The Waterloo Bucks, members of the Northwoods League, have announced the inductees for the Sixth Annual Bucks Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet.  The former Bucks that will be enshrined will be Phillip Hawke, Tim Lavery, and Seth Von Behren.
 
Phillip Hawke (pronounced HAWK) played first base for Waterloo in 2004.  During his only season in the NWL, Hawke was named the league’s Most Valuable Player after a dominating season on the field for the Bucks.  The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native hit .301 with a league leading 11 home runs, 41 RBI, .510 slugging percentage, 105 total bases, and 64 games played (a new league record at the time).  Hawke also finished the season with 34 runs, 62 hits, 10 doubles, and a .443 on-base percentage.  The University of Louisiana-Lafayette product’s 50 walks currently ranks as the eighth most in a single-season in NWL history.  Hawke ranks in the top 10 in the Bucks’ single-season and career record books in the following categories:  home runs, walks, and slugging percentage.  Drafted in the 29th round of the of the 2005 Major League Baseball Amateur Entry Draft by the Texas Rangers, Hawke has played professional baseball for the past six seasons, most recently for the Lincoln Salt Dogs of the American Association.
 
A member of the Bucks in 1998 and 1999, Tim Lavery (pronounced LAY-vuh-ree) compiled a 10-1 record and 1.74 ERA in his two seasons with Waterloo.  The left-handed pitcher appeared in 14 games, starting 13 as a Buck.  The University of Illinois product struck out 69 while walking just 23 in 88 innings pitched during his NWL career.  In the ’98 campaign, Lavery won nine games, started 12, and finished with a 1.87 ERA.  For his efforts, the Naperville, Illinois native was named to that season’s NWL All-Star Team.  Lavery’s nine wins in ’98 ties him for the second most in a single-season in Waterloo’s record books.  In addition, Lavery owns the Bucks’ fifth best single-season ERA and is tied for 10th for games started in a season.  His 10 career wins places him sixth in Waterloo team history and his .909 winning percentage is the best ever in the 16-year history of the Bucks.  In June of the ’99 season, Lavery was drafted in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Entry Draft by the Chicago Cubs.  Lavery played professionally for both the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations from ’99 until 2002.
 
Seth Von Behren (pronounced von BEAR-in) was a member of the Bucks in 1998 and 1999, playing a total of 110 games and hitting .299.  The Illinois State University product hit eight home runs with 88 RBI and 25 stolen bases during his two years with Waterloo.  An infielder, Von Behren hit .303 with 49  RBI for the Bucks in ’98 and followed that up with a .294 average and 39 RBI in ’99.  A native of Vandalia, Illinois, Von Behren’s RBI mark in ’98 ranks eighth for a single-season in the Bucks’ record books, while his 41 walks in ’99 is tied for sixth.  Von Behren ranks in the top 10 in the Bucks’ career record books in the following categories:  runs (81), hits (116), triples (four), walks (78), and RBI (88). 
 
All three inductees are scheduled to appear at the induction ceremonies.
 
The Fifth Annual Bucks Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Friday, January 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm.  Beck’s Sports Brewery, located at 3295 University Avenue in Waterloo, will be the locale of the banquet that will honor these past Buck greats.
 
All proceeds for the event will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  The public is invited to attend with tickets available for $10.
 
Doors will open at 7:00 pm and complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served along with a silent auction that will include sports memorabilia, including a Rod Carew autographed baseball and an autographed 2010 Green Bay Packers football, and items from various Cedar Valley businesses. The Hall of Fame inductions will be will begin at 7:30 pm.
 
Interested parties may call (319) 232-0500 for ticket information, or mail their checks payable to MDA to:  Bucks Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet, PO Box 4124, Waterloo, IA 50704.
 
MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related diseases by funding worldwide research.  The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy, and education.