SABR Day
Saturday, February 4, 2023, was our annual SABR Day celebration! SABR Day is a way for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love.
Regional chapters are encouraged to plan their own SABR Day events throughout the months of January or February to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.
Click on a link below to find more highlights, photos, and videos from all 2023 SABR Day meetings:
Arlington, TX (Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter)
The Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter hosted a SABR Day meeting on Monday, February 6, 2023, in the 421 Club at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Mike Capps, the voice of the Round Rock Express and noted baseball author, was our guest speaker talking about his recent book Grinders, which has received great reviews. Former Ranger Jeff Frye, one of the subjects of Grinders, also joined us to speak about his baseball journey.
We also heard from Texas Rangers’ Vice President/Assistant General Manager for Player Development and International Scouting Ross Fenstermaker.
— Paul Rogers
Atlanta, GA (Magnolia Chapter)
The Magnolia Chapter held a Memorabilia Road Show for SABR Day on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at the Reid H. Cofer Public Library in Tucker, GA.
We had lots of interesting items to talk about — everything from a Ty Cobb autographed baseball and Rick Camp’s famous bat, to a jar of dirt from Fulton County Stadium and Steve Avery’s toothbrush.
As is our tradition, we met for an optional BBQ lunch beforehand at Ford’s BBQ, 2337 Main Street, Tucker GA 30084.
Thanks to everyone that made SABR Day a really fun get-together. We had 31 people at the event.
A special thanks to Tony Cocchi for his time and remarkable insights. Tony was an amazing guest and incredibly knowledgeable about all things baseball. He held the attention of the room for almost 3 hours. Lots of great stories, too – from chauffeuring Sadaharu Oh around Atlanta, to almost breaking down Ted Williams’ door, to tales of a few dumpster dives.
Thanks, too, for the stories from members:
–Aaron: exiting Turner Field with World Series bunting stuffed down his pants
–Alan M. (GA): getting Bream to sign the bobblehead
–Frank: his mysterious early Pudge Fisk signature
–Joel: the box of vintage programs
–Hal and Marc: the vintage ticket stubs and the Hall of Fame connection
–Alan M. (SC): his jar of Fulton Co. Stadium dirt, worth more than realized
–Johnny: who else but Johnny would have an autographed hand grenade?
–Sean: tales of his grandfather
–Dennis L.: the amazing HoF signatures from ‘74
–Wayne C.: the collection of autographed prints and book
–Ken: the Babe Ruth board game, remarkably intact
–Sam: THE Rick Camp bat and ball from 1985, a Braves treasure
–Anjy: her amazing Tillman football, second highest value of the day
–Brasdsher: the Ty Cobb signed ball, the highest value of the day
Also special thanks to Steven J. and Jim S. for joining us today. It was nice to meet you amongst the chaos of the event. Special thanks to Tom H., in absentia, for submitting super-interesting write-ups on his items — including the now infamous Avery toothbrush.
— Craig Brown
Austin, TX (Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
To celebrate SABR Day, the Rogers Hornsby Chapter welcomed longtime Astros broadcaster Bill Brown by Zoom for the February 11, 2023, meeting. Less than a month ago, he was named to the Class of 2023 for the Houston Astros Hall of Fame. Click here to watch a video recording of this meeting on YouTube.
Fourteen SABR members and guests were delighted to hear about Brownie’s career – from his professional start as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Cincinnati Stingers, a professional hockey team in 1975, and later for the Cincinnati Reds. After joining the Houston Astros in 1987, he began building a Hall of Fame career.
Check out the recording of the meeting, which features Brownie’s observations on joining an Astros club one year after the team lost the NLCS to the Mets in 1986, and one year before future Hall of Fame player Craig Biggio joined the club in 1987. He also talked about how much broadcasting has changed since his professional start. He also told a humorous story about how he got a sudden baptism into broadcasting baseball for the first time in 1972 when he was tapped to fill in for beloved Reds broadcast Waite Hoyt (also legendary Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Yankees). Not only was it his first game, but the Reds went on to clinch the division in that game, and it happened in Houston.
Brownie also personally thanked chapter member Monte Cely for his help over the winter with research about Latin American baseball for his latest work, “Swinging for Glory: A baseball novel.” For Monte’s help, Brownie promised to send him a copy of the book.
We’re so grateful for Bill joining us on a Saturday afternoon to help us celebrate him and SABR Day. We look forward to seeing his induction, along with second baseman Bill Doran, in August 2023 at Minute Maid Park.
Afterward, Jerry Miller challenged us with a quiz about pitchers being batters. With 18 questions totaling 20 points, Jan Larson batted .300 on the quiz (earning 6 out of 20 points) to win the quiz. Cy Morong from San Antonio and Dixie Tourangeau from Boston tied for second, batting .250 (earning 5 out of 20 points). Miller will present Jan with a the team photo of the 1966 Atlanta Braves featuring one of the quiz answers for his top prize. Cy will receive a photo of another quiz answer, whom Jerry called the “worst hitting pitcher,” for second place. Dixie will get his second-place-tie prize next time he’s in town.
You can take a swing at Jerry’s quiz by clicking here.
This was the 195th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, a streak dating to December 2006.
As is our custom, quiz winner Jan Larson will prepare one for the March meeting, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 18.
We’ll be deep into spring training and quarterfinals for the World Baseball Classic by then. The regular season will start less than two weeks later! Hope to see you at the March meeting!
— Gilbert Martinez
Baltimore, MD (Babe Ruth Chapter)
The Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter held its SABR Day event on Monday, February 20, 2023, at the Peabody Heights Brewery, a site with tremendous baseball history attached to it. The brewery, at 401 East 30th Street, is located on the former site of Oriole Park V, also known as Terrapin Park, which was the home of the Federal League Baltimore Terrapins from 1914 to 1915, and the International League Orioles from 1916 to 1944. The Brewery also is across the street from the site of Oriole Park II and IV, where the American League Orioles played in 1901 and 1902.
Presenters included:
Tony Dahbura: Member of the Computer Science faculty at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a former part-owner of the Hagerstown Suns. (Click here to watch this video recording.)
Ryan Ripken: A former minor leaguer in the Nationals and Orioles systems and son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. (Click here to watch this video recording.)
Joe Orsulak: A former major leaguer who played 14 seasons in the bigs including 5 for the Orioles. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Click here to watch this video recording.)
Charlie Vascellaro: Longtime SABR member and author, Charlie will be speaking on “Barnstorming with the Babe” and his experiences with traveling with exhibits across the USA. (Click here to watch this video recording.)
Adrienne Roberson and Jason Lee: The Baltimore Orioles PA announcer and an official MLB scorekeeper will be talking about their experiences in the press box before and during the game. (Click here to watch this video recording.)
Mike Gibbons: Executive staff member from the Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum presented on current exhibits and happenings at the museum and plans for the upcoming 50th anniversary in 2024. (Click here to watch this video recording.)
Boston, MA (Boston Chapter)
It was colder than Papelbon’s stare at the opposing batter in the bottom of the ninth …
It was cold, it was freakin’, wicked cold even by Boston standards. The two-day Ice Age landed be-cursedly on two days of baseball events at Fenway Park. If it was some sort of meteorological curse, well, we fought back and survived it.
You see, Friday, February 3 was Truck Day at Fenway Park. The annual celebration marks the day when the equipment truck leaves Fenway Park, heading southward loaded with all the tools and magic (fairy dust was again sprinkled on the tires by two diehard fans as they have done annually) required for a winning season, we hope. In the old days, before there were trucks, Boston fans met at the Back Bay train station for a celebratory sendoff for the Red Sox heading to their spring training camp. Nowadays, we cheer the truck as it pulls away from Van Ness or, this year, from Jersey Street on it way south to warmer temperatures, like the 70s and 80s at Fort Myers, and the 60s and 70s currently enjoyed in Phoenix.
………… It was colder than a cup of Joe by the time you can climb all the way up to the last row of the bleachers on a day when the temperature is the same as the temperature in Phoenix yesterday …………
And it was not just the cold, but that curse called “wind chill factor” – that gives a sense of how the weather feels vs the actual temperature. The 80s of Florida and the 70s of Arizona fill us here in Boston with nostalgia and the memory does not warm our hearts. The wind needs to be experienced – how it takes your breath away as you traverse Kenmore Square, heading up Brookline Avenue and with hope, you can turn on to Jersey Street (not Lansdowne that all in shade and works as a wind tunnel that increase that windchill a few more minus degrees and makes one envious of all those basking in the lovely 70s in Phoenix – but I digress.)
Usually, a few hundred people attend Truck Day. My warm memories of the event include seeing Johnny Pesky in the ceremonious role of starting the journey in the driver’s seat – which he probably relinquished once the truck reached Brookline Avenue. But that was back in the Truck Days where it was at least 40 degrees, and the sun certainly was of more help. That was Truck Day of 2023 – and we promptly adjourned to the Bleacher Bar.
………… It was colder than the water in South Boston when the L Street Brownies, including Nuf Ced McGreevey, happily jumped into the therapeutic waters of Dorchester Bay, on February 4, 1913 …………
Saturday, February 4, another day in the windchill tunnel, another day of breathlessly crawling up Brookline Avenue toward Fenway Park, instead of enduring the festivities outside, we headed directly to the Bleacher Bar, where eight stalwart SABR members met at noontime.
The temperature plus windchill factor of minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit – in contrast to the 70s that were reportedly being enjoyed in Phoenix at that time, but I digress. We gave a tip of the hat to our compadres of the Northern New England Chapter who held a Zoom meeting instead of the planned in-person gathering at Concord, New Hampshire on the heated patio of the Buffalo Wings Bar.
After all, they are the closest SABR Chapter to Mount Washington whose observatory reported a record-breaking temperature – with windchill – of minus 108 degrees, which works out to a difference of 172 degrees Fahrenheit between Mount Washington and Phoenix on February 4.
………… It was a cold 29 degrees in Boston on April 14, 1953 when the Red Sox home opener was snowed out and when the average temperature in Phoenix in April, 1953 was 83.3 degrees Fahrenheit which was 1.1 degree cooler than the average that month of 84.4 … just to point it out …………
Back at Fenway Park, under the Green Monster, where the outside temperature – with windchill – was still hovering in the minus 20s, no one was inspired to dash off early, the conversation inside by the eight persons attending, ran the gamut from stories by Jack McCarthy about the Cape Cod League, Karen Stephenson and her interest in pursuing the history of the Boston Park League, new member Dirk Baker may not yet know what he has jumped into yet about Worcester’s baseball history and current affairs and how we can help bring back the Worcester SABR Chapter, what baseball books we have been reading lately, etc., to “how cold is it?”
………… colder than the Red Sox bullpen at the end of the 2022 season …………
We prevailed; because we are a bold, brave, and audacious group of baseball’s SABR members. We are Boston Red Sox fans. We have heard that adversity builds character. A disappointing 2022 season, those 86 years of some sort of drought eventually overcome, and the temperatures that brought on this second round of “Frozen Fenway” – without hockey this time – did not keep us from paying a two-day homage to baseball and the Red Sox despite the minus 28 degrees with windchill figured in – which was 104 degrees colder than the 76 degrees in Phoenix.
Respectfully submitted,
Joanne Hulbert
SABR’s Boston Chapter
Chicago, IL/Milwaukee WI (Emil Rothe/Ken Keltner Chapters)
SABR’s Chicago and Milwaukee chapters held a joint SABR Day meeting at 11:00 a.m. CST on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Our guest speakers were:
Vinny Rottino, the ninth Wisconsin-born Milwaukee Brewer. In addition to the Brewers, he played for the Marlins, Mets and Indians and was the starting catcher for the Italian National Team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. For the past two years, he’s been doing Brewers pre- and post-games, and 10 games last year with color analysis. Vinny has a great deal to share with us. John Gehring will have his sketches of Rottino.
Gary Livacari presented on the Leslie Jones Collection at the Boston Public Library. Jones was a photographer for the Boston Herald-Traveler from 1917 to 1956 taking pictures documenting aviation, crime, sports, Boston scenes, fires, maritime subjects, celebrities, and other newsworthy events. The library has approximately 40,000 negatives along with thousands of photographic prints from Jones’s personal collection. Livacari, who was one of the editors of a SABR project helping identify nearly 3,000 baseball photos from the collection, will discuss those pictures.
Lee Kluck presented on “The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang: Winning Baseball and the Changing Clubhouse of the 1989-1991 Milwaukee Brewers.”
Scott Lindholm also discussed his work identifying the Best Negro League players.
We also enjoyed a book and memorabilia exchange table, and a photo booth.
Cincinnati, OH (Hoyt-Allen Chapter)
The Hoyt-Allen Chapter in Cincinnati held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at Xavier University’s Smith Hall.
Our guest speakers were
- Daniel M. Linnenberg, on John G. “Long John” Reilly – Former player for Cincinnati Stars, Redstockings and Reds, who also worked as an artist
- Paul Debono, on Newt Allen Grave Marker Announcement
- Kevin Hollabaugh, founder of ProForce Sports Performance & Director of Player Development – University of Cincinnati
- Brian Powers and Thomas Bucher, on The Crosley Field Experience – Creating a virtual 3D model of Crosley
- David Hyland, on Statistical Concepts and Why We Don’t Need Robo-Coaches
- Thomas Bucher and David Shannon, on Headstone Projects Past & Present – Current efforts for a Paul Derringer marker and creative fund-raising idea
— Rich Gibson
Cleveland, OH (Jack Graney Chapter)
The Jack Graney Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 4, 2023, an all-day affair at the Terrace Club restaurant of Progressive Field.
Here is the SABR Day schedule:
- 9:00 am: Doors open
- 9:30 am: Welcome, introductions, SABR business
- 9:45 am: Steve Dittmore, “Jim Gilliam and the unlikely $3,000 play to save the 1965 World Series”
- 10:15 am: Zach Morton, Cleveland Guardians
“Guardians-A Look Back at 2022 and a Look Forward to 2023” - 11:00 am: Break
- 11:15 am: Zack Meisel, The Athletic, “Talkin’ Guards 2023”
- 12:00 pm: Lunch (Terrace Club buffet)
- 1:30 pm: Update on Jack Graney Chapter projects
- 2:15 pm: Trivia Contest, by Rick Bradley
- 2:45 pm: Bill McMahon, “The National Girls Baseball League”
- 3:15 pm: Breakout discussions on Chapter projects
- 3:30 pm: Adjourn
Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
The Hank Gowdy Chapter in Columbus, Ohio, held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 4, at the Trillium Meeting Room at Northwest Library in Worthington, Ohio.
We will conduct our normal Book Raffle in between speakers. Please bring books that you can donate to the chapter for distribution in the raffle.
Agenda follows:
9:30 – Introduction – Blake, Rick & Rob
9:45 – Larry Baum, “Free Speech In Baseball: Jim Brosnan, Pitcher”
10:30 – Rob Janes, “WAR – What is it Good For?”
11:15 – Jim Tootle, “Baseball Trivia”
12:00 – Blake Sherry, “BB Hall of Fame Results”
12:45 – Wrap-Up
— Blake Sherry
Concord, NH (Northern New England Chapter)
SABR DAY was Saturday, February 4 for the Northern New England Chapter. We gathered virtually on Zoom to hear two great presentations from our own local authors.
Bob LeMoine presented his book, When The Babe Went Back To Boston.
Clayton Trutor presented his book, Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta—and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports.
— Bruce McClure
Cooperstown, NY (Cliff Kachline Chapter)
The Cliff Kachline Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 4, 2023, in the Bullpen Theater at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Guest speakers included:
Tom Shieber, Senior Curator at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, who gave a presentation on “What Jackie Robinson wore during his 1947 season with the Dodgers.”
David Krutz, an executive officer with the Little Falls Historical Society, who presented on “Early Base Ball in Little Falls and the Central New York League.”
Erik Sherman, a baseball historian and the New York Times best-selling author of eight books on baseball, who discussed his newest book, Two Sides of Glory: The 1986 Boston Red Sox In Their Own Words. He will also give a sneak-peek at his upcoming book Daybreak at Chavez Ravine: Fernandomania and the remaking of the Los Angeles Dodgers set to be released in the spring.
David Karpinski, the Executive Director of the Parkhurst Field Foundation, will give an update on the Parkhurst Field Renovation Project and unveil baseball relics from the original parks grandstands (1906) discovered during construction of the new park.
If you are on Facebook, please like & follow our groups page, SABR – Cliff Kachline Chapter – Cooperstown, for more details on this event and others in the chapter’s territory. If you have questions or are interested in presenting at a future chapter meeting, please contact Mike Hauser at mhauser@frontiernet.net.
Dayton, OH (Dayton Chapter)
The Dayton Chapter celebrated SABR Day on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at the downtown Main Branch of the Dayton Metro Library Room 3-A in Dayton, Ohio.
Speakers included Tom Nichols, the voice of the Dayton Dragons, and John Kiesewetter, author of Joe Nuxhall, The Old Lefthander and Me.
— Mark Miller
Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
The Rocky Mountain Chapter’s SABR Day meet-up was held on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at FAST Performance, an athletic training facility owned and operated by former big leaguer and Colorado Rockie Jason Hirsh in downtown Denver, Colorado.
Jason provided us with a personal tour of his facility, as well as introduced us to the field of athletic performance training, including some of the advanced analytics used and provided to its members, specifically in the baseball world. We observed local position players and pitchers in workouts as they prepared for the upcoming season and saw how analytics was incorporated into their daily evaluation and routine. In addition, Jason and his staff taught us about the various analytics utilized in today’s game and available daily at FAST Performance
We then concluded our SABR Day festivities with our traditional “Mass Game of Catch.”
Des Moines, IA (Field of Dreams Chapter)
The Field of Dreams Chapter in Iowa held its SABR Day meeting at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at Confluence Brewing’s taproom, 1235 Thomas Beck Road in Des Moines.
— Steve Elsberry
Detroit, MI (Southern Michigan Chapter)
On, Saturday, February 4, the Southern Michigan Chapter held a virtual SABR Day 2023 meeting via Zoom from 1:00-3:00 p.m. EST.
Our featured speaker was Cody Stavenhagen, ace Detroit Tigers beat writer for The Athletic.
In the second hour, Gary Gillette moderated a panel discussion about the recent changes to Comerica Park. Featured panelists were Kevin Johnson, co-chair of SABR’s Ballparks Committee and principal at Seamheads.com, and Stuart Shea, Wrigley Field historian and ballparks expert.
Guaynabo, PRI (Orlando Cepeda Chapter)
The mayor of the Autonomous Municipality of Guaynabo Edward O’Neill Rosa has the pleasure of inviting you to a SABR Day conversation on Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Series, hosted by SABR’s Orlando Cepeda Chapter.
Please join us on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 2:00-5:00 p.m., at the Federico “Fico” Lopez Theater in the Guaynabo Sports Museum. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
El alcalde del Muicipio Autónomo de Guaynabo Edward O’Neill Rosa tiene el placer de invitarle al Conversatorio:
Puerto Rico en Las Series Del Caribe
Organizado por SABR Capítulo Orlando Cepeda
sábado 4 de febrero de 2023
Teatro Federico “Fico” López
Museo del Deporte de Guaynabo
2:00 pm a 5:00 pm
Todos los fanáticos del béisbol son bienvenidos a asistir.
Houston, TX (Larry Dierker Chapter)
The Larry Dierker Chapter in Houston held an in-person luncheon for SABR Day on Saturday, February 4 at Jax Grill (1613 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX). Click here to watch a video replay of this meeting.
We were joined by author, chapter member, and former Astros announcer Bill Brown, who spoke about his first fiction baseball book, Swinging for Glory! Brown will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame this year along with former Astros 2B Bill Doran.
Mike McCroskey brought a vintage baseball game for us to play.
We also had a book exchange, memorabilia stories, conversation about upcoming Astros and MLB spring training and prizes for the random trivia contests that occurred throughout the afternoon.
— Joe Thompson
Indianapolis, IN (Oscar Charleston Chapter)
The Oscar Charleston Chapter held its SABR Day event on Friday, February 3, 2023, at the Elements Financial Club inside Victory Field in Indianapolis.
Our guest speakers were Howard Kellman and Cheyne Reiter of the Indianapolis Indians.
Click here to view the live broadcast on the SABR Oscar Charleston Chapter’s Facebook page.
In-person attendees were entered to win a custom wooden “SABR Day 2023” bat courtesy of Gandolph Bats of Whiteland, IN!
Jersey City, NJ (Elysian Fields Chapter)
The Elysian Fields Chapter in New Jersey held a virtual Zoom event for SABR Day on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
Here is our program:
9:00 a.m. – 9:25 a.m.
Presentation: David Krell
Elysian Fields Chapter Chair, Ten Commandments for Minimizing Stress and Maximizing Value
in Your Baseball Research
9:25 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Break
9:30 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.
Presentation: Ted Reinstein
Author, Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier
9:55 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.
Break
10:05 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Presentation: Paul Hensler
50th Anniversary of Nolan Ryan’s Quest for 400 Strikeouts
10:30 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.
Break
10:35 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Presentation: Bob Golon
The Story of the 1946 Newark Eagles – Negro League Champions
11:00 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.
Break
11:05 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Interview with Tom Shieber, Senior Curator, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Kansas City, MO (Monarchs Chapter)
The Monarchs Chapter held a SABR Day meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at the Trailside Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Our guest speaker was Phil S. Dixon, a long-time SABR member, historian and co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He is the author of many baseball books, the latest being John “Buck” O’Neil: The Rookie, His Words, His Voice.
In addition, we had the usual trivia, discussion topics, and Hall of Fame arguments that accompany any SABR gathering.
Las Vegas, NV (Maddux Bros. Chapter)
On Saturday, February 4, 2023, the Maddux Brothers Chapter held its monthly meeting to coincide with SABR Day at at Park Towers, located at One Hughes Center Drive in Las Vegas.
Here was our agenda:
1. 10:30am. – What is going on in the baseball world? …Informal conversation as we wait for everyone to arrive and settle down
2. 20 minute presentation by SABR member Rob Sheinkopf – “The Eddie Scissons Syndrome.” I can tell you, it’s going to be fascinating.
3. Baseball talk, and discussion of planning for 2023 SABR activities, future SABR member presentations or plans, and more.
4. Memorabilia – please bring an item to share with the group and/or a story to tell.
5. We plan a trivia quiz, with absolutely NO valuable prizes for the winner!
6. Adjourn, between 12:30 and 1pm. or whenever you’ve had enough.
— Michael Green
Lexington, KY (Sweet Lou Johnson Chapter)
The Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington Chapter met virtually on Zoom for SABR Day on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
We talked about the off-season moves and our favorite ever baseball player, and also held our monthly trivia contest.
— Cindy Baker
Little Rock, AR (Robinson-Kell Chapter)
The Robinson-Kell SABR chapter met for SABR Day on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at First Southern Baptist Church in Bryant, Arkansas.
The guest speaker wsas Marty Sullivan, who brought a large collection of his signed 1933 Goudey baseball cards and talked about how he came to collect them. Included in the collection are many HOFers, including Rogers Hornsby, Mel Ott, Leo Durocher, etc. He also has a book that just came out about the collection.
We also heard the following presentations:
- Jim Kreuz – “Jackie Robinson – not the Dodgers first choice”
- Johnny Mullins – a presentation on pitcher Preacher Roe
- Tom Van Hyning – “Luis Arroyo in pro baseball: Majors, Minors. Winter ball”
— Madison McEntire
Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
The Pee Wee Reese Chapter held its SABR Day event on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Louisville Slugger Museum.
Our keynote speaker was author and professor Doug Feldmann, a professor in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University and a former scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres. Dr. Feldmann has written extensively on baseball history and the sport’s sociological impact on urban and small-town America. A multiple-time nominee for the Casey Award and the Seymour Medal from the Society for American Baseball Research, Dr. Feldmann is married and lives in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.
We also heard from:
Nick Curran, the Louisville Bats’ excellent and longtime radio announcer, who gave us a preview of the upcoming Bats season, talk about the announcing profession and allow plenty of time for Q & A.
We don’t have Dodger catcher Will Smith, but we have the next best, Will’s dad, Mark Smith. Here’s a nice article that discusses Will’s love for Louisville and the inspiration and influence handed down from father to son.
Our Western Kentucky member-author Kelly Park joined us to discuss Volume 2 of his excellent series, Just Like Me. Kelly will bring some copies for sale and signing.
Gary Cieradkowski made a return visit to discuss his latest work and projects (Gary is helping out with our chapter newsletter). https://studiogaryc.com/
Chris Betsch gave a presentation about the integration of the Louisville Colonels, a story that is a little more involved than one might expect.
Bailey Mazik of the Slugger Museum joined us to talk briefly about what’s planned for the upcoming year.
Middletown, CT (Smoky Joe Wood Chapter)
SABR’s Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter met for an informal lunch meeting on Saturday, February 4 — SABR Day.
We met at the Athenian Diner on 864 Washington Street in Middletown, CT.
— Steve Krevisky
Nashville, TN (Rice-Russell Chapter)
The Grantland Rice – Fred Russell (Nashville) Chapter held a SABR Day meeting virtually via Zoom on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
Keith Wood of Memphis will discuss his soon-to-be-published book, Black Diamonds, Bluff City: Stories from the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro Leagues.
New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
SABR’s Louisiana Schott-Pelican Chapter held a hybrid SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the Holiday Inn New Orleans West Bank Tower.
Our guest speakers were:
– Justin Mckinney, author of “Baseball’s Union Association”
– Derby Gisclair, “Huey Long Saves Spring Training in New Orleans”
New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
SABR’s Casey Stengel NYC Chapter held a virtual Zoom meeting to celebrate SABR Day on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. Click here to watch a video recording of this meeting.
We had two speakers:
Lee Lowenfish, whose topic will include research he has done for his new book Baseball’s Endangered Species: Inside the Craft of Scouting by Those Who Lived It, and Barry Sparks, whose topic will include research from his recent book The Search for the Next Mickey Mantle.
Orlando, FL (Central Florida Chapter)
SABR Day was Saturday, February 4, 2023. Our Central Florida Chapter was coming off the highly praised and highly successful Kelly Field historical site project. Our chapter was choosing not to rest on its laurels.
Thanks to new member Michael Ortman of Clermont and his connections, we planned a major league program for our SABR Day on February 4. We met in Orlando in the Pat Williams Leadership Library at the First Orlando Baptist Church, 3000 S. John Young Parkway.
Hall of Famer Pat Williams himself hosted and headlined our fun and informative morning of baseball, books, and banter. Our SABR Day Celebration also included presentations from authors and SABR members Rick Vaughn and Michael Ortman, both of whom appeared earlier this year on MLB Network and “The Pat Williams Show” on Orlando’s WDBO. We even had a short trivia session just to encourage everyone’s participation.
Pat Williams is one of the world’s most prolific authors, readers, and motivational speakers. He recently donated his collection of more than 25,000 books (he’d read them all and wrote more than 100 of them!!!) to First Orlando to establish this one-of-a-kind library. Pat’s incredible journey from life as a minor league baseball player to Hall of Fame NBA executive and father of 19 children (14 adopted from four nations) has inspired millions and fills the pages of many of his books. In 2019, Pat kicked off an effort to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando. For more on Pat, click here.
Rick Vaughn is one of baseball’s most respected communications executives of the past 40 years and now run’s Joe Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation. For some of his memories of working with the Orioles, including closing Memorial Stadium and opening Camden Yards, and launching the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays and his book 100 Years of Baseball on St. Petersburg’s Waterfront check out Rick’s recent interview on MLB Network.
Mike Ortman attended a home opener every season for 50 consecutive years (1970-2019). His book Opening Day: 50-for-50 is a collection of one fan’s baseball stories like no other. It became an Amazon No. 1 bestseller among baseball history books in April 2022. For more on his book, including his appearance on MLB Network, visit the book’s companion website www.OpeningDay5050.com.
Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter)
SABR MACK-ALLEN CHAPTER SABR DAY MEETING
February 4, 2023
Temple University Center City
1515 Market Street
Presentations:
- Ed Morton (pictured below) – A biography of early Phillies co-owner John I. Rogers
- Bob Warrington (pictured above) – “The Athletics-Phillies City Series: A Postscript”
- Brian Engelhardt – “Eddie Day: The Black Delahanty” “…But For The Color Rule…”
- Mark Kanter – “Mark Kanter’s Trip to the DR and Impromptu Meeting with Cristopher Sanchez”
- Tom Silknitter – A presentation on his time covering the Phillies as a freelance photographer
- Brian Michael – Will speak to us about an upcoming Philadelphia Negro Leagues art installation
- Phil Dixon (via Zoom) – Will speak to us about the work being done at Hinchcliffe Stadium (NJ)
- Frank Klose
Meeting Charge: $35.00 per SABR member or member’s guest. $40.00 for non-members.
For questions, please contact Matt Albertson.
Phoenix, AZ (Hemond-Delhi Chapter)
The Hemond-Delhi Arizona Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 4, 2023, our first live gathering since 2019. We gathered at the Eagles Buffet at Casino Arizona in Scottsdale.
For questions, please contact Barry Bloom.
Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
The Rochester Baseball Historical Society and Luke Easter SABR Chapter co-hosted the 10th Annual Hot Stove Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2023, featuring special guest Josh Whetzel!
Josh is the longest tenured Rochester Red Wings play-by-play broadcaster in history, serving in the role since 2003 after stints with the Albany Polecats, Kinston Indians, and Binghamton Mets. He is recipient of the 2015 Minor League Broadcaster of Year award from BallparkDigest.com, and spends his offseason as radio broadcaster for the University of Buffalo men’s basketball team. We hope you can join us as Josh shares his stories from the booth.
— Ryan Brecker
St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
The Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter held a SABR Day event on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at Mike Duffy’s in Kirkwood, Missouri.
Our guest speakers were Cardinals broadcaster and former player Ricky Horton and Hall of Fame sports writer Rick Hummel.
San Diego, CA (Ted Williams Chapter)
SABR’s San Diego Ted Williams Chapter held an in-person SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 28, 2023, in the first-floor conference room at the San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd. in downtown San Diego.
Our guest speakers included:
– Mike Koser, host of the “Lost Ballparks” podcast, will present highlights from his most interesting interviews.
– Mel Proctor, veteran sports broadcaster and author of several books, including his latest, I Love the Work, But I Hate the Business, will cover special moments he witnessed over his 40 years in the booth.
– Andy McCue, former SABR president and author of several books, including his latest, Stumbling Around the Bases, will discuss the various impacts over time that resulted from a string of bad decisions made by American League owners.
Mel and Andy hosted a book signing at the conclusion of the meeting and will have their books available for purchase.
San Francisco/Sacramento, CA (Lefty O’Doul/Dusty Baker Chapters)
On Saturday, February 4, 2023, the Dusty Baker-Sacramento and Lefty O’Doul-Bay Area SABR chapters met to celebrate SABR Day!
We were delighted to kick off the new year with presentations from documentary filmmaker Jon Leonoudakis and Japanese baseball historian and author Rob Fitts.
Jon provided an overview of his baseball work and talked about his recent documentary, Ball Four Turns Forty. The film, which is available to view on Vimeo, documents the fortieth anniversary celebration the Baseball Reliquary held twelve years ago. Jon also brought us up to date on other projects he is working on, including his Lefty O’Doul documentary.
Rob chatted with us about his numerous books on Japanese baseball, including his newest book Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, Volume 1, 1907 – 1958. Over 100 baseball teams from the United States and Hawaii have crossed the Pacific to play baseball in Japan. Nichibei Yakyu is the first book written in English that focuses on these international tours.
Seattle, WA (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
The Pacific Northwest SABR chapter held a virtual “Open House” to celebrate SABR Day on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. Please click here to watch a video recording on YouTube.
We considered a motion to change the name of the chapter, from NWSABR to SABR Cascades. We all had a chance to share our opinions at the 2/7 meeting. Afterwards, we sent a Survey Monkey poll to each member. Also on the agenda:
- The chapter’s website at www.nwsabr.org is obsolete and moribund. No current members know how to access it and anyway, I’m informed that the license will expire at the end of this month. So…we need to get a new site up and running, fill it with content and make it accessible. As I write the domains nwsabr.org and sabrcascades.org appear to be available for purchase, per GoDaddy.com.
- We have a Facebook page, and any member is welcome to log on and post. But I’d like to make the website a little more polished and enlist an administrator to curate postings. Help! We’ll need knowledgeable volunteers to get this going.
- A chapter blog would be a great complement to the new website: Writers needed.
- Meetings: I know people want to talk about this. We will continue to present virtual events on weeknights. And we would like to start having more in-person meetings. We will update at the meeting.
- Please note that as I write we do not have a site, in PDX. Tip can update us on the plans for a May 6th meeting at SPU.
- Your feedback is especially welcome!
Stillwater, OK (Oklahoma Chapter)
The Oklahoma Chapter will hold its SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 11 at 2:30 pm.
Thanks to the efforts of chapter member Ron Elliott, the Oklahoma SABR chapter has been invited to tour Oklahoma State University’s O’Brate Stadium, one of the finest college baseball facilities in the country. For those unfamiliar with the Stillwater area, I’ve included a Google maps link which shows the stadium’s location. The address is 103 N. Bellis St., Stillwater, OK 74075.
We will first be joined by a couple of former Oklahoma State baseball players for a Q&A session about their time at OSU and their recent experiences in the minors. This will be followed by a guided tour of the stadium and facilities, which will be led by groundskeeper Todd Tribble. Head coach Josh Holliday will join us after our tour for a brief discussion about the team and their facilities.
All of our chapter meetings are open to members and non-members alike, and this one is no exception. This meeting serves as a great opportunity for baseball fans, Oklahoma State fans, and those who just enjoy new experiences to tour one of the nicest facilities in all of college baseball, so friends/family members/etc. are encouraged to come along and join us. The more, the merrier.
We are also planning an optional post-meeting dinner in Stillwater. If you are interested in joining us for this, please RSVP to Jesse Asbury so we can put together a head count.
Tallahassee, FL (Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter)
Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter members and guests gathered on Saturday, February 4, 2023, in the Legends Room at Glory Days Grill, Tallahassee, Florida, to celebrate SABR Day. In attendance were:
- Matt Hudson, Vice President
- Renee Watters, Communications Co-Director
- Brent Kallestad, Communications Co-Director
- Kent Putnam, Secretary
- Diana Kampert
- Glenn Robertson
- Bruce Grant
- Fred Dunphy
- Chuck Rosciam
- Frank Alarcon
- Jim Turner
- Clint Chafin
- Daniel Chafin
- Obey Brown
- Susan Allen
- Mark Pelt
VP Hudson called the meeting to order at 1 PM and introductions were made. Guests were welcomed.
First to present was Chuck Rosciam, who noted the election of Scott Rolen to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the baseball writers and discussed HOF trends, prospects of the players currently on the ballot, and outstanding players who will soon be eligible. Chuck also explained the different voting committees and their roles in the process.
The second order of business was possible attendance by chapter members at home baseball games of Florida A&M University and Florida State University. Potential dates were identified; Renee volunteered to poll members on this subject and report the results by email or at the next meeting. We were also reminded that the FSU baseball spring intrasquad game and fan day will be held on February 11.
Brent Kallestad encouraged us to consider attending SABR 51 in Chicago on July 5-9. Although hotel information was not available at the time of the meeting, it has since been released. The undersigned (who plans to attend SABR 51) described his own very positive experiences at 2 prior SABR conferences.
Batting cleanup was Ed Creech who worked as a scout for several Big League teams including the SF Giants after conclusion of his playing career. Ed showed us his World Series rings for the Giants’ championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014. He shared fascinating stories involving Tommy Lasorda, Roy McMillan, Eddie Haas, Buck O’Neil, Eddie Mathews, Larry Doby, and others.
In the number 5 slot in our agenda lineup and appearing via Zoom was Perry Barber, who has successfully pursued a career as a baseball umpire. She told how she became interested in the profession and the many obstacles she overcame. Perry explained that learning how to conduct oneself on the diamond can be as important as knowing the rules and making correct calls. She has worked fantasy camps, spring training games, and many other amateur and professional contests. It is her belief that the prospects for female baseball umpires are improving and that a woman will umpire in the Majors in the foreseeable future.
The annual Chapter Trivia Contest was the final agenda item for the day, with VP Hudson and the undersigned presiding. After a spirited and close tussle, Frank Alarcon seized the victory with a final correct answer. The trophy was awarded to his care for the next 12 months.
At that point, there being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4 o’clock PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Kent Putnam, Chapter Secretary
Toronto, ON (Hanlan’s Point Chapter)
The Hanlan’s Point Chapter is pleased to welcome Rob Thomson, Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, as our featured speaker for our 2023 SABR Day meeting on Thursday, January 26, 2023. Rob was the first Canadian to manage in the modern World Series that began in 1903. (However, we would be remiss to not recognize the first Canadian to manage in a World Series. That honor belongs to William Watkins when his Detroit Wolverines defeated the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series.)
The full meeting agenda:
- 8:00 p.m.: Chapter member Justin Mckinney speaking about his recently released book Baseball’s Union Association: The Short Strange Life of a 19th Century Major League.
- 8:30 p.m.: Rob Thomson, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer and Manager, Philadephia Phillies
- 9:15 p.m.: Chapter enhancements to broaden member participation and types of programming offered.
- 9:30 p.m.: Closing
Washington, DC (Bob Davids Chapter)
The Bob Davids SABR Chapter held its annual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 28, 2023, our first in-person meeting in 3 years. The Chapter is pleased to have DC-area-based Consulting Services and Analytics firm Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) as our hosts.
This year’s meeting took place in The Helix Center For Innovation, Booz Allen’s brand-new State-of-the-Art immersive visualization center, located in the heart of D.C. at McPherson Square.
The Speakers List:
* Panel Discussion – Brian Hall (SABR AI committee chair and Adjunct Professor NYU ), Allison Levin (SABR AI committee chair/Bob Broeg Chapter President and Adj Associate Professor Sport Communication at Webster University), and Mike Carney (Nationals Executive Vice President, Business Operations) will discuss the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Baseball, from gameplay to team management and operations to fan experience and engagement
* Charlie Pavitt: What Baseball Fans Should Know about WAR
* Adam Korengold: Visualizing Rules Changes and Impacts on Games
* Brian Engelhardt: Eddie Day: “The Black Delahanty” “…But for the color rule…”
* David Raglin: The 2005 Washington Nationals
Williamsport, PA (Sebring-Stovey Chapter)
The SABR Williamsport Chapter presented SABR Day 2023 at the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
Special Presentation by: Jack Houston, Lou Hunsinger, and Marc Pompeo:
– The formative years and baseball history of Black Baseball and The Negro Leagues
– Williamsport’s George Stovey place in late 19th century baseball history
– Major League Baseball welcomes Negro Leagues Statistics: 1920-1948
– The “classic” 1936 East-West All Star Game in Comiskey Park in Chicago
– Cooperstown – Hall of Fame – Negro League Players
– Williamsport “Bowman Field” – April 27, 1926: first professional game at Bowman Field:
Williamsport Grays and the Negro League Harrisburg Giants
Pictured from left to right: Louis Hunsinger Jr.; Ted Knorr, Marc Pompeo, and Jack Houston.