League: Chippewa River Baseball League

Primary League

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Art Zwiefelhofer

Class of 2019

Player: Howard Braves 1961-64; Tilden Tigers 1965-83

Player/Manager: Tilden Tigers 1980, 82-83

CRBL Umpire: 1984-2018

Recalled as an accomplished player and well known as a highly respected umpire, few people have done more for the betterment and stability of the Chippewa River Baseball League than one Art Zwiefelhofer.

Breaking in to the Chippewa Valley League in 1961, Art became known as a slick fielding and ultra-competitive shortstop for the Howard Braves. In 1965, Zwiefelhofer joined the Tigers of Tilden, where he became synonymous with the Tigers’ hard driving, winning style of baseball built on clutch hitting, outstanding pitching, and consistent defensive play.

In his 19 seasons in Tilden, Art was part of 9 division titles, 9 league championships, 14 WBA tournaments, and 5 WBA Final 8’s. A consistent and dedicated player, Zwiefelhofer led or tied for the league lead in walks four times (1973, 1974, 1980, 1981), with a career high of 23 in 1981. His other league pacing total came in runs scored (18 in 1970) and home runs (tied for the lead with 3 in 1976).

Toeing the rubber early in his playing career, the righty notched 46.1 innings for Howard in 1963. For the Tigers, he had 3 saves in 1968, a year after leading the league in saves with 1 in 1967.

Art also dutifully managed Tilden for three seasons (1980, 1982-83), winning two North Division titles and gaining entry to two WBA tournaments.

From his 23 seasons of league play, Art is ranked all-time in stolen bases (7th), walks (9th), at-bats (14th), seasons played (16th), runs scored (tied for 17th), games played (19th), singles (tied for 22nd), hits (28th), RBI’s (tied for 29th), total bases (33rd), and home runs (tied for 43rd). From his days as a pitcher, he is still ranked in saves (tied for 38th).

Beyond his enduring and successful playing career, Art is best known for his time as an umpire in the CRBL and the WBA. Sincere, knowledgeable, relatable and fair, Zwiefelhofer umpired over 800 CRBL and WBA games from 1984 to 2018, a span of 35 years. Exhibiting a unique “player’s perspective” as an umpire, Art was instrumental in formulating the CRBL Umpire Association in 1993, adding much needed stability and structure to the assignment and oversight of umpires across the league. Naturally, Art became the Head Umpire within the Association, a position he still proudly holds in to his Hall of Fame induction.

The Chippewa River Baseball League owes an immense debt of gratitude and thanks to Mr. Art Zwiefelhofer. It is with heartfelt respect that we proudly recognize him as one of the largest and most influential people the CRBL will ever know. Thank you Art!

Steve Fetterly

Class of 2019

Utility

Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks 1995-2004; Beef River Bullfrogs 2005-06; Augusta Athletics 2006

Country strong from both the batter’s box and the pitcher’s mound, Steve Fetterly was a fearless competitor who played baseball with enthusiasm and intensity throughout his 12 seasons in the CRBL.

Debuting with the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks in 1995, “Fetters” hit .318 (7 for 22) and went 2 and 0 in 16 innings within a part-time capacity, gaining Honorable Mention All-CRBL honors at utility for the North Division champions.

Seeing a larger role in 1996, the right/right Fetterly posted a .359 campaign (23 for 64), with 5 doubles, 3 home runs, 17 RBI’s and 20 runs scored while chucking 49.1 innings, striking out 49 and staking a 3 and 2 record from the slab. His excellent dual performance resulted in his rightly deserved recognition as All-CRBL Utility.

Steve’s best offensive season came in 2000, when in 19 CRBL games, he pounded out a .434 batting average (33 for 76), with 6 doubles, 4 home runs, and 26 RBI’s. He also went 5 and 2 for the ‘Jacks in 41.2 innings of work as he was acknowledged with Honorable Mention All-CRBL in the outfield.

Fetterly’s most impactful showing came in 2001, the year that also coincided with the CRBL exclusively using wood bats for the first time since the mid-1970s. Steve’s aggressive, power approach to pitching was ideally suited for the league’s stark transition back to lumber. In 67 innings, Fetters was 8 and 2 with a 1.21 ERA, 69 K’s, and 1 shutout. He tied or led the CRBL outright in each of those categories except ERA, where he finished fifth. With the stick, he was minimally affected by the change away from metal, hitting .333 (17 for 51) with 4 doubles, 1 homerun, and 11 RBI’s.

The 2001 Lumberjacks rode the Big Country Horse to a 13 and 5 record, a North Division title, and a 4-0 CRBL championship game win over the Beef River Bullfrogs. In the ‘Jacks CRBL title game win, Fetterly had perhaps the finest performance of his career, as he hurled a complete game, 5-hit shutout, striking out 11 and walking just 1 batter.

In addition to his 2001 league leading totals, Steve also led the CRBL with both 76 innings pitched and 7 wins (tied) in 1998. Offensively, Fetters hit .300 or better in eight of his twelve seasons, notching 20 or more hits five years and 33 hits in 2000.

Playing through the 2006 season, Steve remained a productive hitter, knocking in 18 runs in 19 league games for the Bullfrogs of Beef River (Strum) in 2005, his last full-time season in the CRBL.

In addition to his two Honorable Mention All-CRBL awards and two All-CRBL selections, Steve was a participant in eight all-star games (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004).

Upon election, Fetterly’s all-time rankings can be found in pitching decisions (29th), innings pitched (31st), wins (31st), slugging percentage (36th), K’s (40th), home runs (40th), batting average (41st), innings pitched per year (46th), and RBI’s (46th).

George Jackson

Class of 2019

Pitcher, Outfield & Manager

Player: Lafeyette 1946; Rainbow Gardens Gardeners 1947, 53-54; Cadott Lions 1950-52, 56; Cadott Red Sox 1960, 67-68

Manager: Cadott Lions 1956; Cadott Red Sox 1957-60, 62-64, 68-70, 79

A baseball lifer and longtime supporter of baseball in the Cadott area, George Jackson’s league career stretched across 33 years, four different teams, and the roles of both player and manager.

Getting his start for Rainbow Gardens in 1946, George was the featured thrower for the Gardeners in the first two years of post-World War II baseball in the Chippewa Valley. His career year came in 1947 when he led the then “Chippewa Valley League” with the healthy totals of 109.1 innings pitched and 104 strikeouts while going 9 and 3 from the mound with a 3.29 ERA for the 10 and 4 Gardeners.

After a three-year hiatus, George returned to C.V.L. play in 1950 for the 1st year Cadott Lions, settling in to a role as a consistent hitter and reliable innings eater from the mound. Over a broadly spaced, 11-year league playing career, Jackson gathered 112 hits while logging 308.1 innings, averaging 8.09 K’s per nine innings pitched with a career record of 19 wins and 14 losses.

Beyond his time as a player, Jackson’s greater impact came as both a manager of Cadott teams and ardent supporter of baseball in the Cadott area. Managing a total of twelve seasons over 23 years, George’s first campaign as skipper came in 1956 with the Cadott Lions.

In 1957, Jackson managed and helped organize the inaugural year of play for the Cadott Red Sox. Going 15 and 3, the first year Sox captured the Chippewa Valley League championship and qualified for the WBA.

In 1958, George led Cadott to a perfect 10 and 0 season, a South Division title (there was no league championship that year), and a spot in the WBA. As of 2019, the 1958 Sox are still one of only seven teams in CRBL history to finish a league season undefeated.

Fast forward to 1962, Mr. Jackson’s Red Sox captured another South Division crown and survived to play in the franchise’s first WBA Final 8, where the Sox lost their second game in the Finals to Brill at Cushing.

After guiding Cadott to their fourth WBA appearance in 1970, George had seemingly completed his managerial duties. After an eight year absence, he returned in 1979 for one more season at the helm. Leading the Red Sox to one of their finest seasons ever, the South Division winning Sox went 16 and 1 before losing 8-5 to Tilden in the CRBL championship bout and going 1 and 1 in the WBA tournament.

In total, Mr. Jackson’s twelve seasons at the controls yielded three South Division titles, one league championship, five WBA appearances, and one spot in the WBA’s Final 8.

Upon induction in to the Chippewa River Baseball League Hall of Fame, George Jackson’s all-time managerial ranks can be found in division titles (tied for 8th), wins (tied for 12th), games managed (14th), winning percentage (14th), and WBA appearances (tied for 14th).

Rick Goettl

Class of 2019

Pitcher

Jim Falls Sturgeons 1975-76; Cadott Red Sox 1977-84

A right-handed pitcher, Rick Goettl was the ace of the memorable and dominant Cadott Red Sox teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

After spending his first two CRBL seasons pitching a total of 30.1 innings with the Jim Falls Sturgeons, Goettl went to Cadott in 1977, where he would remain until the conclusion of his career in 1984. In his first season with the Sox, the righty went 5 and 1 with a 2.72 ERA and 43 K’s in 56.1 frames. His breakout campaign aligned with Cadott’s 17 and 1, South Division championship flag.

After going 2 and 2 in 1978, Rick’s 1979 season was stellar as he notched a perfect 4 and 0 mark with an ERA of 1.84 ERA and 70 K’s in 53.2 innings as the Red Sox went 16 and 1, capturing another South Division title.

Goettl’s unblemished 1979 season began one of the winningest six-season runs of any pitcher in CRBL history. From 1979 to his final season of 1984, Cadott’s ace compiled a sterling record of 36 and 5 (.878 winning percentage). Within this elite stretch of success, the Red Stocking led the league in wins three consecutive seasons – 1981 (7 wins), 1982 (6 wins), and 1983 (9 wins) – innings pitched with 77.2 in 1983, saves with 2 in both 1979 (two) and 1982, as well as winning percentage in 1981 (.875, 7 and 1) and 1982 (1.000, 6 and 0).

Pitching in a time of metal bats and hitter friendly parks, Rick posted sub-2.00 ERA’s in 1979 (1.84), 1981 (1.27 – a career low), and 1982 (1.61).

From 1979 to 1984, Cadott won five consecutive South Division titles (1979 to 1983), three CRBL Championships (1980 to 1982), played in five CRBL title games (1979 to 1983), and four deciding CRBL playoff games. During that era of split season formats, Goettl was called upon frequently to help the Red Sox survive the tiers of playoffs and related elimination games. In total, the righty twirled in three South division playoff games, capturing a win in each contest with a sparkling ERA of 0.42 in 21.2 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts. In five CRBL championship games (all starts), he went 3 and 2, with each of his wins in the Sox 1980-82 championship run. In the 1982 title game, Rick had one of his brightest moments, twirling an 8-0, complete game shutout vs. the Tilden Tigers, scattering 7 hits and walking five while being backed by errorless defense from his Cadott brethren.

The author of the CRBL’s 25th no-hitter in 1984, (5 inning, 17-0 win vs. the Cornell Oilers), Goettl appeared in two all-star contests (1981 and 1984), and was also named All-CRBL pitcher in 1981 and 1984. Upon induction, the Red Sox great’s all-time rankings can be found in winning percentage (11th), wins (25th), saves (tied for 24th), shutouts (tied for 28th), innings pitched per year (37th), strikeouts (tied for 41st), strikeouts per nine innings (41st), innings pitched (43rd), ERA (44th), and decisions (tied for 45th).

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