Author: Ryan Pollack

World Series Watch Party

Hornsby Chapter member Jim Baker hosted his annual World Series watch party on Saturday, October 26.  A group of nine members and guests enjoyed sausage and meatball subs and then enjoyed Game Three of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.

Bill Gilbert presented a mid-game Houston Astros-centric trivia quiz that was won by Jan Larson who edged Gilbert Martinez on the second tie-breaker question. Click here to try your hand at the quiz.

The Cardinals won by a score of 5-4 in a game that will likely be remembered for years to come for the way the winning run scored –  on an obstruction call at third base – in the bottom of the ninth inning.  The win gave St. Louis a two games to one lead in the Series.

 

Pennant races, heavy rain and BBQ highlight September meeting

A dozen Hornsby Chapter members enjoyed conversations about the playoff picture and the brief but heavy rainfall in downtown Austin while munching on Iron Works BBQ on Thursday, Sept. 19.

 

Topics of discussion included the fine season of the Boston Red Sox, the recent swoon by the Texas Rangers and the National League West Champs Los Angeles Dodgers, who clinched during our meeting.

 

Gilbert Martinez brought a quiz that challenged members to name, by position, the all-time winningest managers who also had Major League Baseball playing experience. Tom Thayer paced the group with a total score of 20 points (out of a maximum 36 points). For his fine performance, he won a J.R. Richard bobblehead. Try your hand at the quiz by clicking here.

 

We also scheduled the next meeting of the Hornsby Chapter – it will be at Jim Baker’s house in Cedar Park to watch Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday, Oct. 26. More details to come.

Great Managers Who Also Played the Game

Presented at the Sept. 19, 2013, chapter meeting

By position, which former players in Major League Baseball went on to become their position’s all-time winningest managers? In other words, name the managers with prior MLB playing experience who had the most wins as a manager. The position the player played at most determines where he goes on the list. Name the top two managers for each position. For outfielders, name the top six.

Two points for each correct answer in the correct slot. You get one point for the correct name that is in the wrong slot. Maximum points are 36 points.

(Move the mouse over the blank space to see the answer)
1. Pitcher

Tommy Lasorda (26 games; 1,599 wins)

Clark Griffin (453 games; 1,491 wins)
2. Catcher

Connie Mack (610 games; 3,731 wins)

Joe Torre (903 games; 2,326 wins)
3. First Base

Walter Alston (1 game; 2,040 wins)

Cap Anson (2,152 games; 1,295 wins)
4. Second Base

Tony LaRussa (63 games; 2,728 wins)

Sparky Anderson (152 games; 2,194 wins)
5. Third Base

John McGraw (282 games; 2,763 wins)

Bobby Cox (188 games; 2,504 wins)
6. Shortstop

Leo Durocher (1,509 games; 2,008 wins)

Joe Cronin (1,843 games; 1,236 wins)
7. Outfield

Casey Stengel (1,183 games; 1, 906

Lou Pinella (1,401 games; 1,835 wins)

Dusty Baker (1,842 games; 1,668 wins as of Sept. 19, 2013)

Fred Clarke (2,193 games; 1,602 wins)

Dick Williams (456 games; 1,571 wins)

Chuck Tanner (202 games; 1,352 wins)

 

 

Chapter members watch Express fall to the RedHawks

georgespringerdouble

Pictured above: George Springer of the Oklahoma City RedHawks belts a double in the first inning against the Round Rock Express on Saturday, Aug. 24. (Photos by Gilbert D. Martinez)

 

Ten chapter members and guests gathered at the Dell Diamond for the Round Rock Express’s penultimate home game of the season on Saturday, Aug. 24, and saw the hometown nine drop one to their league rivals, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, 6-3.

A few of the Astros fans in the group were eager to see top prospects George Springer and Jon Singleton, and they did not disappoint. With 37 home runs and 41 steals combined in play with the Corpus Christi Hooks and the RedHawks this season, Springer stretched what should have been a single into a double in the first and later in the game picked up his 42nd steal of the year. He’s trying to become the first minor leaguer to hit at least 40 home runs and steal 40 bases since the 1950s.

Jon Singleton, among the players acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies for Hunter Pence in 2011, has been closely watched this year in the Astros’ farm system. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI. In addition to Singleton, the Astros also acquired pitcher Jarred Cosart from the Phillies for Pence; Cosart was called up last month and has pitched well thus far for the Astros.

Midway through the game, a few of us visited with Mike Capps (pictured below), director of broadcasting for the Express, and his booth partner, former major leaguer Travis Driskill. Many thanks to them for sharing their vantage point during the 5th and 6th innings.

Prior to the game, many in the group enjoyed a barbeque dinner at the Salt Lick.

Pictured below: Mike Capps calls it as he sees it in the Round Rock Express radio booth at the Dell Diamond on Saturday, Aug. 24.

mikecappsinbroadcastbooth

July Meeting Summary

On Saturday, July 20 a group of 30 descended upon the Salt Lick BBQ restaurant in Round Rock for a raucous couple of hours of good food and baseball talk followed by a short trek to the nearby Dell Diamond for the Iowa Cubs vs. Round Rock Express game.

The group of 30 was comprised of 17 members and guests of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter and 13 members of the "Universal Baseball Association," a collection of SABR members from around the country that have gathered at a different minor league site each year since 1991.

With the Express’ 3B Mike Olt’s inning to remember, the Express prevailed in an entertaining game by the score of 5-2.  Olt helped to squelch a Cubs’ threat in the top of the second inning by starting an around-the-horn 5-4-3 triple play and then followed that with a three run home run in the bottom of the frame that pushed the Express’ lead to 4-0.  The Cubs were stymied despite amassing 11 hits and drawing four walks.

Another outing to the Dell Diamond is on tap for Saturday, August 24 as the Express’ wrap up their home season.

 

July Meeting : Visitors from the North and Baseball

For our July meeting, we are going to welcome a group of approximately 14 fellow SABR members from the Chicago area who will be in town to take in some games between the Round Rock Express and the Iowa Cubs, the AAA farm club of the Chicago Cubs.

On Saturday, July 20, we will meet our visitors from the north at the Salt Lick BBQ across the parking lot from the Dell Diamond.  Since that night’s game has an early, 6:05 p.m. starting time, we are going to meet correspondingly early at the Salt Lick.  I will make a reservation for 4:00 p.m.

I will also be purchasing game tickets for those that want them approximately one week prior to the game, in particular, on Friday, July 12.   I will be using my stash of Express "flex plan" tickets that cost $11 each.

For anyone that wishes to attend, I need to hear from you before July 12 with (1) the number of game tickets you would like and (2) the number of people in your party that will be attending the pre-game dinner at the Salt Lick.

Please email me privately at jan.a.larson@gmail.com with your ticket and dinner numbers.

Baseball Prospectus – Extra Innings book review

 Baseball Prospectus – Extra Innings

More Baseball Between the Numbers from
the Team at Baseball Prospectus
 
Edited by Steven Goldman
 
A Baseball Book Review
Monte Cely
(512) 310-9777
                                               
            Extra Innings is a sequel, of sorts, to Baseball Between the Numbers (the 2006 Baseball Prospectus book edited by Jonah Keri).  The book is a compilation of essays on various baseball topics, generally seeking to provide more insight via the use of statistical/sabermetric analyses.  Just a few of the topics addressed are:
 
“What Really Happened in the Juiced Era?” by Jay Jaffe – an insightful look at factors, including but not limited to PEDs, that led to the 1990-2005 power surge in MLB.
 
“How Should the Hall of Fame Respond to the Steroids Era?” by Jay Jaffe – a thoughtful treatment of this hot-button topic.
 
“How Does Age Affect the Amateur Draft?” by Rany Jazayerli – an analysis of the age of top draft picks as it affects their future WAR.
 
“How Can We Evaluate Managers?” by Steven Goldman – explores several statistical approaches to evaluating the effect that managers have on team results.
 
“When Does a Hot Start Become Real?” by Derek Carty – uses a correlation-based approach to determine a team’s final W/L% based upon its early start.
 
            … and many more.  There are twenty-two essays in total, organized into chapters on PEDs/Player Enhancement, Team-Building, Pitching, Fielding, Offense, and Futures.  Generally the essays are of good quality and I found most to be insightful.  This book will be interesting to SABR members.
 
Here are the key statistics:
Book:  Baseball Prospectus – Extra Innings
Editor:  Steven Goldman
Authors:  Derek Carty, Corey Dawkins, Mike Fast, Rebecca Glass, Steven Goldman, Kevin Goldstein, Jay Jaffe, Rany Jazayerli, Christina Kahrl, Ben Lindbergh,  Jason Parks, Dan Turkenhopf, Colin Wyers
Published:  2012, Basic Books; ISBN 978-0-465-02403-2            Length:  446 pages
Price:  Retail list – $27.99; Online – from $1.49 (used) + shipping.

June Meeting Wrap-Up

A group of 13 members and guests gathered at Iron Works BBQ in Austin to discuss baseball and eat meat.  Both were accomplished in mass quantities.

Topics included the surprising performances thus far in the 2013 season by the Houston Astros (positive surprise), Los Angeles Angels (negative), Washington Nationals (negative), Pittsburgh Pirates (positive) and a few other clubs.  This ties into the results recorded thus far in Jim Baker’s on-going "predicatron" contest in which the person that most accurately predicts the season records for each club is the winner.  Tom Thayer is the current leader in the Hornsby Chapter predictatron contest.

Another topic that was discussed in depth was the recent on-field brawl between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers.

Bill Gilbert presented a relatively benign sounding quiz, "Home Run Leaders by Franchise" that ultimately confounded more than a few attendees.  Jim Baker was the winner correctly naming 21 of the 30 players.

The next meeting will be held on Saturday, July 20.  We are welcoming SABR members from the Chicago area to Austin and will be joining them for a game at the Dell Diamond between the Round Rock Express and the Iowa Cubs following dinner at the Salt Lick BBQ in Round Rock.  Details will be forthcoming.