Author: Gilbert Martinez

A longtime Astros executive, an umpiring pioneer, a look at the colorful history of baseball through postage stamps and a preview of the upcoming season with the Round Rock Express highlighted the 16th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter.

More than 35 members and guests from around Texas and across the United States joined our virtual meeting on Saturday.

Tal Smith, longtime executive with the Houston Colt .45s and Astros, told us how his love of baseball as a little boy led to a lifetime in the game. His career started with the Cincinnati Reds front office but also included time working for the New York Yankees and George Steinbrenner. He also had multiple stints with the Houston franchise, from its original inception as the Colt .45s to the Astros. He was involved with the Astrodome project and 30 years later, in the design of Minute Maid Park (originally called Enron Field).

To watch our conversation with Tal Smith (pictured above, left), which includes his memories of working with chapter founder Bill Gilbert in salary arbitration cases, please check out the video recording: https://youtu.be/1fB3kqAczRk

Professional umpire Perry Barber (pictured above, right) joined us via Zoom from Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida, for about an hour before the start of a women’s baseball championship game. Barber estimates that she has called 8,000 games at all levels of baseball, including MLB spring training games, collegiate games and Little League games. She’s also worked as an umpire in games in Japan and the Caribbean. She said she’s made it her goal to help more women enter the umpiring profession and wants to see them reach the highest levels of professional sports.

You can learn more about Barber (about how she’s a former Jeopardy! champion and how, as a musical artist, she once opened for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Hall & Oates): https://youtu.be/2FKv3NTPcwo

In the video, you’ll see surprise cameos by members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League!

 

Express General Manager Tim Jackson (pictured below, left) and Director of Broadcasting Mike Capps (pictured below, right) gave their preview of the Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Even though the MLB owners have locked out the players, most minor league players are not affected by the work stoppage. Jackson said his club and other minor league teams are tentatively preparing for a season of 150 games to begin on April 5, but details are still being worked out.

Jackson shared that some of the experimental changes include larger bases (from 15 to 18 inches), an eight-camera system to call automatic balls and strikes, and PitchCom, a system in which the catcher wears a digital armband to select pitches that are relayed to the pitcher through an audible signal in the pitcher’s ballcap. More information about this system can be found here: https://www.sporttechie.com/pitchcom-electronic-device-combat-sign-stealing#

On the roster side, Mike Capps talked about players he’s looking forward to watching this season, including Sam Huff (catcher prospect with lots of raw power, though Capps thought he might see more playing time in the field or as DH); third baseman Josh Young, right-handed pitcher Cole Winn and the Rangers’ first-round (and second overall) draft pick Jack Leiter, son of former major leaguer Al Leiter.

Capps also shared that he’s the co-author with Chuck Hartenstein of the forthcoming “Grinders: Baseball’s Intrepid Infantry,” a book about the bulk of players who have bounced back and forth between the major and minor leagues. For more information about the book, check out this link: http://stoneycreekpublishing.com/grinders.html

The chapter also presented Mike Capps with a complimentary SABR membership as a token of our appreciation for his long involvement with our chapter, visiting with us for our winter meetings and inviting us up to the broadcast booth at Express games. Thanks for being such a great friend to the chapter, Cappy!

For many years, chapter member and Predictatron chief Jim Baker has opened our winter meetings with an icebreaker. This time, he surprised us with special guest Rob Neyer (pictured to the right), longtime baseball writer and commissioner of the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league in the Pacific Northwest. Neyer discussed SABRcast, a weekly podcast in which he interviews a wide range of guests with a focus on baseball topics. He’s interviewed broadcasters such as Brian Kenny and Bob Costas, former players such as Doug Glanville, David Cone and Bill Ripken and baseball journalists such as Alyson Footer, Hannah Keyser and Tyler Kepner. You can find his weekly podcast on podcasting apps and on the SABR website at https://sabr.org/sabrcast.

Here’s a link to his most recent podcast with Jeff Neuman, editor of The Baseball Encyclopedia: https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/4/2/1/421e6057c6c49e58/010322_SABRcast_Episode_143_Jeff_Neuman.mp3?c_id=118655828&cs_id=118655828&expiration=1641751606&hwt=24ff1d50c6cfd4ca7a78ea2de9fec54d

Chapter member Dan Walsh (pictured above) gave a colorful presentation about baseball history depicted in postage stamps from around the world. Dan described a rich history of recognizing the game of baseball and players, from Little League World Series champs to Olympic legends.

John Fredland (pictured to the left), committee chair of the SABR Baseball Games Project, invited members to consider contributing game stories to the archive that aims to research, write and publish accounts of professional ball games, including regular-season, postseason and All-Star games. For more information about the project, check out its webpage: http://sabr.org/gamesproject.

 

At the beginning of the meeting, we took a brief moment to remember Bill Gilbert, who founded the Rogers Hornsby Chapter and the Larry Dierker Chapter. He also proposed the winter meeting, which the Hornsby chapter has held every January for the past 16 years. All winter meetings have been held at Texas State University, except for the last two years, when the meeting was offered online because of the pandemic.

As we have often done at our winter meeting, we conducted a Hall of Fame vote to see which players on the current ballot, if any, have our support for election to Cooperstown. As chapter events director Jan Larson noted, our vote has often served as a reliable predictor for the actual HOF vote.

From 30 submitted ballots, none of the players reached the 75 percent threshold to trigger election. The top vote-getter in our election was David Ortiz, with 73.33 percent (22 out of 30). Only two other players reached at least 50 percent of the vote: Roger Clemens with 53.33 percent (16 of 30), and Barry Bonds with 50 percent (15 of 30). Rounding out the top six were Curt Schilling with 46.67 percent (14 of 30), and Scott Rolen and Billy Wagner, both of whom had 40 percent (12 of 30). Two voters opted for “None” to be elected on this ballot. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce election results for the 2022 ballot on Jan. 25.

It should also be noted that one voter confided in me that the voter intended to vote for Ortiz, but neglected to do so. That would bring the vote to 23 out of 30, or 76.67 percent, enough for election. However, another member, who was unable to participate in the voting, indicated that this member’s ballot would not have included Ortiz, resulting in a 23 of 31, or 74.19 percent. Again, just short of the 75 percent cutoff! What can we surmise from this? Probably that the vote is going to be very close, and if anyone gets elected, it’s probably Big Papi.

To download and view our election results, click here: Mock HOF 2022 vote results.

We also thanked Ryan Pollack (pictured above), winter meeting coordinator, for his six years organizing our winter meetings. His leadership and innovations have helped us grow the winter meeting, making each year better than the last. We’re thankful for his great work and grateful that he’ll still be an active chapter member and webmaster. As a small token of appreciation, we presented him with a vintage logo design of his favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles. Thanks so much, Ryan!

This was our 182nd consecutive month with a meeting, a streak that dates to December 2006.

Many thanks to our speakers and presenters, and for everyone able to join us! Our next meeting will be held virtually on SABR Day, Jan. 29 UPDATE: Feb. 5. More details to come!

 

 

After COVID-19 shut down a long chapter tradition last year, the World Series watch party at Jim Baker’s house returned in fine form on Saturday for Game 4.

Twelve chapter members and guests watched a tight ballgame in which the Astros put up two early runs while the Braves pitching staff stranded runners every inning. But back-to-back home runs by Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler in the 7th inning sealed the game for the Braves, who take a three-games-to-one lead in the World Series.

Jim provided delicious hot dogs, bratwurst, snacks and desserts for our enjoyment. Monte and Linda Cely brought tasty buckeyes and others brought an assortment of snacks and beverages.

Jerry Miller provided a fun trivia quiz that featured clues of ballplayers who share a name with another ballplayer or a celebrity or politician outside of baseball.

Host Jim Baker took top honors on the quiz (pictured below, left), earning 30 out of 32 possible points. Jerry’s friend Gene was second with 28 points, and Jan Larson (pictured below, right) had 25 points. Monte had 18 and David had 14. Jerry provided as prizes 1979 Dodgers programs that featured Dusty Baker, now manager of the Astros, on the cover. Notice that the programs had a 50-cent cover price!

You can take a swing at Jerry’s quiz below. The answers follow the quiz questions. (For a colorful presentation of the answers to the quiz, click here: Name is the Same baseball quiz answers.)

Many thanks to Jim Baker for hosting the World Series watch party, always one of the highlights of our year.

We haven’t set the date yet for the November meeting but will let you know through the chapter email list.

“THE NAME’S THE SAME” by Jerry Miller

Below is a list of two (or more) baseball players or other individuals that share the same first and last names. Your job is to identify them. (Two non-baseball examples: “Former ESPN anchor and lieutenant governor of Texas” = “Dan Patrick,” and “Former Secretary of State, sponsor of annual Predictatron contest, and your host for this evening,” = “Jim Baker.”) None of the individuals are related, so there are no “Ken Griffeys,” or “Cal Ripkens” out there. The questions are arranged in perceived order of difficulty (i.e. easiest first, progressively harder).

1. An easy one to get you started. This Dodger catcher hit a home run off his namesake, an Atlanta Braves pitcher, in the 2020 NLCS. They are also reputedly fans of their namesake, an actor in “Men in Black,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and other films.

2. This outfielder converted to a shortstop and later manager holds the all-time Los Angeles Dodger record for games played, and shares a name with the greatest winner in team sports, with ten NBA championships in 12 years with the Boston Celtics.

3. The first was a temperamental outfielder with the Expos, Dodgers, A’s, and others. His namesake is a board game company whose products include Candy Land, Twister, and Yahtzee.

4. Add an “n” to the first name of a famous television actress (The Young and Restless, Desperate Housewives) from Corpus Christi and you get a third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants.

5. While we’re adding letters: add a letter to the last name of the first openly gay ballplayer, and you have the general manager of the Oakland A’s, famously portrayed by Brad Pitt in “Moneyball.”

6. The first was a utility infielder for the Washington Senators, Los Angeles Dodgers, and others in the 1960s and early 70s. His namesakes include a present-day Senator from Louisiana, and the 35th President of the United States.

7. Another three-fer: The first is a World Series-winning manager who had one of the most famous stolen bases in history. The second was a journeyman left-handed pitcher in the 70s and early 80s, mostly for the Padres and Astros, who still holds the San Diego record for lowest season ERA. The third was a third baseman, catcher, and second baseman who played parts of ten years in the majors from 1972 to 1982, and just missed being a teammate of #2 with the Padres.

8. Third baseman and outfielder for the Tigers and the 1986 World Champion Mets, and a largely defunct roadside restaurant chain famously known for their ice cream, orange roof, and shortened name.

9. A Hall of Fame manager for the Yankees and a 1950s red-baiting politician who was censured by the Senate.

10. One is a starting guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. The second is “Mr. October.”
11. The first was primarily a DH for the Cleveland Indians, who is still active, albeit with a different team. The second is a noted guitarist, known for his namesake band and such hits as “Oye Como Va” and “Black Magic Woman.”

12. One is a Hall of Fame first baseman and designated hitter who now makes cheesy commercials for testosterone supplements and recently purchased the “Field of Dreams.” His namesake played 16 years as an outfielder for seven different National League teams, including the 1962 Mets.

13. The right fielder for the 1988 World Series champions, and the recently deceased 1974 National League Cy Young award winner for the same team.

14. A Hall of Fame second baseman and two-time MVP, and the manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1988 to 1991.

15. One was a right-handed pitcher on the 1962 New York Mets. The other was a left handed pitcher on the 1962 New York Mets. If you need a third, he was a Hall of Fame hockey broadcaster for the Los Angeles Kings.

16. One is an actress and comedian from the TV series Grace Under Fire. The other is one of the better leadoff hitters from the 80s and 90s for the Braves, Indians, Giants, Dodgers, and Mets, who memorably overcame throat cancer while still active.

17. One was a bearded reliever for the Giants and Dodgers from 2006 to 2014; the other is the lead singer of an iconic, California-based ‘60s rock band.

18. One is the brother of a Hall of Fame pitcher and won 20 games and threw a no-hitter for the Dodgers. The other was a journeyman infielder for the Giants, Dodgers, and four other teams in the late 90s and 2000s.

19. The first was a shortstop for the Cubs, who committed a key error in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, known as the “Bartman” game. The second was the opposing shortstop for the Florida Marlins, who were the beneficiaries of the error.

20. One is one of the greatest left handed hitters of all time, who was given a lifetime ban from the sport. The other was the controversial stage father of one of the most popular singers of his generation and his singing siblings.

21. One is a Hall of Fame pitcher, primarily for the Phillies; the other is a former ESPN anchor and host of “Good Morning America” who recently served as guest host on “Jeopardy.”

22. A 1980s/90s infielder for several teams, notably the Rangers and Indians. Despite having an extra “e” at the end of his name, he was called “the Governor” because of his namesake, a four term governor of the nation’s largest state.

23. One of the last surviving members of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, who also pitched for the 1962 Mets and managed the San Francisco Giants, and a star running back for the Joe Montana-era San Francisco 49ers.

24. An outfielder who played 13 years from 1926 to 1938, primarily for the Reds and Giants, and the leader of the “Green Mountain Boys” during the American Revolution, after whom a modern day furniture company is named.

25. A Hall of Fame outfielder, primarily for the Cubs, and his namesake, who played four games for the 1969 Seattle Pilots, earning earned him a mention in “Ball Four.”

26. The player was the 1988 American League Cy Young Award winner with 27 wins, most since Denny McLain, and had a memorable save in the World Series ten years earlier. The second was a former member of Fleetwood Mac who had a moderately successful solo career, with hits such as “Sentimental Lady” and “Ebony Eyes.”

27. From “great player, mediocre musician,” we go to “great musician, mediocre player.” He was a journeyman second and third baseman in the 1970s and 80s for the Pirates, White Sox, and others. His namesake was the flamboyant lead singer for an iconic 60s band, who flamed out at age 27 and is famously buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

28. The first player was a catcher on the Atlanta Braves’ first two pennant winning teams. Add a letter to the first name and you have the 1989 A.L. Rookie of the Year, as a relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.

29. 1970s and 80s catcher and outfielder, primarily for the Dodgers and Astros, who made a memorable throw from right field in the 1974 World Series, and a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, born in the same town as Nolan Ryan (Alvin, TX).

30. A young, rookie outfielder for this year’s St. Louis Cardinals, and the 2014 Conn Smythe award winner, who won three Stanley Cups and was nicknamed “Mr. Game 7.”

31. Center fielder, primarily with the Cardinals and most recently the Angels; nicknamed “The Federalist” because, other than spelling the first name differently, he is the namesake of the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

32. This outfielder played 8 seasons for the Dodgers and Pirates in the 1980s. His walk off squeeze bunt drove in the winning run and capped a four run ninth inning rally in a key win over the Braves during the 1983 pennant race, which the Dodgers won by 3 games. His namesake is the second largest tobacco company in America.

ANSWERS:

1. Will Smith.
2. Bill Russell
3. Milton Bradley.
4. Eva/n Longoria.
5. Billy Bean/e
6. John Kennedy.
7. Dave Roberts.
8. Howard Johnson.
9. Joe McCarthy.
10. Reggie Jackson.
11. Carlos Santana.
12. Frank Thomas.
13. Mike Marshall
14. Joe Morgan.
15. Bob Miller.
16. Brett Butler.
17. Brian Wilson.
18. Ramon Martinez.
19. Alex Gonzalez.
20. Joe Jackson
21. Robin Roberts.
22. Jerry Brown/e.
23. Roger Craig.
24. Ethan Allen.
25. Billy Williams.
26. Bob Welch.
27. Jim Morrison.
28. Greg/g Olson
29. Joe Ferguson.
30. Justin Williams.
31. Jon/John Jay.
32. R.J. Reynolds.

The World Series is upon us! And you know what that means. It means the chapter is having its annual World Series watch party! This continues on a long chapter tradition of watching the World Series together.

As you know, AL Champs Houston Astros host the NL Champs Atlanta Braves. Game 4 on Saturday will be in Atlanta.

Food will be provided by our generous host, Jim Baker. For the safety of our members and community, all attendees must be vaccinated to attend.

Pertinent details are in the graphic below. Please RSVP to Jim Baker at <jimbaker1066@yahoo.com> as soon as possible.

Details of this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, chatter about the division and wild card races and a quiz about milestones and awards were among the highlights of the September chapter meeting on Saturday.

Seventeen chapter members and guests on Zoom enjoyed hearing from Monte Cely and Ira Siegel, who traveled to Cooperstown to witness the induction of Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker earlier this month. Though the reported size of the crowd at the induction ceremony was about 20,000, Monte and Ira estimated that it was more like 7,500 to 10,000 people, noting that it wasn’t as crowded as they had feared.

Monte said it was his first visit to the museum, so he and Ira looked at all 333 plaques, toured the museum and enjoyed lunch at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown. Monte also shared a video showing him taking batting practice in cages set up next to Doubleday Field.

The winner of last month’s quiz, Cy Morong, wrote a quiz about sluggers and pitchers who reached lofty milestones without winning an MVP or Cy Young award. Jerry Miller flexed his muscles, taking first place with 20 points, followed by Peter Myers with 17 and Herb Whalley with 14. Mike Bass and Ryan Pollack had 12 points each. Take your shot at the quiz below (the answers follow below the quiz questions).

We also did some quick polls to determine which teams attendees thought might capture division titles and wild card spots. Overall, we think the Dodgers will catch and pass the Giants for the NL West title by a 67 to 33 percent vote. We also gave the Cardinals near-unanimous support to be the second wild card team in the National League by a 92 to 8 percent vote. The Phillies had one vote.

The group unanimously thought the Tampa Bay Rays were well on their way to having the best record in the American League. We also all supported the Boston Red Sox as a wild card team but differed on the second wild card team. Six voted for the Toronto Blue Jays; four for the New York Yankees and one for the Seattle Mariners.

We also had a lively discussion about whether Shohei Ohtani would win the American League MVP Award. Some felt strongly that he wasn’t deserving because of the disappointing performance by the Angels in the AL West, while others thought his case might be stronger if he was also a position player rather than primarily a designated hitter. Still, placing near the top of hitter and pitcher league leader boards, Ohtani may be the favorite to win the award. As with the playoff races, time will tell!

As has been our tradition for many years, the chapter plans to have a World Series watch party for Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 30, at Jim Baker’s house in Cedar Park. This is subject to change depending on COVID-19. More details to come next month.

Milestones and Awards Quiz

By Cy Morong

1. Name the 9 players who played most of their career from 1931 on, hit 500+ career HRs, and did not win a regular season MVP award (MVP awards before 1931 don’t count).

2. Name the 12 players who played most of their career from 1931 on, had 3,000+ hits, and did not win a regular season MVP award (MVP awards before 1931 don’t count).

3. Name the 5 pitchers who pitched most of their careers from 1959 on, struck out 3,000+ batters, and did not win a Cy Young award.

4. Name the 3 pitchers who pitched most of their careers from 1959 on, won 300+ games, and did not win a Cy Young award.

Answers

1. Jim Thome, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, Gary Sheffield, and Eddie Murray
2. Derek Jeter, Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Adrian Beltre, Paul Waner, Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield, Craig Biggio, Lou Brock, Rafael Palmeiro, Wade Boggs, and Al Kaline
3. Nolan Ryan, Bert Blyleven, Don Sutton, Phil Niekro, and Curt Schilling
4. Nolan Ryan, Don Sutton, and Phil Niekro

After more than a year of virtual meetings, 16 chapter members and guests met in-person for a barbeque lunch, an All-Star quiz and baseball chatter on Saturday.

Jim Baker, who heads our Predictatron contest, presented certificates to Tom Wancho, who won the full-season and playoff contests last season, and Ryan Pollack for winning his division. In addition to certificates, both Tom (pictured, right, below) and Ryan have divisions named for them in this year’s contest.

Having won last month’s trivia quiz, Jim created a quiz about the 1971 All-Star game, which featured 25 future Hall of Fame players. Cy Morong flexed his memory cells and won the contest with 48 points, followed closely by Jerry Miller with 46 points, Dan Walsh with 38 points and Mike Dillon with 32 points. Try your hand at Jim’s quiz below.

Having anticipated Cy’s trivia quiz dominance, Jim had Rudy’s gift cards on the ready – one for Cy and one for the top scorer aside from Cy. Kudos to Cy and Jerry for winning the gift cards and many thanks to Jim for the quiz and awards.

In addition, Ira Siegel offered a print of the inaugural class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame to Cy (pictured below) as the trivia quiz winner and in honor of the first in-person meeting in more than a year.

The next chapter meeting will be a Round Rock Express game at Dell Diamond on Saturday, Aug. 7. Details about tickets will be forthcoming to the chapter’s email list.

(All photos by Gilbert D. Martinez)

The Cooperstown-Heavy All-Star Game of 50 Years Ago (Answers follow the quiz below)

By Jim Baker

In this week’s All-Star Game, no less than 60 (sixty!) players appeared. Being generous, perhaps 10 of them will have a case for the Hall of Fame someday. In 1971, more than twice that number of those named to the All-Star Game are enshrined in Cooperstown. This quiz is a Hall-of-Fame-centric look at that game, in which the A.L. beat the N.L. 6-4 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. (Correct answers are worth two points each.)

Denting the Scoreboard

The A.L.’s six runs came on three 2-run homers, all hit by Hall of Famers. These first three questions are about the men who hit them:

1. This young slugger’s famous blast came in a pinch-hitting role.­­­
2. In the Midsummer Classic three years previously, this lumberman tore a hamstring in his right leg stretching for a throw and would miss almost two months of the season. ­­­
3. The game’s MVP, this famed player had been a National League All-Star regular earlier in his career, playing in eight games while representing the Senior Circuit. (He would play in six for the A.L.).

The N.L.’s four runs came on three homers, also all hit by Hall of Famers. These next three questions are about them:

4. He did not start the game, but homered in the eighth. He was elected to the Hall of Fame two years later.
5. This player, who homered in the third to give the N.L. a 3-0 lead, was named to the All-Star team in every year of his career save for the first and last, and he holds the record for most games on an All-Star roster.
6. This guy belied his name and started the game, blasting a two-run homer to start the scoring. He would eventually play in the second-most All-Star games for his position.

So Many Inductees

Some questions about the vast army of Hall of Famers who played in or were named to the 1971 game.

1. This N.L. starter had made six All-Star Games as a catcher before transitioning to a new position the year before and making the ’71 team at this new position. He would go on to win the MVP in 1971.
2. The previous player was replaced late in the game by another Hall of Famer, someone who had a post-career gig as a broadcaster and who many thought should have been elected for enshrinement long before he was, which, unfortunately, came after he had passed away when it finally happened.
3. Five times in this game, one HoFer replaced another. These two Cooperstown-bound players held down leftfield for the N.L. that night. One won the 1971 home run crown, the other led the league in steals. (Two points each)
4. This high-kicking HoFer tossed two innings of hitless relief for the National League.
5. It had been nine years since the A.L. last won an All-Star game. Only three players—Hall of Famers all—were also on the ’62 (ASG#2) that last beat the N.L. Which of these ’71 All-Stars isn’t one of them?

Al Kaline… Luis Aparacio… Carl Yastrzemski… Brooks Robinson

6. It would be another 12 years before the A.L. would win the ASG again. There were only two A.L. holdovers from the ’71 game who also played in that 1983 game. One was Carl Yastrzemski. Name the seven-time batting champion who was the other (he was on base when Fred Lynn hit the one and only ASG grand slam and was also on base for one of the ’71 ASG homers).

Not this year

There were 17 Hall of Famers active in 1971 who did not get selected for the All-Star team that year. These questions are about some of them.

1. This much-acclaimed Hall of Famer was an All-Star in the previous six seasons, but was only 6-8 at the break in 1971 and wasn’t named to the N.L. team.
2. This Hall of Fame pitcher was not selected for the National League team, but his older brother was on the other league’s roster.
3. Another Hall of Famer not on the 1971 team, this player had hit a game-winning, extra-inning homer in a previous Midsummer Classic.
4. This player was a two-time All-Star by 1971, but he would immediately tear off eight straight ASG appearances and achieve much glory with his new team after he got traded to them in November of that year.
5. Hall of Famers Hoyt Wilhelm and Jim Bunning played their last in 1971 as did this 14-time All-Star also known for never having played in the postseason.
6. Fairly inconsistent in the early parts of their careers, these two Hall of Fame pitchers would both make their All-Star Game debuts the following season and would go on to win 324 games each. (two points per name)

In this Game, But Not in Cooperstown

1. This Yankee center fielder got the only American League hit not registered by a Hall of Famer.
2. This Dodgers centerfielder got the only National League hit not registered by a Hall of Famer.
3. These two men made history by being starting mound opponents in this game. Who were they and what was the milestone? (Two points per name and two for the milestone.)
4. This A.L. starter hit .361 to win the batting title 10 years prior (which he famously attributed to expansion pitching and a corked bat), making the All-Star team in the process. He had had only one All-Star appearance in the intervening years, though.

Bonus Question

Which 1971 All-Star has the highest career WAR?

Answers

Denting the Scoreboard

1. Reggie Jackson
   2. Harmon Killebrew
   3. Frank Robinson
   4. Roberto Clemente
   5. Hank Aaron
   6. Johnny Bench

So Many Inductees

1. Joe Torre
   2. Ron Santo
   3. Willie Stargell and Lou Brock
   4. Juan Marichal
   5. Carl Yastrzemski
   6. Rod Carew

Not This Year

1. Bob Gibson
   2. Gaylord Perry (brother Jim)
   3. Tony Perez
   4. Joe Morgan
   5. Ernie Banks
   6. Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton

In the Game, But Not in Cooperstown

1. Bobby Murcer
   2. Willie Davis
   3. Vida Blue and Dock Ellis. First time African-American pitchers started against one another in the ASG.
   4. Norm Cash

Bonus

Willie Mays, 156.1. (Next highest: Hank Aaron 143.1; Tom Seaver, 109.9; Frank Robinson, 107.2)

An “either-or” quiz crafted by Cy Morong, ghost runners, extra-inning games and biggest surprises thus far in the baseball season were among the topics at the June meeting on Saturday with 17 chapter members and guests on Zoom.

I shared with the group an interesting occurrence in a late-night game between the Angels and Diamondbacks. Manager Torey Lovullo lost track of the number of batters that his relief pitcher faced in the top of the 10th inning. But he wasn’t the only one! The umpires didn’t notice that he removed his pitcher after he had faced only two batters rather than the newly required three. But Angels manager Joe Maddon (of course, it would be Maddon!) ran out to point it out to the umpires, who notified Lovullo, forcing relief pitcher Ryan Buchter back to the mound. With his next pitch, Buchter plunked Kurt Suzuki. This may be the first time a pitcher has been removed prematurely under this rule only to return to face another batter. By the way, the Diamondbacks went on to lose that game.

The group also discussed the teams that are performing better than expected by us and conventional wisdom such as the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox. Teams that have struggled thus far include the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees.

Jan Larson shared that he has plans to travel to Buffalo to watch the New York Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays at their temporary home at Sahlen Field. That will be the 57th different stadium in which Jan has watched a Major League ballgame. Dixie Tourangeau, joining us from the Boston SABR Chapter, shared that he’s been to 55 different ballparks.

Meanwhile, Cy Morong put together a fun quiz, giving us choices about which player did certain things first. This way, he said, we’d have a 50-50 chance on each question. Out of 20 total points, Jim Baker took top prize with 15 points, followed by Jerry Miller with 14, Dixie Tourangeau with 13, Jan Larson with 12, Ryan Pollack with 11 and Linda Nichols with 10. Try your hand at the quiz below. The answers follow the questions.

This was the 175th consecutive month with a meeting, with all virtual meetings since April 2020.

However, after a long wait, we are making plans for in-person gatherings! On July 17, we are planning on a lunch gathering with outdoor or open-air seating. More details to come, but please mark your calendar and plan to join us.

Also, we are planning a chapter outing to the Dell Diamond for a BBQ dinner at the Salt Lick followed by a Round Rock Express game on Saturday, Aug. 7. A limited number of discounted tickets will be available for Hornsby Chapter members. More information from Jan Larson will be forthcoming.

Cy Morong’s Either-Or Quiz

1. Who hit 50 HRs first, Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays?
2. Who was the first to have their second 50 HR season, Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays?
3. Who won 30 games in a season first, Dizzy Dean or Lefty Grove?
4. Who won the triple crown first, Jimmie Foxx or Lou Gehrig?
5. Who had 300 strikeouts first, Sandy Koufax or Sam McDowell?
6. Who won a Cy Young Award first, Don Drysdale or Sandy Koufax?
7. Who hit 50 HRs first, Jimmie Foxx or Hack Wilson?
8. Who had 300 strikeouts first, Walter Johnson or Rube Waddell?
9. Who won the triple crown first, Chuck Klein or Joe Medwick?
10. Who was the first to bat .400, Rogers Hornsby or George Sisler?
11. Who won 30 games first, Grover Cleveland Alexander or Walter Johnson?
12. Who had a 30 HR/30SB season first, Hank Aaron or Willie Mays?
13. Who won an MVP award first, Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams?
14. Who hit their 500^th career HR first, Hank Aaron or Mickey Mantle?
15. Who was the first to win their 300^th game, Roger Clemens or Greg Maddux?
16. Who hit their 500^th career HR first, Jimmie Foxx or Mel Ott?
17. Who reached 3,000 strikeouts first, Steve Carlton or Nolan Ryan?
18. Who won their third Cy Young award first, Jim Palmer or Tom Seaver?
19. Who got their 3,000^th hit first, Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn?
20. Who got their 3,000^th hit first, Lou Brock or Carl Yastrzemski?

Answers in bold

1. Who hit 50 HRs first, Mickey Mantle (1956) or Willie Mays (1955)?
2. Who was the first to have their second 50 HR season, Mickey Mantle (1961) or Willie Mays (1965)?
3. Who won 30 games in a season first, Dizzy Dean (1934) or Lefty Grove (1931)?
4. Who won the triple crown first, Jimmie Foxx (1933) or Lou Gehrig (1934)?
5. Who had 300 strikeouts first, Sandy Koufax (1963) or Sam McDowell (1965)?
6. Who won a Cy Young Award first, Don Drysdale (1962) or Sandy Koufax (1963)?
7. Who hit 50 HRs first, Jimmie Foxx (1932) or Hack Wilson (1930)?
8. Who had 300 strikeouts first, Walter Johnson (1910) or Rube Waddell (1903)?
9. Who won the triple crown first, Chuck Klein (1933) or Joe Medwick (1937)?
10. Who was the first to bat .400, Rogers Hornsby (1922) or George Sisler (1920)?
11. Who won 30 games first, Grover Cleveland Alexander (1915) or Walter Johnson (1912)?
12. Who had a 30 HR/30SB season first, Hank Aaron (1963) or Willie Mays (1956)?
13. Who won an MVP award first, Joe DiMaggio (1939) or Ted Williams (1946)?
14. Who hit their 500^th career HR first, Hank Aaron (1968) or Mickey Mantle? (1967)
15. Who was the first to win their 300^th game, Roger Clemens (2003) or Greg Maddux (2004)?
16. Who hit their 500^th career HR first, Jimmie Foxx (1940) or Mel Ott (1945)?
17. Who reached 3,000 strikeouts first, Steve Carlton (1981) or Nolan Ryan (1980)?
18. Who won their third Cy Young award first, Jim Palmer (1976) or Tom Seaver (1975)?
19. Who got their 3,000^th hit first, Wade Boggs (August 7, 1999) or Tony Gwynn (August 6, 1999)?
20. Who got their 3,000^th hit first, Lou Brock (August 13, 1999) or Carl Yastrzemski (September 12, 1999)?

Round Rock Express General Manager Tim Jackson recounted how key changes for the club after more than 600 days between professional ball games at Dell Diamond at our monthly meeting on Zoom on Saturday, May 22.

He also shared with 17 chapter members and guests that teams in Triple-A West will add larger 18-inch bases in the second half of the season as MLB experiments with the larger bases. Jackson said the shorter distance between the bases may encourage offenses to steal more bags and may enhance player safety.

After a month delay, the Express opened their season against the Oklahoma City Dodgers on May 6, the first of 60 home games.

Another big change for the Express is their affiliation. Before the pandemic, the Express were the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, but the restructuring imposed last year by MLB caused a significant reduction of minor league teams. As a result, the Astros partnered with the Sugar Land Skeeters for their Triple-A team beginning this year, while the Express reunited with the Texas Rangers as their parent club.

Jackson shared that some of his season ticket holders sought refunds after the affiliation change because they said they weren’t Rangers fans, but he pointed out that the Skeeters have 26 games at Dell Diamond this season, encouraging those fans to stick around to watch their team when it comes to town. Plus, Jackson said, he has an inventory of discounted Astros-branded merchandise that he hopes some fans will be interested in.

Meanwhile, he said the team is looking into creating some throwback uniforms connected to the Rangers, such as the team’s powder-blue unis.

Jackson also shared that MLB is soliciting input from minor league teams about the 2022 schedule, so he’s hoping they’ll know more about next season by mid- to late summer.

Many thanks to Tim for sharing part of his afternoon with us and giving us insight about the goings-on at Dell Diamond. The chapter hopes to have a group outing to the ballpark this summer.

Meanwhile, the winner of last month’s quiz, Jerry Miller, crafted a quiz with one simple question with 50 parts (!). The question: Name the last team that each given Hall of Fame player played for (not counting players who signed a one-day contract to retire with a team).

Quiz-taker extraordinaire Cy Morong took top billing with 20 points, followed by Jan Larson with 15 and Peter Myers with 14. Try your hand at the quiz below. The answers follow the questions.

Jan Larson shared that he visited TD Park in Dunedin, Florida (formerly the temporary home of the Toronto Blue Jays this season) for two games earlier this month between the Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. This is the 56th stadium that has hosted an MLB game that Jan has visited. He’s hoping to add up to four more locations to his list, including Sahlen Field in Buffalo (home of the Triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays and host of the team’s home games beginning June 1), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), Truist Park (Atlanta Braves) and the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, hosting the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox in August.

Joe Gallagher also shared some anecdotes from his time as producer for MLB’s game of the week. One involved Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning, who initially refused to appear on a post-game interview with Ralph Kiner and was rather sharp with Joe. But a few minutes later, he relented and agreed to the interview. Later, Bunning apologized to Joe and his crew for his attitude and stubbornness.

Joe also recalled the time when he sought Sandy Koufax for a post-game interview and was surprised when Koufax said he couldn’t do the interview. The lefty explained that he had do the interview with the Dodgers sportscaster Jerry Doggett. While he was flummoxed, Joe said that Doggett recognized what was going on and told Koufax, “You go on with Kiner, first, then with me. I can wait.” Joe said it was one of the classiest things he’d ever seen and appreciated Doggett’s elegant move.

We don’t have our June meeting set yet, but we are considering an in-person lunch or outing to Dell Diamond. Once we make our plans, we’ll let chapter members know.

Hall of Fame “Last Team Played For” Quiz

By Jerry Miller

Identify the last team for which each of the following Hall of Famers played (Note: this refers to the last team with which a player physically played, and not where, for instance, the player signed a one-day contract to “retire” from that team).

1) Roberto Alomar

2) Luis Aparicio

3) Bert Blyleven

4) Jim Bunning

5) Steve Carlton

6) Gary Carter

7) Orlando Cepeda

8) Andre Dawson

9) Dizzy Dean

10) Dennis Eckersley

11) Nellie Fox

12) Jimmie Foxx

13) Tom Glavine

14) Goose Gossage

15) Hank Greenberg

16) Ken Griffey, Jr.

17) Rickey Henderson

18) Trevor Hoffman

19) Ferguson Jenkins

20) Randy Johnson

21) Harmon Killebrew

 

22) Greg Maddux

23) Juan Marichal

24) Pedro Martinez

 

25) Eddie Mathews

 

26) Willie McCovey

 

27) Joe Morgan

28) Jack Morris

29) Eddie Murray

30) Phil Niekro

31) Satchel Paige

32) Tony Perez

33) Gaylord Perry

34) Mike Piazza

35) Tim Raines

36) Robin Roberts

37) Ivan Rodriguez

38) Tom Seaver

39) Ted Simmons

40) Lee Smith

41) John Smoltz

42) Warren Spahn

43) Bruce Sutter

44) Don Sutton

45) Frank Thomas

46) Jim Thome

47) Larry Walker

48) Hoyt Wilhelm

49) Dave Winfield

50) Early Wynn

ANSWERS:

1) Chicago White Sox (Note: the original answer of Arizona Diamondbacks was incorrect. In 2004, AZ traded him back to the Sox, where he had played the year before. He then retired from the Sox. Credit to Cy Morong for catching the error).

2) Boston Red Sox

3) California Angels

4) Los Angeles Dodgers

5) Minnesota Twins

6) Los Angeles Dodgers

7) Kansas City Royals

8) Florida Marlins

9) St. Louis Browns (Note: Dean, who had been retired for seven years, was broadcasting for the Browns. He criticized their starting pitchers, who dared him to come out of the broadcast booth and pitch. He did, throwing four scoreless innings, before the Browns bullpen lost the game.)

10) St. Louis Cardinals

11) Houston Astros (Note: original answer was Houston Colt .45s. However, Fox played in 21 games as a player-coach in 1965, after the Colts had changed their name. Let’s just stick with Houston, National League).

12) Philadelphia Phillies

13) Atlanta Braves

14) Seattle Mariners

15) Pittsburgh Pirates

16) Seattle Mariners

17) Los Angeles Dodgers

18) Milwaukee Brewers

19) Chicago Cubs

20) San Francisco Giants

21) Kansas City Royals

22) Los Angeles Dodgers

23) Los Angeles Dodgers

24) Philadelphia Phillies

25) Detroit Tigers

26) Oakland Athletics

27) Oakland Athletics

28) Cleveland Indians

29) Los Angeles Dodgers

30) Toronto Blue Jays

31) Kansas City Athletics

32) Cincinnati Reds (Note: originally identified incorrectly as Philadelphia Phillies. Thanks to Cy for again keeping me honest).

33) Kansas City Royals

34) Oakland Athletics

35) Florida Marlins

36) Chicago Cubs

37) Washington Nationals

38) Boston Red Sox

39) Atlanta Braves

40) Montreal Expos

41) St. Louis Cardinals

42) San Francisco Giants

43) Atlanta Braves

44) Los Angeles Dodgers

45) Toronto Blue Jays

46) Baltimore Orioles

47) St. Louis Cardinals

48) Los Angeles Dodgers

49) Cleveland Indians

50) Cleveland Indians

Fifteen chapter members and guests enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation about the start of the new baseball season, the dominant Dodgers and the teams that may challenge them, new experimental rules in the Atlantic League and the return of professional baseball to the Dell Diamond.

This meeting, held Saturday, April 17, on Zoom, marked one year since we shifted to online meetings.

The new rules – one that would remove the designated hitter when a starting pitcher gets pulled from the game, and another that would add a foot to the distance between the pitching rubber and home plate – drew mixed reactions from our group. Some liked the idea of encouraging a team to stick with a starting pitcher, while others worried that pitchers would be at risk with the additional foot.

We also talked about pace of play and ways to speed up the game.

But the biggest concern expressed during the meeting involved MLB’s newfound partnership with gambling establishments and how it might impact all facets of the game.

Still, despite MLB’s tinkering with the rules, the gambling shadow, the contraction of the minor leagues and Congress’ renewed interest in examining MLB’s antitrust exemption, we couldn’t help but notice that we still love the game of baseball, and maybe always will.

We also talked about the chapter’s plan to return to in-person meetings, perhaps as soon as this summer. In addition, many of us expressed anticipation of watching the Round Rock Express return to the Dell Diamond next month.

John “Jack” Sullivan of the Pee Wee Reese Chapter shared a fun quiz that he created for SABR Day with a theme involving particular members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Jerry Miller took top prize with 21 points, followed closely by Cy Morong with 19. Jan Larson had 17, while Dick Adams and Ryan Pollack tied with 15.

You can take your swings at the quiz by downloading it with this link: SABR Day 2021. The answers follow the questions. Many thanks to Jack Sullivan for the fun quiz.

We were scheduled to have Tim Jackson, general manager of the Round Rock Express, join us yesterday, but a last-minute conflict prevented that. We’re hoping to get him back in the lineup for a future meeting.

Learning about baseball’s first drug controversy and prepping for the Hornsby Chapter’s Predictatron contest were the highlights in yesterday’s March meeting.

Seventeen chapter members and guests were treated to a presentation by SABR Halsey Hall Chapter member Dan Levitt (pictured above), who told us about Hal Newhouser’s use of Novocaine injections (relatively new at the time for ballplayers) to help pitch during the 1945 World Series in which he won two games, including a complete-game win in the clincher.

Levitt shared news articles that suggested a range of reactions when use of the drug was widely reported. Some headlines included the word “drug” and credited it with giving Newhouser an advantage, while other headlines focused on the medicinal use of the injection for recovery and prevention of injuries.

Newhouser himself said in sports articles of the day that he wouldn’t have been able to pitch with his sore shoulder without the injections. The controversy about the injections was short lived, according to Levitt.

Levitt also gave this presentation earlier this month at the 28th Annual NINE Spring Training Conference. Many thanks to Dan for visiting virtually with us to share his very interesting presentation.

In addition to Levitt’s presentation, we also discussed some of the experimental rules MLB is trying out in minor league baseball, such as adding larger bases, limiting pick-off throws to two per at-bat, using a “Robo-Ump” making balls and strikes calls, adding a 15-second pitch clock, and requiring all infielders to remain on the infield dirt prior to pitches. Monte Cely noted our discussion at the last in-person winter meeting in 2020 in which he presented information about the use of the Robo-Ump – strikes were more often called at the top and bottom of the zone while the edges were tighter.

Also, Michael Bass, winner of last month’s trivia quiz, helped us get ready for the upcoming season – and for Jim Baker’s Predictatron contest in which we try to guess the season standings and playoff winners – with a nifty quiz about offseason signings and trades.

Tad Myre, commissioner of the SABR Pee Wee Reese Chapter in Louisville, Kentucky, racked up 9 points to win our trivia quiz. I came in second with 7 points, Jan Larson with 6 and Dan Walsh with 4. Try your hand on the quiz at the end of this post (answers come after the questions). Tad Myre said he’ll provide a trivia quiz for our April monthly meeting.

This was the 171st consecutive month in which the chapter has met, with the last 12 meetings by Zoom.

Prepping for Predictatron

By Michael Bass

1. Aside from signing Jackie Bradley Jr., the Milwaukee Brewers also signed Kolten Wong, statistically the best second baseman in 2019. Who will Wong replace, statistically the worst defense second baseman of 2020?
2. The Los Angeles Angels are trying to improve their rotation with some mediocre or just plain “bad” arms. Perhaps the best is Jose Quintana. They have also added outfield Dexter Fowler. Of the $14.5 million he will be paid, within $250,000, how much will St. Louis have to pay?
3. The Chicago White Sox added a quality pitcher who was in the top six in Cy Young voting each of the last two years in the American League. He’s never had a losing record in nine years in the MLB. Who is he?
4. The Chicago Cubs added an effective starter who had his best year in 2020 statistically. He was with the San Diego Padres last year. Who is he? The Cubs also added a .230 lifetime hitter who has an OPS of .806 in his career (due to his 259 extra-base hits in 2,500 career at-bats). Who is he? Hint: He came from a far more difficult hitting park.
5. This solid left fielder went from a division rival to Cleveland. His OPS is always around .800. He would rank far higher if he drew some walks and wouldn’t try to steal (39 steals in 59 attempts). Who is he?
6. Outside of some bullpen additions, Houston has been quiet this off-season. Who did they recently sign to shore up their rotation now that Verlander is on the 60-day IL?
7. San Diego added three potentially very good/middle-to-front rotation guys. One, Yu Darvish, was from the Chicago Cubs, another from Tampa Bay and a third from Pittsburgh. Who were the latter two?
8. The New York Yankees added two starters. One is a former two-time Cy Young winner. The other is a promising fifth-year hurler from Pittsburgh. Who are they?
9. The Washington Nationals added a number of players: 1) A three-time All-Star reliever who pitched for Cleveland last year; 2) A five-time All-Star starter from the Cubs; 3) A former Cub who in his career has hit 121 home runs in 1,806 official at-bats; and 4) An ex-Pirate who had 77 extra-base hits in 2019 and has a career OPS greater than .800. Who are they?
10. Andrelton Simmons is with Minnesota now. According to Baseball Reference, he has 42.7 points of oWAR (offensive Wins Above Replacement) and dWAR (defensive Wins Above Replacement). Within two points, what is his dWar?
11. The Blue Jays have vastly improved themselves in the rotation, infield and outfield. One was second in Cy Young in 2019 with a 4.6 WAR. The infielder was third in MVP voting with 8.9 WAR. The outfield was seventh in MVP with 6.4 WAR. These players combined for nearly 20 total WAR in 2019. Who are they?

12.Within 50 points, what was St. Louis’ new third baseman Nolan Arenado’s 2019 OPS?

13. We know the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Trevor Bauer. What will he earn in his combined 2021 and 2022 seasons (within $2 million)?
14. Chris Archer is returning to the Tampa Bay Rays from Pittsburgh. Who did Tampa get when they originally traded him? Name two of the three players.
15. Kansas City added Andrew Benintendi, Mike Minor and one other player. This third player is the only major leaguer batter to have walked more than he struck out over the past five seasons. Who is he?
16. The Oakland Athletics got Elvis Andrus for Khris Davis, but they also got a reliever who didn’t allow an earned run for San Diego in the 10 innings he pitched with the Padres. He also has struck out 490 over 364 career innings. Who is Oakland’s new closer?
17. Seattle added a starter and reliever. In their last full season (2019), they were both excellent; one as a starter for the Yankees and the other as a Blue Jays reliever. Who are they?
18. Aside from the additions of Trevor May and Francisco Lindor, what three potentially frontline to mid-rotation starters will the Mets have who didn’t pitch for them in 2020?

Answers

1. Keston Hiura
2. $12,750,000
3. Lance Lynn
4. Zach Davies and Joc Pederson
5. Eddie Rosario
6. Jake Odorizzi
7. Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove
8. Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon
9. Brad Hand, Jon Lester, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Bell
10. 26.6
11. Hyun-jin Ryu, Marcus Semien and George Springer
12. .738
13. $40 million and $45 million
14. Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and Shane Baz
15. Carlos Santana
16. Trevor Rosenthal
17. James Paxton and Ken Giles
18. Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman