Dick Siebert

Dick Siebert - University of Minnesota - Affectionately known as “The Chief”. Passed away in 1978 at age 66 - A Graduate of Concordia High School in St. Paul. After an 11 year career in the major leagues as a first baseman with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Athletics, he coached at the University of Minnesota for 30 years, winning over 750 games and losing just 360. He won 11 Big Ten championships and three College World Series titles, in 1956, 1960 and 1964. Considered to be the “father of baseball” in Minnesota for all his contributions to the game in this state. He was well known for his summer baseball clinics throughout the state. He is also a member of the College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, the Concordia College Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, a charter member of the Gopher Sports Hall of Fame and now a charter member of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

 

Dick Seltz

Dick Seltz - Austin - A graduate of St. Paul Humboldt High School and Hamline University, Seltz played in the St. Louis Cardinals organization for three years before entering World War II. Upon his return he played minor league baseball again with the St. Cloud Rox before getting an offer to play for Austin in the Southern Minny. This would be the start of a 36 year coaching career at Austin High School where his teams won 509 games and lost just 165. His teams participated in 16 state tournaments, winning state championships in 1954 and 1964. His teams were also second five times in the state tournament. His teams won 23 Big Nine championships. He is a past president of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association. He was selected National High School Baseball Coach of the Year in 1987. Dick is a former winner of the Dick Siebert Award. Seltz is also a member of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Hamline University Hall of Fame, the Austin High School Hall of Fame and the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.

 

Tink Larson 

 

Tink Larson – Waseca High School – A graduate of Kasson-Mantorville High School and Minnesota State University-Mankato. Larson was head coach for 35 years, winning 420 games and losing 280, winning a state championship in 1990.  Tink has been very involved in Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association activities and with the Minnesota State High School League, serving on many state task force committees, advisory committees and selection committees. He is a two time Minnesota High School Baseball Coach of the Year and three times he has been one of eight finalists for National Coach of the Year.   His longevity in coaching at tall levels is remakable as he was a head coach for 50 years while coaching the High School, American Legion, VFW and Amateur teams, coaching 4500 games with over 2500 wins.  Larson is still active as an assistant coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato and with the Waseca High School, American Legion, VFW and Amateur teams.  He is a past president of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association and is a past Dick Siebert Award winner.  Tink is a member of 11 Halls of Fame, including the Minnesota State University-Mankato Athletic Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame, the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Waseca High School Athletica Hall of Fame, once as a coach and once with the 1990 team, the Kasson-Mantorville High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Waseca Braves Hall of Fame, the Minnesota American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame, and the American Basebal Coaches Assoication Hall of Fame, where is the only high school coach from Minnesota to be inducted.

 

Jim Dimick

Jim Dimick - St. Olaf College - A graduate of Barron, Wisconsin High School and St. Cloud State University, Dimick spent 15 years coaching high school athletics at Verona and Cumberland, Wisconsin and West St. Paul Sibley before moving on to coaching fame at St. Olaf College in Northfield where he spent 27 years as head baseball coach of the Oles. While coaching high school his teams won 10 conference championships and at St. Olaf his teams won 14 conference championships and finished second seven times. His college record was 589 wins and 259 losses and his teams participated in 13 NCAA Division III Regional Tournaments. Not only has Dimick done much for high school and college baseball in Minnesota, he has contributed nationally and internationally, serving as a clinician in many states as well as overseas in places like Colombia, Thailand, India, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Italy and the Philippines. He is a past president of the American Baseball Coaches Association and is member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the St. Cloud State University Hall of Fame and the Cumberland, Wisconsin High School Hall of Fame. He is a past recipient of the Dick Siebert Award. The MIAC Coach of the Year and the Minnesota High School Retired Coach of the Year awards are named after him.

 

Richard ‘Dick’ Mingo

Richard “Dick” Mingo – Bloomington Jefferson - A graduate of Minneapolis West High School and Hamline University. Mingo served five years as an assistant and 28 years as a head coach, spending time in St. James, Waconia, Bloomington Kennedy, Bloomington Lincoln and Bloomington Jefferson. It was at Jefferson where Mingo spent most of his coaching career. Mingo’s teams won nearly 300 games, but he is probably even more remembered for his work with the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association and the Lions High School All-Star Games. From 1964 through 1972, Mingo was executive secretary of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association and he was president of the association for two years. He is a past winner of the Dick Siebert Award. Mingo was one of the originators of the Minnesota Lions High School All Star Tournament and was the managing director for 25 years. He also served as a clinician for the Minnesota Twins touring summer clinics for 15 years.

 

Granville ‘Granny’ Smith

Granville “Granny” Smith – Park-Cottage Grove High School – A graduate of Washington High School in St. Paul and Hamline University. “Granny” was an early pioneer of high school baseball in Minnesota, coaching 32 years starting in 1945. His teams won 328 games and lost just 133, winning 14 conference championships and seven runner-up spots, which means his teams were either first or second in 25 of his 32 years of coaching. Granny was very active in the Baseball Coaches Association and was president in 1968. He was Minnesota High School Baseball Coach of the Year in 1978 and was a finalist for U.S. National Baseball Coach of the Year in 1978. He is also a recipient of the Dick Siebert Award. Mr. Smith has a unique non-baseball distinction in that he was the first G.I. from WWII to graduate from Hamline University. The baseball field at Park High School is named Granville O. Smith Baseball Field. Granville has also been inducted into the Hamline University Hall of Fame, the Minnesota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was a charter member of the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.

 

Wayne Dietz

Wayne Dietz – Anoka High School – A graduate of Sanborn High School and St. Olaf College. Dietz started coaching at Hector where he coached football, basketball, baseball and track before moving to Anoka in 1956. Between the two schools he coached baseball for 34 years with a record of 312 wins and just 120 losses, winning six conference championships, four district championships and two section championships, finishing second at the state tournament in 1972. Dietz is a past president of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association and was selected Minnesota High School Baseball Coach of the Year in 1979. Wayne was also a well known and well respected basketball official. Dietz is also a member of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame. Another noteworthy achievement is 58 years of marriage to his wife, Elizabeth.

 

Dale Massey

Dale Massey – Rochester Mayo High School – A graduate of Appleton High School and St. Cloud State University. Massey coached at Monticello and Rochester John Marshall before moving to Rochester Mayo in 1967 when that school opened. Massey spent 29 years as a head coach, winning 309 games and losing 256. Massey’s teams won five conference championships and four section championships. Massey is still very involved in high school baseball, probably attending more games and clinics than many still active in coaching. Massey has been involved in the Lion’s All Star Series for many years and helps out locally in Rochester by volunteering for many duties such as announcing, fund raising, scorekeeping, etc. Massey has been one of Minnesota’s best baseball ambassadors and has been a recipient of the Dick Siebert Award and the Jim Dimick Retired Coach Award.

 

Jarvis Anderson

Jarvis Anderson – Plainview High School – A graduate of Milaca High School and the University of Minnesota. Anderson coached 26 years, winning 222 games and losing 172. Jarvis started his coaching career at Renville High School in 1957 before moving to Plainview in 1966. His Plainview teams went to three state tournaments, winning the state championship in 1978. He has been very active in many areas of high school baseball. He is a past president of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association. He has been a rules clinician, an editor of the high school baseball book, a speaker at baseball clinics, has served on the MSHSL advisory committee and served for many years as a section representative to the High School Coaches Association. He has hosted and managed sub-section and section tournaments for many years. He has coached in the Lions all star series and was a member of the selection committee for many years. Jarvis has received many awards such as the Dick Siebert Award, the George Haun Award, the Jim Dimick Retired Coach Award, and is a member of the Plainview Hall of Fame.

 

Bob Streetar

Bob Streetar – Grand Rapids High School – A graduate of Grand Rapids High School and St. Cloud State University. Bob spent his entire coaching career in Grand Rapids, spending 32 years as head coach, winning 478 games and losing just 178. His teams went to the state tournament 14 times, winning state championships in 1978 and 1984. His teams were also state runner-up once, third twice, fourth twice and fifth once. Five times his teams were also a region runner-up which means his teams played in the section championship game in 19 of his 32 years as head coach. Believe it or not, but Bob also coached gymnastics at Grand Rapids. Bob is a past president of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association and a past Dick Siebert Award. Bob is a member of the St. Cloud State Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

John Wilkens

John Wilkens – St. Michael-Albertville High School – A graduate of Hopkins High School and Mankato State University. John was head coach for 20 years, winning 208 games and losing 127. Even more impressive than his outstanding coaching record has been his work with the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association. John has been executive secretary of the MSHSBCA since 1978. His never-ending effort on behalf of all the baseball coaches and athletes has not gone unnoticed. John is responsible for running the outstanding coaches clinic each year. He is editor of the Minnesota High School Baseball book. He is responsible for all the awards, plaques, certificates, etc., that go to high school coaches and players. He is probably the one most important person who has been responsible for the continued growth and success of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association. John is a past Dick Siebert Award winner and is a member of the Arlington Baseball Hall of Fame and the University of Minnesota-Mankato Hall of Distinction.

 

Jim Senske

E. James Senske – New Ulm High School – A graduate of St. Paul Wilson High School and Hamline University. Senske was head coach for 40 years. His honors and awards are too numerous to mention in a normal setting. Jim is the all-time wins leader in Minnesota as his record was a phenomenal 707 wins and just 171 losses, a winning percentage of 80.5 percent, the only coach with at least 200 wins with an 80 percent winning percentage. His teams won 26 conference championships and 17 section or region championships. The highlight of his career was winning the state championship in 2002. His teams had finished second twice, third seven times, and consolation champion five times. He is a past president of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association and was on the Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors for four years. He is a three time state coach of the year in baseball as well as once in basketball. He has been a finalist several times for national coach of the year and is a past winner of the Dick Siebert Award. Senske is also a member of the Hamline University Hall of Fame, the New Ulm American Legion Hall of Fame, the New Ulm Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, the Minnesota State High School Coaches Hall of Fame and the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.