Allan Roth Chapter meeting recap – 11/3/2012
Twenty two members and guests of SABR’s Allan Roth Chapter gathered at LA 84 in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 3, 2012.
Dr. Richard Santillan presented a video about Mexican American baseball in Los Angeles and discussed his books on the subject. He feels that research into Mexican American baseball is at the same level as research into Negro league baseball was in 1970. He leads a project that will publish several more volumes about Mexican American baseball in different areas of California.
Former Dodger pitcher Tim Leary spoke for over an hour and a half about his career. “A professional athlete is a gypsy. You buy a house and two months later you are traded,” he said. He reviewed the highs and lows of his time in the game and displayed his Silver Slugger award. Leary focused on 1988 when he helped the Dodgers win the Series, but he also mentioned that after losing his 19th game in 1990, the Yankees did not let him pitch again.
Leary mentioned his one career home run (hit off Steve Carlton on a 2-0 pitch) and deplored the lack of coaching in his early years. “I started at double-A, and the team did not have a pitching coach.” He also mentioned his respect for Kurt Gibson and the importance of scouting, “We knew that Eckersley threw an inside slider on 3-2 counts.”
Members displayed collectibles including nineteenth century baseball cards, Japanese League souvenirs, a baseball-themed coin bank, a box of Homers cookies from 1989, Jimmy Reese’s bat, and a panorama photograph of the 1906 World Series.
Richard Smith provided a challenging trivia quiz about US Presidents’ involvement with baseball and baseball movies.
— Barry Mednick