This Week in SABR: June 24, 2011
Here’s what we’ve been up to as of June 24, 2011:
Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum celebrates third anniversary
About 30 guests gathered at the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library on June 18, 2011, in Greenville, South Carolina, for the museum’s third anniversary celebration, an event that included the unveiling of a South Carolina state historical marker and the premiere of the “Shoeless Joe Cookbook”.
Jacob Pomrenke, chairman of SABR’s Black Sox Scandal Research Committee, was on hand with Gene Carney’s daughter, Mary, to dedicate the Gene P. Carney Library Collection. The family of Carney — the founding chairman of the Black Sox committee who died in July 2009 — generously donated his Black Sox-related books and research papers to the museum. Last fall, Pomrenke organized an effort to have the collection shipped to Greenville and a donation by SABR members of more than $800 was made to the museum on behalf of the Black Sox committee.
Other speakers included Joe Anders, a friend of Jackson’s late in life and a pallbearer at his funeral in 1951; and Cornell “Old Corn” Blakely, a former Negro Leagues player and radio station owner who has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jackson and Satchel Paige along with music legends Percy Sledge and Sam Cooke.
Dink Mothell’s legacy finally set in stone
To Jocelyn Lyons, he was just “Uncle Dink.” To baseball historians, Carroll Ray “Dink” Mothell was one of the most versatile players in history.
About 40 family friends and baseball fans gathered Saturday morning at Topeka’s Mount Hope Cemetery to pay tribute and complete the resting place of the man and the athlete who was buried more than 30 years ago.
The Negro Leagues baseball great died April 24, 1980, and was buried without a marker of any kind. However, Jeremy Krock and the Society for American Baseball Research have made it their mission to honor former players who died in anonymity. In large part because of that effort, Mothell’s grave marker was the 22nd installed since the group started the effort in 2004.
To learn more about the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project, visit http://www.nlbgmp.com.
SABR 41 mail registration deadline is today
A reminder: SABR 41 registration forms (available for download here) must be postmarked by today, June 24, and sent to the SABR office at 4455 E. Camelback Road, Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Online registration for the convention at the SABR Store will end at 11:59 p.m. MST on June 29. We hope to see you in Long Beach!
Related links:
- You can find a complete schedule of events for SABR 41 here.
- Abstracts, bios and schedule for the 30 research presentations can be found here.
- The schedule for all research committee meetings can be found here.
- Tentative showtimes for the film festival can be found here.
- SABR authors: Reserve your spot in the Vendors’ Room
Board of Directors conference call: June 26
A scheduled conference call with the SABR Board of Directors will take place at 7 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 26. All SABR members are welcome to participate.
For the call-in number, click here.
SABR Secretary nominees accepted through today
Nominations for the office of Secretary will remain open through Friday, June 24 and should be e-mailed to both bmednick@exchange.fullerton.edu and agmccue44@earthlink.net.
Nominees and candidate statements are posted here.
Lajoie-Start Chapter meeting recap
The weather was great and the program was sparkling for the 38 members and friends who attended the Lajoie-Start Chapter (Southern New England) meeting on June 18 under a picnic tent at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Speakers from the Pawtucket Red Sox were the team’s president, Mike Tamburro; the manager, Arnie Beyeler; and the team’s hitting coach, Chili Davis. Also on the speaking agenda was Brian Rose, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
There were four research presentations: Steve Adamson on Charles Comiskey the player; Mark Kanter on games not played for reasons other than weather; Don Skuce on the Boston Red Sox’s five-game sweep of the Yankees in 1959; and Mickey Tangel on Lipman Pike, the first Jewish professional baseball player.
Bob Mazur won the trivia contest.
SABR discount offered for Big Apple Sports Career Camp
The annual Big Apple Sports Career Camp will be held from July 26 to July 29 in the New York metro area. This career development program is offered by Diamond Sports Careers for students to learn about developing a career in sports, providing a unique opportunity for students to meet senior executives and “rising stars” in a fast-paced, growing industry.
As a member of SABR, you will receive a 20% discount on registration fees. Seating is limited.
For more information, visit NYSportsCareers.com or call Diamond Sports Careers at (845) 531-2359.
Upcoming events:
- June 25: Field of Dreams Chapter meeting (Des Moines, IA)
In other recent SABR news:
- Joe Williams examines the Nineteenth Century Research Committee’s “Overlooked Base Ball Legend” ballot (Seamheads.com)
- David Block writes about Polish workers playing ball in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1609 (MLBlogs.com)
- Jerry Crasnick considers the possibility of MLB expanding to 26-man rosters (ESPN.com)
- David Eskenazi tells the story of Bill James and the 1912 Seattle Giants (Sportspress Northwest)
Originally published: June 23, 2011. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.