National Historic Site museum to host a reception July 28, 5 - 7 p.m.
Tip O'Neill Award will be on display for one day only; exhibit continues until Sept. 24
By
Mark Schadenberg
You
ask and you shall receive.
The
Woodstock Museum put out a friendly request to The Friendly City for sports artifacts
and the result should be quite an impressive array of items which will tell the
history of sports in Woodstock.
The
local sporting life includes bicycles and baseball from the 1880’s, but also
must cover the accomplishments of more recent (past 40 years) athletes such as
Brian Paton, Bob McKinnon, June Bell, Penny Parkes, Russell Gerber and Jake
Muzzin.
The
museum’s latest temporary exhibit runs from now until Sept. 24 on the second
floor of the 'national historic site' at 466 Dundas Street. (www.woodstockmuseum.ca)
I
certainly haven’t seen the final displays as of yet, but I’ve talked to Karen
Houston (curator) and Adam Pollard at the museum, along with Brad Janssen from
the city’s special events department, and its looks like a terrific
cross-section of sports and eras will be defined.
My
interest in all this is simple – the exhibit honours the Woodstock Sports Wall Of Fame, which I have been part of since its inception in 1996 at the grand
opening of the Woodstock District Community Complex. Back then, I was sports
editor of the Woodstock Sentinel-Review and in that capacity assisted in some
research of the first inductee Stub Harper.
The
sports shrine (wall of fame) at the community complex will be re-introduced with a new look in
October, including a touch screen monitor for your interactive personal
research of biographies and photos.
I
was at the museum on Monday morning (July 25) with world champion Special Olympics powerlifter
Russell Gerber, who was kind enough to let the museum borrow both his 2007 and
2011 world championship medals. It’s a very impressive accomplishment by
Gerber, which also made him an inductee in the sports wall in 2013 as honourable recognition, and he received a standing ovation from a large Goff Hall crowd at
the community complex.
Russell Gerber
Penny Parkes
With
the complex celebrating its 20th birthday this year, it’s also the
20th anniversary of the falling (imploding) of the Perry Street
Arena, so the museum will also honour that rink’s past including a focus on both
figure skating and hockey. A large mural has been on display on an empty
exterior wall in Downtown Woodstock for a few weeks – a mural remembering the
1954-55 Woodstock Warriors OHA Junior B champions – a club which included Bobby
Hull.
The
1968-69 Woodstock Navy Vets Junior C OHA champions will also be well
represented at the museum.
OPENING
RECEPTION
I’m
making sure I’m at the Opening Reception on Thursday, July 28 between 5 -7 p.m.
as the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum (Based in St Marys) will
have the Tip O’Neill Award present. Since 1984, the trophy is annually awarded
to the top Canadian in Major League Baseball and has been earned by Larry
Walker (9 times), Joey Votto (5), Justin Morneau (3), Jason Bay, Eric Gagne,
and of course current Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin.
O’Neill
was from Woodstock and his 10-year MLB career included an astounding 1887
season when he won the triple crown with a .435 batting average, along with 14
home runs and 123 RBIs. Some almanacs listed his average that year as .492 as
statisticians recorded walks as hits that season. The bottom line for Tip O’Neill
is that his .435 average that year with the St Louis Browns is the second best
ever for one season, and he also led MLB in total bases and slugging percent
that season.
James
Edward ‘Tip’ O’Neill (May 25, 1858 – Dec. 31, 1915) – known also the Woodstock Wonder – also played for
the Woodstock Active who are also on the Woodstock Sports Wall of Fame.
Tip O'Neill
MUSEUM
EXHIBIT
The
museum exhibit continues until Sept. 24.
If
you are not a regular at the museum, be sure to check out the many on-going
historic depictions on the main floor, including an industrial timeline of the
city, a look at Woodstock’s roles in international conflicts especially a
profile on the Oxford Rifles, and many pictures of yesteryear locally. My
favourite items are the replicated city council chamber (with photos of
previous city councils) as the museum was previously city hall, and the large
placard with many details on the life of Klondike Joe Boyle. The museum also
includes organs built in Woodstock, a look at the history of fire fighting
locally, and a look back at railways and area agriculture.
SPORTS
INDUCTIION CEREMONY
The
next induction ceremony for the Woodstock Sports Wall of Fame is Saturday, Oct.
29. That day will include the unveiling of the touch screen monitors and can also
be considered a 20th birthday party for the community complex, which
naturally includes 2 arenas and the Goff Hall, but is also home to the
Woodstock Gymnastic Club, a fitness facility, and a pro shop for skate
sharpening (etc).
Me and Tip O'Neill together at:
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in St Marys
LINKS:
http://baseballhalloffame.ca/inductees/james-tip-oneil
http://www.heartfm.ca/news/local-news/woodstock-sports-hall-of-fame-exhibit/
http://www.heartfm.ca/news/local-news/woodstock-sports-hall-of-fame-exhibit/
Mark Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist
(SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . .
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