Author: Gilbert Martinez

Eighteen chapter members and guests – including SABR members from across the country – joined the Hornsby Chapter’s first-ever virtual meeting on Zoom on Saturday.

With stay-at-home orders for most of us, meeting monthly at our favorite local barbecue, Italian and Mexican food restaurants is on hold until it will be safe to do so. As a result, we took to Zoom to set aside our coronavirus concerns and enjoy nearly two hours pondering baseball trivia and contemplating the 2020 season.

Tom Wancho prepared an Opening Day-themed quiz for March that worked perfectly for us in our virtual meeting. I read questions one by one, giving participants a chance to write their answers.

It was a close call – Jerry Miller took top prize with a score of 22. Cy Morong was second with 21. Mike Dillon and Don Dingee were next with 20 apiece. Try your hand at the quiz with questions and answers below.

We also considered what favorite ballpark food and beverage we missed most. Popular favorites include hot dogs (with a special shout-out to the Dodger Dog), Cracker Jack, garlic fries, peanuts, brats with Budweiser, tater tots with burnt ends (a new culinary offering at Minute Maid Park last season) and pretzels.

We also considered how many games in a shortened season would be necessary to provide a competitive schedule. Some thought at least half (81 games) of a normal season, while others figured 50 or 60 might do. Ryan Pollack said whatever happens at the end of the shortened season shouldn’t be called the World Series.

Another question that came up was whether the delay of the 2020 season might suppress the anger directed at the Astros because of the sign-stealing scandal. Some think that when baseball returns, most people will just be happy to celebrate the return of baseball, while others weren’t so sure that ire directed at the Astros will subside.

This was the chapter’s 161st consecutive month with a meeting and first virtual meeting. Our meeting streak dates to December 2006.

We were glad to welcome SABR members from other chapters. We had members from the Larry Dierker Chapter, the Emil Rothe/Chicago Chapter, the Casey Stengel/New York Chapter, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter and the Indianapolis Chapter.

We’re planning another Zoom chapter meeting in May, as it seems likely we’ll still be unable to meet safely in person. More details to follow next month on our email list and on this website.

OPENING DAZE

By Tom Wancho

1. Whenever this season begins, Clayton Kershaw will start his ninth consecutive Dodgers Opening Day, extending his club record. Which pitchers, who share a first name, are tied for second in Dodgers history? (one point for each correct answer)

2. On April 8, 1975 Frank Robinson debuted as the first black manager in the major leagues. Robinson, who was actually a player/manager, hit a home run in his first at-bat off of this Yankees pitcher. Name that pitcher. (one point)

3. Name the 17 sitting U.S. Presidents who threw out an Opening Day first pitch (one point for each correct answer).

4. Name the pitcher who has the most Opening Day starts? (one point)

5. This team sports an MLB-best .661 Opening Day winning percentage. Name them. (one point)

6. This National League team set an Opening Day attendance record of 80,327. Name the team (one point), the stadium (one point), and the year (one point).

7. This pitcher started seven Opening Days for three different American League teams Blue Jays, Yankees, and Orioles) and won all of them, retiring in 1998 with an unblemished 7-0 record in season lidlifters. Name him. (one point)

8. These two teams (one NL, one AL) hold the record for most consecutive Opening Day wins with nine. Name them. (one point for each correct answer).

9. This career National Leaguer collected a record 31 Opening Day hits. Name him. (one point)

10. Two of the three players who share the record for most home runs hit on Opening Day (with 8 apiece) are in the Hall of Fame. The third makes his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2020. For one point each, name each of these three players.

11. Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record of 714 with his first swing of the 1974 season against what team (one point) in what stadium (one point)?

Answers (33 total points)

1. Don Drysdale, Don Sutton
2. Doc Medich
3. (Robert Taft, 1910; Woodrow Wilson, 1913, 1915-1916; Warren Harding, 1921, 1922, 1923; Calvin Coolidge, 1924, 1927, 1928; Herbert Hoover, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931; FDR 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941; Harry Truman 1946, 194, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952; Dwight Eisenhower 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960; John Kennedy 1961, 1962; LBJ 1964, 1965. 1967; Richard Nixon 1969, 1970; Gerald Ford 1976; Ronald Reagan 1984, 1986; George H. W. Bush 1989, 1990,1991, 1992; Bill Clinton 1993, 1994, 1996; George W. Bush 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008; Barack Obama 2009, 2010.
4. Tom Seaver – 16
5. The Mets, even though they lost their first eight Opening Days, have gone 39-20 since they began playing in 1962. New York has won 39 of its last 51 Opening Days.
6. Rockies, Denver’s Mile High Stadium, 1993
7. Jimmy Key
8. Reds 1983-1991) and Tigers (2009-2017
9. Pete Rose
10. Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson, and Adam Dunn
11. The Reds in Riverfront Stadium

We hope you and your loved ones are safe as we all endure the effects of the coronavirus. We’re missing a lot more than baseball.

We have a plan to continue our monthly meeting streak by having a video conference on Zoom later this month. At 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18, you can join our call with a desktop or laptop computer, electronic tablet or smartphone. If your device has a camera, then you can be part of our video conference, or you can be on the call with audio only.

To ensure a secure call, we’ll send out the meeting details and instructions to those who RSVP to Jan Larson (jan.a.larson@gmail.com). If you intend to join the video conference, please let Jan know by Friday, April 17.

Even though there’s no baseball (yet) and we can’t gather at our favorite local restaurants, we can still connect and talk baseball. Hope you can join us!

Thirteen chapter members and guests celebrated SABR Day on Saturday with a hearty Italian lunch and plenty of baseball talk.

We discussed the election of Derek Jeter and Larry Walker to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and noted that our own Hall of Fame vote at our winter meeting two weeks ago perfectly matched that of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced last week.

Another major topic was the continuing fallout from the Houston Astros cheating scandal, which, so far, has claimed the jobs of a general manager and three managers. Meanwhile, the Astros reportedly have cast a wide net in search of a replacement skipper.

Thanks to the Larry Dierker Chapter, we tried our hand at one of their trivia quizzes about home run leaders by letters of the alphabet. Jerry Miller dominated the quiz, scoring 79 points with Ira Siegel in second with 63 points. For their acumen, they were given a hearty handshake and congratulations.

Among the Major League ballclubs represented were the Chicago White Sox, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cleveland Indians, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. We also had a Round Rock Express cap, an Arizona spring training shirt, a SABR 44 (Houston) shirt and an El Paso Chihuahuas cap. I paired a National Baseball Hall of Fame shirt with a Nippon Professional Baseball Seibu Lions ballcap.

The lunch was part of the 11th Annual SABR Day, a coordinated international event to celebrate the organization and baseball. You can read more about other SABR Day events at this link: https://sabr.org/sabrday

The next monthly meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Serranos (MoPac and 290) in Southwest Austin. We’ll make a call for RSVPs on the email list in mid-February.

Former White Sox player and Astros coach Deacon Jones (pictured above) and founding editor of ESPN Magazine Jon Pessah highlighted a robust day of baseball at the 14th annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 11.

In addition, more than 30 attendees got an update on the Rogers Hornsby Chapter’s BasebALZ, a baseball-themed therapy program for Central Texas residents with early stage Alzheimer’s, and heard from Round Rock Express General Manager Tim Jackson and broadcaster Mike Capps.

The group also heard presentations about competitive balance throughout professional baseball history, new baseball rules in the upcoming season, Chinese players in independent baseball striving to improve their country’s chances in international play, and an ongoing scavenger hunt related to a curious card signed by several baseball greats.

Thanks to Mike McCroskey of the Larry Dierker Chapter, our winter meeting included Deacon Jones, who played for the Chicago White Sox in the 1960s and later served as a coach for the Houston Astros (1976-82) and San Diego Padres (1984-87). He’s currently special assistant to the president of the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League.

Jones shared several stories about his baseball career, including reflections on meeting his idol Jackie Robinson. As an 18-year-old, he recalled how thrilled he was to work out with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On the third and final day of the workout, Jones said that Robinson told him, “You’re going to play in the big leagues someday.” He also credited Robinson with encouraging him to go to college.

Jones also recalled a highlight from one spring training when Ted Williams said, “Young man, you have a good swing.” They talked hitting and Williams gently offered suggestions for improvement.

In the afternoon, winter meeting coordinator Ryan Pollack arranged a video conference with Jon Pessah, journalist and founding editor of ESPN the Magazine. Author of “The Game: Inside the Secret World of Major League Baseball’s Power Brokers,” Pessah shared stories about his interviews with former baseball commissioner Bud Selig and union leader Donald Fehr. In a wide-ranging interview, he talked about the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the steroids era of baseball.

Pessah also talked about his upcoming book, “Yogi: A Life,” set to be published in April. When asked about Jackie Robinson’s steal of home in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Yogi’s New York Yankees, Pessah said Yogi insisted that the safe call was wrong. In later years, whenever he saw Robinson, he would greet him simply with “out.”

Tim Jackson, general manager of the Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, discussed the ongoing negotiations between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball. While he said he agrees with some of MLB’s stated concerns about compensation for minor leaguers and the inadequate state of some minor league stadiums, Jackson said the negotiations and discussions with MLB have gotten tense and contentious ever since MLB floated a plan to eliminate 40 minor league clubs. Even though the Express isn’t one of the teams being considered for contraction, Jackson said he felt a responsibility to support the threatened clubs while also being a good partner with the Astros. During his talk, he made reference to this Baseball America article about Minor League Baseball’s response to the tension with MLB: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-baseball-issues-its-response-to-mlb-in-pba-spat/

Longtime journalist and broadcaster Mike Capps gave his outlook for the Express and expects a highly competitive club with players that might soon make the big leagues.

Several Hornsby Chapter members contributed interesting presentations to fill out the program. Monte Cely updated the group about the new baseball rules and how they might impact the game. New rules to watch for in the upcoming season include expanding the active roster to 26 players; designating players as pitchers, position players or “two-way” players; and requiring relief pitchers to face at least three batters (or pitch to the end of the inning), unless an injury or incapacity occurs. In addition, Cely took a look at experimental rules in the independent league (such as the use of “robo-umps,” stealing first base and others) that may make it to the big leagues in the years to come.

Tom Thayer researched professional baseball history to examine the competitive balance of each season based on the total number of games teams were cumulatively over and under .500. He also considered whether attendance at games may have been related to competitive balance and found that, generally speaking, attendance tended to drop during noncompetitive seasons. He said competitive balance has ebbed and flowed through professional baseball and found that the most competitively balanced season occurred in 2006. In the three most recent seasons, the leagues have become less competitive, especially in 2019, with four teams winning more than 100 games (Astros, Dodgers, Twins and Yankees) and four teams losing more than 100 games (Marlins, Orioles, Royals and Tigers).

Peter Myers took a close look at Baseball Hall of Fame weekend in 1953, when Dizzy Dean and Al Simmons were inducted. His Uncle Bob worked at the Otesaga Hotel, the site of the Hall of Fame dinner, and took photos and secured signatures of most of the attendees on a hotel menu. Signatures on the menu include those of Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby and Connie Mack. There are other signatures Myers is investigating as he continues his research on the players who were at the dinner. Myers noted that his uncle, who gave him the photos and signature-filled menu, passed away last April.

Mike McNulty shared an update on the Hornsby Chapter’s BasebALZ program, which kicked off its fifth year on Jan. 6 at Sun City Texas. This collaboration with Alzheimer’s Texas supports those with early stage Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. The program uses baseball memories to connect with these participants and talk about baseball players and seasons from early in their lives. McNulty noted that the group reached a milestone in April: they had their 100th meeting. He was also encouraged to see that BasebALZ is inspiring other SABR chapters to start their own programs, including the SABR Allan Roth Chapter in Los Angeles. McNulty also said that Jim Kenton, founder of the Hornsby Chapter’s BasebALZ program, promoted the program at the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball & American Culture last year.

Honorary Hornsby Chapter member Eric Robinson, who hails from the Ernie Banks-Bobby Bragen DFW Chapter, told the story of the Chinese baseball players who came to play for the Texas AirHogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. With a three-year partnership that began in 2018, the team includes Chinese players to help them improve their baseball skills and contribute to Team China’s efforts in international competition. Though the team has had a rough go in the early going, Robinson noted it improved from year one to year two and expects that the players will continue to improve this coming season. He said that China making the 2020 Summer Olympics is possible but unlikely, and with baseball academies getting started in China, he thinks prospects and players from China reaching MLB are on the horizon.

At the beginning of the meeting, we remembered and paid tribute to Bill Gilbert, the founder of the Hornsby Chapter and the Dierker Chapter in Houston, as well as the creator of the Hornsby Chapter’s first winter meeting in 2005. Gilbert, who passed away in 2018, would’ve enjoyed the broad diversity of baseball topics at this winter meeting.

Another tradition in our winter meetings is to take a stab at the Hall of Fame ballot. We anoint ourselves as the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and vote our hearts’ desires. As a group, we have often been less generous than the actual body of sports writers, so it’s always interesting to see how we vote as a group and what it might portend for the HOF vote. The class of 2020 is scheduled to be announced by the real BBWAA on Jan. 21.

Jan Larson, who prepares the ballot and counts votes with Raeanne Martinez, announced our results. With 31 ballots, players needed 24 votes (or 75%) to trigger selection in our mock election. Only two achieved that threshold – Derek Jeter with 93.5% and Larry Walker with 80.6%. In fact, only three more players reached higher than 50%: Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling tied at 61%, and Barry Bonds had 55%.

Many thanks to all the attendees and presenters at the winter meeting.

Our next meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Romano’s Macaroni Grill (9828 Great Hills Trail at the Arboretum in Austin) to celebrate SABR Day. A call for RSVPs will be forthcoming.

Fourteen chapter members and guests enjoyed delicious baked goods from Linda and Monte Cely with healthy side portions of barbecue and hot stove topics on Sunday.

As has become a holiday tradition anticipated all year, the Celys brought platters of cookies and treats to share with the group. They also brought holiday baggies so that we could each take an assortment of goodies home with us. Many thanks to Linda and Monte!

One of the main topics of discussion that day was the reported trade of two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians to the Texas Rangers. When Tribe fan Tom M. joined us for lunch, we didn’t know if he had heard the morning news and were hesitant to share it with him. He revealed that he had heard and said, dejectedly, that he half-jokingly hoped that the owner’s next move isn’t to move the team. Several of us thought that the Rangers picked up a quality arm for relatively little. Time will tell.

We also talked about the commissioner’s office’s ongoing investigation of the Houston Astros and the alleged use of live cameras to steal signs in 2017 and beyond. Many of us agreed that the charges – if true – do considerable damage to the Astros and their remarkable run the last three seasons. Some of us expect that fines imposed on the team and suspensions in the Astros’ front office are the likely outcomes.

Perhaps in relation to the investigation, this was the first meeting in recent memory in which Astros gear – a cap, shirt, etc. – was not represented among the monthly meeting participants. Instead, we saw gear representing the Nationals, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles, Phillies, Indians and Rangers. Also represented were the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, Shea Stadium, George Washington University and UCLA’s baseball national championship in 2013. Jerry paired the UCLA shirt with a cool Santa ballcap. I wore a Seibu Lions ballcap and a Japan World Baseball Classic champions shirt from 2006.

We also discussed Gerrit Cole’s record-breaking deal with the Yankees, making them the early favorites for next season.

This was our 157th consecutive month with a meeting, a streak that started this month 13 years ago. We hope you join us for next month’s Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at Texas State University. More information to come. In the meantime, best wishes for a great holiday and New Year!

A wide range of baseball teams and players were represented at the November chapter meeting yesterday, from the suddenly suspect Astros to Rangers, Dodgers, Indians and San Antonio Missions.

We also saw Josh Gibson’s No. 20 jersey for the Washington Homestead Grays, sported by Jerry. Monte wore the jersey and cap for Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. I wore a shirt featuring Ichiro Suzuki.

A dozen chapter members and guests enjoyed a Tex-Mex lunch in southwest Austin. It was the 156th consecutive month with a meeting for the chapter. We also welcomed Chuck, a Rangers fan, to the lunch. He’s a friend and a former coworker of Tom Wancho.

Topics during the lunch included the MLB awards announced earlier in the week. We also discussed the runner interference call in World Series Game 6 that loomed large at the time but probably did not change the outcome of the series. Some of us thought that the interference call was the correct call but wondered if MLB might review this rule in the off-season.

We also considered new rules for next season, including the 26-man roster through most of the season (expands to 28 in September). We also talked about the new rule requiring relief pitchers to face at least three batters or pitch to the end of an inning.

Mark your calendars for the December chapter meeting, which will be at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at County Line on the Lake (FM 2222 and Loop 360). Linda Cely plans to bring her annual holiday treats, so bring your appetites!

Fourteen chapter members and guests – and one very good dog – gathered to watch World Series Game 4 to find out if the Washington Nationals would push their advantage to a 3-games-to-1 lead or if the Houston Astros would even the best-of-seven series.

With a dominating five innings from Jose Urquidy, only the third Mexican pitcher to start a World Series game (Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers and Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals are the others), and a two-run home run by Robinson Chirinos and a grand slam by Alex Bregman, the Astros knotted the Series to two games apiece, winning the game 8-1.

For the eighth time in the last nine years, Jim Baker hosted the annual World Series watch party on Saturday at his home, grilling burgers and hot dogs: a feast for baseball-loving fans.

Baker also rolled out his World Series-themed trivia quiz, challenging members with questions about team and individual exploits in the World Series. Jerry Miller, sporting a Washington Nationals jersey and a Montreal Expos cap, won the quiz with 61 points, outpacing second-place finisher Tom Thayer, who had 57 points, and the rest of the field. For his effort, Miller won a mini-figures set of characters from The Simpson’s “Homer at the Bat.” Tom won the Armed Service Edition paperback version of “You Know Me, Al” by Ring Lardner.

To try your hand at Baker’s quiz, click here. The questions are listed first with answers at the end of that page.

Baker also shared an autograph from Bosox slugger Carl Yastrzemski. A friend of the family secured the personalized autograph for a 7- or 8-year-old Jimmy Baker in 1967.

This was the 155th consecutive month with a chapter meeting, a streak that dates to December 2006. Many thanks to Jim for hosting the World Series Watch Party.

Next meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Serranos in southwest Austin (MoPac and 290). A request for RSVPs will be issued in early November. By then, we’ll know the World Series champion along with the season award winners.

Jim Baker wrote and administered this quiz at the World Series Watch Party on Saturday, Oct. 26. Answers are listed at the end. Jerry Miller won the quiz with 61 points, and Tom Thayer was second with 57 points.

TEAM SECTION

The first World Series of the so-called Modern Era was played in 1903. Since then, how many seasons did not end in a World Series and which seasons were they? (1 point each)

The Nationals (nee, Expos) are in their franchise’s first World Series this year, leaving just one franchise never to have made it to the Fall Classic. Which team is that? (1 point)

Since the advent of the LDS format in 1995, which two teams became World Champions while losing only one postseason game, going 11-1? (Team, 2 points each; Year, 1 point each)

In the same era, which two teams became World Champions in spite of losing seven postseason games? (Team, 2 points each; Year, 1 point each)

If the Nationals win the World Series in 2019, they will have to win 12 games to do it and will become the second wildcard team to do so since the advent of the play-in game in 2012. Name the first team to do it (Team and Year, 2 points each)

Which team had the worst regular season record ever for a World Champion? (1 point)

1. 1985 Royals
2. 2006 Cardinals
3. 1987 Twins
4. 2000 Yankees

INDIVIDUAL SECTION

Two legendary players were on either end of the first run scored in modern World Series history. Who was the pitcher who surrendered it and the player who got the RBI? (2 points each)


Who won the very first World Series MVP Award? (1 point)

1. Mickey Mantle
2. Lew Burdette
3.  Don Larsen
4.  Johnny Podres

Name the two Florida Marlins who were World Series MVPs. (2 points each)

Four Red Sox players have been World Series MVPs in the 21^st Century. Which one of these players is NOT one of them? (1 point)

1. Mike Lowell
2. David Ortiz
3. Curt Schilling
4. Steve Pearce

Which of these players has the lowest career WAR ever by a Series MVP? (2 points)

1. Larry Sherry, 1959 White Sox
2. Ray Knight, 1986 Mets
3. Bobby Richardson, 1960 Yankees
4. Pat Borders, 1992 Blue Jays

Owing to ties, there are 13 players in the top 10 all-time World Series home run hitters. Of the 13, only four never appeared with the Yankees in a World Series. Three are Hall of Famers and the fourth is a recently retired second baseman who averaged a home run every 8 World Series plate appearances. Can you name any or all of the four? They have 11, 8, 7 and 7 Series homers respectively. (4 points each)

Three men have hit five homers in a Series and nine have hit four. Of those nine, who is the only one to do it in a sweep? It took him just 17 plate appearances. (3 points)

Who turned the first—and so far, only—unassisted triple play in World Series history? (3 points and an extra point each for naming his team and the year in which it took place and another point on top of that if you spelled his name correctly)

Give yourself a point for every member of the 1919 Chicago White Sox outside the infamous eight you can name (provided they appeared in the World Series). There are 11 of them, including a Hall of Famer, a player who shares his name with a famous modern comedian and another who shares his name with a famous sabermetrician. (11 points in total)

Did you put Lefty Williams on that list? Take him off! He was crooked and lost three games for the Black Sox in 1919. Now name the only pitcher who lost three games in a single World Series while trying to win. (3 points)

Name the only two pitchers with two World Series home runs. They each hit theirs in consecutive seasons over a four-year period from 1967 to 1970. (1 point each)

ANSWERS: Team Section

1904, 1994

The Seattle Mariners, born 1977

1999 Yankees and 2005 White Sox.

2011 Cardinals and 2017 Astros.

2014 Giants

2006 Cardinals, 82-79

ANSWERS: Individual Section

Cy Young of Boston and Honus Wagner of Pittsburgh

Johnny Podres, 1955

Livan Hernandez (1997) and Josh Beckett (2003)

Curt Schilling. Manny Ramirez was the fourth in 2004

Borders, 3.6; Sherry, 5.8; Richardson, 8.2; Steve Pearce, 9.7; Ralph Terry, 11.9; Bob Turley, 13.2; Ray Knight, 13.3

Duke Snider 11, Frank Robinson 8, Goose Goslin 7 and Chase Utley 7 in 56 PA

Lou Gehrig, 1928

Bill Wambsganss, 1920 Indians

Eddie Collins, Shano Collins, Bill James, Dickey Kerr, Nemo Leibold, Grover Lowdermilk, Byrd Lynn, Erskine Mayer, Eddie Murphy, Ray Schalk, Roy Wilkinson.

George Frazier, 1981 Yankees.

Bob Gibson, 1967 and 1968; Dave McNally, 1969 and 1970.