By Kelsey Hulbert
Cardinal Staff
SMU alumnus Jim Hoey ’74 has recently published two books, including Minnesota Twins Trivia, which highlights all of the memorable moments in the history of Twins baseball.
Hoey said as a kid he always wanted to write, was a big history and sports fan and had a good memory for detail. Plus, Hoey said, he was just about to retire from a 34-year teaching career in secondary social studies. He added that writing a trivia book seemed like a great opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary and the opening of the Target Field. “It was a great way to hopefully start a new career,” he said.
Hoey said he always had a knack for trivia and pulled the book together in about eight months of just “horsing around.”
Hoey has also published Puck Heaven: Puck Heaven: Minnesota State Boys' Hockey Tournament Trivia, which focuses on trivia of the Minnesota state hockey tournament in a personal perspective. Hoey said he was lucky enough to play in three state tournaments in high school, and his love of hockey continued through college and coaching for 15 years at Farmington and Shakopee. “I [always] wanted to write about my own experiences in the tournament,” Hokey said. “I like storytelling.”
He focuses on connecting facts with personal experiences in addition to adding variety and detail, said Hoey. For example, during his honeymoon in Boston, the Twin’s pulled off two triple plays in one game for the first time ever, he said.
The most challenging thing was making sure all of the facts and answers were correct, he said. However, Hoey said the most rewarding thing was writing for the fans. “I like talking to people, and I thought they would enjoy [the book],” he said.
His book has received a lot of positive feedback. The president of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club Dave St. Peter said, “[The] book is a must-have for fans across Twins Territory. The depth of the questions, creative concepts and attention to detail span the team’s 50 seasons in Minnesota. This book will challenge even the most passionate Twins fan.”
For the future, Hoey said he hopes to write one book every year. He is currently working on a book on anecdotes for teaching.
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