Category: Hornsby News

“Talking Baseball” enjoys evening at Dell Diamond

Twenty participants, volunteers and family from the baseball reminiscence program enjoyed an evening at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Monday May 13. 

In a “rematch” (of sorts) of the 2017 World Series, the Astros and Dodgers AAA affiliates squared off.  The Express prevailed 5-2 over the OKC Dodgers.

A big “THANK YOU” goes out to United Heritage Credit Union for arranging the use of their luxury suite plus food and drink.  Thanks, as always, to our great sponsors at Alzheimer’s Texas.  A good time was had by all. 

All Animal Teams Quiz highlights April monthly meeting

Quiz winner Jim Baker (left) and runner-up Jan Larson (Photo by Gilbert D. Martinez)

Seven chapter members were treated to Italian fare and a fun animal-name themed baseball quiz by trivia master Tom Thayer on Saturday, April 14.

Thayer – winner of many chapter quizzes and a member of the runner-up quiz team at SABR 44 in Houston in 2014 – devised a quiz with clues for players whose names and/or nicknames are also animal names. The players made up three teams – Team Aquatic, Team Terrestrial and Sky Team.

Jim Baker took top prize with 25 points, and Jan Larson was runner up with 20 points. For his efforts, Jim took home the Robert W. Creamer biography, “Stengel: His Life and Times.” To try your hand at the quiz, click here.

With a smaller group, we still had a nice diversity of of clubs represented. Jan had the cap of the meeting featuring the cartoon logo for the Baltimore Orioles in honor of Chris Davis ending his record 0-for-54 hitless streak the day before. In usual fashion, Tom Wancho wore a non-baseball shirt – this time representing the Cleveland Caveliers of the NBA.

Jim wore his Fukuoka Daiei Hawks cap. Mike Dillon wore a Rangers cap and nice Arizona spring training Rangers polo shirt. I wore my Norichika Aoki Astros shirsey with “Astros” in Japanese script (アストロズ) on front and Aoki’s name (in Japanese kanji: 青木)and No. 3 on the back. Aoki joined the Astros for the first half of the 2017 season before finishing out the season with the Blue Jays and the Mets. He re-joined the Nippon Professional Baseball last year with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, where he continues to play.

It was the 149th consecutive monthly meeting.

We hope you can join us for the May and June meetings, which have been set. In May, we’ll gather at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Serranos (MoPac and Ben White in Southwest Austin). In June, we’ll have an outing to see the Round Rock Express on Saturday, June 1. Requests for RSVPs and more information will come later.

Tom Thayer’s All Animal Teams Quiz

Tom Thayer presented this quiz at the April 2019 monthly chapter meeting.

Answers are at the end of this page.

This quiz consists of assembling three “All-Animal” teams, each with their own theme.  The animal names can be in the first name, last name, or nickname.  It can also be a homophone of an animal name.  Each player is worth a point.  To get credit, you must give both the first and last name of the player or both the nickname and last name of the player.

Team Aquatic

1b: This former Pirates and Braves first baseman is most famous for his mad dash home ahead of Barry Bonds’s throw in the 1992 NLCS. ______________________________________

2b: This career.267 hitter from the turn of the 19th/20th century was frequent trade bait as he played for seven different NL teams in unspectacular fashion (94 career OPS+).  He was mostly an outfielder and first baseman, but he did play some 2b. ______________________________________

SS: He was the 1944 NL MVP not for his hitting, but because his tentacles could get to balls that no other SS could reach. ______________________________________

3b: This stalwart of the early 20th century great Pirates teams played both 3b and OF.  He certainly did not suck as he helped the Pirates to four pennants and hit .310 in the postseason.  He hit .269 for his career, but due to more walks and power, had an OPS+ 15 points higher than this team’s 2b, who was a contemporary. ______________________________________

LF: This former Astros outfielder is better known for playing RF.  He fell for Jesse Orosco’s low curveball hook, line, and sinker when he struck out to end the 1986 NLCS.

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CF: This native of Millville, NJ has never had lower than 6.6 WAR in a full season and has three seasons over 10 WAR. ______________________________________

RF: This former Angel returned to his original team every year, much as his namesake return to the same spawning grounds where they were born.

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Reserve OF: He led the NL in batting average for the 1974 Braves and finished his career with a .306 average.  Both his last name and one of his nicknames fit the theme. ______________________________________

C: No catcher had a name or nickname that fit the theme, but this 1975 WS Game 6 hero would have if you change one letter in his name. ______________________________________

SP: This father/son pitching combo shares a last name with the team’s CF, though they are no relation.  The father (a righty) was on the 1945 Tiger team that defeated the Cubs in the WS, and the son (a lefty) was on the next Cubs team to make the postseason in 1984.

______________________________________ ______________________________________

SP: This hall of famer was given his nickname by Charlie Finley and was baseball’s first 3 million dollar man. ______________________________________

SP: He won 21 games for the 1965 pennant-winning Twins plus two more games in the WS.  He won 145 games total in his 14 year career with an even 100 ERA+.

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RP: This reliever led the league in saves for the 2000 Marlins with 45.  His nickname comes from having six fingers on each hand. ______________________________________

Team Terrestrial

1b: This hall of famer won three MVPs and hit 534 home runs in his career.

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2b: This hall of famer was the 1959 MVP and hit .375 in the WS that year.  He made 11 All Star teams in a row from 1951 to 1961. ______________________________________

SS: This hall of famer must have been somewhat fleet of foot with 291 stolen bases.  He played 23 seasons, mostly for the Boston Braves, hitting .308 in two WS despite only hitting .258 for his career. ______________________________________

3B: This stocky 3b played for the Dodgers and Cubs, hitting 316 HRs and making six straight All Star teams in the 1970s.  No word on how he looks in a tuxedo. ______________________________________

LF: This hall of famer hit over .400 twice for the Cleveland Spiders and won three batting titles but earned his nickname from his cranky and pugilistic disposition.

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CF: This member of the fearsome 1929-1931 Athletics led the league in sacrifices 6 times despite his .292 career batting average, yet his 40 sacrifices in 1929 was only good for second place.  Despite that, he was nicknamed not for his stubbornness but for the supposed kick provided by his bat. ______________________________________

RF: Before he got caught up in the Pittsburgh drug trials, this 1978 MVP was known for striking quickly with his bat and arm as well as bopping with the boys.

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Reserve OF: He was not fleet of foot but was three true outcomes before it was cool, hitting .220, leading the league in strikeouts 4 years, and hitting 230 home runs in 11 seasons in the 1980s and early 1990s mostly for the Brewers and Tigers.

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C: A 19th century player who played almost all positions for Pittsburgh, he may not have been pitcher’s best friend behind the plate with 5 seasons of over 40 passed balls. However, he provided 6 seasons of above average offense and finished with a 97 career OPS+. ______________________________________

SP: These three pitchers share the same name, but for one, it’s a last name, for one, it’s a first name, and for one, it’s a nickname.  One is in the hall of fame with 270 wins (yet only one 20 win season, his last).  One pitched for the 1971 WS champion Pirates and died in a car accident on his 29th birthday.  One pitched for the Harvey’s Wallbanger Brewers, winning exactly 100 games.   Watch out for Sarah Palin.

______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________

SP: This Texas native stood 6’4″ and was listed at 215 lbs, though he may have acquired his nickname by gaining weight later in his career.  He was part of the famous double “no hitter” with Fred Toney in 1917 (he did allow a couple of hits in the 10th inning) and led the league in ERA and wins for the Cubs in 1918.

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SP: This lefty was with the Phillies for 8 years before changing teams 8  different times.  His record was 133-125 with a 99 ERA+, but he had his own pack of fans during his time in Philly.  His brother was a contemporaneous umpire.

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SP: Spending his entire career in one city, he played on three Cardinals pennant winners, leading the league in ERA and strikeouts and winning 20 games in 1948.  His nickname sprang from his nimble fielding and quick reflexes off the mound.

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RP: This peripatetic Utah native was once traded three times in one season (once for Curt Schilling) and was later involved in a ten player trade between the Astros and Blue Jays.  Despite that, he can take some pride in his 107 career ERA+ and the 2007 postseason where he gave up no runs in 5 games for the Diamondbacks.

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Sky Team

1b: While active, he was known as much for his style and golfing as for his baseball playing, yet he hit 30+ home runs twice for the Red Sox.  He was the longtime voice of the White Sox but now “He gone”. ______________________________________

2b: He played more games at SS but played most of his 19 year career as a utility infielder for such teams as the 1960 WS champion Pirates and 1968 pennant-winning Cardinals.  He got his nickname from his father, a minor league SS (who shared it with this team’s reserve OF).  Baseball runs in the family as his son and grandsons both had major league careers. ______________________________________

SS: He was out of baseball after age 30, so his nickname doesn’t really fit.  He was the first batter ever for the expansion Washington Senators in 1961, but with a career OPS+ of 60, he may not have been the best leadoff man.  His last name could qualify him for Team Terrestrial, but PETA would not be in favor.

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3b: A utility infielder for the Pirates and Cardinals of the Dead Ball Era, he was 6’1″, which was tall for that time, so his last name may have also been an appropriate nickname.  He was studying at Harvard Law in the offseason when he died of the flu in 1910. ______________________________________

LF: A hall of famer who sported a .316 career batting average and was on the first World Series champions for the Tigers and Senators (and all of the Washington pennant winners).  He led the AL in batting average in 1928 at .379.

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CF: This Texan hall of famer was overshadowed by his contemporary hall of fame center fielder Ty Cobb though he holds the records for career doubles and outfield putouts and double plays.  His nickname may have come from his prematurely graying hair. ______________________________________

RF: This hall of famer played primarily for the Expos and Cubs, winning the MVP in 1987 while hitting 49 home runs and driving in 137 runs.  His nickname supposedly came from his eye at the plate when he was younger, but he never walked more than 44 times in a season.  ______________________________________

Reserve OF: This player shares a nickname with the 2b on this team and won the  MVP in 1937 while also winning the Triple Crown.  In 1934, he batted .379 in the WS to help lead the Cardinals to victory, though he didn’t fare so well in the 1941 WS with the Dodgers when he only hit .235.

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C: His nickname came from his high-pitched, chirping voice, and his career spanned 14 years playing for the Tigers, Red Sox, and Indians.  In 1940, he hit .296 as he replaced Rudy York behind the plate (Hank Greenberg being moved to the OF to make room for York at 1b) and helped the tigers capture the pennant.  He later managed the Red and Indians after his playing days were over.

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SP: He won 192 games in 15 seasons with the Cubs and Cardinals, including a league leading 22 in 1932 to go along with the league leading ERA.  Was 2-0 with a .54 ERA in the 1935 WS in a losing effort for the Cubs.  His nickname came about after being traded to the Cardinals due to his quick and darting delivery.

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SP: He won 21 games for the pennant-winning 1961 Reds and followed it up in 1962 with 21 more wins.  Outside of those two years, he never won more than 11 games in 13 years with the Braves and Reds.  Finished his career with 99 wins and a 99 ERA+. ______________________________________

SP: He was an ugly duckling in his first three years with the Mets, posting ERAs of 8.64, 4.45, and 6.39 in brief stints.  However, he blossomed into a major league pitcher, leading the league in ERA in 1978. ______________________________________

SP: This Astro didn’t really display his true feathers until 2017 when he went 13-2 with a 3.07 ERA and saving Game 3 of the World Series.

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RP: Get off his lawn!  Back in his day, he exceeded 100 innings in relief 4 times, led the league in saves 3 times, and was a 9 time All Star.  He pitched in 1002 games with 310 total saves and a 3.01 ERA, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame.

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RP: A failed starter with the Tigers before moving to the pen with the Dodgers where he led the NL in saves and games finished twice.  He would hang around the late innings of games looking for leftovers from the starter that he could turn into a win.  After his playing days, he became a pitching coach for several teams and managed the Orioles for one year. ______________________________________

The answers:

1b Sid Bream
2b Shad Barry
ss Marty “The Octopus” Marion
3b Tommy Leach
lf Kevin Bass
cf Mike Trout
rf Tim Salmon
of Ralph “Gator” Garr
c Carlton Fis(h)k
sp Dizzy Trout/Steve Trout
sp Catfish Hunter
sp Mudcat Grant
rp Antonio “El Pulpo/The Octopus” Alfonseca

1b Jimmie Foxx
2b Nellie Fox
ss Rabbit Maranville
3b Ron “Penguin” Cey
lf Jessie “Crab” Burkett
cf Mule Haas
rf Dave “Cobra” Parker
of Rob Deer
c Doggie Miller
sp Mike “Moose” Mussina/Bob Moose/Moose Haas
sp Hippo Vaughn
sp Randy Wolf
sp Harry “The Cat” Brecheen
rp Brandon Lyon

1b Ken “Hawk” Harrelson
2b Dick “Ducky” Schofield
ss Coot Veal
3b Alan Storke
lf Goose Goslin
cf Tris “The Grey Eagle” Speaker
rf Andre “The Hawk” Dawson
of Joe “Ducky’ Medwick
c Birdie Tebbetts
sp Lon “The Arkansas Hummingbird” Warneke
sp Joey Jay
sp Craig Swan
sp Brad Peacock
rp Phil “The Vulture” Regan

Members enjoy barbecue as another season gets cued up

Tom Thayer, right, wins another trivia quiz while Ira Siegel takes second. Photo by Gilbert D. Martinez

A dozen chapter members and guests shed their coats, shut off the hot stove, munched on barbecue fare and looked forward to a new season of baseball on Saturday.

-Jan Larson brought a trivia quiz of random baseball tidbits, won by Tom Thayer. Runner-up was Ira Siegel. For his efforts, Tom took home a Kyle Seager bobble-head while Ira won a Franklin Gutierrez bobble-head.

Some of the topics included Mike Trout’s record contract, Ichiro Suzuki’s retirement, and the SABR Project, Eight Myths Out, a deep dive into examining what we know, and have been told, about the infamous Black Sox Scandal in 1919. The collection of articles debuted earlier in the week. For more information about Eight Myths Out, click this link: https://sabr.org/eight-myths-out

An Ichiro Suzuki jersey and Mariners cap were worn in recognition of Ichiro’s recent retirement. Other baseball gear making appearances were a Royals cap and shirt; a t-shirt recognizing Dodgers’ spring training camps; a Cleveland Indians cap; and a Fukuoka Daiei Hawks cap. Tom Wancho wore a t-shirt that commemorated the “original” Friday Night Lights – the first football stadium in Texas to have lights was at New London in 1940.

This was the 148th consecutive month in which the chapter has met.

Next meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the Macaroni Grill at the Arboretum in North Austin. A request for RSVPs will go out on our email list next month.

March BBQ

Our March lunch meeting will be held at the birthplace of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter – the County Line BBQ located at 5204 Ranch Road 2222 in Austin (a short distance east of Hwy 360 on 2222) at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.  Members, guests and baseball fans in general are welcome to attend.

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

Black History Month-themed quiz challenges members at February meeting

Quiz master Tom Thayer (left) and quiz winner Jim Baker. You can write your own caption! (Photo by Gilbert D. Martinez)

A dozen chapter members gathered for tasty Mexican food and celebrated Black History Month on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Tom Thayer brought a fun Black History Month-themed quiz, prompting Ira Siegel to note at outset of the quiz, with some glee, that Tom – winner of many a quiz – would not win this one. In fact, Jim Baker won, capturing the prize of “Fireman: The Evolution of the Closer in Baseball” by Fran Zimniuch and foreword by Lee Smith. I couldn’t help but remark that the lack of an afterward in the book was a missed opportunity.

Some of the quiz questions included matching the first black player with the MLB team with which he started; identifying the first player who played the majority of his career in the Negro Leagues and was later inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame; naming the three Giants who made up the first African-American outfield in 1951; and naming all nine starters for the Pittsburg Pirates, the first all-black lineup, which occurred on Sept. 1, 1971.

Our members shared interesting stories, some about legendary players we’ve lost in recent months such as Frank Robinson and Don Newcombe. In fact, Jerry Miller shared that the first ball game he ever attended (as a 3-year-old!) involved Newcombe pitching for the Cincinnati Reds versus the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1959.

New member Don wore an Orem Owlz shirt, representing the Pioneer League in Utah. He also shared that his daughter was the assistant general manager for seven years for this Rookie League team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. Among the players she saw during his time as assistant general manager include Cole Calhoun, Cam Bedrosian and Garrett Richards.

We had other baseball logos represented at the table, including a t-shirt commemorating the 1955 World Series at Ebbets Field; a Newark Eagles t-shirt; a Philadelphia Phillies cap (perhaps foreshadowing a Bryce Harper signing?), a Bronx Bombers shirt; an Oakland A’s cap coupled with a Roberto Clemente No. 21 Pirates shirsey; an Orioles cap; a pair of Astros caps; a Brooklyn Dodger cap (with a handwritten No. 36 in honor of Newcombe); a Fukuoka Daiei Hawks cap; and a “Model 4000” shirt celebrating Ichiro Suzuki’s total professional hits.

The next meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the County Line on the Lake, 5204 FM 2222. A request for RSVPs will go out on the chapter email list in mid-March.

Texas Talking Baseball 2019 Opening Day(s)

“Talking Baseball” (aka BasebALZ) opened its Texas 2019 season with a session at the Kerrville, Texas VA Hospital.  Six veterans, plus hospital staff and administrators, were in attendance.  This is the 30th program session that we’ve delivered at Kerrville, and we continue to get great feedback from our staff contacts there.

SABR volunteers Jim, Mike, Dan & Ann join VA staff for the January 18 session.

On January 28, we kicked off our 11th “season” of Talking Baseball programs in Austin.  We were very happy to welcome several new participants and their caregivers.  Eleven participants, caregivers and guests joined our eight volunteers.

In addition to our usual program offerings, we experimented with some new segments.  One, entitled “Baseball Time Machine“, asked “If you could go back in time to one ballgame, what game would it be?”  We had some lively (and funny) examples, for instance – one of the participants missed Kirk Gibson’s classic World Series walk-off homer because his wife sent him out for Chinese food!

Another new segment was “Get Up and Move”.  The idea is to add some light physical activity to the program.  Our first try at this was “The Chicken Dance”, a staple at our local AAA ballpark.  As you can see from the pictures above, we did get up and move.

One of our regular segments is “Stump the Experts”.  Bobby (far end of table in Yankee pinstripes) and Renee attempt to stump the SABR “experts” with a series of clues about a ballplayer’s identity.  Bobby took it easy on us today, as we were able to successfully identify that the ballplayer was former Rangers star Josh Hamilton.

Our 2019 season will continue in February with a session at Kerrville on February 8 and sessions at Westminster Senior Living in Austin on February 11 and 25.

We have been offering the Talking Baseball reminiscence program since the Spring of 2015.  Our April, 2019 session in Austin will be our 100th session!  It has been a fun and rewarding experience for all of us.