Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting recap – 12/3/2025
Members and guests of the Buck O’Neil/North Florida SABR Chapter gathered in the private room at Casa Grande Margaritas & Cocina Midtown Tallahassee for the monthly meeting on December 3, 2025. Those in attendance included:
- Matt Hudson, Chapter President
- Renee Watters, Co-Director of Communications
- Rick Swaine, Treasurer
- Kent Putnam, Secretary
- Frank Alarcon
- Susan Allen
- Obrey Brown
- Gar Chisenhall
- Jeff Lickson
- Jax Marn
- John Nogowski
- Mark Pelt
- Tom Richardson
- Glenn Robertson
- Chuck Rosciam
- Jim Turner
- Jim Wolf
President Hudson called the meeting to order at the appointed time.
Our first discussion point was the 2025 MLB awards including Cy Youngs, Most Valuable Players, Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, Comeback Players, Managers of the Year, and more.
Chuck Rosciam, a Chapter mainstay and recognized expert on the art of catching, made a special presentation to Augi Pelt, who is the grandson of Chapter members Mark Pelt and Susan Allen. Augi attends Thomasville (Georgia) High School and is a highly regarded catching prospect. Chuck gifted Augi with assorted catching memorabilia and souvenirs that included a glove, a mask, and baseball cards of some of the greats.
The Chapter did its part in the Toys for Tots drive; members purchased and donated new gift items for youngsters in families going through tough times.
Frank Alarcon was our next presenter, revealing that he is a collector of books on many topics, especially baseball. He brought 20 samples from his collection, both fiction and non-fiction, dating back to the mid-19th century, to share with us. Frank made a brief but insightful commentary on each book and spoke of trends like ghost writers, improved authorship skills, and more realistic themes over time. He invited attendees to look through the books at the close of our meeting. This excellent presentation was deserving of the very positive response it engendered.
Banana Ball is coming to Tallahassee on February 26-28, 2026. Six Chapter members have been able to secure tickets.
Our next meeting will be SABR Day, January 31, from 12 o’clock noon to 4 PM. The agenda remains a work in progress but speakers on the challenges to collegiate sports created by NIL, the transfer portal, and other recent developments are expected. Thanks were extended to Judge Jim Wolf for arranging this meeting segment.
Our meeting after SABR Day will be at the usual time on February 11, 2026.
Before adjournment our president challenged us with trivia questions
After further discussion of the state of the game the meeting concluded at 8 o’clock PM Eastern Standard Time
— Kent Putnam, Chapter Secretary