Larry Dierker Chapter meeting recap – 1/21/2021
On Monday, January 21, 2021, the Larry Dierker Chapter was happy to host sixty SABR members from the Houston area and beyond for our monthly Zoom meeting. Chapter Chairman Bob Dorrill opened the meeting by introducing several new members.
James Click, the General Manager of the Houston Astros, was the first presenter. He spoke briefly about his previous experience in baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays and then about his first year with the Astros organization. A wide variety of questions from attendees followed as members inquired about league changes, player contracts, draft possibilities, trade options, schedules, attendance issues, and other challenges for the coming season. We were all glad to have an opportunity to hear from James, who was most generous in sharing his thoughts and ideas.
Our second presenter was SABR CEO Scott Bush. He spoke about his background and about his goals for the organization. He noted that membership is at a 10-year high, but that he hopes for continued growth. Due to the pandemic, national SABR Day this year will be a virtual event on January 30 that will be open to all members; guests will include Bob Costas and Tim Mead. A decision regarding the annual convention this summer will be forthcoming soon. Again, a wide variety of questions from our attendees was offered and answered. We thank Scott for participating and giving us all a chance to meet him.
Mike Acosta, the historian for the Astros, spoke about potential uses for the Astrodome. He has been personally involved with the efforts to save the building for several years. Mike displayed and explained several very complex models of how that iconic building could be adapted, level by level, for multipurpose usage in the future. Mike is very dedicated to this project which has endured many ups and downs in recent years. As a member of the board of the Astrodome Conservancy he has invested immeasurable effort in the attempt to save and re-purpose this landmark. We hope that his work will bear fruit.
Tony Cavender informed the group that the third edition of our Newsletter will be available very soon.
Bob Dorrill closed the meeting with a reminder to everyone to register online for SABR Day at sabr.org/sabrday. Our next chapter meeting will be on February 15.
— Marsha Franty