Category: Chapter News

Homemade treats complement hot stove talk and Mexican food

Ten chapter members and guests munched on delicious homemade treats and pondered two surprising moves in baseball — Shohei Otani joining the Los Angeles Angels and Giancarlo Stanton landing with the New York Yankees.

Thanks to Linda Cely, the group enjoyed her homemade desserts before, during and after lunch at Serranos in southwest Austin on Saturday, Dec. 9. Thanks so much, Linda!

We talked about looking forward to Astros-Angels matchups in Houston in 2018, which will give us a chance to see the defending World Series champions and the pairing of Mike Trout and Otani with the Angels.

In addition, Gary McIntosh shared some details of the Great American Fantasy League, a board game adapted from Statis-Pro Baseball that realistically simulates the career performances of baseball greatest players, using only stats with their primary teams. Gary shared with us that in their league, the Los Angeles Dodgers recently won Game 1 of the World Series over the Kansas City Royals. To read a summary of that game, click here: http://www.sabrhornsby.org/2017/12/great-american-fantasy-league-season-3-world-series-game-1/

For more information about the GAFL, check out this WordPress site: https://statispro.wordpress.com/

This led to a discussion about all-time best players for various teams. For example, it would seem that Jose Altuve has surpassed Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio at second base, but Gary pointed out that a GAFL manager of the Astros could place Biggio at catcher or outfield. We also discussed which team might best use Nolan Ryan, as his best years were with the Astros, but not with the Mets or Angels.

The group was also anticipating the announcement from the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee, but we had yet to hear at lunchtime about the selection of Alan Trammel and Jack Morris.

Meanwhile, Raeanne and I are still celebrating the Astros’ World Series Championship. I wrote a song, The Twelve Days of Astros! You can read the lyrics on the chapter website by clicking here: http://www.sabrhornsby.org/2017/12/the-twelve-days-of-astros/

For the next meeting, it’s something we’ve been waiting all year for – the 12th Annual Rogers Hornsby Chapter Winter Meeting! It will be on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, in Old Main at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Also, the chapter plans to take part in the 9th Annual SABR Day on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018.

Save these dates! More information to come.

November Lunch Meeting

After a nine month absence (which followed a previous ten month absence) we will return to the birthplace of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter for our November lunch meeting.  Join us for barbecue at the County Line BBQ located at 5204 Ranch Road 2222 (a short distance east of Hwy 360 on 2222) at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 18.

We will discuss the just completed post-season and the World Series championship for the Houston Astros.  Following his recent trip to Cuba, Monte Cely will also present a quiz on Cuban baseball.  He has assured this writer that the majority of quiz scores will be greater than zero.

Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Rogers Hornsby Chapter Annual Report (June 2016 to May 2017)

Society for American Baseball Research

Rogers Hornsby Chapter

Central and South Texas

Annual Report, June 2016 – May 2017

By Gilbert D. Martinez

Chapter Commissioner

Rogers Hornsby Chapter

 

The Rogers Hornsby Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research in Central Texas continues to be a highly active chapter, with an annual winter meeting, several group outings to watch the Round Rock Express, and watch parties for the World Series and regular season games. In addition, chapter members have volunteered to help Alzheimer’s patients in the baseball reminiscence project.

The chapter extended its consecutive meeting streak, reaching 126 straight months with a meeting in May 2017. Many of the monthly meetings include lunch or dinner at a restaurant in the Austin area, sometimes involving baseball trivia quizzes.

The highlight of the year was the chapter’s 11th Annual Winter Meeting at historic Old Main at Texas State University in San Marcos. Guest speakers at the meeting included Dr. Bobby Brown, former World Series champion with the Yankees and retired cardiologist; Mark Saccomanno, former Astros first baseman who hit a homerun on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues; Mike Capps, entering his 18th season as broadcaster for the Round Rock Express; and Bo Carter, longtime college sports information director who co-authored a book about Dizzy Dean, and Sara Kirby Burke, daughter of longtime broadcaster Gene Kirby who collected and wrote much of the text in the Dizzy Dean book.

Meanwhile, chapter member Jim Kenton continues to lead the chapter’s effort in BasebALZ, a partnership with Alzheimer’s Texas to help Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers recover baseball memories. The therapy program involves six bi-weekly meetings, which include discussing favorite players and teams, remembering details of attending a ball game, and handling baseball items such as gloves and memorabilia.  The BasebALZ effort here was also expanded to include monthly sessions at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Kerrville, Texas. We have also been in touch with other SABR chapters in hopes of expanding this program around the country.

Another highlight of the year was Monte Cely’s dispatches from the Caribbean World Series in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Posting daily updates during the tournament, Cely shared photos and details of Puerto Rico’s 1-0 championship win in extra innings over Mexico.

The chapter also created a WordPress site to house all of the chapter’s meeting summaries and photos, giving the leadership team an effective means to collect and preserve the chapter’s activities and to communicate with other chapters and the general public.

 

BasebALZ Season 6 Sets Attendance Mark on Opening Day

Our baseball-themed Alzheimer’s reminiscence program, BasebALZ, opened “Season Six” on Monday May 8 at the Alzheimer’s Texas offices in Austin.  We had thirteen participants, caregivers and guests in attendance, and we’re expecting more as this “season” progresses.  Nine volunteers from the SABR-Hornsby Chapter and Alzheimer’s Texas were there to deliver and support the program:

BasebALZ leader Jim Kenton opens the session.

In a discussion of “Things from 1960 that we don’t use anymore”, we see if anyone can remember how to use a slide rule …

Season Six of BasebALZ will run through July.  For more information on the BasebALZ program, click here.

 

June Meeting or Let’s Play Two

Following our entertaining trip to the ol’ ballyard for our May meeting, the June Hornsby Chapter meeting will include a return trip to the Salt Lick BBQ and the Dell Diamond on Saturday, June 3 when the Round Rock Express take on the New Orleans Baby Cakes at 7:05 p.m.

Preceding the game, we will meet at the nearby Salt Lick BBQ for dinner at 5:30 p.m.  A limited number of game tickets have been reserved at the discounted price of $12 each.  If you plan to attend please RSVP with the number of game tickets you require and number in your party that will attend the dinner to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com no later than Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day).

May Baseball and BBQ

Our May meeting will take us on our first 2017 trip to the ballpark on Saturday, May 6 when the Round Rock Express host the Oklahoma City Dodgers with game time at 7:05 p.m.  Preceding the game, we will meet at the nearby Salt Lick BBQ for dinner at 5:30 p.m.  A block of seats has been reserved for $12/seat.  If you plan to attend please RSVP with the number of game tickets required and number that will attend the dinner to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com no later than Sunday, April 30.