We hope y’all are having a great holiday season with the new year just around the corner. And you know what that means?
It is almost time for the 18th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting, which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at Texas State University in San Marcos (directions below). As some presentations will be virtual, Zoom details are provided below.
A full day of exciting hot stove action awaits you at the winter meeting, sponsored by the Rogers Hornsby (Central Texas) Chapter of the Society for
American Baseball Research. Named after Bill Gilbert, our late chapter founder and president, it is our chapter’s signature annual not-to-be-missed
event. The meeting will feature a series of presentations and speakers, from both chapter members and others, on a variety of baseball topics, as well as traditional events touching upon both the past year, recent baseball history and the upcoming 2024 season. Our tentative schedule includes the following:
Morning sessions:
• Presentations by chapter members Syd Polk and Jan Larson on their visits to all of the extant Major League ballparks. Although similar in some respects, those presentations will be offered from two radically different perspectives, as Jan’s journey encompasses a lifetime 47-year quest, while Syd’s took place during a single season, i.e. the abortive 1994 campaign.
• Chapter member Bailey Hall will attempt to answer the age-old question: Which is worse: A leadoff hit or a leadoff walk? What does the data suggest?
• Chapter member Peter Myers will share (via Zoom) his experiences as an usher at Coors Field in Colorado, including what it’s like to see a future MVP knocked over by two overzealous fans.
• Zak Ford (via Zoom), the chair of SABR’s Dusty Baker (Sacramento) Chapter and author of the new book “Called Up: Ballplayers Remember Becoming Major Leaguers,” will explore the memories and experiences of over 100 ballplayers when they got the call to The Show.
Afternoon sessions:
• We will have our annual presentations by Round Rock Express General Manager Tim Jackson (via Zoom) and broadcaster and chapter member Mike Capps, who will recall the 2023 season and the numerous Express members that played a role in the Texas Rangers’ historic World Series championship.
• Joe Sheehan (via Zoom) is a respected baseball analyst whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com, and Baseball Prospectus and who now authors the Joe Sheehan Baseball Newsletter, which offers weekly analysis and opinion on all things baseball.
• Justin McKinney (via Zoom) is a SABR member from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the author of “Baseball’s Union Association: The Short, Strange Life of a 19th-Century Major League,” the first and only history of a league that, although it only lasted a single season, featured several Hall of Fame players and is considered by many as a “third major league.”
• Jason Starkovich (via Zoom) is an umpire for the Pac-12 (soon to be Pac-2) conference and umpired AAA baseball for four years, as well as MLB spring training. He will discuss his experiences, recent and future rules changes, and other matters from the arbiter’s perspective.
Our meeting will also include the traditional anointing of the winners of chapter member Jim Baker’s annual Predictatron contests and our mock preview of what promises to be a particularly interesting and contentious Hall of Fame voting. We also encourage members to bring their baseball memorabilia for show and tell and baseball-related books for exchange with other members. (All non-claimed books will be donated to local libraries).
Lunch
In keeping with the spirit of the day, chapter members Linda and Monte Cely will again be offering a baseball-themed lunch. For the inflation-busting price of only $5, you’ll get two ballpark hotdogs, Cracker Jack, a bag of chips and a bottle of water. You can also buy an additional hotdog, chips, Cracker Jack or water for $1 each – while supplies last. CASH ONLY AND EXACT CHANGE WILL BE APPRECIATED.
Directions to Old Main on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos
- From I-35, take exit 206 (Aquarena Springs Dr.)
- Travel west on Aquarena Springs Drive.
- After crossing the San Marcos River, you will come to a traffic light. Turn right onto Sessom Drive.
- At 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 (pictured above).
- Look for parking on the road that winds around the side and back of Old Main.
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 of Old Main in Room 320. There is an elevator on the first floor or you can take the stairs.
A note about the Zoom sessions
The above-marked presentations with Peter Myers, Zak Ford, Tim Jackson, Joe Sheehan, Justin McKinney and Jason Starkovich will be conducted on Zoom. To receive the Zoom details, please use this link to register for the event:
https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErcuurrDIoH9X6F-1EJsZ3gmTcXbGpC3BM
Regardless of your level or range of fandom or your rooting interests, we promise an enjoyable and informative morning and afternoon. We look forward to seeing you on Jan. 6, 2024!
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