BasebALZ wraps up successful 5th season

Our chapter’s Alzheimer’s reminiscence program — BasebALZ — wrapped up a fun and successful fifth season with an outing to Dell Diamond on Monday, April 11.

The completion of Season Five (which ran from January through April) marks two years that the Hornsby SABR chapter has been delivering the baseball-themed Alzheimer’s program in Austin.  Eleven participants and caregivers enjoyed talkin’ baseball, music, TV … and yes, in Texas, even some football.

Besides presentations and discussion, we had some activities such as oiling up some ball gloves …

… autographing some baseballs …

… playing “stump the experts”, where our participants try to stump the SABR volunteers on baseball history …

… and deciding who was going to “pick first” or “bat first” in a simulated game.

Plans are already underway for Season Six, to begin in May, 2017 at the Alzheimer’s Texas offices in Austin.

In addition to the program in Austin, SABR volunteers are delivering the program at the Kerrville Veteran’s Administration hospital on a monthly basis.  Program leader Jim Kenton is also working with the Alzheimer’s Association, the U.S. Army at Ft. Sam Houston, and the VA in San Antonio to start programs in the Alamo City.

For more information on BasebALZ, visit our informational page here.

 

March Lunch Meeting Wrap-up

Twelve Hornsby chapter members and guests met for lunch on Saturday, March 18 at the Third Base restaurant at US183 and Anderson Mill Road.

Topics of discussion included the World Baseball Classic and performance of the remaining teams – Japan, Netherlands, Puerto Rico and the pending USA-Dominican Republic elimination game.  Of special interest was the “international extra-inning” rule that attempts to shorten games by placing runners on first and second with no outs, beginning in the eleventh inning.  Spring Training was another hot topic, with chapter members discussing the performance – so far – of their favorite teams.

Jan Larson provided the quiz, a review of general baseball history and records.  The results were hotly-contested and Jim Baker walked away with the valuable prize – a Mark Saccomanno Corpus Christi Hooks bobble-head.

The April chapter meeting is TBD, but April 22 appears to be a likely date.  More information will be forthcoming.

March Lunch at Third Base

We will be returning to a new, but familiar establishment for our March lunch meeting.  As many will recall, we used to be regulars at the now defunct West Sixth Street Third Base restaurant so it will be just like old times when we gather at the Third Base located at 13301 US 183 on Saturday, March 18 at 12:30 p.m.

If you’re traveling from the south, take the Anderson Mill exit and travel up the service road until you see the sign for Main Event.  There is an entrance to the shopping area just past that sign and just before you get to Third Base.  If you miss it, don’t worry you can proceed up the service road to the Kerbey Lane sign and enter there or, failing that proceed to Anderson Mill Road, take a right, enter immediately after the Walgreen’s and proceed to double back through the shopping area to the restaurant.

Map here.

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

February Lunch Meeting Wrap-Up

Fourteen members and guests gathered at the birthplace of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter, County Line by the Lake barbecue, on Saturday, February 18 to consume meat and to talk baseball.  With spring training beginning in Florida and Arizona, everyone is looking forward to the start of the 2017 season.  When asked about his outlook on the upcoming season, lifelong Indians fan Tom Wancho explained that he was “cautiously pessimistic.”

Monte Cely recently returned from his annual pilgrimage to the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) held this year in Culiacan, Mexico.  He answered questions about his trip and also provided a Serie del Caribe/South of the Border-themed trivia quiz.  Jan Larson won the prize in a tie-breaker over the always formidable Raeanne Martinez and took home a replica of the caps worn by the Mexican Pacific League champion Aguilas de Mexicali in the Series.

Our March meeting has been tentatively set for Saturday, March 18 at a new, but somewhat familiar venue, Third Base Sports Bar/Restaurant located at 13301 US 183 in Austin.  Watch this space for more information.

Chapter celebrates 8th Annual SABR Day

Thirteen chapter members and guests joined SABR members across the country to help celebrate the Eighth Annual SABR Day.

The two most recently elected members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame were on our minds as Craig Lukshin wore his autographed Tim Raines Montreal Expos jersey, and I wore a Jeff Bagwell t-shirt featuring a silhouette of his distinctive crouching batting stance. Other notable attire included Ira Siegel’s Eddie Gaedel Society t-shirt.

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, Feb. 18, with a location to be determined.

BasebALZ Completes Season 4 and Season 5 Gets Underway

Season Four of the Alzheimer’s Talking Baseball program, held at Westminster Senior Living in Central Austin, ran from September 12 to November 14, 2016.  Eleven participants and caregivers were in attendance.  The program continues to be a success for all involved.

Dr. Michael Ego, a fellow SABR member and Professor of Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Connecticut, visited during Season Four to observe the program, conduct interviews, and worked with us to create an informational video about the BasebALZ program.  The video (about 10 minutes) is here.

Season Five got underway on January 23 at the Alzheimer’s Texas offices in northwest Austin.  We had 100% return of our previous season’s participants and caregivers.  Everyone involved had a great time at the “season opener”.

SABR volunteers getting ready for the Season Five home opener at Alzheimer’s Texas

The Season Five announcement and schedule are here:

Basebalz Spring 2017 flyer

Baseball tales abound at 11th annual winter meeting

Baseball stories involving Yogi Berra, Tommy Lasorda, Andre Dawson and Dizzy Dean were among the gems shared at the 11th Annual Rogers Hornsby Chapter Winter Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 14, at Texas State University.

Thirty-nine chapter members and guests enjoyed presentations by Dr. Bobby Brown, former World Series champion with the Yankees and retired cardiologist; Mark Saccomanno, former Astros first baseman who hit a homerun on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues; Mike Capps, entering his 18th season as broadcaster for the Round Rock Express; and Bo Carter, longtime college sports information director who co-authored a book about Dizzy Dean, and Sara Kirby Burke, daughter of longtime broadcaster Gene Kirby who collected and wrote much of the text in the Dizzy Dean book.

In addition, chapter member Jim Baker presented “Stadia Mania,” a quiz involving images of ballparks, and led the group to select baseball season predictions for 2017. The group, more or less, predicted a rematch of the last World Series, Cubs-Indians, with Cleveland chosen to win it all in 2017.

The group also held its own Hall of Fame vote. Using the same ballot as the one used by eligible baseball writers, our group elected only one to the 2017 class: Houston Astros slugger Jeff Bagwell, by 89.2 percent of the vote. Tim Raines, in his last year on the ballot, was one vote short with 73 percent of the vote. Other notables in our vote included: Ivan Rodriguez, 67.6 percent, Edgar Martinez, 54.1 percent and Roger Clemens, 48.6 percent.

Larry Dierker Chapter member Joe Thompson made a call for anyone interested in helping out with research about Mexican-Americans in baseball in Central Texas. Thompson has helped on a book project that discusses Mexican-Americans in baseball in Houston and El Paso and sais that those books are set to be published in the summer.

Many thanks to everyone who joined us on Saturday. Please consider joining us at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, when the Hornsby Chapter celebrates SABR Day. Watch for more information on our email list.

(Photos by Ryan Pollack)