SABR Baseball Biography Project | Society for American Baseball
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THE ----.;..----- Baseball~Research JOURNAL Cy Seymour Bill Kirwin 3 Chronicling Gibby's Glory Dixie Tourangeau : 14 Series Vignettes Bob Bailey 19 Hack Wilson in 1930 Walt Wilson 27 Who Were the Real Sluggers? Alan W. Heaton and Eugene E. Heaton, Jr. 30 August Delight: Late 1929 Fun in St. Louis Roger A. Godin 38 Dexter Park Jane and Douglas Jacobs 41 Pitch Counts Daniel R. Levitt 46 The Essence of the Game: A Personal Memoir Michael V. Miranda 48 Gavy Cravath: Before the Babe Bill Swank 51 The 10,000 Careers of Nolan Ryan: Computer Study Joe D'Aniello 54 Hall of Famers Claimed off the Waiver List David G. Surdam 58 Baseball Club Continuity Mark Armour ~ 60 Home Run Baker Marty Payne 65 All~Century Team, Best Season Version Ted Farmer 73 Decade~by~Decade Leaders Scott Nelson 75 Turkey Mike Donlin Michael Betzold 80 The Baseball Index Ted Hathaway 84 The Fifties: Big Bang Era Paul L. Wysard 87 The Truth About Pete Rose :-.~~-.-;-;.-;~~~::~;~-;:.-;::::;::~-:-Phtltp-Sitler- 90 Hugh Bedient: 42 Ks in 23 Innings Greg Peterson 96 Player Movement Throughout Baseball History Brian Flaspohler 98 New "Production" Mark Kanter 102 The Balance of Power in Baseball Stuart Shapiro 105 Mark McGwire's 162 Bases on Balls in 1998 John F. Jarvis 107 Wait Till Next Year?: An Analysis Robert Saltzman 113 Expansion Effect Revisited Phil Nichols 118 Joe Wilhoit and Ken Guettler: Minors HR Champs Bob Rives 121 From A Researcher's Notebook Al Kermisch 126 Editor: Mark Alvarez THE BASEBALL RESEARCH JOURNAL (ISSN 0734-6891, ISBN 0-910137-82-X), Number 29. Published by The Society for American Basehall Research, Inc. 812 Huron Road, Suite 719, Designated Readers: Dick Thompson, Al Blumkin Cleveland, OH, 44115. Postage paid at Binningham, AL. Copyright 2000 by The Society for American Baseball Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without Copy Editor: Fred Ivor~Campbell written permission is prohibited. Printed by EBSCO Media, Birmingham, AL. The Society for American Baseball Research History The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) was founded on August 10, 1971, by 1. Robert "Bob" Davids and fifteen other baseball researchers at Cooperstown, New York, and now boasts more than 6,700 members worldwide. The Society's objectives are • to foster the study of baseball as a significant American institution, • to establish an accurate historical account of baseball through the years, • to facilitate the dissemination of baseball research information, • to stimulate the best interest of baseball as our national pastime, and • to cooperate in safeguarding proprietary interests of individual research efforts of members of the Society. BaseballResearchJournal The Society published its first annual Baseball ResearchJournal in January 1972. The present volume is the twenty-eighth. Most of the previous volumes are still available for purchase (see inside back cover). The editorial policy is to publish a cross section of research articles by our members which reflect their interest in history, biography, statistics and other aspects of baseball not previously published. Interested in Joining the Society? SABR membership is open to all those interested in baseball research, statistics or history. The 2001 membership dues are $50 US, $60 Canada & Mexico and $65 overseas (US funds only) and are based on the calendar year. Members receive the BaseballResearchJournal, The National Pastime, The SABR Bulletin, and other special publications. Senior, Student and family options are available. To join SABR, mail the form (or a photocopy) below to SABR, 812 Huron Rd E#719, Cleveland OH 44115 or check www:sabr.org. 2001 Annual Dues: US Canada/Mexico Overseas SABR Membership Form: 2001 $50 $60 US$ $65 US$ Three- Year $140 $170 US$ $185 US$ Students $30 $40 US$ $45 US$ Name: _ Seniors $30 $40 US$ $45 US$ Family Membership: Additional family members living at the same address may join SABR for $15 per year per person. Family membership entitles one to full member benefits except the publications. Address: One set ofpublications will be sent to each household Students are under 18 years of age or full-time college student (Copy of college ID required). Seniors are 65 years or older SABR membership is based on the calendar year. Will you allow SABR to sell your name to baseball-related compaJues who rent SABR's mailing list? YES NO Home Phone: Are you interested in regional meetings? YES NO Are you willing to research? YES NO Areas of Interest: E-Mail/Fax: I. Minor Leagues 12. Collegiate Baseball 2. Negro Leagues 13. Latin America 3. Baseball Records 14. UmpirelRules Birthdate: _ Application Date: _ 4. Biographical Research I5. Dead Ball Era 16. Women in Baseball How I Found Out About SABR 5. Statistical Analysis 17. Oral History SABR member who referred me 6. Ballparks 7. Hall of Fame 18. Baseball Education Gift from: 8. 19th Century 19. Scouts 9. Socio-Economic Aspects 20. Pictorial History 10.Bibliography 21. Baseball Music and Poetry II.Book Collecting Other: _ CySeymour Only Babe Ruth was more versatile Bill Kirwin Imagine if a young major league pitcher, like Andy Of the approximately 14,000 players l who have Pettitte of the Yankees, decided, for whatever reason, made it to the major leagues since 1893, only a tiny to become an outfielder in the year 2001. And imag number have enjoyed success both on the pitcher's ine if he hit over .300 for the next five years, mound and in the batter's box. A few well-known culminating in 2005 by winning the league batting players, like Sam Rice, Stan Musial, and George crown. And imagine if, upon his retirement in 2010, Sisler, began their careers as pitchers but became bet he had accumulated more than 1,700 hits and gener ter known as hitters. Others, like Mike Marshall and ated a lifetime batting average of over .300 to go Bob Lemon, switched from the field to the mound. along with his sixty plus pitching victories. Imagine Only a handful, however, enjoyed success as both I all the articles that would be written at the close of hitters and pitchers. Smoky Joe Wood's blazing the first decade of the twenty-first century calling for fastball enabled him to win 116 games before he blew Pettitte to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. his arm out. In 1918 he switched to the outfield, and There was such a player, born a century earlier than he retired with 553 hits and a respectable .283 batting Pettitte. He collected 1,723 hits and became a life average. Rube Bressler began his career in 1914 as a time .303 hitter after he won 61 games as a major pitcher, compiling a 26-32 record with Philadelphia league pitcher. His name was James Bentley "Cy" and the Reds. Then he became a full-time outfielder, Seymour, and he is perhaps the game's greatest forgot principally for Cincinnati and Brooklyn. Between ten name. Seymour won 25 games and led the league 1921 and 1932 he collected 1,090 hits and produced in strikeouts in 1898; seven seasons later, in 1905, he a lifetime .301 batting average. Hal Jeffcoat, on the won the National League batting crown with a .377 other hand, played the first six years of his career as average. Only one player in the history of the game an outfielder with the Cubs, and the last six as a Babe Ruth-has more pitching victories and more pitcher with the Cubs and the Reds. He was 39-37 in hits than Seymour. The second most versatile player 245 games as a pitcher, and accumulated 487 hits for to ever play the game is almost totally unknown! a lifetime batting average of .248. Since 1893, when the pitching rubber was moved back to sixty feet six inches, only two major leaguers Bill Kirwin is a professor emeritus at the University of Calgary and the have pitched in 100 games and collected 1,500 hits.2 founder and editor of NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture. Ruth (1914-35) stroked 2,873 hits in his career and He wishes to thank the following people for their assistance with this article: Bill Weiss, Bob Hoie, Larry Gerlach, David Mills, George Gmelch, Sharon pitched in 163 games(94-46, 2.28 ERA). Seymour Gmelch, Terry Malley, Jean Ardell, Darryl Brock, Bob Klein, David Voigt, (1896-1913) got 1,723 hits and pitched in 140 games Wendy Kirwin, Tom Ruane, the late Jerry Malloy, Tim Wiles, and the staff (61-56,3.76 ERA). at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown. ------------'--------------<0>--------------------- THE BASEBALL RESEARCH JOURNAL Seymour's pitching career highlights include that Seymour's 1897 record indicates that he was be 25-victory season with a league-leading 239 strikeouts coming a peer of teammate and future Hall of Fame in 1898, tops during the transition era of 1893-1900. member Amos Rusie. Of the twenty-one pitching cat In addition to his hitting crown in 1905, he led both egories listing the top five performers in Total leagues in hits (219) triples (21), RBIs (121) and slug Baseball, he ranks first in four and second in another. ging average (.559). He was second in home runs (8), Rusie is first in one category (ERA, 2.54), second in one behind the leader,3 and he led the National nine, third in one and fourth in one. Future Hall of League in doubles (40). He also led the league and Famer Kid Nichols of Boston clearly led the league, the majors in total bases (325), production (988), ad being first in ten categories and in the top five in all justed production (175), batter runs(64.7), and runs but three.12 created (153).