2008 Hudson
River Rats Hall of Fame
Webmaster's
note... Due to the return of two Rat Hall of Famers this
page might seem a little strange. That's alright, because the whole damn
website is pretty strange. OK, maybe not strange. Tacky and
tasteless at times, amusing at others, way off base in other places. You
can't win them all though...
In the spirit of giving a little
something back to the guys who've finally (and smartly) decided to hang up their
baseball cleats and start doing other things with their lives during the spring
and summer (e.g. golfing, parenting, coaching little league, fishing, reading,
running, or building a local real estate empire), I put aside a little bit of my
copious free time to compose a "Hall of Fame" page for visitors to the Rat's
Nest. After all, people do on occasion wonder what happened to "that
number so and so" who always played hard, or "that dude, what's his face" who
seemed to relentlessly ridicule and mock opposing players at tournaments, or
"the dickhead who used to play infield for you guys-- I hope somebody ran him
over with a combine/tractor..." And so on, you know how it is-- River Rat
players don't fade away as you can imagine-- they live on in the nightmares and
hatred of former players. Seriously however, none of these guys was really
hated all that much by their opponents (maybe by their teammates, but not their
opponents...)
Inductee #1: Jason Bast
Otherwise known as "J-Love", "Rear Admiral", or "1 Ball",
(or Uncle Rico - 2006), Jason was the original
captain of the Hudson River Rats baseball team, and one of its most storied
members. A stellar three sport athlete hailing from Eau Claire, Jason
decided against a collegiate athletic career in baseball and hockey to join the
United States Navy in 1987.
Jason served in the Navy for six
years as a nuclear specialist aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier, Carl Vincent. After completing
his stint with an
honorable discharge (perhaps his most accomplished feat considering his "tours
of duty" in the Philippines and Thailand), Jason attended UW-River Falls and
graduated in four years with a degree in economics. While some of his best
years were spent playing with the Spring Valley Hawks (from 1993 to 1999), Jason
paved the way for the River Rats in 2000, and provided an MVP performance in
that first season, powering the Rats to within one game of the WBA state finals.
In 2001, Jason struggled with an ailing back, an increased professional
workload, and the strains of parenthood before finally deciding to retire from
full-time play in 2002. J-Love suited up in 2002 and 2003 for brief
appearances during the Spring Valley tournament, but finally figured it was time
to come on in for the big win in 2006.
Jason currently lives in Hudson, working as a real estate agent specializing in
residential sales in and around the Hudson area, with his wife Jana, daughter
Riley, and son Mitchell. Jay's penchant for post-game banter has earned
him the additional nickname "Captain Dickhead" from his favorite liberally
inclined manager.
Inductee #2: John McGinley
As arguably one of the best shortstops to ever suit up in the St. Croix Valley
Baseball League, the inimitable John McGinley left a sizable void on the River
Rats after his Wisconsin baseball denouement in 2002. For the first three
years of the River Rats (2000-03), one would've been hard pressed to find a more
durable, aggressive, and reliable shortstop/leadoff hitter in the league
than Johnnie Mac. His notorious antics and badgering notwithstanding, Mac
provided some of the most prolific offensive and defensive performances ever
seen in the SCVBL, inevitably leading the Rats to the 2002 WBA State
Championship. His career batting average for the Rats still ranks above
all other players, and may for years to come, although it is unlikely that any
player will eclipse his career on-base percentage or number of Copenhagen tins
chewed. A product of Hudson High School, John McGinley was a three sport
all-star before heading to UW-Stout in 1989, and then to UW-River Falls in 1990
(after determining his chances of catching full-time would be much higher there
than at Stout with future all-American Matt Barnard.) Mac applied his
outstanding catching skills for the Falcons for four years, graduating in 1994
with a degree in education and mathematics. Originally a member of the
Hudson Rebels, Mac moved with the aforementioned Jason Bast to the Spring Valley
Hawks in 1994, where he played until 1999. Mac's departure from the Rats
resulted in a one-year experimental contract with Al's Mudducks in 2003 (funded
primarily through free beer, a new baseball glove, and closer proximity to his
former residence in St. Paul Park, Minnesota), sadly ending short of an
appearance in the Minnesota Class A amateur baseball finals. John now
resides in New Richmond with his wife Rhonda, son Jordan, daughter Megan, and
their chocolate lab retriever Hershey.
Mister Mac also teaches math at Hudson High School, occasionally teaching chess
club, baseball, and other bits of wisdom as he sees fit between meetings with
Craig Jilek.
Inductee #3: Shaun Miley
Of all the departures from the Hudson River Rats, the most significant was
undoubtedly that of catcher/infielder Shaun "Big Rig" Miley. Shaun's 6'3"
frame, incredible sense of humor, baseball knowledge, and strong bat were River
Rat strengths in 2000 and 2001, helping lead the squad against some of the
toughest competition in the SCVBL in over a decade. His presence in the
lineup, whether in the three spot, the clean up spot, or down to sixth made for
a good deal of protection for whomever was in front of him. His greatest
asset for the Rats was his reliability, whether showing up for games, coming up
with picks at first base, blocking balls in the dirt behind the plate, or
finishing 80 ounces of beer during a round of Barbarian pitchers at PY's in
Osceola... Another product of Western Wisconsin, Shaun grew up in Elmwood,
playing football, basketball, and baseball and graduating from Elmwood HS in
1987. Like other members of the SCVBL, Shaun took the short trip to
college and attended UW-Stout, playing baseball for the Blue Devils alongside
other future River Rat and Menomonie Eagle baseball players. Graduating
with a degree in engineering, Miles then intelligently entered a career in
computer programming, which he still holds to this day. As one of the most
prolific players in the SCVBL, Shaun now plays for the Plum City Blues, catching
and occasionally tracking down fly balls when he's not at first or DH'ing.
Miles began his amateur career with Brian Rudesill and the Spring Valley Hawks
in 1987, lasting a full thirteen seasons with the Hawks before joining the Rats
in 2000. Shaun currently resides in Prescott with his wife Jackie, sons
Isaac and Jonah, and his Rottweiler, Chunk (along with another dog whose name
escapes me at this time.) Yes, we still miss you Shaun...
Inductee #4: Andy Koehler
On the other side of the coin, so to speak, is another former UW-Stout standout
infielder and all-around stand up gentlemen, the diminutive Andy Koehler.
Otherwise known as "AK", Andy played with the River Rats intermittently for four
seasons, ranging from 2000 to 2003, always fitting important games into his
rather hectic schedule. If Mac was the steady guide on the infield, AK was
the mercurial acrobat, jumping for line drives in the hole, picking up choppers
bare-handed, and gunning out would-be bunters with his powerful right arm.
Off the field, Andy was and is just as unpredictable in demeanor, balancing
professional courtesy and good manners with an impish playfulness just as likely
to erupt in a practical joke or a wrestling move. Andy came to the area
via Seattle where he grew up, settling for a short time in Stillwater while he
attended college at Stout, playing infield with the Blue Devils in the early to
mid 1990's. While in college, Andy played with the Hudson Rebels and then
bolted to the Spring Valley Hawks in 1996. In 2000, AK joined the Rats and
provided his normally stellar defense, hitting, and base running for over a third
of the games in each of his four seasons. After the 2003 season, Andy
decided to play baseball closer to his home in Savage, as he now plays for the
Prior Lake Mudcats men's amateur team. Andy currently works as a marketing
and advertising executive for Activision games and lives with his wife Rebecca,
their son Alan Scott, and their dog Ozzie in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
Inductees #5 & #6: The Stellrechts
If you thought farmhands were only good at football, raising hell, horseshoes,
and hay bailing, you'd better think again. Nate and Steve Stellrecht, the
dynamic duo from Spooner, Wisconsin made the River Rats a dangerous (and
altogether hefty) lineup during their seasons with the Rats. Nate jumped
onboard in June of 2000, helping an already strong staff become one of the best
veteran staffs the Rats have ever enjoyed. The following season Steve
decided to give the Rats a chance, as he ended up catching three seasons in the
Red and White of Hudson's best baseball team. A tough pair to beat on the
field, they were just as entertaining off it, combining razor sharp wit, a
distaste for music other than country and western, and a penchant for Harley
Davidson motorcycles. How tough were they on the field? MVP tough.
Get the fuck out of my batter's box tough. Hit the ball out of the yard
back to back and laugh about it tough. Yet, they were and are very
soft-spoken and down to earth guys... Nate Stellrecht returned to the fold
in 2007, enjoying what he deemed to be his "most enjoyable year of playing
ball", hitting around .375 with a few extra base hits sprinkled in...
Steve Stellrecht lives in Baldwin and is enjoying his time away from the game,
one beer at a time.
Inductee #7: C. Matt
Barnard
What can
you say about one of the most talented baseball players to ever come out of the
small town of Menomonie, Wisconsin in the past quarter century? Matt's
talents as a catcher and pitcher for the River Rats between 2000 and 2002 (and
briefly in 2004) were hard to top by anyone playing in the region. His return
to the River Rats in 2006 was a welcome affair, and we were
always happy to let him know that he brings joy to everybody on the Rats when he
shows up for a game, either in uniform or not. While
Matt was more or less a part-time reservist for the River Rats, his
contributions to the team were legendary, and certainly big parts of their
playoff runs in 2000 and 2002. Barney grew up in Menomonie, a
1987 high school graduate who initially opted to attend the University of
Minnesota. After he figured that his chances of full-time catching would
be better at another venue (he was sadly behind future Seattle Mariner Dan Wilson on
the depth chart), he returned home to Menomonie to attend UW-Stout and began
what would be a Stout Hall of Fame and Division II All-American baseball career. As a
spry young gun for the Beagles in the late 80's he also earned a WBA title in
1989, before changing allegiances to the Spring Valley Hawks around 1994.
On a side note, he'd also spent the majority of his free baseball playing time
with the semi-pro Exeland Braves during the mid to late 1990's (and also into
the new century while he was with the Rats), playing on weekends while his wife
Lori and kids were vacationing at their northern Wisconsin cabin. A
lifelong Green bay Packer fan (like the Stellies, Shaun Miley (his UW-Stout
roomie for a time), and Jason Bast (his political nemesis)), Matt now lives in
Boston with his wife and three boys (Alex, Matthew, and Sean), making a six
figure salary and working 50+ hours a week.