The JetHawks Journal. Words From the Chair. January The Official Newsletter of the Flight Crew Booster Club

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1 January 2018 The JetHawks Journal The Official Newsletter of the Flight Crew Booster Club Words From the Chair Over the holidays I was keeping busy repairing some broken bats that will be sold before games this coming season and I noticed the different models of Louisville Slugger bats that I was repairing so I looked up what is being made by Louisville Slugger. The following information is some of what I found online. The Louisville Slugger bat is the Official Bat of Major League Baseball and the #1 Bat in MLB. Originating in 1884, Louisville Slugger bats have graced the hands of the greatest players in baseball, including stars of today. MLB AUTHENTIC CUT RETAIL: MLB Authentic Cut maple and birch models retail for $ Maple and birch with Lizard Skins grips are $ The ash model retails for $79.99, while the ash with Lizard Skins grips is $ Three different types of wood are used in wood bats. Maple: is the species preferred by most pro players. It features the ultimate surface hardness and provides an unmatched sound and feel at contact. Naturally harder, maple offers added strength at impact. Closed grains eliminate flaking, commonly seen with ash, allowing superior durability against delamination. Birch: the fastest growing species in professional baseball, features the ideal combination of surface hardness and flexibility for increased durability. Hardness similar to maple provides great sound and feel at contact. Flexibility closer to ash allows for forgiveness on non-barrel contact, decreasing the chance of fractured breakage. Lighter per pound than maple, birch also affords lighter swing weights for models. Ash: still widely popular among big-league guys, provides the ultimate in flexibility due to its unique grain structure. More forgiving than maple, ash rarely sees fractured breakage. Louisville Slugger uses only the top 15 percent of the wood it harvests to make MLB Authentic Cut bats. Once that top-grade wood is selected, the factory manufactures them with processes reserved only for MLB-quality bats. Vacuum drying guarantees the entire billet is dried evenly and at a pace healthiest for the wood. Each bat is compressed and bone rubbed, compressing every cell to ensure maximum barrel hardness. The finish is the combination of the color and look of the bat (many different colors are available). On top of the finish a hard coat is applied to make the bat s surface even harder. On the top of the line MLB Prime wood bats, Louisville Slugger uses Exo Armour Premium Hardcoat which makes the bat twice as hard. Professional turning models and precision craftsmanship guarantee swing weight and feel that are second to none.

2 The Louisville Slugger MLB Authentic Cut models are available in three maple, one ash and one birch model. The models we see most often are the (M110, C271, I13, and C243). All models are available in lengths from 32 inches to 34 inches in half inch increments. Different models have different specifications. Here are the areas where the models differ: Barrel Measurement: is the diameter in the largest part of the barrel. Barrel taper: indicates whether the bat has a short dramatic transition through the taper, or long transition through the taper. Handle thickness: measures the diameter of the handle. Knob taper: identifies what kind of taper exists for that turning model. Here are the three types. No taper: handle comes straight into the knob with no flare. Traditional taper: a gradual flare to the handle as it reaches the knob. Max taper: an aggressive flare to the handle as it joins the knob for a wider feel in your bottom hand. Non-Cupping and Cupping: is the process in which the end of the barrel is hollowed out to remove weight while maintaining length. This process creates a slightly more balanced feel to the swing and is especially effective on larger-barrel bats for increased swing speed. This variation is available on all models and the depth of the Cupping is another variable on these models. Spring Training Trip The booster club is in the process of planning a trip to Spring Training for next year. We are looking at March I have heard from many of you already, and so far it seems like we will be able to fill 7 rooms. In order to get the best rates, we need to book 10 rooms, so I m hoping that those of you who are thinking about going will contact me ASAP. Rooms in the Scottsdale area will fill up fast, so we need to get out reservations in. If you are interested in joining us for the trip, please send your reply to Robin Andersen, jethawkfan@gmail.com. I will also be asking for interest at the January General Meeting. In years past, when we went to Tucson for the D-Backs, we stayed 3 or 4 nights, and took players out for a steak dinner. It was always a lot of fun. We are planning on taking players to dinner this year, also. I found some pictures from Look how young we were :) Dan Uggla, Brian Barden, and Chris Snyder with the Redeckers: JD Closser and wife Holley with Tom and Tommy. These were taken at

3 Sunshine Corner The Sunshine Corner is a way for us to acknowledge birthdays and to send support to families experiencing a loss or an illness. If you would like for us to acknowledge your birthday, or know of someone who needs encouragement, please send information to Shirley Harbeson at jon-shir@sbcglobal.net. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR JANUARY BIRTHDAY S Robin Andersen January 1 Captain Steve Juhasz January 7 Tom Andersen January 15 Christina Buckley January 15 Congratulations for former Jethawk, Ryan Deemes, who tied the knot with sweetheart, Kayla Schaefer on January 6, Congratulations to former Jethawk, Jack Mayfield and his wife Jackie on the birth of their son, Jackson, December 24, 2017

4 FLIGHT CREW BOOSTER CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Person Richard Adam Vice Chair Curt Redecker Treasurer Suzie Berg Secretary Wendy Richmond Directors Robin Andersen Lester Ball Shirley Harbeson Dave Hopps Jan Kirkman CALENDAR OF EVENTS General Meeting Texas Cattle Co. 1/11/18 7pm McDonalds fund raiser 2/7, 4-7pm Board meetings at Primo Cafe 2/3 Spring Training Trip 3/18 3/22 Have you visited the Booster Club website or the FaceBook page lately? PLAYER SUPPORT Would you like to be a player sponsor next season? Can you house a player or two? What questions do you have about either of these options, or anything else about player support? Wendy Ball is our new player support contact, taking over for retiring Judy Lester. Wendy was the player support person for many years before Judy, so we re in good hands here. If you have questions, or want to let her know about your interest, please contact Wendy at (661) A short informational meeting will be held after the February General Meeting at Texas Cattle Company. Join us there to get your questions answered, or let Tree Lot Bake Sale Again, this year, we had the opportunity to raise money for our support of the Jethawks players by baking and selling those baked goods at Dallas Trees. This fundraiser made $460 for the club this year. Thank you to all who participated, and thank you to Wendy Ball who organized it for us.

5 Recycle Thanks to our dedicated recycle team we had our most successful year since we started recycling 10 years ago. Team members are Steve Juhasz, Rich Adam, Steve Rice, Wendy and Allan Tarleton, Laura Lawton, Lester and Wendy Ball, Shirley Harbeson, Joe O Neill, Dave and Zach Hopps, Eric Sjothun, Scott and Laurie Kellerman, and Carlynn Moore. Thanks also to Dallas and Kim Russell, Jim Griffin, Arlene Belderok, and Marylin Hamada for donating their home recycling. Player of the Month Committee Thanks to our Player of the Month selection committee for taking the time to mark and return their ballots. Committee members are: Rich Adam, Terry Lawton, Laura Lawton, Steve Juhasz, Jan Kirkman, Arlene Belderok, Kathy Leon, Robin Anderson, Lester Ball, Dave Hopps, and Suzi Eslick. A special thanks to Terry Lawton for providing photo coverage of each monthly presentation. Thanks to Jason Schwartz for providing the monthly stats. Thanks to our gift sponsors Dallas and Kim Russell Weinerschnitzel, Schooners, Fresco II, Olive s Café, Double D cupcakes. Thanks to Anna Zarley and Wendy Richmond for their gift card assistance.

6 Where do they go from here???