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2017 CLASS OF INDUCTEES

BRANNON BOO CHAMPAGNE A strong right-handed pitcher,
Champagne played in the Kansas City Royals farm system in 1986 and
1987. In 1986, he pitched for the Eugene Emeralds in the Northwest
League. In 1987, he was a pitcher for the Fort Myers Royals in the
Florida State League. In 1983, he was invited to try out for the St. Louis
Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. Champagne pitched for St. Charles High
from 1980-83. He was named All-State, All-District, and All-Confer-
ence. He led his team to several conference and district championships.
He was team captain and MVP of the 1983 Quarter-Final team. That
year, he was named the Senior Male Athlete at St. Charles High and he
was also a Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete. He pitched a no-hitter when
he was in high school. From 1981 to 1983, Champagne was an all-star
pitcher for the St. Charles American Legion team. He received the Dis-
trict 10 Top Pitcher Award in 1981, and the District 10 MVP Award in 1982. In 1983, he led his team
to a second place finish at the Missouri American Legion State Tournament. Champagne received a
full baseball scholarship to the University of Illinois. He pitched for the Fighting Illini from 1983 -
87. He was a starting pitcher when he was a freshman. In 1985, the Fighting Illini won the Big 10
Championship, and he was the starting pitcher in the title game against Michigan. He hurled a no-
hitter against Bradley University in 1985. Champagne was honored twice as a scholar-athlete at the
University of Illinois. From 1991 to 1999, he pitched in the Eastern Missouri Baseball Association for
the C&H American Legion team and Old Monroe. He was on six EMBA championship teams. He
was selected to many EMBA all-star teams. He received MVP honors in 1993. Champagne pitched
for the St. Louis Union Printers and the Waterloo Buds. In the early 1990s, he was a batting practice
pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Champagne was also an outstanding football and basketball player.
He was a highly successful baseball coach for over 20 years.

KEITH CHAMPION A catcher from Granite City,

Illinois, he began his baseball career playing for the
Granite City Park District Leagues. Keith continued to
play at Granite City South High School and American
Legion Post #113, playing for his father, newly in-
ducted Conrad Babe Champion.
He later attended Southwest Missouri
State/Missouri State University and played for 4 years
becoming All-Conference and All-Region. During the
summers, Keith played for C&H (Terry Kasper) in the
newly formed Metro Collegiate League, along with the
Edwardsville Civics (Greg Patton).
In 1982, Keith signed with the St. Cardinals
and played for 3 years in their minor league system.
His coaching/managing career spanned 1985-1991
with St. Louis and 1992-1994 with the San Diego Padres. In 1995, he began his
scouting career and was hired as the Advance Scout with the Chicago Cubs and later
a Special Assistant to the GM. Through the years, Keith has scouted for the Cubs,
Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and currently is Advance Scouting for the San
Francisco Giants. He has been part of 2 National League Championships & 3 World
Series Championships along the way. In addition, Keith is part of the Team USA
Baseball Scouting Committee and United States Olympic Committee.

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MATTHEW GIEGLING A good-hitting catcher,

Giegling played in the Cincinnati Reds farm system for the
Plant City Reds in 1990, and the Cedar Rapids Reds in 1991
and 1992. Cedar Rapids won the Midwest League champi-
onship in 1992. He also played for the Staunton Braves in
the Valley Baseball League in Virginia. This league is
known as the Gateway to the Majors.
Giegling signed with the Reds in 1990 after grad-
uating from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
That year, he was named All-Conference on the Saluki base-
ball team which won the Missouri Valley Conference title,
advancing to the NCAA regional playoffs. The team nar-
rowly missed the College World Series after losing two one-
run games at the NCAA West Regionals held at Stanford
University. Giegling was a catcher for the Salukis from
1986 to 1990. He was a scholar-athlete. He was also a
scholar-athlete at St. Mary's High School where he was named an All-Conference catcher.
He played for St. Mary's from 1983 to 1986, helping the Dragons win a district champi-
onship.
In 1984 and 1985, Giegling was an outfielder and pitcher for the Johnny Mac-Fen-
ton American Legion team. Fenton won the District 10 championship in 1984. Giegling
was selected to the American Legion all-star team in 1985.
He played semi-pro ball for the Sauget Wizards under coach Neil Fiala.
Giegling was an umpire for the Midwest Umpires Association.
He has coached amateur baseball in St. Louis for the past 18 years.

JERRY KLEESCHULTE He was a hard-hitting third

baseman who played in the Eastern Missouri Baseball As-
sociation from 1958 to 1973. He played for Dardenne
from 1958 to 1962 and was selected to four EMBA all-star
teams. From 1963 to 1973, he was a third baseman for the
Cottleville & Harvester Athletic Association, playing on
six EMBA all-star teams. Cottleville & Harvester pre-
sented him with the Albert Banze Award and also the Ham
Hemsath Award.
Kleeschulte was a starter on the Duchesne High
School Baseball team during all four years he attended the
school. He received league MVP honors in 1959 and
1960. He was named to three Catholic League all-star
teams. He played for the St. Charles American Legion
team from 1958 to 1960, making the all-star team in 1959.
In 1960 and 1961, Kleeschulte played third base for St. Charles in the Ban Johnson
League. Kleeschulte served three years on the Board of Directors of the St. Charles Junior
Baseball Association. He served as president, vice president, and board member for the
Duchesne High School Men's Club Athletic Association. He was a coach eight years for the
St. Charles Baseball Association.
In 1997, Kleeschulte was inducted into the St. Charles Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.
Kleeschulte also serves on the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball
Hall of Fame.

Inductees are listed in same order as seen on Page 2

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ED KOPFF A versatile infielder and outfielder, Kopff

played for St. Louis University in 1978, and later became
the Billikens head baseball coach from 1984 to 1986. He
batted .302 as a freshman on the Billikens team. He
played second base, third base, left field, and right field.
He was a left fielder for the 1979 Meramec
Community College team that advanced to the JUCO
World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
In 1980 and 1981, Kopff was the starting sec-
ond baseman for SIU-Edwardsville. He played in 95
games during that time, and had a composite batting av-
erage of .290. In 1983, he was a coach on the SIUE team
that advanced to the College World Series. The team was
inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame.
From 1978 to 1981, Kopff was a shortstop and
second baseman for the Sotolar Pointers. In 1980, he
was named MVP of the CYC League. That year, he set
two Sotolar Pointer team records with 106 hits and a .491 batting average. His slugging per-
centage was .704. He had 56 RBIs, 34 walks, 26 doubles, and 7 triples.
In 1982, Kopff spent six months in the Netherlands as the head coach and lead
trainer of the Benco Braves, a baseball team in Gouda, Holland. His team won the Holland
Baseball League championship.
From 2005 to 2008, Kopff was the manager of the Crestwood American Legion
baseball team.

HARRY LEMAKIS A good-fielding

shortstop, Lemakis played for Kutis South
in 1950 and 1951, and then again from
1954 to 1957. Kutis South won the Muny
Championship in 1957.
Lemakis joined the Army in 1952,
and played service ball at Fort Leonard
Wood before being sent overseas. In
1953, he played baseball in France with
the European Army League.
In 1958 and 1959, he was a short-
stop for the Carondelet Sunday Morning
Athletic Club under coach Mike Waluska. Carondelet won the
Muny Championship in 1959.
Lemakis played shortstop for Soldan High School from
1946 to 1949.
He was a coach and manager in the Affton Athletic Associ-
ation from 1979 to 1984.
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CLAY MOEHRS Moehrs was a versatile

infielder and outfielder who played for the Wa-
terloo Buds in the Mon-Clair League from
1987 to 2004. During those 16 years, he had
911 hits which included 80 home runs, 149
doubles, and 18 triples. He had 536 RBIs. His
composite batting average was .351. The Wa-
terloo Buds won the Mon-Clair League divi-
sional championship every year Moehrs was
on the team. The Buds also won eight playoff
titles, six Valmeyer championships, and four
Prairie State titles. Moehrs received the Most
Valuable Player Award in 1998 and 2000. He
played on seven Mon-Clair League all-star teams. In 2009, he was inducted
into the Mon-Clair League Hall of Fame. Moehrs played for Waterloo High
School from 1985 to 1987. During that same time, he also played for the
Waterloo American Legion team. From 1987 to 1991, Moehrs played for
Southeast Missouri State University.
He was the junior varsity baseball coach at Waterloo High School for
eight years. He also coached little league baseball in Waterloo for four years.

ED RELLING A right-handed first base-

man, Relling played for the Sotolar Pointers
for every year of their existence from 1980 to
1996. He was on six state championship
teams with the Pointers who represented Mis-
souri at the NBC tournament in Wichita,
Kansas. In 1987, he hit .421 at the NBC
Tournament. In 1983, he led the Pointers
with 69 hits and a .393 batting average. In
1982, he received the CYC Most Valuable
Player Award while playing for the Pointers.
In 1979, he received the CYC Most
Valuable Player Award while playing for St.
Catherine's Parish.
From 1975 to 1979, Relling played
first base for Missouri Baptist College, help-
ing his team win the 1978 NLCAA championship.
He played for the Fenton Vets in 1977 and 1978.
Relling was an assistant baseball coach at St. George Parish from 1997
to 2000.

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MARK SCHWARZ A powerful right-handed

pitcher, Schwarz starred for St. Louis University from
1975 to 1978. He holds the SLU career record for com-
plete games, and is fourth in career wins. He ranks in
the Top Ten in games started, innings pitched, strike-
outs, and ERA. In 1975 and 1976, Schwarz was named
The Most Valuable Pitcher of the Tournament of Cham-
pions. His SLU team won the tournament in 1975 and
finished second in 1976. He pitched a perfect game at
the NBC tournament in 1976. In 2013, Schwarz was
inducted into the St. Louis University Baseball Hall of
Fame. He played for the Southwest Kiwanis in the
early 1970s.
From 1971 to 1974, Schwarz pitched for St. Mary's High School. During that
same time, he also pitched for the Anheuser-Busch American Legion team.
Schwarz was a pitcher for Borbein-Young in 1977 and 1978. He pitched for St.
Margaret of Scotland from 1978 to 1980, helping his team win the CYC championship in
1978.
He became a coach and umpire after his playing days ended. He coached the An-
heuser-Busch American Legion team from 1980 to 1983, winning one District 12 title.
He coached the Crestwood American Legion team from 2005 to 2011.
Schwarz was a CYC coach and manager for many years.
He was a CYC umpire for 15 years.
He umpired high school games from 2006 to 2015.

LARRY SHIKLES An overpowering right-handed

pitcher, Shikles played in the Boston Red Sox farm
system from 1986 to 1992. He pitched for the Greens-
boro Hornets in 1986, the Winter Haven Red Sox in
1987, and the New Britain Red Sox in 1988. He was
with the Triple A Pawtucket Red Sox from 1989 to
1992.
In 1993, he pitched for the Triple A Tacoma
Tigers in the farm system of the Oakland Athletics. In
the early 1980s, he pitched for Jefferson City High
School and the Jefferson City Cougars. He also
played for East Central College in Union, Missouri. In
1984 and 1985, Shikles was an All-Conference pitcher
for Western Kentucky University, setting single season
records for victories, strikeouts, and scoreless innings. In 1982, he pitched for the
West County Browns team that finished fifth at the NBC tournament in Wichita,
Kansas. He also played for the Browns in 1983. In 1984, he pitched for the Spring-
field Rifles in the Central Illinois Collegiate League. Shikles spent the 1985 season
with the Grand Rapids Sullivans, an independent team in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 1994, he pitched in the Mon-Clair League for the Waterloo Buds under coach
Vern Moehrs. From 2010 to 2013, Shikles played in the Bud Light Senior Men's
League on the East Side.
Shikles coached youth baseball teams for over ten years.

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JOE SILKWOOD A right-handed pitcher and first base-

man, Silkwood played in the St. Louis Cardinals farm sys-
tem from 1982 to 1984. He was on the St. Petersburg
Cardinals, the Gastonia Cardinals, the Springfield Cardinals,
and the Arkansas Travelers.
Silkwood was pitching for East Alton in the Mon-
Clair League when he signed with the Cards in 1982. He
continued to play for East Alton after spending three years
in the minor leagues with the Cardinals. He helped his East
Alton team win the Mon-Clair League championship in
1988, and the Valmeyer Tournament in 1989. Silkwood was
the Best Pitcher in the Mon-Clair League in 1985 and 1988.
He was selected to nine Mon-Clair League all-star teams.
In 2001, Silkwood was inducted into the Mon-Clair League
Hall of Fame. In 1978, he was the American Legion District
22 Batting Champion. After graduating from East Alton-
Wood River High School, where he was a standout pitcher and catcher, Silkwood pitched
for Lewis & Clark Community College from 1978 to 1980. In 1981 and 1982, he was a
pitcher for Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. In 1982, he was named to the All-
Region team, and he received Honorable Mention as an All-American. Silkwood was a base-
ball coach at SIUE for 12 years, winning the regional championship in 1991 and 1997. He
was inducted into the SIUE Hall of Fame in 1991. His team was inducted in 2015. From
2009 to 2013, Silkwood was the varsity baseball coach at Marquette High School in Alton.
He has been a speaker and instructor at numerous baseball clinics. He coached youth baseball
teams for over ten years.
WILL VASSER He was a catcher and right fielder
for Beaumont High School from 1967 to 1971. He re-
ceived All-League and All-Metro Honors.
During that same time, he was a catcher for the
Beaumont-Vashon American Legion team.
In 1971 and 1972, he played right field for the
Forest Park Community College team. In 1972 and
1973, he was a right fielder for Harris-Stowe College.
Vasser was a right fielder in the Tandy League
from 1971 to 1978. He played for the Saints from 1971
to 1973, the Dodgers from 1974 to 1976, and the
Braves in 1977 and 1978. He was team captain and
MVP of the Dodgers team that won the Missouri state
championship. Vasser began his baseball career in
1960 as a catcher in the Tandy League. He played for
the Memorial Bulletts in 1960 and 1961. He was a catcher for the Wrens in 1962,
and then again in 1964 and 1965.
In 1963, he played for a team managed by Nathan Colbert, Senior who was
a catcher for the Kansas City Monarchs and father of Major League star Nate Col-
bert. In 1966, Vasser was a catcher for the Spirits in the Khoury League. In 1967, he
caught for the Saints in the Lou Brock League. Vasser was an outstanding hitter who
loved the game of baseball. He conducted baseball clinics and also provided finan-
cial support for amateur teams in the St. Louis area.

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GEORGE VOGEL A right-handed center fielder,

Vogel played in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system
from 1983 to 1985. He was with the Johnson City Car-
dinals in 1983, and the Savannah Cardinals in 1984
and 1985.
Vogel was a center fielder for SIU-Ed-
wardsville from 1980 to 1983. During that time, he
had a composite batting average of .315 with more
than 200 games played. He was the first player in
school history to record more than 200 hits. He holds
the school record for most home runs, stolen bases, and
triples. He had twelve triples in 1980 which is a school
record. In 1982, he was named one of the top seven
athletes at SIU-Edwardsville. In 1983, he was an All-
Midwest Region outfielder. In 1982 and 1983, Vogel
was the starting center fielder for SIU-Edwardsville in
the NCAA tournament. SIUE finished fourth in the nation in 1983. In 2010, Vogel was
inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame.
He played outfield for Pattonville High School from 1976 to 1979. His senior
year, he was named to the Post-Dispatch All-Metro team.
From 1977 to 1979, Vogel played for the Maryland Heights American Legion
team.
He starred for the Metro Collegiate Dodgers in 1980, and the Edwardsville Civics
in 1981 and 1982.

KEVIN BOWERS Bowers coached high

school baseball in the St. Louis area for 29
years. He was the head baseball coach at
Seckman High School for 13 years from
1998 to 2010. He was the assistant baseball
coach at Fox High School for 16 years from
1982 to 1997.
Bowers was an outfielder on the
1975 Fox High School team that won the
Missouri State Championship. He was also
a member of the 1977 Fox team that finished
third at the Missouri State Tournament.
Bowers played on the Arnold
American Legion team in 1977, and later
coached that team for six years.
He played for Jefferson Junior Col-
lege in 1978 and 1979, and Missouri Baptist
College in 1980 and 1981. He was an out-
fielder, catcher and first baseman. From 1979
to 1981, he starred for the Browns in the St. Louis Metro Collegiate Instructional Baseball
League. The Browns won the league championship in 1979. From 1982 to 1985, Bowers
played for the Sotolar Pointers in the CYC League. The Pointers won two NBC state titles,
advancing to the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas.
From 1996 to 2005, Bowers was chairman of the Greater St. Louis Fellowship of
Christian Athletes Baseball Camp.

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CONRAD BABE CHAMPION - He was the baseball coach

at Granite City High School from 1960 to 1979. The athletic
baseball field at Granite City High School was named in his
honor in 2006. Champion played left field on the 1948 Granite
City High School baseball team that won the Illinois State
Championship. Granite City defeated the New Athens team
to win the title. Whitey Herzog was the center fielder on the
New Athens team. Champion was selected to the All-Tourna-
ment team as a sophomore. He coached the Granite City High
School team in 1951 when he was a senior in his fifth year
due to a lengthy illness in 1949 1950. From 1970 to 1979,
he was the head coach of the Granite City American Legion
Team. In 1976 and 1977, Granite Citys team finished run-
ner-up at the Illinois American Legion State Tournament.
From 1952 to 1956, Champion played left field and first base
in the Madison County League in Illinois. During that same time, he also played for Shurtleff
College in Alton, IL. Other teams he played for include: Fleishmans, Steelworkers and the
Pontoon Athletic Club. He also played fast pitch softball in St Louis for Thurmers Bar, and
Kutis. From 1980 to 1987, Champion was a professional baseball scout for the Philadelphia
Phillies and the Kansas City Royals in Illinois and Missouri. He also was a college baseball
umpire for many years. In 1963, he umpired NCAA playoff games. Champion officiated
high school and college basketball for 37 years and major college football for 15 years. He
is a charter member of the Granite City Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In October of 2016,
Champion was named the Citizen of the Year by the Chamber
of Commerce, Southwestern Madison County in Illinois.
DARIN HENDRICKSON Hendrickson ranks ninth in career
wins among all active NCAA Division One head baseball coaches.
He has 805 victories in his 21 years of coaching at the collegiate
level. He has coached 27 players who have signed professional base-
ball contracts. Hendrickson has been the head baseball coach at St.
Louis University for the past nine years. He had seven consecutive
winning seasons from 2009 to 2015 which is a St. Louis University
record. The Billikens won the league championship in 2012, 2013,
2014, and 2015. He led the Billikens to a school record 41 victories
in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, he was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the
Year. In 2013, he received Honorable Mention as College Baseball
National Coach of the Year. He was also named one of Perfect Game's Rising College Coaches. In 2012,
the Billikens won 13 consecutive games, a school record, and were ranked nationally for the first time in
school history. The Billikens won 30 games or more in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Hen-
drickson led his Billiken team to the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship in 2010 and 2013. Ten of his
Billiken players have signed professional baseball contracts. Before he came to St. Louis University, Hen-
drickson was a highly successful baseball coach at the University of Central Missouri, and also Forest
Park Community College. Hendrickson received his first head coaching experience at Fontbonne Uni-
versity where he started that school's baseball program in 1995. He served as an assistant baseball coach
at his alma mater, SIU-Edwardsville, following his graduation in 1992. A right-handed pitcher, Hendrick-
son starred on the mound for SIU-Edwardsville in 1990 and 1991. He was named to the All-Region team
both years. He ranks second in school history in single season victories, and twelfth in career victories.
He ranks fourth in career winning percentage.H endrickson pitched for Lewis & Clark Community College
from 1987 to 1989. He was a pitcher for Granite City High School from 1984 to 1987. Hendrickson
pitched in the Mon-Clair League for Granite City, helping his team win three league championships. He
was selected to ten Mon-Clair League all-star teams. He was the top pitcher in the league five years in a
row from 1994 to 1998. He also pitched for the Waterloo Buds, helping his team win three Mon-Clair
League titles. He was chosen for three Mon-Clair all-star teams.
In 2006, Hendrickson was inducted into the Mon-Clair League Hall of Fame.

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ROY PFUND He was the head baseball

coach at Lutheran South High School from 1962
to 1988, winning over 70 percent of his games.
He won six league championships, six district ti-
tles, and two sectional championships. In 1981,
his Lutheran South team finished third at the
Missouri State Tournament. Pfund was the as-
sistant baseball coach at Lutheran South from
1991 to 1995. He served as Athletic Director,
supervising the construction of new athletic
fields at Lutheran South. He also coached bas-
ketball and football. After his retirement, he vol-
unteered as the pitching coach for the Lutheran
South baseball program. He is known as Mr.
Pfundamentals for he has been a great teacher
of the game of baseball. In 2015, Pfund received
the Distinguished Service Award from the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches
Association. In the 1950s, he played baseball at Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Sag-
inaw, Michigan. He was a third baseman and shortstop. He also played in the Bay
County League. He attended Concordia University in Chicago and played on the
baseball team. For the past nine years, Pfund has been the scorekeeper at Lutheran
South baseball games. His son Steve is now the head coach.

MICHAEL D. RUSSELL Russell was

the head baseball coach at Lutheran North
High School for over 40 years. He began
in 1972 and retired in 2013. During his ca-
reer, he won 16 district championships, 7
sectional championships, and 6 ABC
League championships. He was an assis-
tant baseball coach at Lutheran North for
two years. In 1998 and 2012, Russell won
the Hal Whitaker Coach of the Year
Award presented by the Greater St. Louis
Association of Umpires. He is a member
of the 500 Victories Club of the National
High School Baseball Coaches Association. In 2006, Russell was in-
ducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association
Hall of Fame. He is also in the Missouri Football Coaches Association
Hall of Fame. He was the head football coach at Lutheran North for
24 years, winning four state championships. Russell was the Athletic
Director at Lutheran North for over 30 years.

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RICH VAN GILST He has been the varsity baseball

coach at Westminster Christian Academy for 32 years,
compiling a record of 503 wins and 281 losses. West-
minster won the Missouri High School State Champi-
onship four years in a row from 2011 to 2014. The team
made the Final Four in 2006 and 2007. Van Gilst won
eight conference championships and nine district cham-
pionships. Westminster won the conference champi-
onship every year from 2012 to 2016, and also won the
district championship every year from 2006 to 2014.
Westminster won the Missouri State Championship in
2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Each year, Van Gilst was
named Coach of the Year by the Missouri High School
Baseball Coaches Association. In 2012, he was named Missouri State Coach of the Year.
He was also voted Coach of the Year by the Missouri State High School Activities As-
sociation, and the National Federation of High Schools chose him as Coach of the Year
for Missouri. The National High School Baseball Association selected Van Gilst as the
Midwest Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2014. He was the Max Preps National Coach
of the Year in 2014. In 2006, he won the Hal Whitaker Coach of the Year Award pre-
sented by the Greater St. Louis Association of Umpires. In 2013, Van Gilst was inducted
into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He is an ac-
tive member of the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association, conducting
clinics and coaching youth leagues.

RICHARD RIEKER Since 2011, Rieker has been

the Director of Umpire Development for Major League
Baseball. He coordinates a wide variety of training and
educational initiatives and works closely with Major
League umpires. He joined MLB in 2002 as an umpire
supervisor after spending ten seasons as a Major League
umpire. Since 2006, Rieker has been responsible for ad-
ministering Major League Baseball Umpire Camps which
have trained over 6,000 umpires during the last ten years.
He produced a Virtual Umpire Camp CD-ROM which
illustrates the proper procedures for umpires. Rieker was
a National League umpire from 1992 to 1999. In 2000
and 2001, he worked in both the National and American
Leagues. He umpired 1,001 Major League games during
his ten-year career. He umpired in two division series
(1999 and 2000) and the 1998 All-Star Game. He was be-
hind the plate when Mark McGwire hit record-breaking home runs 69 and 70 on September
27, 1998.
Rieker was a minor league umpire for ten seasons from 1983 to 1992, working in
the Midwest League, the Eastern League, the American Association, and the Dominican Win-
ter League. He finished first in his class at the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School. Rieker
was an instructor at the school for 16 years. He grew up in St. Louis and attended St. Mary's
High School and the University of Missouri at St. Louis. He first started umpiring in the
Khoury League when he was eleven years old. Rieker was a member of the Greater St. Louis
Association of Umpires, working high school, college, and American Legion games.

31