River Falls Fighting Fish induct two players into their Hall of Fame

Posted 7/12/22

Fish continue to roll with blowout win over Prescott Pirates By Reagan Hoverman The River Falls Fighting Fish inducted two former players, Joe Paatalo and Ryan Gilbertson, into the Fighting Fish Hall …

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River Falls Fighting Fish induct two players into their Hall of Fame

Posted

Fish continue to roll with blowout win over Prescott Pirates

By Reagan Hoverman

The River Falls Fighting Fish inducted two former players, Joe Paatalo and Ryan Gilbertson, into the Fighting Fish Hall of Fame during a ceremony shortly before the first pitch against Prescott on Saturday, July 9.

As each player stepped onto the field, they had a person close to them speak on their behalf. For Gilbertson, that was his brother Brandon Gilbertson, who also played for the Fish and was actually on the roster before Ryan ever was. Brandon recruited Ryan to the baseball team which led to five of the best seasons in Fighting Fish history, including a state championship in 2011.

“You played the game the right way,” Brandon Gilbertson said of Ryan. “You were a great example for younger guys on the team. You helped bring the Fish to River Falls and helped lay the groundwork for continued success, congratulations.”

After Brandon was done speaking, he passed the microphone to Ryan, who told some stories, and spoke about the program’s history and about all the great relationships that he cultivated during his five years with the team.

“Thank you and not to lie here, if (Brandon) wasn’t playing, I don’t think I would have played,” Ryan Gilbertson said. “If I don’t play, I wouldn’t have recruited other guys to the team.”

As Ryan Gilbertson spoke, he thanked his parents for their sacrifice when Ryan was growing up, as they drove him to all of his games, his practices, weekend tournaments and everything else that goes into having a kid that plays baseball.

“Thank you to mom and dad for taking me to every practice, coming to every college game and driving me around,” Ryan Gilbertson said. “Coach (Ryan) Bishop, thank you very much. When I moved here in seventh grade, I didn’t have a lot of friends. I met these guys and now it’s family through and through. This is a big family. We were as much brothers on the field as we were off the field.”

In Ryan Gilbertson’s tenure with the Fighting Fish, he played in 132 games, tallied 145 hits with a .307 career batting average and compiled 86 RBIs and eight home runs along the way. He played on the team from 2008-2012, hanging it up one season after winning the 2011 WBA State Championship.

In addition to an illustrious career at the plate, Ryan Gilbertson also pitched 35 games for the Fish. He pitched 73 innings, recorded a 6-6 overall record on the mound, recorded nine saves and had an ERA of 4.17.

Throughout his time with the Fish, Ryan Gilbertson played with two family members, including his brother who was an everyday player with the Fish, but the family fun didn’t stop there. Their brother Kyle also filled in as an outfielder for a couple of games and Ryan’s dad, Larry Gilbertson, even played a game for the first time in 30 years to ensure that the team had enough players to field a team.

After Ryan Gilbertson’s portion of the ceremony finished, the other inductee, the aforementioned Joe Paatalo, was introduced by Nate Schunnan, the principal of the Greenwood Elementary School in River Falls. Schurman played for the Fish with Paatalo, and the two built a friendship throughout the years that has only gotten stronger with time.

“I would consider Joe (Paatalo) a modem renaissance man,” Schurman said. “He’s a bit of an enigma, as he does things not typically associated with baseball players. He once canoed from Northern Minnesota to the Hudson Bay. He’s an avid fly fisherman, writes and reads essays, and is a well-known You-Tuber. He reads classic literature and writes books too.”

As Schurman was speaking about Paatalo, he noted the type of teammate and leader that

See RF HOF, Page B-3

Ryan Gilbertson and Joe Paatalo, the River Falls Fighting Fish Hall of Fame Class of 2022, stand together with their Hall of Fame plaques at the induction ceremony at First National Bank of River Falls Field in River Falls on Saturday, July 9. Photo by Reagan Hoverman RF HoF

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he was during his time with the Fish. Paatalo had an extensive baseball journey and his final stop was in River Falls as he became an aging player.

He began his baseball career in high school at Cretin Derham-Hall, where he won state titles. He played college baseball at Wichita State with the Shockers, where he faced Roger Clemens, who went on to become one of the great pitchers in the history of the MLB.

After his college days, Paatalo had an ex – tensive amateur baseball career with the East Side Merchants in St. Paul, Minn. As Paatalo began to get older, it looked like his career was beginning to come to a close. He had generated success at every level of the game and was heading to retirement from the sport as he approached his 50s.

However, when he moved to River Falls to take a teaching job, he felt the baseball diamond calling his name and decided to give amateur baseball one last shot as a 48-year- old. He joined the team for the 2009 season and played four total years with the Fish, in – cluding that 2011 WBA State Championship team.

He played 94 games, recorded 94 hits, eight doubles, 29 walks, had 68 RBIs and had a career batting average of .276 with two stolen bases. While his statistics were great, even considering his age at the time, Schurman stated that the kind of person he is stood out above all else.

“Joe is such a humble guy and is never one to boast,” Schurman said. “He’s a great guy and a friend to all – even to his opponents. He is very deserving of the Fish Hall of Fame, I believe his fourth Hall of Fame.” Paatalo was handed the microphone and began his remarks by speaking about how he had already played town baseball for 23 years and how he thought there was no way that he was going to play baseball again. That’s when Josh Eidem approached Paatalo and began recruiting him to the team. He agreed to play, with the consent of his wife, Lynn, and began the final chapter of his base ball journey.

“As it turns out, my time with the Fish were some of the best years,” Paatalo said. “To be honest, I wasn’t near the player I was when I was younger, but playing with these guys and what they mean to the community and amateur baseball, it’s just absolutely amazing. I’m so proud to be a member of the Fish.”

Both Paatalo and Gilbertson received a loud ovation as their names were announced and they officially became the newest members of the River Falls Fighting Fish Hall of Fame. Once celebrations were over, the Fish played a nine-inning contest against the Prescott Pirates in which the Fish dominated from the opening pitch.

River Falls jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Prescott in the bottom of the second inning when Spencer Diedrich hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence. River Falls scored another run in the third inning and early in the fifth inning to make it a 4-0 lead.

That’s when Diedrich stepped up to the plate and blasted his second home run of the game, again over the left-field fence to make it a 5-0 lead for the Fighting Fish. Prescott tried to rally late but came up short. River Falls secured a 6-3 victory to cap off an already special Hall of Fame night.

Ryan Gilbertson, one of two 2022 River Falls Fighting Fish Hall of Fame inductees, waves to friends and family in the crowd as he delivers remarks about his time with the Fish at the induction ceremony on Saturday, July 9. Photo by Reagan Hoverman

Joe Paatalo, one of two 2022 River Falls Fighting Fish Hall of Fame inductees, speaks at his induction ceremony in River Falls on Saturday, July 9. Paatalo told the team and fans that his years with the Fish were some of the best baseball years of his life, which includes a career that spanned more than three decades. Photo by Reagan Hoverman