Serving Central and South Texas Since 2006
Announcing a longtime chapter tradition: The Hornsby Chapter’s World Series Watch Party will be on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Jim Baker’s home in Cedar Park!
Please bring your own beverage, and RSVP to Jim Baker (jimbaker1066@yahoo.com) by Oct. 24.
For those who have attended before, you know that generous host Jim will have us well fed. If you’ve never attended, you don’t want to miss the party! Hope to see you there!
September 2024 Newsletter
By Gilbert D. Martinez
As the season winds down and playoff races heat up, eighteen chapter members and guests chatted about everything baseball at the September chapter meeting.
By virtue of having won the previous chapter quiz, quizmaster Jerry Miller thought of some of the biggest moments in baseball history and turned his attention to the footnotes. He challenged us with 13 multi-part questions.
Jim Baker (pictured above, left) emerged victorious with 16 points (out of 34), followed by Jan Larson with 13 and Mike Dillon with 12. For prizes, Jerry presented vintage team posters; Jim claimed the Mets and Jan, donning a sharp Chicago White Sox cap, chose the Southsiders.
Take a swing at Jerry’s quiz by downloading this document (note: the answer follow the quiz): Jerry Miller’s September 2024 quiz
This was the 214th consecutive month with a chapter meeting, a streak that dates to December 2006.
MVP contests over, or not?
I conducted an informal poll of the group to find out which players they thought would win the AL and NL MVP awards. There continues to be strong support for the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for their respective league awards, but some have suggested that other players may challenge them. I wondered what our group thought with about two weeks left in the season.
Support was overwhelming – but not unanimous – in our group. Judge and Ohtani both received 14 out of 16 votes (87.5%). The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. and the Mets’ Francisco Lindor each received one vote. One participant wrote in the Royals’ Freddy Fermín and the Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas.
We won’t know until November whether we got it right. We’ll also find out how well (or not!) we did in Ryan Pollack’s Awardatron contest, in which we tried to predict the major award winners before the start of the season.
Bailey Hall poster presentation win and beyond
As you know, chapter member Bailey Hall won best poster presentation at SABR 52 last month for her study evaluating which is worse, leadoff walks or leadoff singles. She’s also been featured in Ben Lindbergh’s Effectively Wild podcast on FanGraphs: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/effectively-wild-episode-2204-is-a-leadoff-walk-worse-than-a-hit/
But that’s not all! Ryan Pollack shared that Bailey earned high praise as an aspiring saberist by Tom Tango, senior data architect for MLB and creator of the WAR framework and metrics such as wOBA, FIP, and Leverage Index:
http://tangotiger.com/index.php/site/comments/leadoff-walk-v-single
And! Because of the attention her poster received at SABR 52 and online, she’s been invited to contribute to North Side Baseball, a blog about the Chicago Cubs. Her first contribution, in which she focused her leadoff single/leadoff walk study on the 2024 Cubs, was published online Sept. 4: https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/which-is-more-costly-for-the-2024-cubs-leadoff-singles-or-leadoff-walks-r1089/
Congratulations, Bailey!
Dispatches from SABR 52
I asked Bailey Hall and Mike Lassman, both of whom attended SABR 52 in Minneapolis, to share their impressions of the annual national convention.
By Bailey Hall
Hey everybody! Bailey here, and my family and I just went to our first ever SABR national convention, and so I figured I would give everyone a little review! I won’t be able to tell y’all all the cool things we did, so I’ll just focus on the best parts.
The conference was three days in downtown Minneapolis, and every day was filled with tons of events like baseball games, panels, research talks, happy hours and so much more! We had an amazing time, and let this be a PSA to everyone that we should all go next year because it’s in Dallas, so I’m sure more of us might be able to attend.
The first day had some amazing panelists including a Twins hitters panel with Tony Oliva and Rod Carew and a Twins pitchers panel with Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat, Glen Perkins, and LaTroy Hawkins. The hitters panel was unbelievably cool because we got to hear from some of baseball’s greatest hitters of all time! They talked about being roommates for 11 seasons, the harsh realities of being players of color, and the process of being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
They commented on Reggie Jackson’s recent appearance at Rickwood Field, and they both agreed with Jackson’s assertions about playing in a segregated world. Lastly, we went to the pitchers panel, which I think was my favorite. They commented on pitchers getting hurt more and more, basically saying that there wasn’t much to be done to stop injuries. They said that since pitchers know they can pitch faster and faster, the risk of injury won’t slow them down. Instead, they said medicine needed to learn how to make injuries “recoverable” and make it easier to get back into the game, especially if a pitcher’s shoulder blows out.
That night, we went to a St. Paul Saints game, and we loved it! The stadium was beautiful, with this cool glass structure holding up the suites that gave it a very futuristic feel. The Saints won, and I will say that by the end of the game, my parents and I were downright freezing! Minnesota is no Texas :). The next morning, we went to another panel of the Saints’ office staff. It was really interesting to hear how running a Triple-A team is different from a major league team because the focus is more on entertainment than purely baseball. They mentioned their most successful theme nights that attracted tons of press, most notably bobble-foot night for the anniversary of “Footloose” and a food fight night. Later that day, I got to go to the Twins front office and learn about things that are run there, which was very interesting. I learned about the player development side of the business and how to translate the hard statistics to digestible and tangible things to work on from the coaching side. We also went to a Twins game after that, where the Twins won and they played fireworks after the game!
On the last day, I heard probably my favorite talk given by a fellow SABR member titled “Where did the 24 Minutes Go?” by David W. Smith, and it explained how MLB was able to cut down game time in recent years. I then had to go answer questions about my poster because it was time for the poster Q&A, and I met some really nice people who had really interesting questions! My poster was about leadoff walks versus leadoff singles, and it was really fun to be able to debate with everyone about it. The conference commenced with closing ceremonies like the trivia championship, awards and closing thoughts from the SABR board.
Overall, I had a wonderful time in Minneapolis and at the conference, and I highly suggest anyone who hasn’t been to attend at least one just to see what it’s all about!
By Mike Lassman
The Society for American Baseball Research conducted the 52nd edition of its convention from Aug. 7 to 11, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Attendees from across Canada and the U.S. visited the Twin Cities to partake in discussion, analysis, baseball history and analysis.
Baseball-Reference sponsored the welcome reception. Fans in attendance discussed the Oakland to Sacramento to Las Vegas movement. Where else would you discuss the organization movement, but also go back in time to talk about the 1922 St. Louis Browns club that featured sluggers George Sisler and Ken Williams?
The reception was just the start of a very memorable convention. Attendees were able to walk to Target Field to see the Guardians and the Twins and take a bus to see the Columbus Clippers play the St. Paul Saints. Both the Minnesota Twins and St. Paul Saints organizations took immense pride by providing tremendous panel members from both front offices.
Twins Hall of Famers Tony Oliva and Rod Carew participated in a hitter’s panel. Oliva and Carew were roomies for 11 years. After Carew made it to the big leagues, he told Oliva that he would end up with more batting titles than Oliva. Despite the prediction, Oliva helped his roommate tie his first tie on a road trip. Carew was so inspired that he would wear the same tie for three years on road trips without adjusting the tie. Oliva talked about his resilience. The Twins released the future Hall of Famer and Oliva went back to Cuba prior to making it to the major leagues. Both Oliva and Carew told delightful stories about their time in the big leagues. Carew talked about Calvin Griffith promising him the second base job when Carew was playing in the Carolina League. The Twins were one of the first teams to charter flights instead of commercial ones.
Bert Blyleven briefly interrupted the dialogue and asked what the panel knew about hitting. Eventually, Blyleven, Jim Kaat, LaTroy Hawkins and Glen Perkins started their pitching panel. Whitey Ford graciously taught Kaat how to change his grip on a fastball. Blyleven received similar mentoring from pitching coach Marv Grissom who placed a chair next to Blyleven so that he would land correctly. The pitchers commented on the different conditioning that pitchers did in the old days. Kaat discussed analytics by commenting that players should be data informed instead of data driven.
The agenda included a fantastic panel on women in baseball. Melissa Ludtke spoke about her attempt to gain access to the Yankees and Dodgers during the 1977 World Series. Despite the teams permitting access, Bowie Kuhn did not allow it. Reggie Jackson provided accommodation by allowing Ludtke to interview him in his automobile on the way to a game. Eventually, a judge ordered equal access for female reporters.
The convention concluded with Hornsby Chapter member Bailey Hall winning the Poster Presentation Award regarding leadoff hits and walks. Congratulations, Bailey!
Minor League Baseball News
Andy York, a Round Rock Express season ticket holder, shared news from the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate that the 2025 schedule includes series against teams from the International League: the Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers), the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox) and St. Paul Saints (Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins). The Dell Diamond will host the Mud Hens from April 1 to 6, 2025. The series against the Knights and Saints will be on the road.
Cool Baseball Stories
Cool Baseball Stories is a new feature in our newsletter to give members a chance to share an interesting recent experience. This month, we hear from Syd Polk, a former Oakland A’s season ticket holder, and diehard Cardinals fan Monte Cely, who traveled by train with his son between Busch Stadium and Wrigley Field.
By Syd Polk
On Sept. 7, I flew out and said goodbye to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, and the Oakland incarnation of the Athletics.
I went to a handful of games before from 1988 to 2000, and then got season tickets for the playoffs in 2000 through the 2006 season, when I moved to Texas. Those Moneyball A’s were so much fun, and the Moneyball game was the most fun I have ever had at a ballpark.
On Saturday night, the weather was perfect, the crowd was big enough to be fun but small enough not to be annoying. The A’s lost 2-1 to the Tigers, but you can’t have everything.
And having old friends there with me was fantastic.
By Monte Cely
My son Matt and I (pictured above, Monte on the right) traveled to St. Louis to see the Cardinals-Rangers series at Busch and on to the Cubs-Cardinals series in Chicago. A highlight of the trip was traveling from St. Louis to Chicago by train.
Traveling by train for an away series is popular for Cards and Cubs fans. We took the “Texas Eagle” from downtown St. Louis to Chicago Union Station. We were an hour late leaving as Amtrak had to hook up extra passenger cars for the many Cardinals fans. Cubs fans piled onto the train at stops in Illinois. Riding the rails was a comfortable and fun experience.
In Chicago, we took the “L” (elevated train) Red Line from our hotel to “The Friendly Confines.” We enjoyed walking around Wrigleyville and had lunch outside the park before the day game. The restaurant was about 60/40 Cubs/Cardinals fans. It’s a “friendly rivalry” with a little trash talk about how poorly both teams were playing. Cubs fans are also really bummed out about the White Sox and were very anti-new-stadium for the South Side.
After the day game, we went to a popular indoor mall to look for gifts. There was a Harry Caray Restaurant on the top floor, so we had dinner there. Once settled at our table, I looked around and realized Cardinals 1B Paul Goldschmidt and his family were sitting right behind us! We didn’t want to bother them, but several young kids rushed up to talk with him. He was very friendly and gracious to them and their families. The waitress told us he usually just walks in with his family, no private reservations.
We flew home from O’Hare the next day. As they say in the Midwest, “A good time was had by all!”
Mike Vance’s second part of duology
You may recall when book author and Dierker Chapter member Mike Vance visited with us in April to promote the publication of the first part of his baseball duology. He’s just published his second part.
“Wingo’s Redemption,” the second and final part of Mike’s Wingo baseball historical fiction duology, is now available on Amazon.com and on the author’s website.
Mike shared the description on the back of the book jacket:
116-year-old Rube Wingo recounts another half century of his remarkable life, beginning with a personal tragedy that compels him to leave New York City to pick up the pieces in Cincinnati. His friendships, new and rekindled, and his ill-fitting attempts to again find love surround his behind-the-scenes roles with baseball’s oldest franchise and one of its newest ones–all amidst a backdrop of seismic changes in the game and in American society.
At an age when most people are considering retirement, Rube must reinvent himself one last time, starting with deciding what is most important in his life. After decades of following his dreams, he’s forced to face hard truths about himself and the game which he so dearly loves.
From consummate history storyteller Mike Vance comes the conclusion of Wingo’s captivating and hysterical romp through an American century of life, love, race and baseball.
Here is the praise for the book:
“Mike has a passion for history and baseball. He is an accomplished writer with an active imagination.” – Larry Dierker, MLB All-Star player, manager and broadcaster
“Wingo’s Redemption is simply a great read… a first-class yarn spun by a storyteller and writer at the top of his craft.” – Chris White, Acclaimed author and internet humorist
In pursuit of 25 points: Pavin Smith misses history, Kyle Schwarber makes it
By Jim Baker
This past Sunday night (Sept. 8), Pavin Smith of the Diamondbacks had hit three home runs by the fifth inning against the Astros, including a grand slam, a solo shot and a three-run homer. All he needed to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home run cycle was a two-run blast. (Only two minor leaguers have ever done this; both from the Texas League. Tyrone Horne did it in 1998 for Arkansas and Chandler Redmond did it two years ago for Springfield.)
The big chance came in the top of the seventh inning. Eugenio Suarez singled to start the inning, but Smith, facing Hector Neris, struck out swinging. Smith was slated to bat second in the ninth inning as well, but this time, Suarez hit a home run off of Josh Hader, meaning there would be no home run cycle. There was still a chance at immortality for Smith, though, as a round tripper would put him in the elite company of players who hit four homers in a game. Only 17 men have done this, including six Hall of Famers.
Instead, he walked. This left him one more shot at joining a select group: those with 25 simple fantasy points in a game (calculated as one point for every total base, run scored, run driven in, walk, hit by pitch and stolen base). Smith stood at first base with 24 points. meaning a stolen base (something he literally does once a year) or a run scored would put him over the threshold.
And yes, this threshold was created by me. I wanted to know which players had most productive games in history and I wanted to do it in a way that would not require any math other than addition. Twenty-five seemed like a good milestone number and the list was born. So far as I know, it’s been done 89 times by 87 players (more on that in a second.) If 89 seems like a lot, consider this: since 1902, there have been 3.3 million player starts in major league games. That number is even higher when you include the 19th century. Now the feat seems a lot more impressive, no?
Pavin Smith was wiped out on a double play and ended the game one point short of joining this select group. Had he homered and walked instead of striking out and walking in his last two plate appearances, he would have joined an even more elite group: those with 30 points in a game. Only 11 men have ever done that, the latest being Adolis Garcia last season.
Though Smith fell just short—while still enjoying a career game the likes of which the vast majority of players will never come close to matching—just a few weeks ago a player did it for the second time in the space of a month! On September 3, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies hit his third home (and fourth extra base hit) in the ninth inning, a three-run shot that gave the Phillies a 10-9 win over the Blue Jays. It also put him at 25 points on the night to match his score from August 7 against the Dodgers. (One headline after the Blue Jays game read “Schwarber career night leads Phillies” which made me wonder if the headline writer had already forgotten what he’d done four weeks prior.)
With this performance, Schwarber became only the second player to hit the 25-point threshold twice, the other being hitting legend Lou Gehrig, who did it in 1928 and again in 1932 (meaning he had two of the first 11 in history; he also had a 24-point game in 1930). But Schwarber did it twice in the space of just 25 games, which is nothing short of miraculous!
Furthermore, Schwarber’s contributions in these games were mostly essential. A great majority of the players who get 25 points in a game do so in service to a blowout. In 60 percent of the games, the player’s team scored 15 runs or more. Schwarber’s pair were two of the 12 games in which the player’s team scored 10 or less (it’s only been done three times in losses). Only eight of the winning games were settled by two runs or less.
Next meeting – World Series Watch Party!
The October meeting will continue a longtime chapter tradition – the World Series Watch Party at Jim Baker’s house in Cedar Park!
More details to come at the beginning of October, but the watch party will be the evening of Saturday, Oct. 26. Depending on scheduling, it will either be World Series Game 2 or Game 4. We won’t know until the conclusion of both League Championship Series.
More details and a call for RSVPs to come.
With the dog days of summer behind us and playoff chances up in the air, the Hornsby Chapter will gather for lunch at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Hurricane Grill & Wings (2701 Parker Dr., Round Rock).
Please RSVP to Gilbert (gmartinez46@mac.com) by Friday, Sept. 13, so we know how many to expect.
The potential topics include how the playoff races are shaping up, which teams will find themselves in or out of the wildcard race, and our Predictatron ballots and Awardatron choices.
Also, have you had an interesting outing to a baseball game in August and want to share it with the chapter? Consider contributing your short story for consideration for the September Newsletter. Write in first-person, limit your story to no more than 300 words, please, and add an accompanying photo if available. Send your contribution to Gilbert; the deadline is Friday, Sept. 12.
August 2024 Newsletter
By Gilbert D. Martinez
The August meeting featured a book author detailing how a pitcher’s inspiring dream to play in Major League Baseball was delayed by a tour in Japan. The day after the meeting, the chapter got big, big news about one of our own from SABR 52 in Minneapolis.
Seventeen chapter members and guests joined via Zoom on Saturday to hear award-winning sports writer, editor and multimedia journalist Aaron Fischman tell the story of Tony Barnette, a pitcher who didn’t know if he’d ever achieve his dream to pitch in MLB when he signed a lucrative contract to join the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball (spoiler alert: he made MLB later, pitching for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs).
Fischman read passages from his book, “A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back,” which was published in June. He also shared how he connected with Barnette, then a minor-league pitcher when Fischman was a student journalist in college. He kept in touch with Barnette and subsequently featured him in a graduate school magazine article, laying the groundwork for this book.
The book goes beyond Barnette’s experience in Japanese baseball, Fischman said, by exploring the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which led to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011, shortly after Barnette arrived in Japan.
Fischman also shared that sports agent Don Nomura, who wrote the book’s foreword, features prominently in Barnette’s story and provides great insight into foreigners who play baseball in Japan.
Here’s the full presentation and interview:
Fischman’s book can be purchased on amazon.com and other booksellers. In addition, Fischman said those who purchase the hardcover edition of the book will be entered for a chance to win two signed baseball cards by Barnette and a second, signed hardcover of the book if they send proof of the book purchase to Fischman (email: aaronfischman519@gmail.com) by Aug. 17.
Many thanks to Aaron Fischman for joining us on Zoom!
SABR 52 and congrats to Bailey Hall!
Congratulations to chapter member Bailey Hall for her poster presentation at SABR 52 in Minneapolis! Her poster, evaluating whether a leadoff walk is worse than a leadoff hit, won top poster presentation at SABR 52! You may recall that she shared her early findings on this topic at the Hornsby Chapter’s 18th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting in January.
Bailey’s poster caught the attention of many attendees and those on social media, including Bill James and Mike Petriello! Way to go, Bailey!
She and fellow member Mike Lassman, who also attended the convention, have been invited to share their impressions and experiences at the conference in next month’s newsletter.
SABR 52: David W. Smith, Bailey Hall win 2024 convention presentation awards
Bailey also let chapter members know that the Hornsby Chapter was recognized for All Star status for achievements by the chapter, which includes chapter governance requirements (such as a leadership election and chapter bylaws adoption), holding regular meetings in-person and online, and publishing a newsletter, among other items.
SABR chapters honored for exceptional performance in 2023-24
The chapter leadership is thrilled with this news and wants to thank all chapter members for their involvement and participation!
New newsletter feature: Cool baseball stories!
Do you have a cool baseball story that happened to you this season? Want to share it with your friends in the Hornsby Chapter and beyond? This may be perfect for you! Please reach out to Gilbert D. Martinez (gmartinez46@mac.com) with a brief description of your cool baseball story (write in first-person and limit your story to no more than 300 words, please) and accompanying photo if available.
Baltimore Orioles superfan Ryan Pollack kicks off this new feature.
Ryan Pollack: I met Colton Cowser, starting outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles!
I was in Houston for a (unfortunate) 5-1 Orioles loss to the Astros on June 22nd. Afterwards, my friends and I headed to El Tiempo for dinner. Who should be there but starting outfielder Colton Cowser? He was sitting one table over with a bunch of his family, many of whom were wearing Cowser jerseys themselves.
Despite being nervous, I was decked out in full Orioles gear so I figured he’d at least see me coming as a “friendly”. As I approached, his family members indeed noticed my O’s gear and waved me over. I ended up chatting briefly with Colton, shaking his hand and complimenting him and the team on the incredible season so far.
The loss of the game (and eventual 3-game sweep) hurt, but meeting and talking with an actual Oriole for the first time in my life is a memory I’ll never forget. Colton currently has a .799 OPS along with 95th-percentile defense. He’s among the favorites for the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year.
Gilbert D. Martinez: In July, I had a great backpacking trip with some longtime friends at Olympic National Park, where we saw bald eagles and momma bear with two cubs (but that’s another story). In addition, we saw the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park, which was pretty cool. But the really cool thing was when Astros first baseman Jon Singleton noticed me in my orange Altuve jersey waving my glove as he returned to the Astros dugout. The Ronel Blanco pitch was grounded by Mariners’ Luke Raley to Jose Altuve who threw it to Singleton for the third out at the bottom of the fourth inning. Then, Singleton tossed it right to me! Score it 4-3-G!
World Series watch party – mark your calendar!
MLB recently announced the postseason schedule which, luckily, does not impact our plan to have the World Series watch party at Jim Baker’s house in Cedar Park on Saturday, Oct. 26.
For the first time, MLB has flexible start dates for the World Series, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 25. However, if both the NLCS and ALCS are completed by Oct. 19 (meaning that each series is completed by Game 5), then the World Series would begin on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
So, the World Series watch party would either be for Game 2 or Game 4, depending on the above. NL and AL pennant winners are yet to be determined.
What’s not in doubt is that the watch party, a longtime chapter tradition hosted by Predictatron impresario Jim Baker, is the not-to-be-missed event of the year. Mark Oct. 26 on your calendars now!
Next month’s meeting
In the last full month of the season, we return to an in-person meeting to discuss the playoff races, our Predictatron ballots and awards predictions at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Hurricane Grill & Wings (2701 Parker Dr., Round Rock).
A meeting reminder will go out at the first of the month. Hope to see you at the September meeting! We have a lot to talk about and celebrate!
For the August meeting, the Hornsby Chapter shifts to Zoom to welcome a book author who’ll tell us about an American baseball pitcher who chased his baseball dream to Japan before debuting for the Texas Rangers.
Join us at 1 p.m. (Central Time) Saturday, Aug. 10, when award-winning sports writer, editor and multimedia journalist Aaron Fischman talks about his book, “A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back.”
Published in June 2024 by Sports Publishing, Fischman’s first book tells the story of Tony Barnette, an Arizona State pitcher drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006. After working his way up the D-backs’ farm system, he took a lucrative offer to pitch for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Later, he returned to the States, pitching for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs (2016-19).
Check out Fischman’s website to find out more about the author.
To register for the Zoom meeting, please go to this link: https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsduqgqT8sEtUHOS5NVQEG4h87PhnraBlJ
July 2024 Newsletter
By Gilbert D. Martinez
On a pleasant overcast afternoon with a constant, refreshing breeze, seven chapter members watched the San Antonio Missions drop their last game before the All-Star break on Sunday.
The Missions lost 4-2 to the Amarillo Sod Poodles, managed by former Astros, Mets and Dodgers infielder Tim Bogar. The game featured Missions catcher Brandon Valenzuela, who was named the June MiLB Player of the Month, and Sod Poodles first baseman Matt Beaty, who’s played with the Dodgers (2019-21), Padres (2022) and Giants and Royals (2023).
During the game, Cy Morong had a trivia question for the group. He noticed that Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees had back-to-back months (May and June) with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 1.350 or better.
Only three other players have achieved this in back-to-back months. One player did it multiple times, including a time with three consecutive months. Another player did it twice and one more did it once. Can you name them?
Ira Siegel was able to name one of the players after Cy mentioned that he particularly wanted to pose the trivia question to me. If you know who my favorite baseball team is, then the hint may help you, too.
You can find out who the players are and more on Cy’s recent blog: https://cybermetric.blogspot.com/2024/07/players-who-had-at-least-1350-ops-in.html
Mike Lassman, who joined us at the Missions game, shared that he’ll attend SABR 52 from Aug. 7 to 11 in Minneapolis. Any other chapter members planning on attending? Please let Gilbert know. For more information about SABR 52, go to this link: https://sabr.org/convention/
After the Missions game, Andy York, who lived in San Antonio in the 1980s and ’90s, invited us to join him at Tong’s Thai Restaurant, a favorite of his. He particularly recommended the restaurant’s fried spring roll. A few of us enjoyed a post-game early dinner.
Though the season is more than halfway done, teams, players and fans pause for the All-Star break and ponder what went right (and wrong) in the first half of the season and dream of what may be for the remainder of the season. The same can be said of the chapter’s two prediction contests: Predictatron, in which chapter member and mere mortals attempt to foresee the season’s outcome, and Awardatron, in which we try to anticipate baseball’s award winners.
800 CREDIT SCORE
By Jim Baker
We come to the All-Star break much as we’ve played the season to this point: with Mr. Rogers increasing his contest lead and Ms. Martinez and Mr. Gay battling it out for control of the Raeanne Martinez Division.
On the former front, the lead has grown yet again as Mr. Rogers summoned up 25 more points to become the first player to crack the 800-point barrier in 2024—an achievement in both the world of personal credit and in Predictatron. In so doing, he increased his overall lead to 42 points on his nearest competitors, the aforementioned Ms. Martinez and Mr. Gay, who come to the break tied for first place in the division not currently being dominated by Mr. Rogers.
Mr. Robinson remains hot on the trail of the two divisional leaders, trailing them both by just two points, while in the Rogers Division, the race is for second place these days and Mr. McNulty is ahead, two points in front of third-placer Mr. Dillon, but a staggering 58 (!) points behind Mr. Rogers.
It was a good week in scoring news as only one player lost points and all but five experienced double-figure gains. Leading the way was our first-time Player of the Week, Mr. Wancho, with 27 points. This afforded him a two-place jump from seven to fifth in the Rogers Division. Mr. Rogers, Mr. Martinez, and Mr. Siegel all added 25 points to their scores as we posted a 16-point gain on average.
Why all the increased pointage? Well, for one thing, we’re down to just nine teams costing us in double figures with just one of them costing us in the twenties:
-21 Marlins
-19 White Sox
-18 Guardians
-15 Phillies
-14 Royals
-14 Red Sox
-12 Brewers
-11 Blue Jays
-11 Rangers
The Red Sox are relatively new to this list as they have played their way well out of our predicted range with their recent hotness.
There will be no update for the short week, so the next time you get one of these broadsides it will be two weeks from now and it will cover about 40 percent more games than usual. It is possible, therefore, that there will be some bigger upheavals in the standings to look forward to.
Through games of Sunday, July 14 (the All-Star break), or 59.6 percent of the 2024 season:
Awardatron Update
By Ryan Pollack
First things first! It’s All-Star break month. Beginning on the 15th and ending on the 18th, Awardatron participants will have the chance to change ONE (1) preseason award pick.
AL MVP
Your favorites: Soto, Julio Rodríguez, Rutschman
Current favorites: Henderson, Judge, Soto
Well, what can I say about Henderson that hasn’t already been said this year?? Aaron Judge is continuing his super-hot hitting streak. And while Henderson hasn’t quiiiiite kept pace with the stick, he HAS been outclassing Judge in the field and on the basepaths. These differences have Henderson and Judge projected for a nearly-even 9.4 and 9.2 fWAR. Soto is of course having an excellent offensive season as well, and his defensive value is similar to Judge’s, but he’s not a good baserunner and his position is less valuable.
Other names to watch: Witt Jr., Kwan, Air Yordan
NL MVP
Your favorites: Betts, Acuña Jr., Freeman/Turner/Harper
Current favorites: Ohtani, Marte, Lindor
Ketel Marte’s baaaaaaaaack! Marte broke out in a big way in 2019, hitting .329/.389/.592 with 32 dingers and average defense at second for 6.3 WAR. It was his age-25 season and you could’ve been forgiven for thinking he was about to rocket up to the top of the game. Well, from 2021-23 he hit .273/.350/.469 with 51 HR and his defense slipped to well below average. Good numbers, to be sure, and no one will turn down a 2-3 WAR player. But it probably wasn’t what he or the Diamondbacks had in mind after 2019.
Well perhaps he was just biding his time, because so far this year he has been tremendous, hitting .288/.356/.512 with 17 HR and much improved defense. And he’s doing it in a year where offense has cratered, so when you compare him to replacement level, he’s racked up 3.8 WAR already and there’s still half a season to go.
Other names to watch: Freddie Freeman, Harper, Elly de la Cruz
AL Cy Young
Your favorites: Burnes, Kirby, Gausman
Current favorites: Skubal, Burnes, Lugo
Seth Lugo!??!?! The Mets reliever?? That was my reaction anyway. Yes, the 34-year-old former Met and Padre is having a career year. He’s accrued 2.7 fWAR already, just 0.1 WAR below his single-season high of 2.8 that he set with San Diego last year. His strikeout and walk rates are roughly the same as compared to last year. What’s happened is that he’s giving up fewer hits on balls in play, and he’s stopped giving up dingers.
Regarding hits on balls in play, you’ll recall from last month’s email that major league average is in the .280-.290 range. Lugo’s batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is .266. Because pitchers generally can’t control what happens when a ball enters the field of play, we expect this number to regress to the mean, which will increase Lugo’s ERA a bit.
The other major change? Lugo’s HR/9 has dropped from 1.2-ish to a stingy 0.7. There’s some signal here — his Hard-Hit rate (per Statcast) is down from 44% to 39%, and his barrel rate is down from 9.6% to 7.4%.
And hey — remember what I talked about last time? The percent of runners pitchers stranded? Lugo’s is at a sky-high 85%.
Overall, Statcast and FIP think Lugo’s ERA should be in the 3.50 range, not 2.17 where it currently is. That’s still good, but not Cy-worthy. But we’ll see. Regardless, he’ll end up with a career year, and at age 34 no less. Happy for him.
Other names to watch: Houck, Gilbert. (I refuse to put Crochet because I don’t think he’ll pitch as much for the rest of the year.)
NL Cy Young
Your favorites: Strider, Gallen, Yamamoto
Current favorites: Sale, Webb, Glasnow
Chris Sale pitching like it’s 2015 makes me happy. The man spent so many years injured and/or ineffective, I thought he was really done. But he clearly isn’t. Unlike Lugo, Sale’s 2.71 ERA isn’t a mirage. His K-BB% is a sterling 27.8%, he’s getting tons of called strikes and whiffs, his Hard Hit rate is 30%, and his Barrel rate is a stingy 5.9%. Somewhere, someone is cutting up a White Sox jersey in glee.
Other names to watch: Wheeler, Suarez, Gray
AL Rookie of the Year
Your favorites: Holliday, Carter, Langford
Current favorites: Cowser, Mason Miller, Wilyer Abreu
I MET COLTON COWSER!! Not kidding. He was sitting at the next table with about 10-12 friends and family (not teammates that I could see) at a Mexican restaurant in Houston. It was a couple hours after the Orioles’ loss to the Astros on Saturday, June 22nd. I was in town, decked out in O’s gear, with several friends and we’d just been to the game. After we sat down to eat, I glanced at the next table and immediately recognized him.
At first, I was too chicken to say hi. I was just geeking out to my friends. (I am an introvert by nature.) But one of them went over and said hi to him, kind of showing me that I could too. So I walked over, and as I did, a couple of (what I’m guessing were) his relatives noticed my O’s gear and started chatting with me. They encouraged me to go speak with him, so I did. It was amazing. His mom thanked me for being respectful!! Wow.
Other names to watch: David Hamilton, Luis Gil, Justin Slaten
NL Rookie of the Year
Your favorites: Yamamoto, Chourio, Jung Hoo Lee
Current favorites: Ortiz, Jackson Merrill, Yamamoto
The Curse of Preseasons Award Predictions has claimed Strider, Acuña Jr., Betts, and now also Yamamoto. The Japanese rookie went down on June 16th with a strained rotator cuff. Shoulder injuries are no joke for pitchers so I was pretty bummed. Apparently now he’s pain-free, which is good. Let’s hope he returns soon.
In the meantime, Jackson Merrill (who is from Baltimore!) has come on strong. He slugged .360 in April and May but turned it up a notch in June, slugging a ridiculous .650. Put another way, in April and May he hit 3 HR combined. In June?? He hit 9. Yes, 9. He’s an above-average defender in center field, which is saying something since he was a shortstop before this year, and has added value on the basepaths. Joey Ortiz is on the IL as well, so Merrill may be the frontrunner.
Other names to watch: Michael Busch, Masyn Winn, Jacob Young
AL Manager of the Year
Your favorites: Servais (Mariners), Hyde (Orioles), Quatraro (Royals)
Current favorites: Vogt, Servais, Cora
Well, in the last couple of weeks the Royals have stumbled somewhat. FanGraphs now gives them just a 35% chance at making the playoffs, which is down from the 50%-ish spot they were in a little while back. It’s a long season, folks. In the same timespan, Alex Cora’s Red Sox have shaken off their early-season underperformance and are now seen as the favorites for that third Wild Card spot, with a 41% playoff chance.
I would like to think that Hyde is in the running this year… and maybe if the Orioles win the division, then Hyde will finish in the Top 3. But the Guardians’ preseason expectations were way lower than the Orioles’.
NL Manager of the Year
Your favorites: Counsell (Cubs), Shildt (Padres), Bell (Reds) / Roberts (Dodgers)
Current favorites: Murphy, Shildt, Thomson
Murphy’s Brewers continue to run the table on the NL Central, while Counsell’s Cubs have gone in the opposite direction and now sit in the cellar.
Mike Shildt’s Padres are doing way better than anyone expected. I think most thought that after losing Soto and Snell, the Padres would falter somewhat. Instead, they acquired Dylan Cease and have the first NL Wild Card spot. Go figure.
Next meeting on Zoom on Aug. 10
Aaron Fischman, the son of Jerry Miller’s friend and author of “A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back,” will join us at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, via Zoom. The book, published in June, tells the story of Tony Barnette, who pitched six seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows from 2010 to 2015 in Japan followed up by four seasons with the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs from 2016 to 2019.
To register for the Zoom meeting, please go to this link: https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsduqgqT8sEtUHOS5NVQEG4h87PhnraBlJ
For the second consecutive year, the Hornsby Chapter will travel to San Antonio for a Missions game at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium.
The Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the Missions will host the Amarillo Sod Poodles, affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 14.
I have purchased two tickets in Section 200, Row V, Seats 11 and 12, which are shaded seats.
If you’d like to join us, please use the following link to purchase your own tickets: https://mlb.tickets.com/?orgId=53849&agency=MILB_MPV&eventId=19913&tfl=#/event/E19913/seatmap/?selectBuyers=false&minPrice=8&maxPrice=30&quantity=2&sort=price_desc&ada=false&seatSelection=true&onlyCoupon=true&onlyVoucher=false
Hope to see you at the ballpark later this month!
June 2024 Newsletter
By Gilbert D. Martinez
The June chapter meeting at Ryan Pollack and Lauren Cohen’s house featured a delicious sandwich platter with sides, desserts, live baseball broadcasts and a nifty Negro Leagues baseball quiz.
A dozen chapter members and guests talked about the strong start by the Yankees and Phillies and wondered if the Rangers and Astros have enough time to overcome slow starts and a string of injuries to each club’s respective starting rotations.
We also noted the recognition of Josh Gibson’s lifetime batting average (.372) that now sits atop baseball’s record book as MLB has fully integrated Negro Leagues records with MLB statistics.
The quiz, inspired by a visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum by Raeanne and Gilbert Martinez and Ryan in April, sparked an epic clash of trivia titans, Jerry Miller and Jim Baker. After the regulation 20 questions (written by Ryan, Raeanne and Gilbert), Jerry and Jim found themselves in a tie, 11 points each.
This triggered a tiebreaker in which each combatant was tasked by Ryan to name a player enshrined as a statue on the playing field at the heart of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. First contestant to incorrectly name a player would lose the tiebreaker, Ryan declared.
Josh Gibson, Jerry said for his first guess (correct).
Satchel Paige, Jim countered (correct).
Cool Papa Bell, Jerry said (correct).
Bullet Joe Rogan, Jim offered (incorrect, but under his breath, Jim said Rogan ought to be immortalized as a statue!).
For a list of all players and executives on the Field of Legends, check out this entry on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro_Leagues_Baseball_Museum
And with that, Jerry outlasted Jim in a battle for the ages. Try your hand at Ryan’s quiz below. The answers follow the questions. (Note: Ryan deviated slightly for the tiebreaker depicted below.)
Many thanks to Ryan and Lauren for sharing their home with us for this month’s meeting!
This was the 211th consecutive month with a monthly meeting, a streak that dates to December 2006.
Very Difficult Trivia
Chapter member Tom Thayer shared on the chapter email list a novel question that he dubbed “very difficult trivia.” Tom said he would be very impressed if anyone knew the answer without looking it up.
“This position player was a rookie when he was 20 years old,” Tom wrote. “He played until he was 34. In his age 32 season, he set a new personal best in home runs. Not only was it a career high, but it was more than double the amount of home runs he had hit in his ENTIRE career up until that point.
“I am not aware of any position player with a similar profile – even approaching doubling his career home runs in a single season that late in his career. I know of another player who mid-career almost equaled his career home runs in a single season. And it is possible that there have been pitchers who have done this (i.e. had 1 career home run and then had a season with 2 late in their career).
“Who is this player? Tom asked, challenging chapter members.
After about 10 hours of nothing but crickets on the email list, Tom took pity on his fellow chapter members and offered additional hints.
“He was born outside of the U.S., though you can’t tell from his name. The high school from which he matriculated in New Hampshire is now a college. He missed part of one season due to a war effort. His nickname is the same as a Tim Conway character. He was the personal catcher of one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He organized one of the early ballplayer tours of Japan. He was a proponent of women’s baseball, arranging a women’s baseball tour of Japan and Korea. He later managed the Rockford Peaches (no word on his stance on crying in baseball).”
Various incorrect guesses were made such as Hack Wilson, while some chapter members investigated possible answers that didn’t fit the criteria upon further research.
The Tim Conway character hint prompted chapter member Mike McNulty to guess “[s]ome ballplayer nicknamed ‘Dorf.’”
Tom ruled that a correct answer (technically) and filled in the rest.
“The answer is Eddie “Dorf” Ainsmith,” Tom wrote. “I imagine most have never heard of him since he played over a century ago.
“He was born in Russia (nee Anshmedt) and grew up in Massachusetts. He graduated from Colby Academy (now Colby College) before beginning his pro career at the age of 17. For most of his career, he was a consistently bad hitter with an OPS+ around 60. He was Walter Johnson’s personal catcher – he caught more of Johnson’s innings (1271) than any other catcher.
“He served stateside in the WWI war effort in 1918, but that year was when his hitting started to turn around. He posted an 80 OPS+ that year and then 115 in 1919. However, still not much power as he only had 6 career HRs through 1920. He posted an 82 OPS+ in 1921 with 0 HRs. Then, in 1922 with the Cardinals (managed by Branch Rickey) he surged to 13 HRs, which was top 10 in the league. The Cardinals played in a hitting-friendly stadium, but not extremely so. He was 3rd on the team in WAR and out-homered slugging first baseman Jack Fournier. He only hit 3 more HRs the rest of his career.
“The women’s baseball tour of Asia was a failure with the lady ballplayers getting stranded – one of them was washed overboard when her family was eventually able to pay for her return.
“The closest analogue to Ainsmith in terms of power surges would be Ed Williamson. He had 8 career HRs until he was 26 yo (his 7th season) when he jacked 27 HRs for the Cubs, aided by a short RF. Ken Williams had 40 career HRs when he hit 39 in 1922. He was 32 yo at the time, but it was only his 7th season in baseball, with two of them just cups of coffee.
“Among more recent players, Bert Campaneris had 24 career HRs when he hit 22 HRs in his 7th season when he was 28 yo. Pitcher Mike Hampton had no career HRs when he joined the Rockies at age 28 – he hit 7 HRs in his first season with them.”
Tom shared with me that he has long been aware of Ainsmith because his entry is near the front of Baseball Encyclopedia. More recently, Tom said he dug deeper into Ainsmith’s career while working on a catcher database.
Thanks, Tom, for the challenging trivia question and thorough follow-up!
Research Spotlight
For the past five years, Jim Baker has dedicated himself to examining the best single-game offensive performances in baseball history using fantasy baseball stats. Tallying total bases, runs, RBI, walks, stolen bases (and hit-by-pitch), Jim has identified dozens of individual game performances that top his Big Game List. He has reviewed all four-home-run games and most three-home-run games. Now, he’s nearly done compiling his list.
Here’s the top eleven performances.
| Pts | Player | Date | Notes | Team | Opp | W-L | Runs | R.A. | pa | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | cs | |
| 32 | Shawn Green | 5/23/02 | 4 HR, 6-for-6 | Dodgers | @ | Brewers | W | 16 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Mark Whiten | 9/7/93 | 4 HR, 12 rbi | Cardinals | @ | Reds | W | 15 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Scooter Gennett | 6/6/17 | 4 HR, 10 rbi, 5-for-5 | Reds | vs | Cardinals | W | 13 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Anthony Rendon | 4/30/17 | 3 HR, 2b, 10 rbi, 6-for-6 | Nationals | vs | Mets | W | 23 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Gil Hodges | 8/31/50 | 4 HR, 9 rbi | Dodgers | vs | Braves | W | 19 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Tony Lazzeri | 5/24/36 | 3 HR, 1 3b, 11 rbi, 2 GS | Yankees | @ | A’s | W | 25 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Josh Hamilton | 5/8/12 | 4 HR, 1 2b, 8 rbi | Rangers | @ | Orioles | W | 10 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Fred Lynn | 6/18/75 | 3 HR, 1 3b, 10 rbi | Red Sox | @ | Tigers | W | 15 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Joe Adcock | 7/31/54 | 4 HR, 1 2b | Braves | @ | Dodgers | W | 15 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Walker Cooper | 7/6/49 | 3 hr, 10 rbi, 6-for-7 | Reds | vs | Cubs | W | 23 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
“I have about 90 three-homer games to check,” Jim shared with me. “I am 100 percent certain none of them will impact the Top 10! (Very conveniently, all of the Top 10 games are 30 or more points.)”
“I just found two games where Sammy Sosa had three homers and was then taken out for his final plate appearance,” Jim wrote later. “I wonder why that happened. Surely everyone knows the record is four in a game and that less than two dozen guys have done it….”
The most recent occurrence of a big game to add to Jim’s list was Adolis Garcia with the Texas Rangers on April 22, 2023. His 29-point game ties for fifth on the list, just missing the top eleven performances.
Next meeting: San Antonio Missions game on July 14
After last year’s successful outing to a San Antonio Missions game in September, the chapter is scheduling another outing to Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 14. The Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the Missions will host the Amarillo Sod Poodles, affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. I have purchased two tickets in Section 200, Row V, Seats 11 and 12, which are shaded seats.
If you’d like to join us, please use the following link to purchase your own tickets: https://mlb.tickets.com/?orgId=53849&agency=MILB_MPV&eventId=19913&tfl=#/event/E19913/seatmap/?selectBuyers=false&minPrice=8&maxPrice=30&quantity=2&sort=price_desc&ada=false&seatSelection=true&onlyCoupon=true&onlyVoucher=false
Hope to see you at the ballpark next month!
Looking ahead, we’re hoping to have a Zoom meeting in August. We’re working on those details and will share them next month.
Negro Leagues Baseball Quiz
Ryan, Gilbert and Raeanne visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on April 19th. This quiz is inspired by their visit. Also: MLB recently integrated Negro League statistics into the MLB historical record. Was this decision entirely because of the visit of our three intrepid SABR members? Who can prove that it wasn’t?
Answers
Tiebreakers:
The next monthly meeting will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the home of Ryan Pollack in North Austin. He’ll provide sandwich platters, while guests are invited to bring side dishes, desserts and beverages to share. Please RSVP to Ryan directly (ryan9379@gmail.com) by Thursday, May 30, with what you plan to bring, and he’ll share his home address.
Society for American Baseball Research
Rogers Hornsby Chapter (Central and South Texas)
Annual Report, June 2023 – May 2024
By Gilbert D. Martinez
Chapter Commissioner
After conducting its first election in the previous year, SABR’s Rogers Hornsby Chapter took another big step when membership overwhelmingly approved chapter bylaws in an online vote in May 2024.
It was another very active year for the chapter. Highlights included the 18th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting in January, which featured Jason Starkovich, a former minor league umpire who now works as an umpire development observer for Major League Baseball; Joe Sheehan, national baseball writer and contributor to The Athletic; Zak Ford, chair of SABR’s Dusty Baker Chapter in Sacramento, and author of “Called Up: Ballplayers Remember Becoming Major Leaguers”; and chapter member Bailey Hall who presented research to determine which was worse: a leadoff walk or a leadoff single? The group also heard from Tim Jackson, Round Rock Express general manager, and longtime journalist and broadcaster Mike Capps, with their previews of the upcoming Express season. In addition, chapter members Jan Larson and Syd Polk gave presentations about their stadium tours. Author Justin Mckinney shared details from his book, “Baseball’s Union Association: The Short, Strange Life of a 19th-Century Major League,” about the short-lived Union Association and ill-fated clubs. Chapter member Peter Myers, who splits time between San Antonio and Denver in his retirement, joined the ushering staff at Coors Field in 2023. He shared some of his highlights in experiencing the game from an usher’s perspective and working with other retirees and college and high school interns. Predictatron contest-runner Jim Baker presented trophies to four-time winner Raeanne Martinez for winning the season-long prediction contest and Frank Rechtorovic for nailing the post-season contest (with what Frank noted was the “largest margin of victory”).
Building on a survey conducted in spring 2023 by chapter member and webmaster Ryan Pollack in which respondents asked for more virtual meetings, the chapter added some Zoom meetings. The chapter celebrated SABR Day in February on Zoom by having Keith O’Brien, a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist and SABR member author of “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball.” He explained why now was the right time to revisit Rose’s career, the gambling scandal and his continued exile from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his forthcoming book, which was published in March. In August, Steven Gietschier, author of “Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years,” joined the chapter on Zoom to discuss his book, which later won the 2024 Dr. Harold and Dorothy Seymour Medal, honoring the best book of baseball history or biography published during the preceding calendar year.
In April, author and Larry Dierker Chapter member Mike Vance shared excerpts from his recently published book, “Wingo: The Remarkable Life of an Unremarkable Man.” Vance read from “Wingo,” the first of a duology, depicting a fictional character interacting with baseball legends and locations in New York.
In July, the chapter celebrated 200 consecutive months in which the chapter has met, a streak started in December 2006.
Seeking to include chapter members in San Antonio, the chapter, for the first time, had a group outing to a San Antonio Missions game at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium in September and watched the San Antonio Missions drop their regular-season finale to the Springfield Cardinals.
Chapter members also hosted monthly meetings at their homes on three occasions. The family of Baily Hall hosted a chapter meeting in June and April; and Jim Baker hosted a World Series watch party in October.
In addition to active email discussion on a Google Groups email list, the chapter has regular trivia quizzes at meetings, the aforementioned Predictatron contest along with Ryan Pollack’s Awardatron, which challenges members to predict the winners of baseball’s major awards prior to the start of the season.
May 2024 marks nine years that our chapter has fielded baseball reminiscence programs. In 2015, Hornsby Chapter volunteers led by Jim Kenton started SABR’s first program in partnership with Alzheimer’s Texas. Reminiscence, recalling pleasant memories of the past, has proven to be an effective way to improve the quality-of-life of those dealing with dementia, chronic health problems, isolation or loneliness. Since then, the number of programs using baseball as a reminiscence topic has grown both locally and nationally.
The past twelve months have been a year of “getting back to normal” as local volunteers have been able to resume in-person sessions with participants, care partners, and supporting staff at partner organizations. “The Baseball Guys” have been back at the Kerrville Veterans Administration Hospital for several months now. Jim reports that the Kerrville staff have recommended the program to their colleagues at the Audie Murphy VA in San Antonio, and he has been actively working to get a program started there as well.
Likewise, since February 2023 the “Baseball Memories” team has been presenting a 90-minute monthly program at Williamson County AGE of Central Texas in Round Rock. The audience at this adult day care facility is a large, diverse group. We have an excellent relationship with the AGE management team, and they are very supportive and enthusiastic about the program. As part of our program, we’ve created a Baseball Memories Library at AGE and donate appropriate baseball books to them monthly.
Over the past nine years, 15 Hornsby Chapter members, along with several spouses, have volunteered to facilitate or otherwise assist with these programs. We have positively affected the well-being of participants and their care partners. Currently, 10 SABR volunteers and several family members are involved in delivering the VA and AGE programs. In total, we have held 20 in-person sessions in the past year, reaching 35 to 50 participants monthly. We recently wrapped up offering the pandemic-era “Talking Baseball” online program. Sixteen sessions of this program were held, with an average attendance of around 10. Everyone involved in these offerings have found baseball reminiscence to be a worthwhile and rewarding experience.
In the upcoming year, we hope to have the new program at the VA in San Antonio up-and-running. Likewise, we will explore starting another program at the newly opened AGE of Central Texas facility in South Austin. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in this valuable community service program. In addition to plenty of baseball (of course), we also add music, video, history, and other sports in order to invoke a broad range of pleasant memories from a diverse audience. If you’d consider volunteering, have an idea for a new program in your community, or just would like to learn more, contact Monte Cely at cely@swbell.net.
Monte Cely contributed information about the chapter’s baseball reminiscence programs to this report.
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