Society for American Baseball Research
Ben Reiter, Sports Illustrated senior writer and author of “Astrosball: The New Way to Win It All,” will join us for dinner, talk about how the Astros won the 2017 World Series and how he predicted the unlikely outcome three years before! RSVP to Gilbert Martinez at gmartinez46<at>mac.com by Friday, Nov. 9.
A dozen chapter members and guests watched as the Los Angeles Dodgers took a 4-0 lead to try to even the World Series, only to see the Boston Red Sox bats erupt to give them a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the Fall Classic.
We gathered at the home of Jim Baker in Cedar Park on Saturday for Game 4, enjoying brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, homemade desserts, imported chocolate and more.
In addition, Jim Baker awarded Predictatron certificates to Jan Larson and Raeanne Martinez (pictured above), recognizing them as co-champions in this season’s prognostication contest. As a result, Larson and Martinez will have a division in their names, hyphenated, in next year’s Predicatron. In addition to the Larson-Martinez Division, the other division will be name after Dan Walsh, winner of his division.
Jim Baker also had a quiz that focused on the first time the Dodgers (Robins) matched up with the Red Sox in the World Series in 1916. Tom Thayer took top honors.
During the game, we also remarked about the resemblance between Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly and our very own, Ryan Pollack. Come to think of it, Ryan was unable to join us last night. Perhaps he had a prior engagement… in Los Angeles!
Many thanks to Jim Baker for hosting this annual watch party, and homemade desserts from Linda and Monte Cely (Mississippi mud cake) and Mike and Carolyn Wagner (ginger carrot cake and European chocolates). This was the seventh time in the last eight years that Jim has hosted the World Series watch party. This was also the 143rd consecutive month in which the chapter has had a monthly meeting.
For the November meeting, we’re excited to announce that Sports Illustrated writer Ben Reiter will be visiting with us at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, at Red Robin in Sunset Valley. Please save the date and plan to join us as Mr. Reiter will discuss his book, “Astroball: The New Way to Win It All,” and his prediction – in 2014 – that the Astros would be World Series champs just three years later. Please RSVP to Gilbert Martinez (gmartinez46 <at> mac.com).
With the regular season winding down the September Hornsby Chapter lunch meeting will be held on Saturday, September 8 at 12:30pm at Serranos-Mopac at 5030 Highway 290 West, Austin, TX 78735 (near intersection of MoPac & 290). Jim Baker will be presenting his long-awaited trivia quiz. Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
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, August 25 for our August lunch meeting.
Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
Season Nine of our baseball reminiscence program wrapped up on July 30 at Westminster Senior Living in Austin. All six sessions were well-attended, with 15-20 participants, caregivers, volunteers and guests present.
We enjoyed presentations on Baseball Bobbleheads (authored by Jerry), The Curveball (Jerry), The Evolution of the Glove (Monte & Linda), Baseball Lingo (Ira), The National Anthem and Baseball (Dan), an Eddie Gaedel update (Jim) … just to name a few. Recurring agenda items were Today in Baseball (Mike and Jim), and Stump the Experts (Bobby and Renee). We also had some fun hands-on activites including Baseball Bingo (Mike) and Beanbag Baseball (Bob and Diane).
A highlight of the July 30th session was “Let’s Do the Twist”. We had some serious twistin’ goin’ on, including Bob & Diane and Bobby & Renee (top) and John & Vicki. We all enjoyed the dancing and listening & singing to Chubby Checker.
Fellow SABR member and author Anne Keene joined us. She added some very interesting memories from her research on her current book – The Cloudbuster Nine.
In his “Stump the Experts” segment, Bobby once again stumped the SABR volunteers. The answer was “Matt Batts”, a San Antonio native who played 10 years in the majors from 1947-1956.
Mike was the emcee for Season Nine. Here he chats with Dave and Diana before one of our sessions.
Our leader Jim Kenton was on the “DL” for Season Nine, but we expect him to complete his rehab assignments and rejoin the BasebALZ team for Season Ten.
Speaking of Season Ten – dates for the six sessions are September 10,24; October 8, 22 and November 5 and 19. We expect to return to Westminster and we extend our most sincere thanks to them for hosting BasebALZ in 2018. Many thanks, as always, to Alzheimer’s Texas for sponsoring our program.
We are also taking August “off” at the Kerrville Veterans Administration Hospital. Volunteers Dan & Ann and Bob & Diane will return to Kerrville in September to resume the monthly program there.
The fun continues … “See you in September”.
A dozen chapter members and guests beat the heat and enjoyed an afternoon of baseball with sides of sandwiches, desserts and beverages in air conditioned comfort on Saturday.
Many thanks to Ryan Pollack for providing a sandwich platter and hosting the July meeting, the 140th consecutive month in which the chapter has had a meeting. Other members brought beverages, desserts and homemade side dishes for a nice food spread. We watched the Chicago Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals, and then saw part of Aroldis Chapman’s meltdown in the ninth inning against the Mets (Yankees held on for the win).
Later, Ryan showed the many facets of game play in the Playstation 4 game “MLB – The Show 18,” a realistic-looking baseball simulation game that allows a player to build a team and player from scratch and play full-length baseball games. The game also offers challenges and accomplishments to earn a variety of virtual items, including player cards and uniforms. When Ryan’s not working or attending chapter meetings, he’s likely testing his mettle in this game.
In addition, Gilbert Martinez (pictured above) returned after having spent five weeks in Japan. Wearing a Chunichi Dragons shirt and cap, he brought homemade chocolate cupcakes. The Dragons play in the Central Division of Nippon Professional Baseball.
Next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 25. More details to follow next month.
Our July get-together will be held on Saturday, July 21 at the home of Ryan Pollack starting at 12:30 p.m. Ryan has graciously offered to host a baseball watch party and will supply a sandwich platter and chips. Attendees are requested to bring along your favorite side dishes and/or dessert along with your favorite beverage.
Please RSVP to jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
Ten Hornsby Chapter members, including first time attendee Ryan Cafferty, enjoyed Tex Mex at Serrano’s Mopac on Saturday, June 16.
Ryan Pollack provided a challenging quiz authored by Washington Post columnist George Will. Dan Walsh took home a Mike Piazza bobblehead for besting all others in a decisive victory.
Discussion topics included, among others, the horrible season through which the Orioles and Oriole fans are suffering, the once again outstanding season being put together by Mike Trout and the Yankees’ youth movement.
Details of the July meeting will be forthcoming. Watch this space.
The June Hornsby Chapter lunch meeting will be held on Saturday, June 16 at 12:30pm at Serranos-Mopac at 5030 Highway 290 West, Austin, TX 78735 (near intersection of MoPac & 290). Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
Society for American Baseball Research
Rogers Hornsby Chapter
Central and South Texas
Annual Report, June 2017 – May 2018
By Gilbert D. Martinez
Chapter Commissioner
Rogers Hornsby Chapter
The Rogers Hornsby Chapter continued a long run of regular monthly meetings, celebrated three years of BasebALZ, a baseball-themed program for Alzheimer’s patients in Central Texas, took outings to the Round Rock Express and gathered for a World Series game watch party.
The chapter hosted the 12th annual Hornsby Chapter Winter Meeting, which featured memories of the historic regular- and post-season run of the World Series champion Houston Astros. The meeting also featured a presentation by Monte Cely about his visit to Cuba with other SABR members. The keynote speaker was Branch B. Rickey, president of the Pacific Coast League and grandson of Branch Rickey. Chapter member Anne Keene, the daughter of former professional baseball player Jim Raugh, talked about baseball in the 1940s and a little-known Navy team that featured Ted Williams. Her father was a batboy on that team, which also featured Johnny Pesky and Johnny Sain. Her book, The Cloudbuster Nine, was published in May 2018 and she plans to discuss her book at SABR 48 in Pittsburgh in June. The meeting was held at historic Old Main, the oldest building on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos.
BasebALZ organizers Jim Kenton and Monte Cely have been in touch with other SABR members across the country who are interested in replicating the baseball-themed program for Alzheimer’s patients elsewhere. The Hornsby Chapter continues to partner 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 ballgame, and handling baseball items such as gloves and memorabilia. In addition to Kenton and Cely, other Hornsby Chapter members volunteer to participate in this valuable program.
The chapter had several outings to see the Texas Rangers Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express, including a game in April 2018 in which fog delayed the game for 30 minutes. Express officials later said that the fog-induced delay was the first in franchise history.
Monte Cely also attended and filed dispatches about the Caribbean Series 2018 from Jalisco, Mexico. Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic to take the Serie del Caribe crown.
In May 2018, the chapter met for the 138th consecutive month, a streak dating back to December 2006.
Many of the monthly meetings include lunch at a restaurant in the Austin area, sometimes involving baseball trivia quizzes.
You must be logged in to post a comment.