Society for American Baseball Research
Rogers Hornsby Chapter
Central and South Texas
Annual Report for January 2012 to May 2013
The Rogers Hornsby Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research continued its long streak of consecutive months with a meeting, hosted its largest winter meeting thus far, recognized SABR day and organized outings to minor and major league baseball games.
In January 2013, more than 50 members and guests attended the Seventh Annual Winter Meeting in historic Old Main on the Texas State University-San Marcos campus. Featured speakers included Bill Brown, the longtime Astros broadcaster, Tom Kayser, president of the Texas League (AA), Mike Capps, radio broadcaster for the Round Rock Express and Norman Macht, Connie Mack biographer and former SABR board member. In addition, Aaron Baggett, professor of psychology at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, presented research examining umpires’ objective and subjective tendencies when calling balls and strikes. Also, Bob Tholkes, a longtime SABR member active in the Halsey Hall Chapter in Minneapolis, shared his research about the New York Knickerbockers rules of baseball from the 1840s.
Through May 2013, the Hornsby Chapter has met for 78 consecutive months, a streak dating to December 2006.
The chapter organized outings to watch the Houston Astros play at Minute Maid Park in August 2012. We also had a group outing to watch the Round Rock Express play in June 2012 and a match between the Texas Rangers and the Express in March 2012.
In 2012, the chapter held their Sixth Annual Winter Meeting, which included presentations by Branch Rickey III, president of the Pacific Coast League; Frank Coffland, a retired minor league umpire; Norman Macht, baseball historian, former SABR board member and author of the multi-volume biography of Connie Mack; and Scott Barzilla, author of “The Hall of Fame Index.”
Another 2012 chapter highlight was the book signing by Macht of his newly published “Connie Mack: The Turbulent & Triumphant Years, 1915-1931,” the second volume of his biography of the great manager.
For the third consecutive year in 2013, Hornsby Chapter member Monte Cely covered the Caribbean World Series. Cely posted updates, summaries and photos on the Hornsby Chapter website, chronicling Mexico’s championship in 2013. In 2012, Cely covered the Dominican Republic’s win in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.