The Squibber

DAVIDS CHAPTER E-NEWSLETTER -- ISSUE #6

January-February 2002

This bimonthly newsletter is produced by the Bob Davids Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, which serves SABR members in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Visit the Chapter's website at: http://www.sabrdc.org/

The newsletter is distributed electronically to members. The deadline for material for the next newsletter is February 25. Keep those ideas for squibs coming!

CONTENTS -- January/February 2002

1) Baseball Datebook: January, February, and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2) New Feature: The Capital and the Bigs, with Phil Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3) Chapter News: A Note from Lois, A Note from Don . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4) Around the Horn: Doing Baseball Work at the LOC || The Ripken Museum . . 5

5) Two Squibber Queries: Toss Us Your URL! Toss Us a Book! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

6) Local Baseball News: Hopes for Ripken Stadium, York Wants a Team, etc. . . 8

7) From the Sultan's Shelf: Harvesting Taters Out in LF, etc., with David Vincent 10

8) Across the Plate (Milestones) Dr. Lyman Examines Green Arms, etc. . . . . . . . 11

9) On Deck -- What Some Members Are Up To Now: Frank Finds Photos, etc . . 12

10) Bedsheet Banners -- Nemec Wants Obits, Ceresi Seeks Photo Stash . . . . . 13

11) Dave's Stumpers . . .(and Lesser Oddments) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

12) Editorial Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1) BASEBALL DATEBOOK -- January, February and Beyond

January 30 (Wednesday) -- York Sports Night Features Bowa

Larry Bowa, National League Manager of the Year, and Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins will appear at the York Area Sports Night, Wednesday, January 30, at Central York High School in York, PA. Tickets are free for children 10-and-under. For children 11 to 17 and adults 60 and over, tickets are $7. Regular adult tickets are $10. In addition to the sports celebrities, the show will also feature sports action entertainment designed for the entire family and a silent sports memorabilia auction. Tickets can be purchased on-line at http://www.shipleyenergy.com. Proceeds benefit the York County Special Olympics. (Submitted by Barry Sparks.)

February 1 (Friday) -- Special SABR Tour of the New Ripken Stadium

Ripken Baseball, Inc, which is involved with Ripken Stadium, the Ripken baseball academy, and the Ripken Museum, is offering a special one-hour tour of the Stadium on February 1 at 11AM. If you'd like to go, contact Larry McCray at mccrayL@bellatlantic.net or at 703-534-2238. The Stadium is outside Aberdeen MD, about 80 minutes from DC and 40 minutes north of Baltimore. There is no charge. Attendees may want to also check out the Ripken Museum while they're in Aberdeen.

February 2 (Saturday) -- Statheads Gather

The small group devoted to "Risks and Rewards in Baseball Decisions" will next meet at 10AM on February 2 at Larry McCray's home in Arlington. Speakers will include Chris Kahrl and Mark Pankin. Some tolerance for quantification is advised. For details, try Larry at mccrayL@bellatlantic.net or 703-534-2238 or Stephen Lyman at 703-924-9140.

February 6 (Wednesday) -- Tiger Talk

Dave Raglin's monthly Detroit Tiger fans' dinner will take place at the Senators Sports Bar, inside the Holiday Inn on Capitol, at 6:30PM on February 6. The location is 415 New Jersey Avenue, and there is free on-street parking in the area starting at 6:30. The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month, so future dinners are on March 6, April 3, and May 1. For details, call Mark Pattison at 202-829-9289 evenings or 202-541-3263 during the day.

February 6 (Wednesday) -- Babe Ruth's Birthday

The Babe Ruth Museum is celebrating the Babe's 107th birthday at noon with free admission, birthday cake, and a champagne toast. The Museum at the Babe's birthplace at 216 Emory Place in downtown Baltimore, two blocks northwest of Camden Yards.

February 9 (Saturday) -- Talkin' Baseball

Writer Barbara Oremland [Baltimore], who wrote about early baseball in Louisville, will address the Talkin' Baseball discussion group. The group meets at 9AM at Border's Bookstore in Columbia, MD, in the Columbia Crossing Shopping Center to the northeast of the intersection of Route 175 and Dobbin Road -- less than 2 miles west of the Interstate 95/Rte 175 junction. The host is Dave Paulson, found at (301) 854-2244 and d2244@erols.com.

February 15 (Friday) -- Pitchers and Catchers Report!

March 9 (Saturday) -- Talkin' Baseball

The Talkin' Baseball discussion group will meet at 9AM at Border's Bookstore in Columbia, MD, in the Columbia Crossing Shopping Center to the northeast of the intersection of Route 175 and Dobbin Road -- less than 2 miles west of the Interstate 95/Rte 175 junction. The host is Dave Paulson, found at (301) 854-2244 and d2244@erols.com.

March 23 (Saturday) -- Second Baseball Symposium -- Eastern Shore

The second annual symposium on the history of baseball on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is scheduled for Saturday March 23^rd from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon at Chesapeake College. A continental breakfast is included with registration. Among last year's participants returning with exhibits are the Babe Ruth Museum, the Jimmie Foxx Museum, and the Eastern Shore Hall of Fame. We hope to add at least one more exhibitor. urther details will be posted in the March Squibber. Registration forms can be downloaded after February 1^st at http://www.chesapeake.edu/, or obtained by emailing cskennedy@chesapeake.edu, or calling 410-827-5834.

April 1 (Monday) -- Opening Day at Camden Yards [vs. NYY]

May 31 - June 2 (Friday-Sunday) -- Baltimore Baseball Weekend

Glenn Spatz [Bel Air MD] is planning the chapter's 2002 Baltimore Baseball Weekend for this weekend. The program will again feature a weekend series of O's games at Camden (against the Seattle Mariners), special presentations and events, and a brand new Baseball Reader for each attendee. For details as they become available, contact Glenn at gspatz@ryland.com.

June 18 (Tuesday) -- Carolina League All-Star Game, Wilmington

The Carolina League - California League All-Star game will take place Tuesday, June 18th in Wilmington, DE. Phone 302-888-2015 for tickets. (Note - a call on December 10th produced box seats for $10 each in the second row behind the first base dugout.)

June 27-30 -- National SABR Convention in Boston

2) NEW FEATURE: THE CAPITAL AND THE BIGS -- With Phil Wood

Phil Wood [Glyndon MD] has agreed to regularly provide a few words on news relating to the old Washington Senators and on the prospects for Washington gaining a new MLB franchise. His initial offering is below. You can reach Phil at filwud@aol.com.

Looking back --Those Graying Heroes

• 1969 American League ERA leader Dick Bosman has been named pitching coach for the Orlando Rays of the Southern League (AA -- Devil Rays).

• Legendary Ohio State hoops coach Fred Taylor, who passed away over the holidays, played parts of 3 seasons with the Senators in the early 1950's.

Looking Ahead --MLB in DC?

The 2002 odds? Less than 10%. There was owner sentiment prior to Commissioner Selig's appearance on Capitol Hill to go ahead and get it done. But he was so soundly embarrassed by the pols that he's gonna let it drag on another year, even though MLB moved a team from one market to another in less than 10 days, before opening day in 1970. The odds for 2003 are more than 50%. After MLB runs the Expos for a year, the only mystery will be which group they sell them to in the only market that has a useable ballpark. It's said that George W has already told Bud that he wants to see a team in the DC area on his watch. Oh, by the way, contractions will continue...in maternity wards, but not in baseball.

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3) CHAPTER NEWS

A Note from Lois -- SABR Board member Lois Nicholson [Easton MD] writes:

Since joining SABR in 1993, I've met so many wonderful people. The Society has enriched my life in countless ways and I am very grateful for the friendships that I have made through this unique organization.

In late November, I notified SABR's nominating Committee that I would not be a candidate for reelection to the Board. SABR has reached a critical crossroads in terms of the organization's structure and the way it conducts business.

Individuals with a strong sense of personal integrity are needed. Such leadership requires individuals who have the time to devote to being a Board member, and those duties are, at times, time-consuming. Individuals with these characteristics are needed more than ever before to effectively guide the Society.

If you've thought of serving on the Board, I would encourage you to declare your candidacy for one of the three offices that are open. SABR needs you. If anyone has any questions about what serving on the Board entails, I would be happy to talk with them. The deadline for candidates is February 1.

--- Lois Nicholson, phone 410-770-4539.

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A Note from Don -- Don Pollins [Takoma Park], our webmaster, writes:

Our chapter's web site -- http://www.sabrdc.org/ --would like to increase the information in our "To Do" section. This is located on the right side of our home page. We list any baseball-related event such as autograph sessions, book readings, meetings, card shows and museum exhibitions. We try to cover the entire Mid-Atlantic region. So if you live in Richmond, VA, or Reading, PA, or anywhere in between, we want to hear from you. If you know of a baseball event in your area please email us. You will find a link to do this at the bottom of the To Do list.

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4) AROUND THE HORN -- BASEBALL ATTRACTIONS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION [Edited by Marty Payne]

Don't forget to let Marty know of any baseball site or resource in our chapter region that you'd like to see reviewed. Just send him a note at martyp@toad.net.

Doing Baseball Research at the Library of Congress -- from

Dave Kelly [Hyattsville]

[Note: The Library of Congress' Dave Kelly is well known to eminent baseball writers and researchers for his helpfulness and his fascination with all elements of the game of baseball. Note2: The following squib is based on a very rich, helpful and complete document to be found at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/LOC.htm -- go there!]

Getting Started at the LOC

The Library of Congress is on Capitol Hill and comprises three buildings (Jefferson ["LJ"], Adams ["LA"], and Madison ["LM"]) connected by tunnels; initial access should be made at the front door of any of the buildings. The Library of Congress is a closed stack library. Except for reference materials on open shelves in the various reading rooms, material must be requested using call slips available in the individual reading rooms. The time it takes to deliver material that has been requested varies by reading room and collection. Some reading rooms can retrieve materials in as little as 15 minutes; books and bound periodicals generally take from one to one and a half hours.

A Library-issued user card is required to request materials from the stacks. User cards are free and must be renewed every 2 years. They are issued by Reader Registration (Madison Building LM 140). A picture ID with current address is necessary to obtain a user card. Some reading rooms (Manuscript, Prints and Photographs) require additional registration. Additionally, some reading rooms (Main, Manuscript, Prints and Photographs, Rare Book) restrict materials that may be brought in. If this is a concern it may be advisable to contact the specific reading room before coming to the Library. More detailed information can be found in the publication Information for Researchers. A copy may be requested by or by email from hssref@loc.gov.

You will want to select from among the following reading rooms [Dave's full document shows the hours, and typical baseball holdings, for each: Ed.] Main Reading Room -- LJ 100, Microform Reading Room -- LJ 139B, Manuscript Reading Room -- LM 101, Prints and Photographs Reading Room -- LM 339, Newspaper and Current Periodicals Reading Room -- LM 133, Geography and Map Reading Room -- LM B01, Performing Arts Reading Room -- LM 113, Motion Picture and Broadcasting Reading Room -- LM 336.

The General Collections

The Library's book and bound periodical collections published after 1800 are referred to as the "general collections." Material in the general collections can be requested either in the Main Reading Room in the Jefferson Building or the Science, Technology and Business Reading Room on the 5^th floor of the Adams Building. Almost all of the Library's baseball books have call numbers beginning with the letters GV and are shelved in the Adams Building. It is always much faster to request books in the building in which they are located, avoiding having them sent to a different building.

Indexes and Abstracts

The Library subscribes to numerous electronic indexes, although in many cases coverage is limited to the last twenty years. The Main Reading Room maintains paper copies of these indexes both retrospectively and for the years covered electronically. Unlike the computer catalog for book holdings, these indexes must be searched on-site. Since indexes are available commercially, they are also available at many public and academic libraries.

[Dave's longer paper here lists 12 of the most useful search indexes. Ed]

For Dave's six-page guide, Baseball Research at the Library of Congress, go to http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/LOC.htm.

The Ripken Museum in Aberdeen -- Worth a Short Stop?

You've seen that sign many times. When life allows you to travel to New England, or requires you to drive to Gotham, you always read the words "Ripken Museum" right at Exit 85 of Interstate 95 near Aberdeen, about 40 miles north of Baltimore. [That new construction you see on the West side of I-95, at milepost 85.3, is the new Ripken Stadium and Academy].

A newspaper reporter once asked a clever rhetorical question about the compact museum -- "Is it worth a short stop?" The answer is yes, especially if a young admirer of Cal is in the car with you. The museum is a well-signed five-minute drive from the I-95 off-ramp, the entrance fee is only $3 for adults, and you won't spend a whole afternoon lingering there. The big catch is that you may find it closed, depending on the season; the volunteer-staffed Museum advises that you call ahead to 410-273-2525 to confirm when the doors are open.

The Museum is dedicated to the whole ball-playing Ripken clan [six of them played pretty serious hardball], not just to Cal. It occupies a part of a former bank building, and will eventually triple in size. For an online taste of what's there, visit Cal's official site at http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/fans/celebrity/ripken/museum/tour.html, or maybe go to the plainer official museum site at http://www.ripkenmuseum.com/. There's a good range of game-used artifacts on display, ranging from youth league uniforms to the game ball from the very dawning of The Streak to the lineup card for Cal Senior's first MLB game as manager of two sons.

While you're in Aberdeen, take five minutes to do two other things. First, glimpse the statue of Cal out on the nearby lawn, and ponder a moment why they immortalize an Iron Man in bronze. Then, walk a few steps up Howard Street to #18, where there is a tiny but charming exhibit devoted to Les German, another major leaguer from Aberdeen. German, a pitcher/3B, played with Washington's NL club in 1896-7, enduring a 2-20 record in 1896 but sporting a career BA of .260. He later turned up as a sharpshooter in Annie Oakley's tour. [Meanwhile, across the way there, grampa Ahrend Ripken -- a local lumber yard worker -- was launching a long streak of family baseball talent.]

[Note: A longer version of this Ripken Museum review, and the full set of 9 past "Around the Horn" reviews, is at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/ATH.htm.]

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5) A SQUIBBER QUERY: TOSS US YOUR URL!

The Squibber's website has a new page aborning, one that offers about 50 websites that relate to our area. http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/links.htm has links to 23 baseball pages for local college and amateur teams, and to an assortment of baseball organizations -- e.g., Virginians for Baseball, the Baltimore Bat Company, the Clark Griffith League, etc.

What the list doesn't capture, at this point, are the websites maintained by chapter members themselves. We'd like to add them. We know of a few -- like Jay Roberts' [Alexandria] fine Giants Journal site at http://members.aol.com/Jaybird926/giants.htm, Charlie Pavitt's [Rockville] terrific site, which lists and categorizes many many baseball stats articles at http://www.udel.edu/johnc/faculty/pavitt.html, and Mark Pankin's [Arlington] Baseball Page at http://pankin.com/baseball.htm.

If you have a baseball-relevant site, or know of one that a fellow member maintains, please send your URL to Larry McCray at mccrayL@bellatlantic.net.

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ANOTHER SQUIBBER QUERY: TOSS US A GOOD LOCAL BOOK!

A Note from "Around the Horn" Editor Marty Payne [St. Michaels MD]:

When it seems impossible to get out to the many baseball resources in our area . . . well, sometimes they come to you. The holidays brought me George Will's, Bunts; Burt Solomon's, Where They Ain't; and John Eisenberg's, From 33^rd Street to Camden Yards. Some of our greatest baseball assets are the books and articles generated about baseball in the region. It's a resource that can be enjoyed in the comfort of one's home on a cold winter's night, or even a hot summer's night.

Readers are encouraged to send Marty titles, authors, and a brief description (optional) of a favorite book or article by related to baseball within the geographic region of the chapter [VA/DC/MD/DE/SoPA], or by regional writers. It is hoped we can help keep members informed in future Squibbers of what local material is available for our reading pleasure. Send your nominees to martyp@toad.net.

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6) LOCAL BASEBALL NEWS

Aberdeen, MD -- thanks to Hank Riefle:

The town of Aberdeen is one of five sites being considered as possible headquarters for USA Baseball, which, among its other functions, selects and trains the US Olympic ballclub. The presence of the new Ripken Stadium and baseball academy along route 95 is thought to provide a major advantage to Aberdeen. USA Baseball hopes to select a HQ site by June or July.

Meanwhile, officials at Ripken Baseball, which will operate the facility, are still looking for a pro team to play in the new park, which should be finished in March. Relocation of a team from the short-season "NY-Penn" League [which already has clubs in OH, NJ, VT and MA] is thought to be a possibility.

Ripken Stadium will park 6,000 backsides. The nearby baseball academy will feature 6 fields, each built to replicate a famous ballpark, such as Fenway, Camden, Wrigley, Ebbetts, and Old Mem [RIP] on 33rd Street. Construction costs for the stadium have amounted to about $18 million.

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Frederick, MD -- submitted by John Munns:

The Frederick Keys open the season April 5th at home against Lynchburg under new manager Jack Voight, the former O's outfielder.

The Keys will not be broadcasting games on radio this year. "No local radio station wanted to carry us," according to Joe Pinto, Keys' General Manager. Frederick will be the only team in the Carolina League that will not have its games broadcast over a radio station.

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Hagerstown, MD -- thanks to Bob Savitt:

The Hagerstown Suns of the Sally League, now affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, have hired Chris Dusel as their number one radio announcer this year, replacing Karl Schalk. The 27-year-old Dusel, a Umass grad and Rhode Island native, last served as the number two announcer for Lynchburg of the Carolina League.

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York, PA -- submitted by Barry Sparks:

Lancaster, PA has been awarded an Atlantic League baseball franchise for the 2003 season. York, PA, although only 25 miles from Lancaster, is also hoping to land a team in the same league.

Officials from the independent baseball league visited York in November to sell business leaders on the idea. It's unlikely, however, that York will secure a team for the 2003 season. The odds are better for the 2004 season. For the past several years, landing a minor league baseball team has been a major goal for York Mayor Charlie Robertson. At times, York has courted Class AAA and Class AA teams, but to no avail. Former major leaguer Howie Bedell served as a minor league baseball consultant to York City officials. York has proposed to build a $24 million stadium downtown. The goal is to have the private sector fund half the cost and that the state fund the rest.

Meanwhile, Lancaster is debating where to build its new stadium.

Inductions into the York Area Sports Hall of Fame will take place at the January 30th York Area Sports Night. York County has produced a number of outstanding baseball players -- Members in the local Hall of Fame include Paul "Jakie" Stephens (Negro Leagues), Cliff Heathcote, Ken Raffensberger, Vic Wertz, Butch Wynegar, and Greg Gross.

Elsewhere --

A new book on the Nats has appeared. The Washington Senators 1901-1971 was written by Tom Deveaux and published last May by McFarland. The online price for the 288-page work is about $43. Barnes and Noble reports that the tome sports a sales rank of 513,385, not that it matters.

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7) FROM THE SULTAN'S SHELF -- With David Vincent

Some longball results for the 2001 season, provided by the Sultan of Swat Stats [Woodbridge VA]:

Bonds Busts Ralph's Record . . . Ted's, Too --Barry Bonds set a new single-season home run in 2001 with 73. He hit 71 of them as the left fielder, breaking Ralph Kiner's 52-year old record of 54 in LF. (This year Luis Gonzalez hit 57 in LF to top Kiner as well.) Bonds also passed Ted Williams for the career lead in LF with 539; Teddy Ballgame hit 477 when tending the northern pasture.

Rocky's Slump Spares Ferrell's Mark -- Mike Hampton hit 7 homers as a pitcher this year, which is the second highest total for moundsmen; Wes Ferrell hit 9 in 1931 and 6 other pitchers have socked 7 through the years. Hampton's last homer came on August 9th.

Keystone Klobbers-- Bret Boone set a new AL home run mark for second basemen with 36, topping Joe Gordon's 1948 record of 32. Alex Rodriguez became the first shortstop to hit 50 homers as he slammed 52 in 2001, thus breaking Ernie Banks' record 47 in 1958.

Pinch Power -- Craig Wilson hit 7 pinch homers this year to tie Dave Hansen's record from 2000. Both David Dellucci and Erubiel Durazo hit 5 pinch homers for the Diamondbacks in 2001.

NOTE: Want to check your knowledge of the all-time leaders at each position? Take a look at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/sultan.htm

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8) CROSSING THE PLATE: MEMBER NEWS

Several of our guys were prominent at the SABR Convention in Milwaukee in July. David W. Smith [Wilmington DE] used play-by-play Retrosheet data to recount key 1951 NL pennant thrills. Jeff Campbell [Washington] -- chair of SABR's Music and Poetry Committee -- discussed popular songs inspired by baseball, and presented recorded examples. Dave Paulson [Columbia] showed video highlights of his colloquy with superagent Ron Shapiro. Norman Macht [Easton MD] offered remembrances of "Unser Choe" [Our Joe, if you're not German-American] Hauser, a Milwaukee favorite. Clay Davenport [Washington] discussed the olde minor league Orioles. Clem Comly [Philly] talked about the sad sad pennant chase endured by the 1964 Phillies.

Epidemiologist Stephen Lyman [Alexandria] saw the year-end publication of his paper on arm injuries in young ballplayers. "Longitudinal Study of Elbow and Shoulder Pain in Youth Baseball Pitchers" appeared in the November issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and was picked up by AP and carried in some local newspapers. Among Stephen's findings were that about half of pitchers aged nine to twelve experience arm pain after a game. The paper calls for a 75-pitch limit per game, for monitoring players' participation in multiple leagues, and for greater reliance on change-ups than curveballs for pitchers at these ages. For an abstract, go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, and use search terms "youth baseball pitchers."

Emphatic Giant fan Jay Roberts [Alexandria] reviewed the impressive season openers pitched by Juan Marichal in the 2001 edition of the Baseball Research Journal [pp. 63-66]. "Juan Marichal: An Opening Day Dandy" tells how in his ten Openers, Marichal averaged 8.1 innings pitched, had an ERA of 1.73, tossed two 3-hitters and six complete games, and batted .325. In his worst outing, he lasted seven innings. Quite unshabby.

In December, Dana Burton [Elkridge MD] started a new job as Project Manager with The Baseball Factory, Inc., in Columbia. Dana will provide support to the new eighth team in the college-level Clark Griffith League. The new team, whose exact home and nickname are still being worked out, will start play on June 1. The Baseball Factory's mission is, in part, "to help players and parents through the difficult process of finding a college that is right both academically and athletically." Its website is http://www.baseballfactory.com/index.shtml.

Phil Wood [Glyndon MD] continues to serve on the board of directors of the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame and the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, and writes about baseball regularly for USAStats.com, the website of the Rotisserie League Baseball Association. He has done consulting work on baseball collectibles with many auction houses, as well as the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and the Smithsonian Institution. His TuffStuff article "Remembering a Legend," relating the times Phil met Joe DiMaggio, was reprinted in the 2001 Grandstand Baseball Annual. He recently ended nearly a decade working with WTEM radio.

Arlington's Al Kermisch resumed his familiar essay, "From a Researcher's Notebook" in the 2001 issue of Baseball Research Journal [pp. 131-133]. His eight squibs include accounts of a complete game thrown against Boston by aging Baltimorean Babe Ruth in September 1930, how Earl Weaver walked away with third base [fine: $100] when he was ejected from an Eastern League game in 1963, and how a nice lady predicted at a spring training game that the O's new infielder, Calvin Ripken Junior, would be voted to the HOF one day -- a lady who turned out to be Vi Ripken.

Ron Shandler [Roanoke] has a new set of aids for fantasy leaguers from Shandler Enterprises LLC. Baseball Forecaster 2002 rates over 900 players, and his subscribable website carries news, stats, and their "fantasy implications." For a good peek at Ron's commercial products, go to http://baseballhq.com/. Ron presents some heady testimonials indeed; stats quasiguru Rob Neyer, for instance, is quoted thus: "Your book is fantastic. It essentially was all I used in my Roto draft this year."

David Vincent [Woodbridge VA] appeared on ESPN's Outside the Lines in September.

Note: to peruse the set of 44 recent squibs on chapter member attainments, see http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/Member_News.htm.

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9) ON DECK: WHAT SOME MEMBERS ARE UP TO

Detroit Tigers Lists and More: Runs, Hits, and Eras, by Mark Pattison [Washington] and Dave Raglin [moving?] is now scheduled for publication in March. The 360-page paperback will be published by Wayne State University Press.

Together with Boulder Colorado SABR member Mark Rucker, Frank Ceresi [Alexandria] is expecting April publication of their new illustrated history, Baseball in Washington. The book, including about 200 photographs, covers area baseball from the mid-nineteenth Century to the sad disappearance of the Senators, and will be printed by Arcadia Press. For more details, contact Frank at fceresi@fcassociates.com or call him daytimes at 703-717-0559

A note from Bob McConnell [Wilmington DE] lays out activities of the SABR Minor League Committee, which he chairs. The Committee is trying to compile a list of every farm club, and reports many remaining gaps for season before 1932. It is also hoping to compile a list of every minor league in the Nineteenth Century, including pro leagues, semi-pro leagues, and amateur leagues. A third project is to compile averages for minor leaguers who played fewer than 10 games, a group that wasn't always included earlier. If you want to chip in, write Bob at 210 West Crest Street, Wilmington DE 19803.

A frequent contributor to past issues of National Pastime, Ted Farmer [Blacksburg VA] sent questionnaires to about 50 ex-MLB pitchers, asking them about their "toughest outs." He found that pre-1980 pitchers were more cooperative than younger chuckers, and reports that the Orioles' Jim Palmer was among the most thoughtful and kind of his respondents. Ted's write-up of his results will appear in the 2002 version of Joe Wayman's Grandstand Baseball Annual, PO Box 4208, Downey CA 90241.

George Hilton [Columbia] is at work on a book about the White Sox and the Cubs from the 1906 season [when the two met in the World Series, the Sox winning 4 games to 2] through 1910. These were the Sox of Ed Walsh, and the Cubs of Ed Reulbach and those famous infielders Tinker, Evers, and Chance.

John Holway [Springfield VA] is preparing for publication a register of the 100 top superstars of the Negro Leagues. It will include stats for these stars beyond what is presented in John's recent Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues and will lay out data for Cuban play and exhibition games as well as Negro League games. He is also preparing a third volume of interviews with alums, Tales of Blackball Days, and is at work on a first revision of the Complete Book.

Note: to see the set of 31 accounts of the current projects of Davids chapter members, see http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/On_Deck.htm.

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10) BEDSHEET BANNERS -- Messages from Members

If you're a chapter member who has published a book, fellow chapter member Mark Pattison [Washington], a first-time author, would be interested in hearing what you have to say about tax stuff, accountants, deductions and the like -- because W-2 doesn't just stand for Jose Mercedes' win total through last July. Contact Mark via e-mail at mpattison@catholicnews.com or call him evenings and weekends at 202-829-9289.

Frank Ceresi [Alexandria] is trying to locate a collection of early vintage baseball photography reportedly held by a collector in Arlington, VA. The collection covers both professional and nonprofessional ball. If you can help, contact Frank at fceresi@fcassociates.com or at his daytime phone at 703-717-0559.

Know about the demise of a former minor leaguer? Bob McConnell [Wilmington] notes that all SABR members can help by passing on [oh, sorry] information on minor leaguers' death, recent or in the distant past, to Ray Nemec of the Minor League Committee at baseballray@aol.com or 630-357-2381. Ray would like copies of players' obits, if feasible. If the player also appeared in the majors, the information should go to Bill Carle of the Biographical Research Committee, at bbxpert@aol.com.

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11) DAVE's STUMPERS . . . AND LESSER ODDMENTS

Dave Raglin [moving soon] sends along two more trivia stumpers. Answers appear in Section 12, below.

Stumper B2 In the 1966 World Series when the O's swept the Dodgers, they had three complete games. Which Oriole starter did not complete his assignment?

Stumper W2 Who were the leaders of the 1971 clubhouse revolt against Ted Williams and his Washington Senator coaches?

Didja Know . . .That a total of 58 Gold Gloves have been presented to members of the Senators and the Orioles, and that, of these, 57 went to Orioles players? Yep, Brooks got 16 times the sum total of the Nats, Blair got 8 times as many as all Sens ever, and heck, even Eddie Murray tripled the Washingtonian total. The only really handy Senator was Catcher Earl Battey, who got his Gold Mitt in 1960 . . . and, of course, left town right away for Minnesota, where he won two more. Didja Care?

Didja Know . . . That in 1987, the Emil Verban Society's "Ernie Banks Positivism Award" was presented to Ronald Reagan? And that the very same Award later went to Hillary Clinton? Didja Care?

Didja Know . . . That, of seven MLB teams that have vacated a city in pursuit of greener fields of dreams, the two Washington Nats quitters ranked #2 and #3 in top final-year attendance [behind the Brooklyn Dodgers]? That the DC club that evacuated in 1961 for the Twin Cities had seen its attendance increase by over 50% from 1958 to 1960 -- to a level that was nearly triple the total draw for the St. Louis Browns in their last year before coming to Baltimore? Didja Care? [Thanks to Jeff Stuart. for these data.]

And . . . Who Are We, Anyway? We took a look at our mailing list recently, and here's how it stacks up. Our total chapter membership is 590 souls. This comprises about 310 from Washington and its suburbs [40 from DC, 140 from the Virginia suburbs, and 130 from the Maryland suburbs] and 110 from Baltimore and its suburbs [40 from Baltimore, 70 from its suburbs]. In addition about 85 live further south in Virginia, about 25 reside in eastern or western Maryland, and about 60 live in south-central Pennsylvania. Our mailings also go out to SABR members to the north -- 30 in Delaware and 140 in greater Philadelphia -- many of who participate in some of our activities. Thus, our total list includes 760 addressees -- 265 from MD, 225 from VA, 200 from PA, 40 from DC, and 30 from DE. Not that you asked.

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12) EDITORIAL STUFF

We welcome your ideas for future squibs. And we accept your complaints.

Larry McCray, editor, Arlington VA -- mccrayL@bellatlantic.net

Marty Payne, St. Michaels MD -- martyp@toad.net

Correspondents

Baltimore -- Richard Ottone || Frederick -- John Munns ||

Greater Aberdeen -- Hank Riefle || Hagerstown Suns -- Bob Savitt

Harrisburg -- Ted Knorr || York -- Barry Sparks

"The Backstop's Here?" President Harry S Truman kept a famous sign on his Oval Office desk, one that reflected the unique responsibilities of a President: -- other officials might be able to pass the buck, but, the Truman sign said, "The Buck Stops Here." Learning that George W. Bush was a catcher in his Little League days, we wonder if a "The Backstop's Here" sign wouldn't fit handsomely on his desk.

Note: a hard copy of this newsletter can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, 55-cent-stamped envelope to Larry McCray, 6424 N. 26^th Street, Arlington VA 22207. If you meet a member who isn't on the net, tell her/him about that.

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Stumper Answer B2 -- Dave McNally, in Game 1, lasted only 2.1 innings, and Moe Drabowski went the rest of the way that day. The other days' starters were Jim Palmer, Game 2, Wally Bunker, Game 3, and McNally again, Game 4. Yup, the O's used only four pitchers in the whole giddy Series

Stumper Answer W2 -- Bernie Allen and Denny McLain, who called themselves "the underminers."

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And Finally -- "Boys, boys . . ."

"All Earl [Weaver} understood about the curveball is that he couldn't hit one. So that's want he wanted you to throw." -- Jim Palmer

"I have to move my outfielders ten steps to the right, so that after Palmer moves them five steps to the left, they'll be in the right place." -- Earl Weaver

[The two beloved Birds are quoted in L. Rubin, The Quotable Baseball Fanatic (Lyons Press, 2000), pages 97 and 275.]

Links to Past Newsletters:

January 2001, http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/Jan01.htm

March 2001, http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/Mar01.htm,

May 2001, http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/May01.htm

September 2001, http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/Spt01.htm

November 2001, http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/Nov01.htm