New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

New Ulm American Legion Hall of Fame has named five inductees for the 2009 recognition event. The inductees and their achievements follow (as provided by the American Legion HOF committee and published in New Ulm Journal, Dec. 17, 2009).

Dan O'Brien

O'Brien is one of five new members of the New Ulm American Legion Seifert-Bianchi Post 132 Baseball Hall of Fame. That brings the total to 68 members out of more than 1,000 players and individuals who have worked to promote Legion baseball in New Ulm since 1933.

O'Brien played for Legion Gold for two years (1997-98) and in 1997, he hit .467 with five doubles and two home runs. He hit .366 in 1998 with one triple and three home runs. He also had five pitching wins.

He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris with a bachelor's degree in computer science and then attended the University of Minnesota for graduate school where he acquired a master's degree in computer science. He works as a senior software engineer at Boston Scientific, developing and testing software for implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators.

Mike Schlottman

Mike Schlottman had an undefeated season in 1995, going 9-0 for New Ulm Gold's state championship team. Gold went to the regional tournament where it lost to Rapid City, S.D.

His ERA was 1.75 in 1995 for a team that went 36-4. He was 6-3 in 1994 and had a career record of 15-3 and a three-year ERA of 2.16.

Schlottman went to St. Olaf and now lives in Dundas with his wife Tina and two children, Matthew (8) and Maggie (5). He has coached the 15-year old travel team in Northfield and also coaches football.

Richard (Dick) Mueller

Mueller becomes the 12th non-player who is inducted into the New Ulm American Legion Seifert-Bianchi Post 132 Baseball Hall of Fame. He has been active in American Legion programs and is presently the Minnesota Second District baseball chairman. Mueller took over as Legion baseball manager in the early 1990s and has been very active for Legion Gold, Blue, VFW and Jr. Legion.

He has been active in arranging the team schedules for the Upper Midwest Classic and Jr. Classic for more than 15 years. He served in the New Ulm National Guard for 21 years and works for 3M in New Ulm. He and his wife Monica are parents of three children and keep busy with their grandchildren.

Aaron Heitzman

Generally considered one of the New Ulm American Legion Seifert-Bianchi Post 132 top pitchers in the 76-year history, Heitzman has been selected to the Hall of Fame this year.

Heitzman had a career record of 15-2 and an ERA of 1.40 while leading Legion Gold to a pair of state tournaments and a record of 58-22. In 1997, he was 7-1 and pitched three no-hitters. He no-hit Faribault (10-0), Detroit Lakes (3-0) and had a perfect game against Eagle Lake.

He also was a good hitter for Gold, finishing with a career average of .440. He pitched at Minnesota State University, Mankato where he also pitched a no-hitter. He was drafted by the Houston Astros and played minor league baseball for the Houston farm clubs.

He got his engineering degree and presently lives in Ramsey with his wife Julie.

Frank Forstner

Forstner is considered one of the unsung heroes of the New Ulm American Legion Gold team in 1994 and 1995. He excelled both as a pitcher and as a hitter and had a lifetime batting average of .3554.

In 1994, he hit .360 as the team went 25-12 and he helped the team to a state championship in 1995 and a trip to the regional tournament in Salina, Kansas. As a pitcher, he was 3-0.

Forstner was a 1995 graduate of New Ulm Cathedral. He has been with Canyon Outback for 10 years and is married to Reya with two children - Noelle and Colleen.