Allan Roth Chapter

Society for American Baseball Research

 

The Allan Roth Chapter at the Long Beach Breakers, August 2001 (click for larger picture)

2009 schedule

The next 2009 meeting will be at the LA84 Foundation (formerly Amateur Athletic Foundation) Library on Saturday, October 3, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. The agenda is open at this time.

Al Parnis arranged a tour of Los Angeles’ former baseball sites, including Wrigley Field, Gilmore Field, Washington Park, Vernon Park and the Coliseum, with commentary from Dick Beverage, Andy McCue, Al Parnis, Ron Selter and Jim Gordon. The tour was from 9:30AM to 2:30 PM on Saturday, June 6, starting (and ending) at the LA84 Foundation at 2141 W. Adams.

Our first 2009 meeting was at the LA84 Foundation (formerly Amateur Athletic Foundation) Library on Saturday, March 9, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. In addition to the annual book auction, the agenda was:

  • “The Other Finley: Carl Finley’s Contribution to the Oakland A’s Legacy" - Jean Ardell
  • “The Impact of Urban Geography on ML Ballparks - 1901-1930" - Ron Selter
  • “Ebony and Ivory - A Construct of Fact and Fantasy” - Vic Wilson
  • “The 1961 Expansion Draft” - Andy McCue

2008 schedule

The next meeting of the Allan Roth Chapter is planned for Saturday, November 1, at the LA84 Foundation (formerly Amateur Athletic Foundation) Library, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.( http://www.la84foundation.org/4sl/over_frmst.htm ) The agenda is:

  • Brett Arena, the archivist of the A.F.Gilmore Co, who give a presentation on some aspect of Gilmore Field and/or the Hollywood Stars. He will be joined by former Stars and Pirates player, Paul Pettit.
  • Ron Selter on League Park IV (1910-46) in Cleveland
  • Vic Wilson on the 4th game of the 1957 World Series

The next meeting of the Allan Roth Chapter is planned for May 31 at the Rancho Santa Margarita Water District headquarters in South Orange County. The agenda for May 31 included:

  • Angels announcer Terry Smith
  • “Baseball in Fiction” - Andy McCue
  • “Baseball Reliquary” - Jean Ardell

Our first 2008 meeting was at the LA84 Foundation (formerly Amateur Athletic Foundation) Library on Saturday, February 23, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. In addition to the annual book auction, the agenda was:

  • Al Parnis - The Opening of Gilmore Field
  • The Demise of the Inside-the-Park-Home-Run (updated froom comments) - Ron Selter
  • Status of the 1961 Angels book project

2007 schedule

Our first 2007 meeting was at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library on Saturday, February 24, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. In addition to the annual book auction, the agenda was:

  • Jim Gordon - Wrigley Field, Los Angeles - One Shining Season in the Major League Sun
  • Byron Motley - Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants & Stars: Umpiring in the Negro Leagues & Beyond

The next meeting of the Allan Roth Chapter was held on September 29, 2007, at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library at 2141 West Adams in Los Angeles, from 10am to 3pm.
The agenda was:

2006 schedule

We met Saturday, February 25, at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library at 2141 W.Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90018, from 10am to 3pm. The Agenda included:

  • Vic Wilson and Ron Selter presented their research on right and left handed park factors.
  • Rocky Skyburg performed the final portion of his Shoeless Joe Jackson play, this time concentrating on Chuck Gandil’s orchestration of the 1919 World Series

The chapter was once again well represented at the annual convention in Seattle:

Ron Selter
Amy Essington
Rocky Skyburg as Joe Jackson
Rocky Skyburg as Charles Comiskey
Rocky Skyburg as Joe Jackson
Rocky Skyburg as Joe Jackson

We met again on Saturday, September 30, again at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library The agenda this time was:

  • Jon Bruschke -New Defensive Statistics We Should Really Start Keeping
  • A visit with former Angels/Mariners/Rangers shortstop Jim Anderson.
  • Terence Troup - The Best Dominating Seasons by a Pitcher to End a Career
  • Ron Selter - Homers in the Deadball Era
  • Barry Mednick - Bonnie Serrell's Mexican League debut

2005 schedule

The first 2005 meeting of the Allan Roth Chapter was held Saturday, February 26, at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The agenda included:

  • Al Parnis - 1947 PCL Pennant Race
  • Sesar Carreno - Negro Baseball in the Los Angeles area
  • Philip Block - "Albert and Abner--the Secret Behind the Doubleday/Cooperstown Myth"
  • Jim Gordon - "The Curse of the Acquisition"

    We met on April 30 at Angels Stadium from 1:00pm to 4:00pm in the press conference room. The agenda included:

    Ike Hampton

    We are went to the June 18 game between the Fullerton Flyers and the San Diego Surf Dawgs (featuring Rickey Henderson) of the newly formed independent Golden League. We also had a brief visit with Flyers' manager Garry Templeton before the game.

    On September 24, we were back at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library. The agenda this time was:

    • David Block, author or "Baseball Before We Knew It", talking about the origins of baseball.
    • Ron Selter - "The Evolution of Ebbets Field"
    • Al Parnis - finished his talk on the 1947 PCL Playoff Game between the Angels and Seals
    • Rocky Skyburg performed portions of the post-Black Sox portion of his one-man Shoeless Joe play, concentrating on Comiskey and Landis

    On November 19, we met at Angels Stadium again. This time, we visited with former Angels pitcher Clyde Wright and Arnold Hano, the author of “A Day in the Bleachers”.

    2004 schedule

    The first 2004 meeting of the Allan Roth Chapter was held Saturday, February 7, at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. We had our most successful book auction yet, in addition to research presentations and discussion. Author Henry Fetter spoke to us about his book Taking on the Yankees. In addition, Ron Selter presented on “Hitter's Ballparks-Problems In Measurement-A study of batting by park in the era of classic ballparks” and Amy Essington discussed the state of her research about the integration of the PCL.Rockne Skyburg performed a part of his one-man Shoeless Joe Jackson play.

    Our next meeting was May 1, also at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The main presentation of this meeting was a discussion of arbitration procedures. Mark Rosenthal of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP with assistance from Jay Wolfe of Jeff Moorad's office. Mark had handled the cases of Chris Reitsma, David Eckstein and Eric Gagne. In addition, Andy McCue told us about the new baseball books out this spring and Jean Ardell presented "Cuba Libre: Baseball Under Castro", which recounted the experiences or Jean and her husband, Dan, when they accompanied the USC baseball team on a trip to Cuba.

    2003 schedule

    The first 2003 meeting of the Allan Roth Chapter was held Saturday, February 22, at the Amateur Athletic Foundation Library from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. We held our annual book auction, Ron Selter talked about Sportsman's Park II and III, Sam James presented some trivia brain teasers and Steve Roney resurrected his annual home run presentation along with talking about his experience at the Angels' first fantasy camp.

    July 9-12 - National Convention in Denver. Twenty-one members were listed in the convention program and two presented:

    Ron Selter talks about size of parks over time and effect on offense

    		 Jean Ardell talks about several women in front office or ownership positions in Major League Baseball

    Spring/summer 2002 schedule

    May 4 - Joint meeting with the San Diego Ted Williams chapter at the home of the Lake Elsinore Storm on May 4th, starting at 2:00 pm. After the meeting, we had an all-you-can-eat barbecue (hamburger, hot dogs and chicken), followed by the California League game between the Lake Elsinore and Bakersfield. The meeting itinerary:

    George Hendrick

    Lake Elsinore Stadium

    George Hendrick

    June 26-30 - National convention in Boston, MA. The Allan Roth Chapter was well represented with presenters:

    Jean Ardell: Crashing the Press Box: What Happens When Women Write About Baseball

    Amy Essington: Integrating Boston: African Americans on the Field and in the Press Box (with Annie Russell)

    Ron Selter: Batting and Asymmetrical Ballparks : A Study of NL Ballparks, 1927-37

    Don Zminda: South Side Hit Men: A Pictorial Remembrance of the 1977 American League Season.

    July 20 - San Diego regional meeting at Qualcomm Stadium Press Box, 9:30am until 1:00pm or1:30pm.

    August 17 - Cleveland at Anaheim, Saturday evening game

    August 2000 Visit to Lancaster Jethawks

    Lancaster VP Matt Ellis
    Lancaster Jethawks stadium
    Lancaster Manager Mark Parent