sac-hall-of-fame

Sheboygan Athletic Club Adds Contributors to the Hall of Fame

Posted: February 6, 2023

Recently, the Sheboygan Athletic Club’s Board of Directors approved a measure to expand its Hall of Fame by opening a new wing for contributors to the club’s operation.

The Sheboygan Athletic Club Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1993, by enshrining Denny Moyer and Chuck Zeichert. Currently, the hall includes 34 members of former Sheboygan A players, coaches, and managers.

With the addition of contributions, it becomes the first significant change in the Hall of Fame’s 30-year history.

The first class of contributor inductees are: Donna Moyer, Betty Zeichert, Art Kober and John “Snipe” Van Veghel. All will be formally inducted during ceremonies in conjunction with a 2023 Sheboygan A’s home game to be announced.

The Hall of Fame election committee established a contributor description to determine future inductees:
An individual who has contributed to the Sheboygan Athletic Club in many capacities over an extended period of time. Their contributions have led to the success of SAC and added to the organization’s growth and future development.

Contributor categories include Sheboygan Athletic Club members, volunteers, sponsors, suppliers, community members, and donors.

Art Kober
Art not only took the lead in the decision-making to replace the grandstand with the new stands you now see at the park today, but he also led the team that constructed it. That was only one of Art’s many contributions to the program. He sold a lot of program ads and was well known as half of the “Grumpy Old Men duo” with Bill Oostdyk that made up the box office crew nearly every game for years. He served the club as Vice President from 1978-84 and as President in 1985 and 1986.

Donna Moyer
Donna has played an integral part in the organization for over 50 years. She has been in charge of bingo since its inception in 1981, chaired concessions for several decades, took over as the scrapbook keeper, organized Brewer excursions, club banquets, and started the organization’s fall brat fry. Dona was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association in 2013 and is the only woman to be inducted into the Sheboygan County Baseball Hall of Fame.

John “Snipe” Van Veghel
“Snipe” Van Veghel was a Sheboygan A through and through. Snipe sold program ads by the bushel and raffle tickets and brat fry tickets by the carload. In addition to being the club’s top salesman, “Snipe” worked as a concessions foreman and was also a regular bingo worker. 

Betty Zeichert
Betty Zeichert was there from the beginning. In fact, she was there before the beginning. She worked side-by-side with her husband Chuck when he started the A’s in 1963, handling the secretarial busywork while Chuck put his ball club together. Once they started playing, she was a fixture in the concession stand underneath the grandstand at Legion Park, working with Ceil Rasmussen and Jack and Rosie Kohls. When the A’s moved to Wildwood Park, she found a home in the souvenir stand where she worked almost every game. Betty served as the club Secretary for years and was the chief keeper of the scrapbook during that time. Betty was the first of many baseball women who have been instrumental in the success of the club and truly deserves recognition.

The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). All Sheboygan A's home games are played at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan. Connect with the A's on FacebookTwitterInstagram and YouTube.