January 2026 Newsletter
By Gilbert D. Martinez
A former Chicago Cubs favorite, an author on the hunt for baseball imposters, the director emeritus of the Babe Ruth museum and an author who examined baseball in the 1960s were among the headliners of the 20th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting on Saturday.
In addition, we heard from representatives of the Round Rock Express and the San Antonio Missions and a Texas State master’s graduate who interned with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Chapter members offered presentations about their personal experiences with baseball, sabermetrics, tabletop baseball simulations and a clever presentation evaluating AI and our very own Cy Morong.
One member previewed his book about Depression-era baseball in the Hill Country, to be published later this year.
It was a fun-filled day for 44 members and guests packed with everything baseball, thrilling and entertaining attendees throughout the day.
Keith Moreland and Mike Capps
Longtime broadcaster and journalist and chapter member Mike Capps led a conversation with Keith Moreland, who played mostly for the Cubs and Phillies in a 12-year MLB career. Capps, himself the author of “Grinders: Baseball’s Intrepid Infantry,” noted how much he admired how Moreland played the game. Moreland was also a key member of the Texas Longhorns team that won the 1975 College World Series.
“I grinded every day,” Moreland said, pointing out that he knew his role – to do whatever he could to help the team win. He also described himself as a sponge to learn as much as he could from veteran stars such as Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Greg Luzinski, Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw, among many others.
Asked about how the game has changed from when he played, Moreland remembered when he joined the Cubs broadcast booth in 2011. He said he was surprised that players didn’t stick around after games.
“I was stunned,” he said. “We used to sit around… and talk about the game.”
He said one of his concerns about baseball today is the prevalence of gambling despite how ingrained the gambling prohibition has been in baseball for years. He described Pete Rose as a good friend, having talked to him regularly, including a week before he died in 2024.
“He’s a Hall of Famer, but he bet on the game,” Moreland said.
Capps asked him what he would change about the game for the better. Moreland said he’d let pitchers bat again, which drew some applause from the audience. He also described himself as a traditionalist but believes games need more action and need to be concluded more quickly. He said he’s not opposed to putting a runner at second in extra innings.
He said he would reduce commercial breaks and emphasize a faster pace of play to be more entertaining to fans.
Moreland shared several stories from his playing days, including catching pitcher Mark Davis early in his career. It was a rough start for Davis, in which opposing batters teed off on him. In an early mound visit, manager Dallas Green asked Moreland what Davis had. “I don’t know,” Moreland said. “It hasn’t gotten to me yet.” Moreland also noted that Davis went on to win a Cy Young in 1988 as a closer for the San Diego Padres.
Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum (Baltimore)
In a virtual presentation, Michael Gibbons, director emeritus of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore, shared the history of the museum, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. This independent, nonprofit educational institution is devoted to preserving and perpetuating the legacy of Babe Ruth.
He noted that the museum has fielded many inquiries from media and fans from all around the world, especially with the success of Shohei Ohtani, who has drawn comparisons with the Bambino because both had tremendous success as pitchers and batters. He said that Ohtani’s performance has brought renewed interest in Ruth.
Gibbons shared that one of his favorite artifacts in the museum is Babe Ruth’s rookie card, valued in the millions. He shared that in safeguarding the card, the museum employed the same company that created the secure enclosure for Dr. Martin Luther King’s handwritten “I Have a Dream” speech.
It should also be noted that Ryan Pollack shared that he had several birthday parties at the museum growing up in the Baltimore area, and that he met Gibbons through his father, who shared a yoga class with Gibbons.
Doug Kurkul
Author of “It’s a Beautiful Day for Baseball: The National Pastime in the 1960s,” Doug Kurkul joined us via Zoom to talk about his book and the significance of the decade in baseball history. He notes that there were 56 Hall of Famers who played in the ’60s, a decade he describes as the last one in which baseball was the undisputed national pastime. He interviewed a number of former ballplayers and executives, including Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Bob Aspromonte, Pat Gillick and Branch Rickey III. He also compared baseball in the ’60s and the modern day in terms of salaries, player movements, postseason play and use of statistics.
To learn more about his presentation, use the link to see his presentation slides:
Here’s a link to his book, which is available for purchase.
Rob Sheinkopf
Author of “Baseball Imposters: The Dark Side of Fandom,” and “Hey, Mom, Wanna Have a Catch? A Collection of Baseball Stories Honoring Moms and Dads Who Taught Us How to Love America’s National Pastime,” Rob Sheinkopf shared entertaining stories about both books.
In “Baseball Imposters,” he had come across more than a few accounts of relatives who had a dad or uncle who they believed had played professional baseball, only to learn that it wasn’t true. Sheinkopf took to investigating some of these claims to resolve questions from relatives who wanted to know the truth. He recounted how he made an appointment with a chiropractor to confront him about his false claims. He just had to know the truth, and he wanted to understand why people persist in making these false claims.
In “Hey, Mom, Wanna Have a Catch?” Sheinkopf shares heartfelt stories about how parents have played a pivotal role in fostering a love and joy for the game of baseball. The book includes a contribution from Hornsby Chapter member Monte Cely about his father taking him to his first ballgame.
To learn more about Rob and his books, click this link for his author website: https://robsheinkopf-author.com/
Minor League Perspectives
Tim Jackson, general manager of the Round Rock Express, shared highlights from the 2025 season, including a franchise record of walkoff wins (12). He talked about infielder Cody Freeman earning the Triple-A batting crown, batting .336, and making his Major League debut with the Texas Rangers.
He said the Express got off to a slow start in 2025 but rebounded with a strong second half, prompting hopes for an improved outlook for 2026. This month, the Express announced their coaching staff for 2026, including naming Kyle Moore as the club’s manager.
Jackson also talked about the Dell Diamond hosting Athletes Unlimited Softball Association games in 2026. In fact, the Dell Diamond set attendance records for AUSA exhibition games in 2025. He said they expect details on the upcoming season to be announced soon.
Jackson shared that the Express begin their season on the road on March 26 and have their home opener on March 31.
For the first time in chapter history, representatives from the San Antonio Missions joined our winter meeting to share updates about the team and possible directions for the future. In recent years, the Hornsby Chapter has scheduled outings to a Missions game during the summer to expand the chapter’s reach into other areas of Central Texas.
J.J. Jimenez, director of ticket sales, and Brian Yancelson, public relations and broadcasting manager, talked about their roles with the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
“We drive up to a ballpark every day and go to work,” Jimenez said, reflecting both her and Brian’s love of the game and joy working with the Missions.
Brian also talked about the challenges of getting to know young ballplayers in the system who can and often are traded, especially when the big league club has been active in trades in recent years.
J.J. also talked about ongoing plans to build a new stadium for the Missions in downtown San Antonio and the hope that it will add to an already active and thriving business and entertainment destination. Current plans are to build the new stadium in the northern part of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park near the intersection of I-35 and I-10 in time for the 2028 season.
Texas State master’s graduate Carly Earnest, who interned with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, shared her experiences taking photos and managing social media content during the 2025 season. She got to know many of the prospects and saw some get called up to the Houston Astros.
Some of her social media content involving fun questions with some of the Space Cowboys went viral and drew lots of online attention. She shared a few of her favorites:
Full government name video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNn2P3XAnGF/?hl=en
Favorite Princess video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH1KMfKMt3y/?hl=en
Bare minimum vs. princess treatment video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DND1R_9g1Wa/?hl=en
Carly graduated with a master’s degree in digital media from the Texas State School of Journalism and Mass Communication in December, and her final project about the use of AI in professional sports photography was supervised by Gilbert D. Martinez, professor of instruction at Texas State.
To view Carly’s presentation slides, click this link: Carly Earnest Space Cowboys
Member Presentations
Dick Butler gave a presentation about his book, “Town Ball: Depression-Era Baseball in the Texas Hill Country,” set to be published by Texas Tech University Press in September. He shared some baseball history in the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He also noted that town ball offered one of the few, if not only, public outlets for Black baseball players to express pride and unity during the Jim Crow era. You can learn more about his presentation at this link: Butler Power Point-SABR January 2026 FINAL
Chapter members Larry Rice and Dick Butler gave a brief presentation about tabletop baseball simulation games and how they can allow enthusiasts to play out “what if” scenarios involving some of the most famous games and series in baseball history. By using player cards that provide statistical information about the player’s abilities, these games use dice to dictate game play based on statistical probabilities.
They demonstrated how it worked by replaying an inning from the American League East tiebreaker between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on Oct. 2, 1978. To see how that turned out (or could’ve turned out, depending on the roll of the dice), check out their presentation at this link: TABLETOP BASEBALL SABR JAN 26
Bailey Hall and Brian Hall said they’ve enjoyed Cy Morong’s analysis and trivia questions that he poses on the chapter’s Google Group email list. Brian said he likes to test popular AI applications to see how they fare with Cy’s complex baseball questions.
Bailey and Brian found that AI often had trouble with complicated questions and in some instances, the software provided incorrect answers.
This led them to pose a simple question: “Can AI top Cy? Find out more about their study and the answer via this link to their presentation: The Halls SABR 2026 Winter Meeting
Ryan Pollack explained the balance between traditional baseball statistics and modern formulas and how they help us understand the game better. To learn more, click on this link for his presentation slides: Ryan Pollack – Why Sabermetrics_
Following up on his presentation from last winter meeting, Frank Rechtorovic shared more details about his military career and his life in Seattle and Japan and intersections with baseball, particularly with witnessing parts of the Hall of Fame careers of Ichiro Suzuki (both in Seattle and Japan), Edgar Martinez, Tom Seaver and Reggie Jackson. To learn more about Frank’s presentation, click on this link to his presentation: Rechtorovic SABR Presentation 2026
Ballpark Memories – Ryan Pollack and Gilbert D. Martinez
Ryan Pollack also gave a presentation recounting a summer trip to see baseball in four ballparks in the Midwest: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and Cincinnati. In addition to watching stars Paul Skenes, José Ramirez, Riley Greene and Elly De La Cruz play in their home parks, Ryan also shared the local cuisine and sights he enjoyed.
You can see Ryan’s presentation slides at this link: Ryan Pollack – Summer Baseball Trip 2025
Chapter Commissioner Gilbert D. Martinez shared that a photo he took of Ichiro Suzuki in 2008 – which happened to capture Ichiro’s 3,000th professional hit (NPB plus MLB) – was donated to and accepted by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Gilbert presented the photo to the hall during Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, when Ichiro, Billy Wagner, C.C. Sabathia, Dave Parker and Dick Allen were honored.
You can see Gilbert’s presentation slides at this link: Martinez Road to Cooperstown 2026
Predictatron Trophy Presentations
The Los Angeles Dodgers were not the only winners this past season, having successfully defended their World Series title with their second consecutive championship. Their success translated to boosting the prognostication prowess of two avid Dodgers fans, who took home trophies for the two Predictatron contests.
Predictatron impresario Jim Baker presented the trophies, with newly added nameplates for winners Mike Harrell (pictured above, right, with Jim), for the full-season Predictatron contest, and Jerry Miller (pictured below), for the postseason Predictatron contest.
Congratulations to Mike and Jerry for their impressive accomplishments, and to Jim for running Predictatron. Mike and Jerry can proudly host and display their trophies this year until the next winners are crowned.
In addition, Mike will have a division named in his honor along with Tom Wancho, who won his division.
You can join in the fun when Jim puts out a call for your predictions for the 2026 season in the full-season Predictatron contest just prior to the start of the season in March.
Mock HOF voting
Continuing a favorite winter meeting tradition, Ryan Pollack conducted a mock Hall of Fame vote of the chapter, collecting votes from online balloting and in-person ballots at the winter meeting.
None of the players on the 2026 ballot reached the minimum 75 percent threshold to be chosen in our mock election. The only two players to gain a majority were Andy Pettitte with 53.3 percent and Andruw Jones with 51.1 percent. Only two players achieved 40 percent or more: Carlos Beltrán (48.9) and Manny Ramirez (42.2).
The BBWAA will announce the official vote on Jan. 20, when we’ll find out if anyone from this year’s ballot gets elected.
See below for how all candidates fared on the ballot.
SABR Baseball Games Project
John Fredland, head of SABR Baseball Games Project, was in attendance and invited members to consider pitching a story about game, explaining its historical context along with personal experiences. Fredland also authored the SABR 50 at 50: Greatest Games feature to help celebrate SABR’s golden anniversary in 2021.
Trivia Quiz
Syd Polk crafted a trivia quiz in two parts about MLB franchise starts and moves that resulted in a tie! Tom Thayer and Jim Baker each scored 66 out of 75 points. The second part of the quiz involved a table of all 30 MLB teams and asked for a variety of information such as league, division, original city name, the year it entered MLB and so forth.
Syd collected those tables at the end of the meeting and graded those afterward.
Jim Baker emerged the victor with 192 points, squeaking by Tom Thayer (190) and Cy Morong (188).
Want to see how you might fare on Syd’s quiz? Here are the quiz and the answers:
Franchise History Quiz – Answers
Many Thanks!
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of our members, guests, presenters and attendees for making the 20th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting so special and the best yet! Special thanks to Jerry Miller, winter meeting coordinator for assembling the schedule and arranging for pizza lunch!
We also took some time to remember chapter founder Bill Gilbert, who passed away in 2018. He founded the Hornsby Chapter after he moved to Central Texas from Houston, where he also founded the Larry Dierker Chapter. He was instrumental in creating this vibrant baseball community.
This was the 230th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, extending a streak begun in December 2006.
Next Meeting
The chapter plans to celebrate SABR Day on Saturday, Feb. 7, with a virtual meeting on Zoom. We’ll share more details about this meeting via our email lists once we finalize plans.
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