Category: Hornsby News

The Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be dining at a different venue for our June lunch meeting; one that hopefully is more accessible to chapter members in the northern reaches of the Austin metro area.  We will be meeting on Sunday, June 12 at the Hurricane Grill located at 2701 Parker Road in Round Rock.  Don’t be confused by the obscure address, Parker Road is perpendicular to the westbound service road (W. Louis Henna Blvd) of Toll 45 just west of I-35 at the La Frontera shopping area.  In other words, it is easy to get to the Hurricane Grill.  Note that no tolls are required.  We will be meeting at 12:30 on the 12th.  Please RSVP to Jan Larson if you plan to attend so we can get an accurate head count.

Eleven chapter members saw a minor league game at Dell Diamond on Saturday that featured former Blue Jays/Giants/Red Sox/Rockies/Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar and Eddy Alvarez, a winter and summer U.S. Olympic champion.

Both Pillar and Alvarez, who play for the Oklahoma City Dodgers, contributed to building a lead against the Round Rock Express. Pillar was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI, while Alvarez was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.

Though the Express lost to the Dodgers 5-1, fans were treated after the game to a screening of a new documentary, “Facing Nolan,” about the career of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.

The documentary opens in a limited release on May 24, including some screenings in the Austin area.

A smaller group gathered at Salt Lick BBQ for an early pre-game dinner.

This was the 186th consecutive month in which the chapter has had a meeting.

The chapter’s next meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at Hurricane Grill & Wings (2701 Parker Road, Round Rock). A request for RSVPs will go out on the email list soon.

The Hornsby Chapter’s monthly meeting in May will include a trip to the Dell Diamond to take in the Round Rock Express versus the Oklahoma City Dodgers in exciting AAA baseball action starting at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

Different this year is that, unfortunately, I will no longer be able to use discounted vouchers to obtain seats.  Instead, each party will be responsible for obtaining their own tickets prior to the game.  The link to the ticket selection page is shown below:

https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=MILB_MPV&orgid=22433&pid=8978432&tfl=#/event/8978432/seatmap/?seatmapId=9504&selectBuyers=false&minPrice=20&maxPrice=60&quantity=1&sort=price_desc&ada=false&seatSelection=true&onlyCoupon=true&onlyVoucher=false

I have reserved two seats for myself in section 121, row 23, seats 18 and 19.  On the seat map accessible via the above link, these seats are shown grayed out near the right end of row 23.   Members wishing to attend and sit with the group are encouraged to select seats near these (same row, row below, row above as desired) and are also encouraged to purchase seats as soon as you have identified your ticket requirements.

We will meet at the nearby Salt Lick restaurant for a pregame BBQ dinner at 4:30 pm.  Those wishing to attend the dinner should send their RSVP to jan.a.larson@gmail.com so we can have a headcount to give to the staff at the Salt Lick.  NOTE:  The Salt Lick does NOT do separate checks so please bring sufficient cash to cover the cost of your meal + tip.

Baseball fans have long looked forward to spring, when hope springs eternal. And despite a week’s delay in the start of the season, we are all glad that the 2022 season is under way.

In addition to enjoying the start of the season, 14 chapter members and guests had the opportunity to welcome Bailey, our newest member! She’s a freshman in high school with a knack for math and a love for baseball. Bailey (pictured above, first on the left) is interested in statistical research and roots for the Chicago Cubs. According to unofficial records, she may be our youngest member ever! Welcome to the chapter, Bailey! And thanks to Bailey’s parents, Brian Hall and Nicole Bryan-Hall (who took the above photo) for joining us, too.

We talked about a wide range of topics, including the start of the season, Apple TV’s new foray into Friday night baseball, and new baseball rules.

Jerry Miller, winner of last month’s quiz, brought an alliterative-themed quiz to challenge, stymie and stump us. Jim Baker won with 18 points. Ira Siegel followed with 15, and Jan Larson had 14. Jerry presented nice prizes for first and second place (Photos below by Charles Kaufman; Jim Baker, left, and Ira Siegel, right).

Take your swing at Jerry’s quiz below. The answers follow the questions.

This was our 185th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, a streak dating to December 2006.

We’re making plans to attend a Round Rock Express game on May 14 with a traditional pregame dinner at Salt Lick BBQ. More details about purchasing tickets will be forthcoming to the chapter list.

ALLITERATIVE BASEBALL PLAYERS QUIZ

By Jerry Miller

The following quiz is comprised primarily of ballplayers with alliterative names (Don Drysdale, Barry Bonds, etc.). Each letter of the alphabet has been represented; however, where there is no suitable answer, your quiz master has exercised his discretion to temporarily suspend the rules, as indicated. Players’ first names are those used to identify them in baseball-reference.com (e.g.,
Dick Allen rather than Richie Allen, Bob Boone rather than Robert Boone, etc.).

1) A.A.      Caught Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking fifth no-hitter in 1981.
2) B.B.      Utility player who was the first pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1977 American League expansion draft.
3) C.C.      Journeyman shortstop who hit extra inning walkoff home run to clinch the 2016 National League West title for the Dodgers in Vin Scully’s last home game.
4) D.D.      Relief pitcher for six American League teams who gave up Hank Aaron’s 755th and last home run in 1976.
5) E.E.      Slugging third baseman later converted to a full time DH who hit 424 career home runs, good for third among active players as of his last season (2020).
6) F.F.      Three decade pitcher for New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, whose rotundity earned him the nickname “Fat” and made him a Triple F.
7) G.G.      Third baseman for 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins, who hit 360 career home runs, but whose devout Christianity offended free spirit teammate Kent Hrbek.
8) H.H.      Hall of Fame outfielder who won four batting titles, and whose .342 career batting average is behind only Hornsby and Delahanty among right-handed batters.
9) ii      Larry Csonka’s running mate for undefeated Miami Dolphins team of 1972, whose last name included a “double eye.”
10) J.J.      50s/60s pitcher for Braves and Reds who was the first Little League Baseball graduate to play in the major leagues.
11) K.K.      Cleveland Indians third baseman who made several dazzling plays to help break Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak in 1941.
12) L.L.       Third baseman/outfielder who was the last Dodger player to wear #34 before Fernando Valenzuela (it has not been worn since).
13) M.M.      Outfielder for Pirates, Expos, and Dodgers, who retired as the all-time leader in pinch hits (since eclipsed).
14) N.N.      Rookie pitcher who appeared in six games for Yankees in 2020.
15) O.O.      Well-traveled right handed pitcher who pitched for eight teams between 1990 and 2001, including five years with the Cardinals. He won a combined 15 games for two teams in 1999 and was the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to get an RBI.
16) P.P.      Journeyman ’60s/’70s infielder who was traded by the Dodgers to reacquire Maury Wills.
17) _.Q.      Other half, along with MVP Zoilo Versalles, of 1965 American League champion Minnesota Twins’ double play combination; also later managed the Twins (last name only starts with “Q”).
18) R.R.      Utility player for six teams (mostly Phillies and Padres) in ’80s and ’90s. Currently manages the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the AA Oxymoron League.
19) S.S.      Journeyman infielder for ’40s/’50s Boston and Milwaukee Braves. Later appeared as the manager for the opposing Pittsburgh team in the climactic scene from “The Natural.”
20) T.T.      Rookie of the Year outfielder for the New York Yankees. Appeared in three straight World Series 1962-63-64.
21) U.U.      1999 National League saves leader for Montreal, and the only person that could possibly qualify as the answer to this question.
22) V.V.      Six year major league pitcher who appeared in six games for the Phillies in 2020, and who prevented me from being forced to ask for the name of the actress who played Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy” (Vivian Vance).
23) W.W.      ‘60s/’70s outfielder, primarily for White Sox, affectionately known as “No Neck” (and he really did have no neck).
24) xx      Hall of Fame slugger whose last name ends with two Xs, hence his nickname.
25) Y.Y.      Journeyman early 2000s reliever for Dodgers whose first name began and ended with “Y.” Or, you can name a right handed relief pitcher from Japan who pitched two seasons for the Royals in 2008-09.
26) zz      Name two of the three Hall of Famers (one a 2B, one a SS, one a C) with a “Double-Z” in their last names.

Answers:
Alan Ashby
Bob Bailor
Charlie Culberson
Dick Drago
Edwin Encarnacion
“Fat” Freddy Fitzsimmons
Gary Gaetti
Harry Heilmann
Jim Kiick
Joey Jay
Ken Keltner
Lee Lacy
Manny Mota
Nick Nelson
Omar Oliveres
Paul Popovich
Frank Quillici
Randy Ready
Sibby Sisti
Tom Tresh
Ugueth Urbina
Vince Velasquez
Walt Williams
Jimmie Foxx
Yhency Brazobán/Yazuhiko Yabuta
Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, Mike Piazza

P.S.: After preparing this quiz, I discovered a pitcher for the 1913-15 Chicago Cubs named Zip Zabel (real name George Washington Zabel). It turns out he holds the record for most innings thrown by a relief pitcher in a single game, replacing an injured starter in the first inning and pitching 18 1/3 innings until his team scored the winning run in the 19th. It also turns out that, according to his SABR biography, the nickname “Zip” was rarely used. So, if you knew about this guy, you obviously have way too much time on your hands.

The April meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be held at the birthplace of the Chapter – the County Line BBQ located at 5204 Ranch Road 2222 in Austin (a short distance east of Hwy 360 on 2222) at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, 2022.  Members, guests and baseball fans in general are welcome to attend.

So we can have an accurate headcount, please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Two years since the coronavirus affected daily life and just two days since the MLB owners and players agreed to a Collective Bargaining Agreement, 19 members and guests gathered for breakfast tacos at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q in West Austin on Saturday.

After many virtual meetings in the last two years, we were eager to be back in person again, and for the first time in a while, we enjoyed talking about the season to come rather than the labor unrest that nearly sank the 2022 season.

There was some discussion about issues that have yet to be resolved, including the rescheduling of the first two series that Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had canceled at the beginning of March. It appears that some series will be tacked at the end of the season (extending the last day of the season to Oct. 5), while other series may be scheduled as midseason doubleheaders.

Meanwhile, Jim Baker announced that he was planning Predictatron as usual. The contest in which we endeavor to pick how many games each team will win and which teams will achieve postseason glory has been a fun tradition for years. The two divisions – the Don Dingee Division and Gilbert Martinez Division – are named after the division winners from last year’s contest. Who will knock off defending champion Martinez for the Predictatron Trophy and the Postseason Champion Trophy?

Speaking of Baker, as winner of last month’s trivia quiz, he sprung a doozy of a quiz on us with questions about baseball Rudys, Rudy’s the barbecue joint, baseball-basketball dual sport stars, breakfast items, and the labor situation.

Jerry Miller proved to be up to the task, chalking up 20 out of 27 points in this fun and challenging quiz. Cy Morong was a close second with 19, and Dan Walsh had 18. Jim generously awarded Rudy’s gift cards to Jerry and Cy for their exploits.

Try your hand at Jim’s quiz below. The answers follow at the end.

This was the 184th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, a streak dating to December 2006.

We’ve not yet set the April meeting, but plan to be back in person in the middle of the month. We should be talking about games that count then! Details to come on our email list.

The Totally Relevant Quiz

Stuff that’s completely related to the here and now

By Jim Baker

The Rudy Section (Major League players named Rudy)

This Rudy was a middle reliever who broke in with the Angels at the age of 19 in 1989. Nineteen years later, he was on the Phillies, his ninth team. In 544 appearances he only had 12 saves while never starting a game. Along the way, he made postseason appearances with the Braves and Padres.

The Rudy in question here was a typical light-hitting middle infielder of the ’70s in that he hit just two homers in 709 career plate appearances and had a .267 slugging average. Most of his time was with the Angels, but he finished out his big-league career with the Cubs and Phillies.

You may or may not get this question about our next Rudy, a pitcher with over 300 career decisions. He was usually a league average sort of guy, except in 1980, when he led the A.L. in ERA, ERA+, FIP and WHIP.

The next Rudy blasted 277 home runs in his 13-year career, leading the league in homers and RBI in 1943, a season in which he finished third in the MVP voting. The slugging first baseman was a seven-time All Star.

Our last Rudy was a speedy center fielder who played all but 11 of his 749 career big league games in the 1980s. He stole 228 bases, over a third of which (77) came in 1983 for the division-winning White Sox.

The Rudy’s Section (fun facts about Rudy’s, the barbecue chain)

With its expansion to Florida, Rudy’s now has locations in six states. In total, how many Rudy’s are there?

a. 101-103

b. 64-66   

c. 45-47    

d. 23-25

Rudy’s was pretty much just a country store (started in 1929) until it started serving barbecue to become the restaurant we recognize today. In what year did that occur?

a. 1959

b. 1974

c. 1989

d. 2001

Where was the original Rudy’s located?

a. This one

b. Leon Springs  

c. Waco   

d. New Braunfels

What is Rudy’s biggest selling meat?

a. brisket

b. sausage  

c. ribs   

d. chicken

What type of wood does Rudy’s use to smoke its meats?

a. hickory

b. mesquite   

c. apple   

d. oak

Name the old-time pitcher who once went 34-5 for the Red Sox and who, if you removed his first name, but kept his nickname and last name, would describe exactly what you’re smelling right now.

The March Madness Section (MLB players who also played college hoops and then saw time in the NBA)

This one-time Blue Jay, for whom basketball proved to be a much better career choice, played his college hoops at Brigham Young University.

This former N.L. MVP is a member of both the College Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame. He played his college ball at Duke and in the NBA with the Fort Wayne Pistons for one season. His decision to focus on baseball resulted in eight All-Star appearances as well as World Series titles with St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

This former White Sox pitcher hung up his mitt after the 1965 season. This in spite of a 124 ERA+ in the majors and a 40-21 won-loss record in the minors, all while also playing with the Detroit Pistons in the off-season—part of the time as player-coach! He is best remembered as a starter on the 1969-70 and 1972-73 league champion Knicks. He played his college ball at the University of Detroit.

Of the following major league players (shown here with their college hoops team), which one did not play in the NBA?

a. Ron Reed (Notre Dame)           

b. Frank Howard (Ohio State)

c. Chuck Connors (Seton Hall)    

d. Mark Hendrickson (Washington State)

Remembered today mostly for his famously slow “Folly Floater,” this mostly Yankees pitcher played his college basketball at Morehead State and also spent two seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers from 1958 to 1960.

This Washington State player was taken by the Celtics in the 1952 draft and ended up playing on three of their championship teams and a total of six years in the NBA. He also pitched in 11 big league seasons, going 91-96, and appeared in Game 3 in the 1957 World Series for the champion Milwaukee Braves.

The Breakfast Section (in honor of our first-ever breakfast meeting)

Who was the man they called “Country Breakfast”?

This player, whose nickname and last name combine to make a fancy breakfast dish, caught almost a thousand games for the Braves from 1978 to 1989.

This breakfasty outfielder led the American League in steals in 2011 and also won a ring with the Red Sox.

Nicknamed “El Coffee,” this outfielder hails from the Dominican Republic, but will be playing his baseball for the Yomiuri Giants in 2022. He spent his entire eight-year big league career with the Pirates from 2014 to 2021.

Only one of the following breakfasty players was real. Which one was it?

1. Eddie Bacon
2. Steven Toast
3. Scrapplehead Pitcairn
4. Elmore “Taylor” Ham
5. O.J. Johnson

The Labor Section (because of the recently resolved dispute)

Prior to the formation of the MLBPA, there were a number of attempts at organizing players. Which of the following was not the name of one of those attempts?

1. Players Protective Association
2. The Society of Batsmen and Moundsmen
3. Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players of America
4. The American Baseball Guild

In what season did the players have their own league, fittingly known today as the Players League?

a. 1914 

b.  1900 

c. 1890  

d. 1884

In what year did the MLBPA officially get recognized as a union?

a. 1946

b. 1959 

c. 1966 

d. 1971

Name all the seasons in which there was a work stoppage (strike or lockout) in which regular season games were lost, never to be replayed. There are five possible answers.

What is the sum total of regular season games lost to work stoppages (strikes or lockouts)?

a. 1,700 to 1,800

b. 2,100 to 2,200

c. 2,700 to 2,800

d. 3,000 to 3,100

Answers

The Totally Relevant Quiz—Answer Key

The Rudy Section

Rudy Seánez

Rudy Meoli

Rudy May

Rudy York

Rudy Law

The Rudy’s Section

1. 45-47; It might be 45, it might be 47, depending if new franchises are open yet
2. 1989
3. Leon Springs
4. brisket
5. oak

Smoky (Joe) Wood

The March Madness Section

Danny Ainge

Dick Groat

Dave DeBusschere

1. Frank Howard

Steve Hamilton

Gene Conley

The Breakfast Section

Billy Butler, A’s and Royals DH

Bruce “Eggs” Benedict

Coco Crisp

Gregory Polanco

1. Eddie Bacon; started one game for the woeful 1917 A’s. Walked 7, whiffed none

The Labor Section

1. The Society of Batsmen and Moundsmen is fake
2. 1890
3. 1966

1972, 1981, 1985, 1994, 1995

a. 1,700 to 1,800: 1972: 86g, 1981: 713, 1985: 2, 1994-95: 948… 1,749 total

The March meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be (1) in-person and (2) an early (depending on your definition of early) breakfast meeting.  We’re going to meet at Rudy’s BBQ on Hwy 360 in Austin at 9:30 am on Saturday, March 12. Rudy’s has pre-made as well as made-to-order breakfast tacos so come hungry!  Please RSVP to jan.a.larson@gmail.com  if you plan to attend.

Birthday wishes from Mets great Keith Hernandez, remembrances of Hammerin’ Hank Aaron on his birthday, one member’s stories of meeting Hall of Fame players, and a challenging league leaders quiz in which all the answers were Hall of Famers were big parts of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter’s celebration of SABR Day on Saturday.

Fifteen chapter members and guests joined our virtual meeting on Zoom to talk about the current stalemate between MLB owners and players. Many of us believe that spring training will almost certainly be delayed. New SABR member Keith Mars said he has plans to be in Florida later this month and was looking forward to catching some spring training games for the first time since he was a kid. Our fingers are crossed, Keith!

Continued delays may threaten the start of the regular season at the end of March. Some of us believe that we’ll see progress in the negotiations only when the risk of revenue loss from the regular season increases. But it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the owners and players can come to an agreement both sides will find tolerable. Meanwhile, we the fans are stuck discussing the economics of the game rather than speculating on which players will arrive at spring training in the best shape of their careers and which teams may be on the verge of a memorable season.

Birthdays proved to be a common theme during our meeting. Saturday would have been Hank Aaron’s 88th birthday. I shared with everyone a signed copy of “I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story” by Hank Aaron with Lonnie Wheeler. Last year, I was thrilled to find it in the sports section of Kaboom Books (www.kaboombooks.com), a very cool new-to-me bookstore near downtown Houston.

In addition, Peter Myers shared a video of Mets broadcaster and former player Keith Hernandez wishing him a happy birthday. Using the Cameo service, which connects celebrities and fans, his kids found the perfect gift for Mets fan Peter.

During the meeting, I also announced that Jerry Miller was joining the Hornsby Chapter leadership team to coordinate our winter meeting. We’re grateful for Ryan Pollack’s role as coordinator for the last six years and look forward to Jerry’s contributions.

Speaking of Jerry, he took us on a trip down memory lane with entertaining stories of meeting Hall of Fame players, including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and his favorite player, Sandy Koufax. Meeting Koufax was particularly thrilling, Jerry said, because as a 9-year-old boy, he witnessed Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium in 1965.

As winner of the December trivia quiz, Cy Morong presented a fun quiz that challenged us to name players who have been league leaders in different pitching and batting categories for two different teams in different seasons. Jim Baker took top prize, winning trivia books about the Astros and Rangers, with a score of 22 out of 25 total points. Mike Bass and Jerry Miller tied for second with 19 points each, while Peter Myers and Dan Walsh both had 18 points. Take your swing at Cy’s quiz below (answers follow the questions).

This was the 183th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, either in person or online, a streak dating to December 2006.

We’ve not yet scheduled the March meeting and have yet to decide whether to have an in-person or virtual meeting. More details to come later this month.

Trivia Quiz: Hall of Famers who were league leaders for two different teams

By Cy Morong

All questions are worth one point except question 24, which is worth two points because there are two answers.

1.    Who led the AL in batting average with the A’s and Red Sox?
2.    Who led his league in home runs with the Reds and Tigers?
3.    Who led the AL in home runs with the A’s and Red Sox?
4.    Who led the AL in home runs with the Angels, A’s and Yankees?
5.    Who led the AL in home runs with the Red Sox and Yankees?
6.    Who led the AL in home runs with the Senators and Twins?
7.    Who led the AL in RBIs with the A’s and Red Sox?
8.    Who led the AL in stolen bases with the A’s and White Sox?
9.    Who led the AL in stolen bases with the A’s and Yankees?
10.    Who led the NL in batting average with the Braves and Cardinals?
11.    Who led the NL in home runs with the Cardinals and Giants?
12.    Who led the NL in wins with the Mets and Reds?
13.    Who led his league in strikeouts with the Diamondbacks and Mariners?
14.    Who led his league in ERA with the Expos and Red Sox?
15.    Who led his league in ERA with the Giants and Orioles?
16.    Who led his league in strikeouts with the Angels, Astros and Rangers?
17.    Who led his league in strikeouts with the Phillies and Tigers?
18.    Who led his league in wins with the Blue Jays and Phillies?
19.    Who led his league in wins with the Cubs and Rangers?
20.    Who led his league in wins with the Giants, Indians and Padres?
21.    Who led the AL in ERA with the A’s and Red Sox?
22.    Who led the AL in wins with the A’s and Yankees?
23.    Who led the AL in wins with the Indians and White Sox?
24.    Who led the NL in RBIs with the Cardinals and Giants?

ANSWERS

1.  Jimmie Foxx
   2.    Sam Crawford
   3.    Jimmie Foxx
   4.    Reggie Jackson
   5.    Babe Ruth
   6.    Harmon Killebrew
   7.    Jimmie Foxx
   8.    Eddie Collins
   9.    Rickey Henderson
   10.    Rogers Hornsby
   11.    Johnny Mize
   12.    Tom Seaver
   13.    Randy Johnson
   14.    Pedro Martinez
   15.    Hoyt Wilhelm
   16.    Nolan Ryan
   17.    Jim Bunning
   18.    Roy Halladay
   19.    Fergie Jenkins
   20.    Gaylord Perry
   21.    Lefty Grove
   22.    Jim “Catfish” Hunter
   23.    Early Wynn
   24.    Johnny Mize & Orlando Cepeda

Due to a decision by the SABR home office to have SABR Day fall on February 5 rather than the last Saturday of January as has been the case in past years, we’re going to take advantage and hold the February meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter on Saturday, February 5 starting at 1:00 p.m. CDT.

This will be a remote Zoom meeting so out of state visitors are welcome to join.  (Of course out of state visitors are welcome to join our in-person meetings as well – it just becomes a bit more difficult.)  You may register for the Zoom meeting at the following link:

https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsceqgrjkrH9TTwaSg2abkYFc4XQMzXirO

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

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!