Heard on the Street: Be a sport; Rochester man perfect for food label

Posted: Nov 05, 2012, 9:41 am    Rochester Post Bulletin

For someone with reputation of being cranky on the baseball field, a Rochester man is pretty easy-going, if sheepish, when it comes to his sweet gig as a food label model. "My team dared me to do it. I didn't think anything would come of it," says Jeff Boehmer of how his picture ended up on the label of Frank’s Sweet Bavarian Sauerkraut. Boehmer manages the Goldy's Locker Room store in the Apache Mall, and he's the assistant manager and announcer for the Rochester Ice Hawks hockey team. His interest in sports goes beyond work. Boehmer also plays for the Roosters, Rochester's vintage 1860s-style "base ball" (That's how it was spelled in the 1860s) team at the History Center of Olmsted County. The Roosters are all about tradition and authenticity, so all of the players sport nicknames derived from a player's job, an unsavory characteristic and/or their heritage. Boehmer's perhaps exaggerated reputation for being a bit difficult or sour on the field was combined with his family's German heritage to come up with his nickname of "Sauerkraut." Other players noticed that Frank's Sauerkraut had a contest going on asking for fans in every state to submit photos online plus write a bit about why they are sweet on their new sauerkraut product. They harassed Boehmer until he grudgingly wrote something up and sent in pic. Using the Roosters' base ball slang, he wrote, “Frank’s Kraut puts the ginger in my step to leg out those bug bruisers, stingers, and stunners, and gives me the stamina to play a full 9 rounds out in the garden without a single error." That turned out to be a hit with the Ohio sauerkraut maker. Boehmer says he had forgotten about it when word recently came that he was going on the Frank's label in Minnesota. The labels are currently in production and could show up on local stores soon. He finds it a little embarrassing, but his hope is that it will help some Med City institutions. "What I do get out of it other than a lot of ribbing is a little bit of spotlight on the Roosters," Boehmer says. "If anything it can benefit the Roosters and the History Center, I'm alright with having people laughing at me a little bit." However, it might not be the last time. The Boehmers recently had a baby boy and he already has his own nickname. Bratwurst. Biz buzz Coincidentally, Boehmer and his son would be naturals to ride around on a special vehicle that is visiting Rochester this week. The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile was spotted parked across from Saint Marys Hospital this morning.

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Roosters, Ice Hawks meet for Kraut Cup

The Rochester Roosters are set to host the Rochester Ice Hawks for a series of vintage base ball games on Saturday at the Olmsted County Historical Center's Schmitt Field.

The games begin at 11 a.m. and fans can attend for two bits — just 25 cents.

The Ice Hawks, members of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, are bringing three teams to the games, and they will take on the Roosters for three 50-minute matches. The series of games has been dubbed the "Kraut Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival."

The festival came together for the first time last year when Roosters player Jeff Boehmer, also the Ice Hawks assistant to the general manager and public address announcer, pitched the idea to Ice Hawks coach Nick Fatis.

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