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Ballpark lights shine for Dean

Loved ones hit balls in tribute after wake

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Randy Krzmarzick, of Sleepy Eye, right, shares memories of the late Dean Brinkman at a memorial gathering at Sleepy Eye Baseball Field Saturday. Others shared memories before many men, women and kids took part in batting practice at the event.

SLEEPY EYE — Batting practice continued late into the night for men, women and kids at Sleepy Eye Baseball Field Saturday.

Ball players played catch, reminisced, laughed and ate a hot dog or two as the late Dr. Dean Brinkman was fondly remembered by local and area residents and former residents.

Sleepy Eye farmer, columnist and baseball lover Randy Krzmarzick led the sharing of memories, talking first about how the memorial gathering came to be.

Krzmarick said he heard about a tribute for a Nevada college baseball player that included leaving the ballpark lights on as a tribute to a player who died of a heart condition.

“I called (Public Works Director) Mike Hardin about doing the same thing here, and he immediately said, ‘Oh yeah. No problem. We can do this,'” Krzmarzick said. “Last night, (Friday) a bunch of people were out here playing ball after (the) wake. I think everyone here has beautiful memories of a beautiful person. We took this opportunity to invite anybody to tell a story, memory or something on their mind right now.”

Scott Surprenant of Sleepy Eye, who played amateur baseball and basketball with Brinkman for years, told a number of stories.

“I remember playing a game here on night with the St. Paul Mud Ducks, and Dean hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth-inning and we won by 10 runs,” Surprenant said. “I also remember the ball Dean hit went over the left field light tower. That was the longest ball I ever saw hit. It was hit by an aluminum bat.”

Another teammate, Brian Sieve of New Ulm, said playing with Brinkman was like nothing else.

“There was never a dull moment. There was always something funny, some joke going on with Dean,” Sieve said.

Other players talked about playing baseball games with Brinkman, including the 1995 Sleepy Eye Indian amateur team that finished the regular season about 9-13 and was one strike from playoff elimination several times. The team rallied several times, winning numerous close games, and finished the season in the final round of the Minnesota Class C Amateur Baseball Tournament in Wadena and Perham.

Darrin Haala of Sleepy Eye talked about shagging baseballs as a youngster in games Brinkman played in.

“I always had a request when he swung the bat a little before hitting. I’d ask him to hit a home run for me,” Haala said. “He never brushed me off. He’d pause and say he would try. Funny thing is, more often than not, he actually did it.”

Other people at the memorial talked about other relationships with Dean.

Former Sleepy Eye resident Dan Sellner said Brinkman asked him to shingle his cabin.

“I realized I could spend a weekend with Dean. He even got the shingles on the roof for me. Then he’d take me out to dinner,” said Sellner.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).

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