121 28 36 36 12 0 5 177 41 60 43 19 1 6 177 43 57 35 5 0 8 186 29 53 27 9 1 2 762 161 243 158 52 2 24

AVE .386 .298 .339 .322 .285 .319

OPS .950 .932 .996 .875 .745 .891 @shebbaseball | 85

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HALL OF FAME ROSTER DIMINISHED

BY TWO If Chuck Zeichert were still around and would have been asked to deliver eulogies for Fred Forsterling and Charlie Kometer, he would have made his way to the lectern, composed himself, swallowed hard, looked up through misty eyes and with a cracking voice said, “They were Sheboygan A’s.”

And then it is most likely that he would have made his way back to his seat, for no more need be said.

The Sheboygan A’s are more than a baseball team. The Sheboygan A’s, you must understand, are a tightly knit group of young men who have accepted the challenge of taking on the hardest game in the world.

They bite the bullet together when their pitcher walks in the lead run, when their third baseman is handcuffed by a twisting ground ball, their best hitter is fooled by change-up for strike three with the tying run on third base.

Their bond is not diminished by these things, it is strengthened. They know how their teammate feels and they feel his remorse. They know and they understand things that fans just can’t seem to figure out.

The Sheboygan A’s aren’t on the field for their big paycheck or for their scholarship. They are out there because they have accepted the challenge of the game. They are out there because they have developed a feeling, a love for their teammates that compelled them to put out everything they have to challenge this game that

Fred Forsterling 1959-2019

Charlie Kometer 1950-2020

Fred and Charlie join three other Hall of Famers who have been called from the Diamond. They are gone, but they are still loved.

Ron Herr

Dick Larsen

Chuck Zeichert

always seems to win.

In the -past year, Fred Forsterling and Charlie Kometer lost their last games.

Their teammates will never forget them. They were Hall of Famers; they were Sheboygan A’s.

@shebbaseball | 87

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Dave Stecker

Melissa Woods

Aurora’s Stecker, Woods Work To Keep A’s Players Healthy Certified Athletic Trainers Dave Stecker and Melissa Woods will head up the Aurora Sports Medicine team responsible for keeping the Sheboygan A’s healthy as they plow through their 60-game schedule this summer.

Stecker earned a BS Degree in Athletic Training from Concordia and a Masters in Sports Management from Cardinal Stritch.

Woods earned her BS Degree in Athletic Training from Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Both are Board Certified.

Stecker and Woods work together providing athletic training services for South High School. They will be serving most Sheboygan A’s games and will secure replacements from Aurora when they are unavailable.

@shebbaseball | 89

PBR UNITES PROSPECTS, RECRUITERS Coordinated by Sheboygan Athletic Club member Denny Herr, PBR returns to Wildwood Baseball Park on Monday, Aug. 10.

PBR is Prep Baseball Report, which, since its inception in 2005, has evolved into one of the country’s biggest and most respected independent scouting services, with a singular focus of providing comprehensive year-round coverage in every state they are in.

The mission of Prep Baseball Report is to scout and promote amateur baseball - high school, junior college and college - and, ultimately, help athletes achieve their dreams of playing baseball at the next level.

With more than 150 scouts, PBR has the largest baseball scouting infrastructure across all levels of amateur baseball in the country.

Prep Baseball Report has more

90 | sheboyganbaseball.org

full-time scouts than any other independent amateur scouting company in the country, More than 800 colleges and pro teams subscribe to the Prep Baseball Report services.

The PBR Camp at Wildwood Park is one of hundreds of stratified levels of events across the country, that are headlined by the Prep Baseball Report Future Games and the Super 60 Pro Showcase.

PBR events have become a must for all serious players. They are designed to give players the maximum exposure needed to advance to the next level. Not only will participants receive high-level exposure from college coaches, but all players at events will be videotaped, and the edited performance will be hosted on the website.

All players will receive an online

profile with their verified statistics, scouting report, picture and video.

Additionally, all subsequent stories written about a prospect will be linked to the player’s profile, ultimately creating a one-stop shop for recruiters. Furthermore, the top players will be listed in PBR’s and overall rankings.

Cost for the Aug 10 event is $285 for the registrant. If the registrant elects to be evaluated at an additional position, an additional $85 is assessed.

Go to the PRB website for additional information.

BREWERS TEACH FUNDAMENTALS This August will mark the third consecutive year that the Sheboygan Athletic Club will bring in the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Academy to Wildwood Park.

The Academy caters to kids at every level of play.

Whether a beginner or a budding pro, each player gets a world-class experience on and off the diamond.

The camp will be held the week of Aug 10-14 at Wildwood Baseball Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is open for kids age 6-14.

The camp staff goes to great lengths to insure a mixture of fun, competition, learning and camaraderie.

Camp instructors use a progressive system of hitting, throwing and fielding. Depending on how well the groups achieve the various steps of teaching progression, instructors will advance the curriculum to match their progress. In addition, time is spent on position-specific skills like pitching, catching, middle infield play and hitting.

Drills are tailored to the experience level of the various age groups to create the best learning environment for everyone.

Campers are grouped by age and ability. The groups stay together throughout the week with the same coach.

During one of the five camp days, campers are transported by bus to Miller Park for a tour and a picture

with a Brewer player. Buses depart Miller Park at approximately 2 p.m. and return participants to their camp location.

Additional camp features are: Four Brewers game tickets for each camper with an option to attend one of three Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Academy Reunion games; A keepsake graduation certificate to commemorate their week at the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Academy; Every camper receives a full, highquality Brewers uniform (jersey, pants, hat and belt).

The registration fee for 2020 is $405. Payment is accepted on-line You may pay the fee in full on-line. Multiregistrations, if received at the same time are given a $25 discount.

Campers forced to cancel will be given a full refund if they cancel 45 days before the camp. Cancellations between 45 and 14 days prior will be charged a $75 processing fee.

No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 14 days prior to the first day.

Campers should bring their own lunch and drinks.

Parents are asked to affix the camper’s name to all lunch items and on personal equipment. In the event of inclement weather the camp will be moved to the ice center.

@shebbaseball | 91

Honoring and Rewarding Young Athletes Since 1959 92 | sheboyganbaseball.org

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THE SNIPE! Perhaps the most anticipated event of the A’s offseason is the Annual Golf Outing at Town and Country Club.

The event will take place on Sunday, Aug. 16.

The event was named “The Snipe” several years ago after venerable Sheboygan Athletic Club member, John “Snipe” Van Veghel, who, more than anybody else any club member could name, knew how to have fun. And no name fits more perfectly when an event, because the object of this one is fun, pure and simple. All the pent up pressures of a long season for club members, players and ardent fans are released at the golf outing.

Sponsors, fans and friends of the club are encouraged to participate in the outing, but those interested are encouraged to reserve their tee time promptly because the popular event fills rapidly and usually sells out.

Friends and fans who do not play golf are encouraged to join the group for the post-outing dinner. If you can’t find answers to your questions on the form, contact cochairs Scott Stangel or Sharon Van Veghel.

94 | sheboyganbaseball.org

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LATE ARRIVALS PROVIDE PUNCH, DEPTH The bulk of this program went to press before the A’s roster was completed. Usually that doesn’t make much of a difference, but this year it might. Some of the late arrivals could be making huge contributions.

Among them are outfielder Josh Moses and infielder Brent Widder.

Moses, who was with the A’s in 2017, hit .395 that year with 18 doubles, seven home runs and 34 RBI in 45 games. He shared MVP honors with Harry Steldt that year.

He was a unanimous allWisconsin State League selection after hitting .444 in the league.

He played his college ball at UWPlatteville where he was one of the most highly-regarded WIAC hitters.

Widder, was an outstanding player for North. He helped

the Legion team to the State Tournament championship in his junior season and cracked the starting line-up at D-1 Evansville this spring.

A couple hard-hitting corner infielders have also indicated they would be with the club. Northwoods League recruit Griffin Doersching, who plays at Northern Kentucky, and Prospect League recruit Tyler Brandenberg, who plays at Purdue, planned to join the club if the two Collegiate Leagues elected not to play this season.

Doersching has ripped 26 doubles and 27 home runs in his two seasons (plus a handful of games this year). He won the collegiate home run derby, hitting 20 in the second round (including 14 in the last minute and 40 seconds),

after hitting 15 in the first round.

Doersching hails from Greenfield.

Brandenberg, who hails from Saukville hit .435, .475, .515 and .524 in his time at Lake County Lutheran to be named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Player of the Year.

Other late signees are Vaughn Williston, a Marian University commit, who played on Waupun’s championship high school and Legion teams, and CJ Toutant, a catcher from Hortonville, who put up big numbers at Impact Sports Academy of Green Bay and is now playing for Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Staye tuned to SheboyganBaseball.org for the latest A’s roster additions during the summer.

Best of Luck A’s…

Rick Baumgart @shebbaseball | 97

98 | sheboyganbaseball.org

THE SHEBOYGAN A’s would not exist without the support of their sponsors and fans. Shown above is Tom and Terri Behrens (left) of Boneck Printing, recognized as Sponsor of the year; John Ballhorn (middle), sponsor, fan and friend of the club for more than 40 years; and Eric Hasenstein (right), “The Voice of Section 3,” who was honored as Fan of the Year. (SHEILA SYRJALA PHOTOS)

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5K Postponed

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The Sheboygan A’s annual spring fund-raiser, the Opening Day 5-K Walk-Run was postponed this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chair of the event committee, Sheila Syrjala, urged all potential participants to check the 5K website (5k.sheboyganbasball.org) and Facebook page for information on the rescheduled date and registration procedures.

Information and entry materials will be available at the ballpark when the rescheduled date is determined.

TH

NK YOU!

A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

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It was the worst of times. Things certainly weren’t good in the Europe of 1775 about which Charles Dickens wrote in “A Tale of Two Cities.” I wonder that the great storyteller would have written about our world in 2020.

Our heroes and stars are not found on the diamond, court or gridiron; not charging beaches with bullets flying around; not on stage behind a guitar nor in a glittering gown accepting an Oscar; they are not even found wearing a cape in Marvel movies. The heroes of 2020 wear surgical masks and sanitized gloves. They are at war with a virus; treating people who innocently contracted it and treating people who felt they were above the rules helping to spread it before they succumbed to it.

We beg your indulgence as we work our way through the launching and sustaining of this season. If you are reading this, it means the A’s are playing and our effort to bring community baseball to you was successful. But please do not thank us. Instead, find a caregiver, a first responder, or a worker in an essential area, our true heroes, and go out of your way to thank them.

- DENNY MOYER

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UNITED WAY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY VOLUNTEER CENTER

The Volunteer Center connects you to volunteer opportunities in Sheboygan County!

Join the thousands of volunteers that give of their time and talents to help nonprofit agencies support those in need. Check out the Volunteer Center online at uwofsc.org/volunteer for volunteer opportunites, both virtual and in-person.

2019 DAY OF CARING

1,016 VOLUNTEERS 38 NONPROFITS 58 PROJECTS

United Way of Sheboygan County Volunteer Center

Thank you Sheboygan A's for helping kick off Day of Caring each year!

Each year, United Way of Sheboygan County coordinates Day of Caring, a full day of supporting nonprofit agencies across Sheboygan County. Last year, 1,016 volunteers volunteered at 38 nonprofit agencies to complete 58 projects. Day of Caring starts at Wildwood Park for breakfast and, ofcourse, the United Way of Sheboygan County business Champions Mascot Race.

The A’s join us in asking you to join the hundreds of volunteers that support agencies during Day of Caring and throughout the year by signing up for a project at uwofsc.org/volunteer For additional info, contact United Way of Sheboygan County at 920-458-3425 or info@uwofsc.org.

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