Hank Gowdy Chapter meeting recap – 7/31/2011

The Hank Gowdy Chapter’s 2011 summer meeting was held on Sunday, July 31 in the Hall of Fame Bar at Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers (AAA, International League). The meeting was attended by 14 members, as well as several family members.

The featured speaker was Ken Schnacke, President and General Manager of the Clippers. He covered a number of subjects, including care and handling of minor league players at various stages of their career, manpower problems created for minor league team by their parents at trade deadlines, and a comparison of working conditions presented by the four major league franchises affiliated with the Clippers during his tenure.

Presentations by local members included Jim Tootle, the author of a new book, Vintage Baseball: Recapturing the National Pastime (McFarland, 2011). He spoke on the origins of vintage baseball and its current popularity nationally. In explaining the rules of the game, he showed the equipment, as well as the uniform worn by him as a member of the Ohio Village Muffins.

The second presenter was Blake Sherry, who reviewed the background, playing career and tragic death of Addie Joss, pitching ace of the Cleveland Naps. Blake emphasized that in 1908, in the most crucial game of his career, Joss tossed a perfect game to keep his team in the hunt for a pennant.

During the meeting, John Lewis presented a creative and challenging trivia contest which required members to answer questions about the rich tradition of college and professional baseball in Columbus. Following the meeting, the members and their families enjoyed a 13-inning contest between the Clippers and Norfolk Tides, a Baltimore Orioles affiliate.

— Rick Huhn