December Meeting Summary

Eleven Hornsby Chapter members ventured out on a dark and rainy night to gather for barbeque and baseball talk at Iron Works BBQ in Austin.

Various off-season related topics were discussed including the signing of Albert Pujols by the Angels, Ryan Braun’s suspension, new Astros GM Jeff Luhnow’s first trade and the Dodgers’ ownership status.  Monte Cely passed out copies of the agenda for next month’s Winter Meeting and Jan Larson reported on his wife Connie’s recent Round Rock Express-sponsored Caribbean cruise.

Jan Larson also presented a free agency quiz.  Mike Dillon and Dan Walsh tied with 16 points each.

Some ideas were tossed out for how the chapter might celebrate SABR Day ’12 and it was suggested that the April 2012 meeting be held at the Dell Diamond for the exhibition game between the Express and the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers.

The first meeting of 2012 will be the annual Winter Meeting scheduled for Saturday, January 14 at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX.

 

Know Your Free Agents

Know Your Free Agents

(presented at the monthly meeting on Dec. 15, 2011)

(Move the mouse over the blank space to see the answer)
1. Who were the two players that played without contracts in 1975 and then were declared free agents by an arbiter before the 1976 season thereby opening the door to free agency as we know it?
Andy Messersmith
Dave McNally
  
2. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson signed as a free agent with three different clubs during his career.  Name the team that Jackson played for in the season before his first free agent contract and the three clubs with which he signed free agent contracts.

1. Orioles
2. Yankees, Angels, A’s

  
3.

Name the club that each of the following players played for before they signed free agent contracts with their current club (or 2011 club if player is currently an unsigned free agent):

a. David Ortiz

b. Mark Teixeira

c. Albert Pujols

d. Victor Martinez

e. Omar Vizquel

f. Alfonso Soriano

g. Aubrey Huff

h. Juan Uribe

i. Raul Ibanez

j. Lance Berkman

a. Twins

b. Angels

c. Cardinals

d. Red Sox

e. Rangers

f. Nationals

g. Tigers

h. Giants

i. Mariners

j. Yankees

  
4.

Which player was major league baseball’s first free agent?

 Catfish Hunter  
5.

Which club did the player in question no. 4 leave and which club did he join?

A’s, Yankees
  
6. How many free agent contracts did Randy Johnson sign in his career?  With which clubs did he sign free agent contracts?
 Two.  Diamondbacks, Giants.
  
7. Rickey Henderson signed a total of nine free agent contracts in his career.  Name the clubs with which he signed those contracts.
 A’s, A’s, Padres, A’s, Mets, Mariners, Padres, Red Sox, Dodgers
  

 

December Meeting

We will be gathering at Iron Works BBQ located at 100 Red River in downtown Austin on Thursday, December 15 starting at 6:00 p.m. 

There is a small parking lot on-site, a larger lot on the south side of Cesar Chavez plus large pay lots across the street to the east.  Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

 

Winter Meeting – Saturday, January 14, 2012

 

Society for American Baseball Research
ROGERS HORNSBY CHAPTER
Sixth Annual WINTER MEETING
 
at TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
OLD MAIN BUILDING, ROOM 320
San Marcos, Texas
 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012
9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
 
 
THE LINEUP:
 
BRANCH RICKEY, President of the Pacific Coast League (… yes, he’s related to that other Branch Rickey)
 
FRANK COFFLAND, former AAA umpire
 
NORMAN MACHT – "The Babe Ruth Era Begins".  Noted baseball author and Connie Mack biographer will read an excerpt from his upcoming book:  Connie Mack: The Turbulent and Triumphant Years 1915-1932
 
MIKE CAPPS, Director of broadcasting for the Round Rock Express
 
SCOTT BARZILLA, Baseball author, sabermetrician and blogger will discuss "Total Player Ratings"
 
 
We’ll also have our usual features:
 
LUNCH – register upon arrival and sign up for your lunch choices; it’ll be delivered — all for a nominal charge.  NOTE – we must have your lunch order by 10am in order to get delivery by noontime.
 
BOOK EXCHANGE – members are encouraged to bring a baseball book to exchange
 
MEMORABILIA DISPLAY – there is scheduled time prior to lunch for memorabilia owners to describe & discuss.
 
DRESS CODE – everyone is encouraged to wear your favorite team’s cap, jersey, or sportswear.
 

You may contact any member of the organizing committee if you have any questions:

Gilbert Martinez : gmartinez46@austin.rr.com

Monte Cely : cely@swbell.net

Jan Larson : jan.a.larson@gmail.com

 
The meeting will be on the third floor in the Old Main building on the Texas State University campus. Look for the elevator on the first floor, or use the stairs. Here’s a photo of Old Main:
 
 
Directions to Texas State University-San Marcos
 
If you’re traveling north from San Antonio, take I-35 and take Exit 206, Aquarena Springs Drive.
 
If you’re traveling south from Austin, take I-35 and take Exit 206, Aquarena Springs Drive.
 
Travel west on Aquarena Springs Drive, which turns into University Drive. After crossing the San Marcos River, you will come to a traffic light. Turn right onto Sessom Drive. Just before the first light, turn left on State Street and go up a steep road toward Old Main. Go through a gate (the gate should be up) and continue up the hill. At the top of the hill, make a sharp left turn and drive up to Old Main. Look for parking on this road that winds around the side and back of Old Main.
 
You can find additional parking at the Pleasant Street Garage, located at the corner of N. LBJ and Pleasant Street. To reach this garage, after you pass through the gate, continue up the hill, then down the hill to the stop sign on Pleasant Street. Turn left; the entrance to the parking garage will be on your left.
 
You do not need a parking pass to park on campus – however, do not park in spaces not marked as parking spaces or in handicapped parking (unless you have the appropriate tag displayed).
 
The meeting room is on the third floor in Room 320. There is an elevator on the first floor, or you can take the stairs.
 
If you get lost or need help, call Gilbert Martinez (cell phone: 512-963-1263).
 
Use this link to see a Googe map showing the Texas State campus in relation to I-35:
 
Use this link to see a closer view of Old Main and the campus:

 
 

Bill Gilbert’s 2011 Season Quiz

Bill Gilbert’s 2011 Season Quiz

(presented at the monthly meeting on Nov. 17, 2011)

(Move the mouse over the blank space to see the answer)
1. Who are the two players that hit 40 home runs in 2011?
1. Jose Bautista
2. Curtis Granderson

 

  
2. Who are the three pitchers that threw no-hitters in 2011?

1. Justin Verlander

2. Ervin Santana

3. Francisco Liriano

  
3.

Which pitcher led the major leagues in strikeouts in 2011?

1. Justin Verlander

  
4.

Who are the three pitchers who were 20-game winners in 2011?

1. Clayton Kershaw

2. Justin Verlander

3. Ian Kennedy

  
5.

Which major league team made the greatest improvement in 2011 over 2010?

 Arizona Diamondbacks
  
6. Which major league team fell the furthest in 2011? Minnesota Twins  
7. Who are the six players that won both Gold Gloves and Silver Slugger Awards in 2011? Here are the positions: First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop and two Outfielders.
 Albert Pujols, Brandon Phillips, Adrian Beltre, Troy Tulowitzki, Jacoby Ellsbury and Matt Kemp
  
8. Who led the Astros in home runs in 2011?
 Carlos Lee
  
9. The Texas Rangers had five players with at least 25 home runs in 2011. Who were they?
 Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Mike Napoli
  
10.

Who were the four players with more than 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 2011?

 Ian Kinsler, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun
  
11.

Who was the battling champion in the National League in 2011?

 Jose Reyes
  
12. Who was the battling champion in the American League in 2011? Miguel Cabrera
  
13. What major league batter led the major leagues in strikeouts in 2011?
 Drew Stubbs
  
14. The Texas Rangers were twice within one strike of winning the World Series in 2011. Who were the two pitchers that couldn’t get the last out?
 Neftali Feliz and Scott Feldman
  

 

November Meeting Summary

A total of 15 members and guests gathered at Iron Works BBQ for dinner and baseball talk.  Discussion topics included the sale of the Houston Astros to Jim Crane and the impending move of the club to the American League West.  The Astros fans in the group were not happy about this turn of events, to put it mildly.

Chapter member Monte Cely discussed his trip to game seven of the 2011 World Series in St. Louis.  Monte had purchased a game seven ticket prior to game six and flew to St. Louis a few hours after game six ended and was there to witness the Cardinals clinch their eleventh World Series championship.

Other topics included the 2011 post-season awards, the Marlins’ new uniforms, the addition of a second wildcard team to each league and the 2011-12 free agent season.  The Hornsby Chapter Winter Meeting agenda was also discussed.  The program is shaping up nicely and it should be an interesting day of presentations and discussions on January 14.

Bill Gilbert presented a trivia quiz on the 2011 regular season.  Steve Fall and Jan Larson tied for the top spot and with no tie-breaker question available, the judging committee declared the contest to be a draw.

The place, date and time of the December meeting is TBD.  Watch this space for details.

November Meeting

We will be gathering at Iron Works BBQ located at 100 Red River in downtown Austin on Thursday, November 17 starting at 6:00 p.m. 

There is a small parking lot on-site, a larger lot on the south side of Cesar Chavez plus large pay lots across the street to the east.  Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

 

Triple Milestones – 2011

Triple Milestones – 2011

 

 

 

By Bill Gilbert

 

 

 

      Offensive production in the major leagues continued to decline slightly in 2011 but not as much as in 2010.  The number of runs per game has declined each year from 9.72 in 2006 to 8.57 in 2011.  The home run rate of 1.87 per game was the lowest since 1993. The major league batting average, on-base percentage and slugging average were all down slightly from 2010. All offensive categories are significantly below the peak year of 2000 as illustrated in the following table:

 

 

 

Year  Runs/Game HR/Game  BAVG   OBA    SLG    OPS     Triple Milestone Hitters

 

—-  ——— ——-  —-   —-   —-   —     ————————

 

1990     8.51     1.58   .258  .324   .386   .710                 2

 

1991     8.62     1.61   .255  .323   .384   .707                 3

 

1992     8.23     1.44   .256  .322   .377   .699                 2

 

1993     9.20     1.78   .266  .332   .404   .736                 5

 

1994     9.85     2.07   .270  .339   .424   .763                 3

 

1995     9.69     2.02   .267  .338   .417   .755                 8

 

1996    10.07     2.19   .270  .340   .427   .767                21

 

1997     9.53     2.05   .267  .337   .419   .756                 7

 

1998     9.58     2.08   .266  .335   .420   .755                14

 

1999    10.17     2.28   .271  .345   .434   .779                19

 

2000    10.28     2.34   .271  .345   .437   .782                26

 

2001     9.55     2.25   .264  .332   .427   .759                21

 

2002     9.24     2.09   .261  .331   .417   .748                12

 

2003     9.46     2.14   .264  .332   .422   .754                 8

 

2004     9.63     2.25   .266  .335   .428   .763                12

 

2005     9.18     2.06   .265  .330   .419   .749                10

 

2006     9.72     2.22   .269  .336   .432   .768                13

 

2007     9.59     2.04   .268  .336   .423   .759                 8 

 

2008     9.30     2.01   .264  .333   .417   .750                 7

 

2009     9.23     2.02   .262  .333   .418   .751                 6

 

2010     8.77     1.90   .257  .325   .403   .728                 6

 

2011     8.57     1.87   .255  .321   .399   .720                 7

 

 

 

      Jose Bautista of Toronto led the majors with 43 home runs in 2011, two more than Curtis Granderson.  Bautista was the only player over 50 in 2010 with 54.  In a bit of a surprise, the 30 home run level was reached by 24 players in 2011 compared to 18 in 2010. 

 

 

 

      A useful indicator for tracking offense is the number of players who hit for both power and average by achieving a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in.  A record 26 players reached all three milestones in 2000, but that figure has dropped significantly in recent years. Only seven players reached all three milestones in 2011, up from six in 2010.  Paul Konerko and Miguel Cabrera were the only players who made it in both 2010 and 2011.  For the first time in his eleven year career, Albert Pujols is not on the list, missing by a couple of whiskers (.299-37-99).  

 

 

  There were four newcomers to the .300-30-100 club in 2011, Jose Bautista, Matt Kemp, Jacoby Ellsbury and Troy Tulowitzki bringing the total to 170 players who have registered at least one .300-30-100 season starting with Babe Ruth in 1920.

 

 

 

      Following is a listing of players who achieved triple milestones

 

in 2011:

 

 

 

Player           Times  BAVG-HR-RBI         Comments

 

National

 

Ryan Braun         3    .332-33-111         Consistently productive.

 

Matt Kemp          1    .324-39-126         Breakout year.

 

Troy Tulowitzki    1    .302-30-105         Came close in 2010.

 

 

 

Player           Times  BAVG-HR-RBI         Comments

 

American

 

Miguel Cabrera     4    .344-30-105  Barely made it on home runs.

 

Paul Konerko       3    .300-31-105  A model of consistency.

 

Jose Bautista      1    .302-43-103  Led majors in HR last 2 years.

 

Jacoby Ellsbury    1    .321-32-105  New highs in HR and RBI.

 

 

 

      Four players achieved triple milestones in 2010 but fell short in 2011:

 

 

 

Player           Times    BAVG-HR-RBI    BAVG-HR-RBI    

 

                 In Past      2011           2010     Comments

 

Albert Pujols     10     .299-37- 99    .312-42-118  Missed for the first time..

 

Josh Hamilton      2     .298-25- 94    .359-32-100  Slowed by injuries.

 

Joey Votto         1     .309-29-103    .324-37-113  Needed one more HR.

 

Carlos Gonzalez    1     .295-26- 92    .336-34-117  Held back by injuries.

 

 

 

 

 

      The biggest obstacle in reaching triple milestones in 2011 was batting average.  Five players had 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in 2011 but fell short of a .300 batting average.

 

 

 

Prince Fielder           .299-38-120      Had better year than Pujols.

 

Adrian Beltre            .296-32-105      Strong in all 3 categories.

 

Curtis Granderson        .262-41-119      Batting average hurt by strikeouts.      

 

Ryan Howard              .253-33-116      6 years with 30+ HR and 100+ RBI.

 

Mark Teixeira            .248-39-111      Career low batting average.

 

     

 

      A growing list contains the names of players, active in 2011, who have had multiple .300-30-100 seasons in the past but have not done it in the last three years.  Many have been limited by injuries. Some are still very productive players like Lance Berkman and David Ortiz, but not at the same level they were in their peak years.  Since this list was started in 2004, not one player has come back with another .300-30-100 season.

 

 

 

                                 Last

 

                .300-30-100  .300-30-100 

 

Player            Seasons       Season       2012     Comments

 

 

 

Manny Ramirez       10           2008    .059- 0-  1  An inglorious end.

 

Alex Rodriguez       8           2008    .276-16- 62  Worst year of career.

 

Vladimir Guerrero    8           2006    .290-13- 63  Clearly in decline.

 

Todd Helton          5           2003    .302-14- 69  Pretty good comeback year.

 

Chipper Jones        5           2001    .275-18- 70  Might be time to retire.

 

Jason Giambi         4           2002    .260-13- 32  Still has power off the bench.

 

Magglio Ordonez      4           2002    .255- 5- 32  Too many injuries. 

 

Lance Berkman        3           2006    .301-31- 94  Comeback player of the year.

 

David Ortiz          3           2007    .309-29- 96  Similar numbers as Berkman.

 

Mark Teixeira        3           2008    .248-39-111  Career low batting average.

 

Jim Thome            2           2002    .256-15- 50  Reached the 600 HR mark.

 

Aramis Ramirez       2           2004    .306-26- 93  Still a dangerous hitter.

 

Miguel Tejada        2           2004    .239- 4- 26  Looks like end of the line.

 

Travis Hafner        2           2006    .280-13- 57  Essentially duplicated 2010.

Vernon Wells         2           2006    .218-25- 66  Big disappointment in Anaheim.

 

Matt Holliday        2           2007    .296-22- 75  Too many injuries.

 

Aubrey Huff          2           2008    .246-12- 59  Mixes bad years with good ones.

 

David Wright         2           2008    .254-14- 61  Bring back Shea Stadium.  

 

 

 

      In his 1988 Baseball Abstract, Bill James referred to triple milestone seasons as "Hall of Fame Seasons".  This was because all of the eligible players with 5 or more triple milestone seasons had been elected to the Hall of Fame.  This correlation was broken in 2011 when Juan Gonzalez and Jeff Bagwell fell short of election in their first year of eligibility.

 

 

 

            No teams had two players with triple milestones in 2011.  Twenty nine of the thirty major league teams have now had at least one triple milestone hitter since the year 2000. Kansas City has not had a triple milestone hitter since Danny Tartabull in 1991.    

 

 

 

 

 

      Minor league players also recorded triple milestone seasons in 2011. 

 

 

 

Player            Team (Level)      Organization     Age   BAVG-HR-RBI  

 

 

 

Bryan LaHair      Iowa (AAA)         Chicago Cubs      28   .331-38-109

 

                  Chicago (NL)                              .288- 2-  6

 

                                                            .326-40-115

 

 

 

Mike Carp         Tacoma (AAA)       Seattle           25   .343-21- 64

 

                  Seattle (AL)                              .276-12- 46

 

                                                            .307-33-110

 

 

 

Matt Adams        Springfield (AA)   St. Louis         22   .300-32-101

 

 

 

      Another was on the verge of a triple milestone season in the minor leagues before he was called up to the majors.                        

 

 

 

Paul Goldschmidt  Mobile (AA)        Arizona           23   .306-30- 94

 

                  Arizona (NL)                              .250- 8- 26

 

                                                            .289-38-120

 

 

 

      Goldschmidt had a minor league triple milestone season in 2010.

 

 

 

      Two former major leaguers had triple milestones in 2011 in the Mexican League.

 

 

Luis Terrero      Mexico City (MEX)  None              31   .390-38-110

 

 

 

Mendy Lopez       Puebla (MEX)       None              37   .321-31-106           

 

     

 

      No college players achieved triple milestones in 2011                                          

 

      Pitchers also strive for triple milestones – 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00. Two pitchers made it in 2011, the same number as in 2010, Justin Verlander (24-5, 250, 2.40) and Clayton Kershaw (21-5, 248, 2.28).  Both made it for the first time and they both won the triple crown for pitchers in their leagues.

 

 

 

      A complete list of players with triple milestone seasons since 1920 can be found at Baseball-Almanac, with the following link.

 

 

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/triple_milestones.shtml

 

Book Review: Las Estrellas Orientales

Las Estrellas Orientales

The Eastern Stars – How Baseball Changed
the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macoris
 
by Mark Kurlansky
 
A Baseball Book Review
Monte Cely
(512) 310-9777
                                               
            “What do Rico Carty, Alfredo Griffin, Pedro Guerrero, George Bell, Julio Franco, Juan Samuel, Sammy Sosa, Alfonso Soriano, and Robinson Cano all have in common? They all come from the small sugar-mill town of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. Coincidence? Hardly.”   — NPR
 
            Las Estrellas Orientales (in English, The Eastern Stars), is a story about baseball in the Dominican Republic, and much more. The title is taken from the name of San Pedro’s professional baseball team in the Dominican Winter League, but the story is really about the history of this Dominican town and how it has come to pass that 86 major-leaguers have come from this small city.
 
            The book has a good dose of Dominican history, from pre-Columbian settlement through Spanish colonization, the Trujillo dictatorship, and up to the 21st Century. San Pedro’s development as a sugar mill center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and its subsequent economic decline, set the stage for a baseball boom fueled by the drive of destitute Macorisanos to escape a life of poverty. Coupled with MLB’s search for cheaper and more plentiful labor, baseball becomes a “be-all-end-all” for a better life for ball-playing youngsters and their families.
 
         This book is an interesting cultural and economic history with a baseball theme. It’s also a very current look at Latin American baseball, having been just recently published. SABR members should enjoy it, especially if you’ll be following the Caribbean World Series in 2012 from Santo Domingo (just an hour to the west of San Pedro de Macoris).
 
Here are the key statistics:
Book: Las Estrellas Orientales (the Eastern Stars) – How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macoris
Author:  Mark Kurlansky
Author’s Credentials: Kurlansky has written extensively on history, food, and culture. He was a Chicago Tribune reporter on Caribbean topics for seven years.
Published: 2010, Riverhead Books; ISBN: 978-1-59448-505-3
Length: 332 pages.
Price: Retail list – $16.00; Online – from $1.00 (used) + shipping.
 
 

Watching the World Series and talking baseball

Eight chaper members gathered in Cedar Park to watch Game 3 of the World Series and witnessed Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals hit three home runs in three consecutive at-bats.

The Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers, 16-7, in a slugfest. Pujols led the charge; his three home runs in a World Series game matched Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth, who accomplished the feat twice.

During the game, the group discussed the broadcast team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Raeanne Martinez posted on Twitter something Jim Baker said here’s something you never hear in discussing Buck: "No, no, here’s why Joe Buck is good." That tweet was re-tweeted by eight others on Twitter! Our conversation was in Jim’s living room, but thanks to the magic of social media, it was viewed and read by countless people that night.

Speaking of Jim, he was the perfect host, serving scrumptous pizza with homemade toppings and delicious cookies. Much thanks to Jim for hosting the watch party.

We spoke longingly of Monte Cely, who is well known as a Cardinals fan and unable to join us. We figured he enjoyed the game.

Next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Iron Works. A reminder will be sent out next month.