Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter meeting recap – 8/26/2014
The Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter gathered at The Original Crusoe’s Restaurant in South St. Louis on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 with twenty-two members and guests in attendance.
Chapter president Brian Flaspohler called the meeting to order.
Items noted in “Today in Baseball History” were the first telecast of a Major League Baseball game from Ebbets Field in 1939, the 51st home run by Roger Maris in 1961, and the first matchup of knuckleballers in ten years when Tim Wakefield squared off against Tom Candiotti in 1992. Bob Tiemann noted from 1948, a Stan Musial walk-off home run to give the Cardinals a doubleheader sweep over the New York Giants.
Rich Applegate’s presentation on baseball personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country featured Elmer Gedeon, one of only two Major League Baseball players killed in action during World War II. Gedeon spent most of the 1939 and 1940 baseball seasons in the minor leagues, but he was called up to the Senators in September 1939. Gedeon’s baseball career was cut short when he was drafted by the United States Army in early 1941. He trained as a bomber pilot, and was decorated for bravery after his plane crashed on a training flight in 1942. He later served in combat, and was shot down and killed while piloting a B-26 bomber on a mission over France in April 1944.
Rich Applegate, Burton Boxerman, and Carl Riechers gave very positive reports on the recent SABR Convention in Houston. They were especially impressed with the large contingent of ex-players and their interaction through the week with the attendees.
Larry Porschen initiated what he hopes can be a monthly discussion on various sabermetrics with a look at expected runs based on each particular situation in an inning. Brian Flaspohler gave a brief report on the worst WHIP’s by league saves leaders. There is some concern locally that Trevor Rosenthal could set a new record in this category.
Bob Tiemann presented this month’s trivia quiz on the Hall of Fame Classes of 2014 for both Cooperstown and the St. Louis Cardinals new Hall of Fame. Mark Antonacci and Jim Leefers were the co-winners with 32 out of 38 possible answers.
Monday, September 22 is the date for the next roundtable meeting at Crusoe’s.
— Jim Leefers, Secretary