What's New and What's Happening.... At
The Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball

Friday June 21, 2002

Dean Behne of Wilber (left) and Don Behne of Brainard made their 2nd visit to the Nebraska Museum of Major League Baseball in St. Paul, NE to present Mick McDowell (center) with printed information and a cassette tape recording Don made years ago with their uncle and museum inductee Adolph Liska. McDowell had written a letter to the editor of the Banner Press requesting information on Mr. Liska and received six (6) responses and a personal visit from the Behne's & their sister. It's obvious that these guys know their Nebraska Baseball and have a lot of fun in life. Their Uncle spent 5 years in the major leagues before an arm injury forced their uncle to become a successful minor league submarine pitcher.

This week we also had visitors from Indiana who had seen our advertisement in the Baseball Weekly, great paper. Thanks for stopping, hope you enjoyed what we're putting together and I hope you'll stop back again, since we are always adding information on Nebraskan's in the Major's.

Unfortunately the University of Nebraska was again ousted from the College World Series in Omaha, but we still love you guys to us, there's none better and we know you'll be back next year. Congratulations to the University's our new head Baseball Coach and thanks for your loyalty to our great State of Nebraska and the future successes of our Team. We'll be looking for you in Omaha again next year.

Thank you Ann Rowe (left in photo) and Trisha Beem of the Hastings and Grand Island respectively Bureau of Tourism for stopping by the baseball museum and the Sweet Shoppe. Right they are talking to Alice (owner of Sweet shop) and Loraine (Chamber Assistant/cleanup batter) about the 287 cookie jars in Alices restaurant.

Sunday May 26, 2002

This weekend was the first weekend of our sumertime hours, which are Saturday 10a.m.- 4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Hilma Welsh and her daughter Betty stopped in on Saturday to visit the Grover Exhibit. Hilma was very talkative about the fall of 1950 when her husband accompanied Grover Cleveland Alexander and Quinten Lynch to the World Series Championship and the victory dinner for the Yankees. This was Grover's last big trips before his death in November of the same year.

Hilma and Betty told of how their husband and father Roy Welsh was standing at the departure point when the editor of the local newspaper decided not to take the trip. Apparently Quinten shouted to Roy, "you might as well hop in the plane and travel along." Too which Roy looked to his wife Hilma who responded, "you'll likely never get the chance to travel to New York again, so go ahead." Roy said, he didn't have any clothes packed to travel, at which Quinten responded, you can by them when you get to New York, and off they flew.

I read through the newspaper article in the display case for Hilma in the center of the Hall of Fame players room at which Hilima responded, yep, that's the way it happened! It was fun to see her and her daughter remembering this baseball great and their connection to his life. She looked to the picture of the old brick house, we call the Bartel house and said, yes that was where I dropped Grover off after picking the bunch up at the Grand Island airport. And of course, that house, (still standin) is where Grover spent his remaining days.

Getting to vistit with people like Hilma and Betty when they come through the museum is a blast. I get to relive their memories about Grover and that is alway rewarding to those of us, manning the visitors desk.

Memorial Day weekend is always a pretty weekend around our little town, and the Courthouse and Veteran's memorial in front is always one of my favorite shots.

Last week one of Al Closter's relatives came through with Nebraska Tour Both hosts. We got an adress of Al's brother whom we'll be contacting soon.

Sunday, May 19, 2002

This has been a great weekend as we prepare for the beginning of the 2002 tourist season! We hope you'll come to St. Paul, NE, and give our musuem a visit.

Mick McDowell

A relative of Al Bool, living in Lincoln came to St. Paul yesterday with pictures, American League player contracts and news articles on Mr. Bool. Al Bool, was a Raymond, NE native who played catcher with three major league teams in the 1920's and 30's. We are very grateful to the Lott's for remembering us and for giving us the much needed information on Bool. We are eager to do Al Bool's Major League career justice.

Two weeks ago another family from Lincoln, the great nephew of Les Nunnamaker generously recognized our efforts in the Major League Baseball Museum with pictures, contracts, scrapbook, etc on Mr. Nunnamaker's career. We are particularly interested in Nunnamaker, because as a catcher from Aurora, he caught our native son, Grover Cleveland Alexander during the off season town team games. This unique connection with Grover will provide us a tremendous opportunity to build an expanded display related to Grover and we are greatful to the Nunnamaker family for their contribution.

Yesterday, Ken Christensen (Ken does a lot of display work) hosted 8 gentleman from Indiana who were making there way around on a baseball tour which included a Rockies game, Omaha Royal's, KC Royals and a Cardinals game and of course the Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball.

This morning, St. Paul was honored to play host to 35 summer rest-stop tour guides making their way through the North Loup River Valley area. We have many great tour stops for those of you wanting to see Nebraska attractions. Not to far from St. Paul is the town where Roger Welsch lives. Up the Scenic-By-Way, Highway 11, you can visit the Caulk Mine near Scotia. Fort Hartsuff near Burwell offers another great stopping point and throughout the spring this Scenic-By-Way provides one of the most beautiful drives you'll ever take through Nebraska. We thank the tour guides for taking time to visit our museum and we are glad they enjoyed what we have to offer, Thank You for your recommendations of our museum as one of the, "Best Stops in Nebraska."

Talk to you soon,
Mick McDowell
Museum Committee Chairman

April 16, 2002
By Mick McDowell

Being involved with the Baseball Museum can be kind of fun and unpredictable. Take last week for instance. I got a call in the morning from a gentleman from Brainard who wanted to come up and share a tape he and his brother had made of their uncle Adolph Liska regarding his professional baseball career. Now all this stemmed from a letter to the editor of their local newspaper seeking information about Adolph Liska, from which I received six responses, one from Don who was sitting in my office with his siblings. We had a nice chat about the tape and recollection they had. Unfortunately time was tight and our visit didn't allow for listening to the tape during working hours. But we had a good time visiting about their family and their uncle and I took them over to the baseball museum and showed them what we are working toward and I asked that they send a copy of the tape.

A couple of weeks ago I received a call from Lance ___ from California who had gotten on our web-page and was interested in what we were doing. We visited for quite a while and he requested a copy of the video tape that Nebraska Public Television made of the museum a year ago, (which still needs dubbed off if someone wants to help out).

Then last Tuesday, a young gentlemen from Florida formally from Minden, Cord Cordlos called. He had been on our web-page, (basic as it is) and was excited about what we are doing and began sharing his extensive knowledge of Nebraska Notables. Believe me when I say that there are some serious baseball fans out there who know a lot about Nebraska Baseball. After about an hour on the phone it was time to get back to work, but with a greater appreciation of what Nebraskan's have done in the Major Leagues of Baseball and a greater determination to continue the dream that we have begun to make our museum an attraction not only for our town but for the nation.

There are people all over this country looking for what we are developing here. We just need more time and money to get it done. With time and volunteers the biggest void needing filled now, we can achieve the expansion much quicker. Volunteers are perhaps the biggest need we have at this time. Don't get me wrong, we can always use money and lots of it, after all we have the floor of the back room to carpet now that Rick Peters voluntarily painted it. For that we are grateful and say a hearty THANK YOU to Rick for his gracious gift of his talent. The room looks much better and is nearing completion for this summer.

We are almost ready for the bus load of tourists coming into town Thursday April 19th. Thanks to Ken Christensen and Galen Trimbath, who have been busy creating what I like to call the Wall of Fame. This is the 40 foot wall in the back of the museum on the west side, which now shows off the over 130 Nebraskan's on the "Nebraska Major League Roster." The green line above the plaques will hold a timeline noting their decades of play and eventually timeline information related the sport.

I'd better make a point before I get to long winded, so if you enjoy doing some writing and or you think you might enjoy some basic research give me a call and I'll get you headed in the right direction. I'm wanting to first contact the home towns of players we are needing information on, (that's only about 75-90 players) like was done with Adolph Liska. You'll be surprised at the the responses we get and the fun you'll have. You don't have to have a love of the game, that you'll develop like I did, once you start recording some of their accomplishments. Call me at work or at home if you'd like to do some writing and research, you'll have a ball!

September 21st, 2001

Former Nebraska Cornhusker, Scott Fries from Dannebrog, which is just southwest of St. Paul, has loaned his Nebraska jersey for display in the "Nebraskan's On The Way Up" section of the museum. The picture below is of a family member, the jersey and case they are loaning and volunteers Galen Trimbath, left and Ken Christensen, right.

The Museum is currently in the process of adding 800 square feet of floor space to accomodate additional exhibits on Nebraska players. The back room which is 42' x 21' has just recieved its face lift, which includes new drywalling, paint and soon to be carpeted. The ceiling is still the original pressed steel that many of the old buildings, built in the 1880's had originally installed. The west wall of the back room now houses what we like to refer to as the WALL OF FAME. This is where the Nebraska Major League Roster is posted. Every player from the Nebraska who we know to have played in the Major League's has a wall plaque which briefly outlines their career. Unfortunatley many of the plaques don't have pictures of the players. Thats one of the many projects we are working on. Once our facilities are renovated. Many of the pictures that we have are from baseball cards we've purchased off of the web.

This week, today in fact 4-20-2002 we hosted a bus tour sponsored by one of the local Banks from the Ord area. Volunteers worked hard to get the Wall of Fame renovated and ready and the visitors were much appreciative of their efforts. In May we will host a group of tourism planners in hopes of attracting more visitors and more bus tours.