HR0520

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are saddened to  learn of the death of
John 
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Schaive of Springfield, who passed away on May 11, 2009; and

 
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    WHEREAS, John Schaive was born on February 25, 1934 in 
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Springfield; he was a graduate of Lanphier High School; and

 
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    WHEREAS, John Schaive had a long and distinguished baseball 
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career; he began his career when he signed with the Chicago 
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White Sox in 1952; he was then released from the White Sox and 
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became a minor league terror; in 1955, he led a Class D league 
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in four offensive categories; the following season, he was in 
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spring training with the big club, an opportunity cut short 
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when he entered the military; and

 
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    WHEREAS, After spending two seasons in military service, 
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John Schaive returned to baseball; he spent five seasons in the 
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big leagues, from 1958 to 1960 with the original Senators (who 
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became the Minnesota Twins in 1961) and from 1962 to 1963 with 
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the expansion Washington Senators; his best major league season 
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came in 1962, when he played 82 games and batted .253 with 6 
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home runs and 29 runs batted in; in the course of his major 
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league career, he batted .232 in 114 games; and
 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, John Schaive's Major League career, while 
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fruitful, consisted of more sitting than playing; at one point 
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in his career, he went to Senators manager Mickey Vernon and 
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made a request to go back to the minor leagues; and

 
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    WHEREAS, John Schaive played for 12 seasons in the minor 
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leagues; throughout his minor league career, he was a career 
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.291 hitter in more than 1,100 minor league games; he also hit 
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.293 on the Class AA level and .282 in five Triple-A seasons; 
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he even had his hand in some pitching, going 2-3 in 13 
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appearances for Decatur of the Mississippi-Ohio League in 1954 
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and 2-1 in eight appearances with York of the Class AA Eastern 
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League in 1963; and
 
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    WHEREAS, John Schaive ended his career in 1966 as a 
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player-manager in Monterrey, Mexico following a long battle 
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with various sports injuries, including a hurt knee and a 
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dislocated elbow; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Following his retirement, John Schaive came back 
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to Springfield, where he helped raise his family; he also 
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coached the Springfield Caps of the Central Illinois Collegiate 
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League in the 1970s and served as coach when Sangamon State 
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University fielded a baseball team; although he never 
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officially worked as a scout for any professional organization, 
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he served as an area scout for his many friends in baseball; he 
 


 






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played a role in getting professional baseball contracts for 
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local players such as Roger Erickson, Mike Mathiot, Jerry Fry, 
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Dan Callahan, Myron Hunter, Loren White, and Bill Lamkey; and
 
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    WHEREAS, John Schaive was one of the founding fathers of 
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the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame; he was also a charter 
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member of the organization in 1991; and
 
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    WHEREAS, John Schaive served as a model of hard work, 
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integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of 
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Illinois; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of John 
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Schaive; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of John Schaive as an expression of our 
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sympathy.