Category: Hornsby News

The Hornsby Chapter will celebrate real baseball by attending the AAA game between the Round Rock Express and the Sugar Land Skeeters on Saturday, August 7 with the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.

Chapter communications coordinator Monte Cely along with his lovely wife, Linda, have graciously agreed to hold an “open house” for attendees from 4-6 p.m. at their home located less than five minutes west of the Dell Diamond (directions will be provided to attendees).  Monte and Linda will be serving up baseball fare and soft drinks.  This will allow time for anyone so choosing to make a stop at the Salt Lick at the southwest corner of the Dell Diamond parking lot to imbibe on their favorite libation before the game.

Chapter director Jan Larson (this author) will also provide up to 20 reduced price tickets ($12.50) for those attending.  Tickets are available only as follows:

1.  Your SABR dues must be paid.  That is, you must be a current member of SABR.
2. You must be a member of the Rogers Hornsby chapter on the sabr.org website.  That is, the Rogers Hornsby chapter must be one of your “groups.”
3. Limit two tickets per member.

An email will be sent to the SABR Hornsby Chapter mailing list (it will appear as if the sender is “sabr.chapters) randomly sometime from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 1.  Ticket requests will be processed (1 or 2 per member meeting the above criteria) in order received in response to that email until all 20 have been spoken for.  If you do not get in under the wire for the reduced price tickets, you may still attend by paying the Express’ full price.  Note:  A block of seats has been reserved for our group.

In the event that exactly 19 of the 20 reduced price tickets have been spoken for and a request comes in for two, that person will have the option of either buying one at $12.50 and the second at full price (which I believe is around $34 for a Saturday night game), just buying one at $12.50 or not buying any.  In that case, the next person to request tickets would face the same choices.

Tickets will be emailed from the author’s Express ticket account with tickets.com to the recipients.  You may use electronic tickets (which are downloadable to the “wallet” app on the Apple iPhone) or, if you prefer, you may print the pdf ticket(s).  NOTE:  VERY IMPORTANT!  If anyone indicates that they want tickets and later determine that they can’t go for one reason or another, it is the buyer’s responsibility to find someone to take the ticket.  In other words, if you say you want one or two tickets, you bought ’em.

Be sure to check your membership at SABR.org to ensure that you’re paid up and that the Rogers Hornsby chapter is one of your “groups.”  Otherwise, you will NOT receive the email announcing the ticket availability as it will NOT be sent to the informally used hornsby@googlegroups.com mailing list.

If you have questions, please email this author at jan.a.larson@gmail.com.

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)

We’re going to return to our long-standing tradition of in-person lunch meetings on Saturday, July 17 at 1:00 p.m. at Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ located at 2451 S Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746 which is on the east side of Hwy 360 (Capital of Texas Hwy) and just north of the Barton Creek Square shopping center.  Below is a link to the Google map:

https://goo.gl/maps/QFpsCGHb2NcuE21W7

When you arrive, go through the line and choose whatever you’d like to eat and then join the group on the covered patio.

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)?

Once again the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will conduct our monthly meeting via Zoom.  Don’t despair, however, as the chapter is planning for the resumption of in-person meetings in the near future.

If you plan to attend, please be sure to preregister for the meeting using the link below:

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jun 12, 2021 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrc-Cqqj0uHNTywdesUtIPM_X_WcNQ50ze

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

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

After being unavoidably unable to participate in our April meeting, Round Rock Express General Manager, Tim Jackson, will be with us via Zoom for the May monthly meeting to be held on Saturday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m. CDT.  We will also be treated to a trivia quiz by Jerry Miller.

Registration information if you plan to participate:

When: May 22, 2021 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIucuCupjIrE9NZ2VAtj14fZiSKKVmJ9Ofb

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

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.

Round Rock Express General Manager Tim Jackson returns for another Zoom session to discuss the whirlwind offseason that drastically changed the landscape of minor league baseball as well as the upcoming (delayed) season as the Express once again are affiliated with the Texas Rangers.

The meeting will be held online, as has been the case for the past year, via Zoom starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.

If you are interested in attending, you may register in advance for the meeting at the following link:

https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYsdemvrj0tEtLtvxbCKI5tzHOVg31JNERx