£1.00 / $2.00 1 The SABR(UK) Number 3 Examiner November 1993 THE JOURNAL OF THE BOBBY THOMSON CHAPTER OF THE SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH (UK) SABR GOES LOCAL ! On September 4 the Bobby Netherlands. Yes, our friend last time. This might be a good Thomson Chapter of SABR(UK) Laurens De Jongs once again place to mention our debt of grati- staged a triumphant return to the showed his devotion by travelling tude to the Kings of Clerkenwell Kings of Clerkenwell pub to hold across the Dutch Channel to min- governor, John Eichler. Without its first local meeting. The call did gle with fellow fanatics, this time his cooperation this meeting could not go out far and wide, and the bringing a friend, Guus Mater . never have taken place; his hos- meeting was appropriately inti- Actually, the attendance was one pitality was always first-rate. Af- mate and informal. The crowd short. A reporter from the Associ- terwards Mike played selections started gathering about 2 for a 3 ated Press was sent to visit the from interviews that he had con- o'clock meeting. Earlycomers meeting to do a piece on it and ducted with Hall of Famers Ted were treated to a spectacle; sur- send it through the wires through- Williams, Hank Greenberg, Luke real things seem to happen when- out the U.S. - but he got lost and Appling, and Reggie Jackson. An- ever SABR members gather. The couldn't find the place. Frankly, I other video, "When It was a Game", last time we met, in Manchester, don't blame him. I found trying to was played. This incredible video a monster warehouse party was find the Kings so exasperating that consists of color home movies of just starting. This time we had a I came very close to giving up. And baseball in the 30's, 40's, and wedding start just outside our so we all missed our chance for 50's. All in all, a good time was door. The pub is directly opposite quick fame. had by all. This makes the hat the St. Peter and Paul Church The meeting itself was infor- trick of meetings SABR(UK) has (what is this - did they have to mally organized, so there's not too had this year; may we do even merge because of budget cuts?). much to report. The Editor read better in 1994! So while we were standing around excerpts from a letter from Nor- - Martin Hoerchner watching the latest baseball game man Macht, covered elsewhere in from Sky partaking of our land- the Examiner. In the place of lord's hospitality, and generally having formal presentations, we EDITOR'S NOTE: chatting about The Game, women had a forum in which members Welcome to the second edi- with hats from Ascot were traips- could opine over some strongly- tion of the SABR(UK) Examiner. ing about in gowns from "Gone held baseball subject. The sub- We've aleady made a few im- With The Wind". I half expected ject that got the most attention provements over the last issue, one to call out for Ashley. Just was whether Reggie Jackson like the ability to print pictures before the meeting was going to should be in the Hall of Fame. and graphics. In the next issue of start, an ambulance pulled up in Opinions of Reggie ranged from an the Examiner we're going for pho- front of the church. We never overrated hotdog to one of the tographs. The next publication found out if it was the groom fak- most exciting characters since we are planning to send out is our ing an attack or the bride's father Babe Ruth. We put on a tape of version of the Baseball Research fainting dead away. I think it this year's All-Star Game and Journal, with articles directly re- might have been one of these broke for the bar. Laurens De lated to the history of baseball in women tripping up in her stilleto Jongs, our world traveller, told us both Britain in the U.S. Look for heels and gathered-tightly- of his visit to San Diego for the '93 that early in the New Year. Any- around-the-ankles Bill Blass SABR Convention, and informed one interested in writing some- creation. us of some up-and-coming Dutch thing please contact us. We've So the meeting starts. We players in the Majors. Then we already got some fascinating stuff, are represented by 15 SABR'ites, broke for the kitchen, and were but we can always use more. So not only from London, but from treated to more of the chili and/or get thinking! Birmingham, Manchester, and the lasagne selection that we loved 2 VIEW FROM THE CHAIR by Mike Ross An Associated Press cor- We discussed the idea of pub- ball champions, under the aus- respondent attempted to at- lishing a seperate research jour- pices of A.G. Spalding. Its loss tend the SABR local chapter nal with scholarly works submit- signifies - and was concurrent ted to us for the Examiner; other- with - the demise of baseball in meeting in London at the wise the size of the pieces would the UK. If some latter-day Indi- Kings of Clerkenwell but was over-extend the Examiner, which ana Jones (or your normal in- unable to locate us. Joseph really is a newsletter. ... The short trepid SABR member) can man- White later phoned the piece by Geraint Johnes and Bob age to unearth the Spalding tro- SABR(UK) HQ and in a three- Thornton included in this issue is phy and - who knows? - decipher intended to be a seminal research some acient runes from a time way conference call lasting item, hopefully to ignite activity, when baseball was actually a 30 minutes obtained enough thus making Great Britain worthy drawing card in Great Britain, it data from Treasurer Andy of becoming (or, having become) could signify a new beginning for Parkes to send a report of "these SABR'd Isles". baseball research in this country. events surrrounding the Yours, I received word from the Mid- Mike Ross meeting out on the AP wire, lands of the discovery of a scrap- which is reproduced on page book compiled by Joseph Wright, who is alleged to be a relation of 8. The report was picked up by TIPS FOR AUTHORS various papers including the local George Wright, and Harry Wright Akron, Ohio Beacon-Journal, and who is credited with being "the Mark Alvarez, Director of was spotted by Charles Kirkwood, Father of Baseball". There is men- SABR Publications, has put to- a professor of economics at Akron tion of a hitherto undocumented gether a few suggestions for those U. (is there an Akron U.?) Kirkwood baseball mission which journeyed interested in writing for SABR, contacted us from Birmingham from the USA last century and whether in the Examiner, the (England) where he was about to played the Middlesborough Pio- Baseball Research Journal, or start a retirement programme, neers who laid claim to being the some other publication. These teaching at the local university. best team in Britain. Further are contained in two handouts, He phoned us and asked if he scrapbook items, from which I have which offer hints such as: 1. Be could join SABR ... and so another yet to see more than fifteen pages, yourself ... 2. Have a point ... 3. little facet has been added to the were promised. At the time I was Answer a question, don't confirm SABR(UK) diamond. If any of you about to confer on the transfer of a prejudice ... 4. Pare extraneous are planning to gather up there in more of these valuable documents, material away ruthlessly .. 5. Don't the mid-boonies, for baseball pur- the gentleman in question, a Mr strain for a lead paragraph - it will poses don't forget to invite Charles Marshall, was rushed to hospital emerge ... 6. Imagine you're writ- (tel 0384 378275). for surgery. Since then he has ing a letter to a friend ... 7. Rewrite been incommunicado. I leave you - your first draft is just that ... 8. As for increasing the profile to supply the subtext to this tale. Stop when you've said what you of baseball in Great Britain: just Meanwhile, I am sending out a need to say ... 9. Expect to be as Mt Everest increases the pro- research request for information edited ... The full text can be ob- file of mountains by simply being on Joseph Wright and the Pio- tained by writing Mark at SABR or there, we with our love for base- neers, circa 1892, and the Ameri- the SABR(UK) Examiner. As a ball increase its profile. What can Baseball mission. last thought, it is recommended makes Everest significant is that that people wishing to do research she has been scaled; likewise we Then of course there is the should first contact Patrick must scale the heights by, in fact, quest for the Holy Grail of British Carroll, the Chair of the Historical digging down into and research- Baseball which disappeared close Committee - he might be able to ing the vast wealth of historical to sixty years ago in Liverpool. help you. data available in the UK. The golden trophy was originally presented to the national base- OFFICERS AND GENTLEMEN Chairman: Mike Ross, 2 Maida Avenue, Suite B, Little Venice, London W2 1TF (Tel: 071 723 9848; Fax: 071 266 3166) Secretary: Patrick Morley, Spring Cottage, The Batch, Hill Road, Sandford, Bristol BS19 5RH (Tel: 0934 822781) Treasurer: Andy Parkes, 84 Hillingdon Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 8PJ (Tel and Fax: 061 865 2952) Assistant Treasurer: Hugh Robinson, 567 Kings Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 8JQ (Tel: 061 864 1250) Chairman of British Baseball Historical Committee: Patrick Carroll, 10 Court Barton, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 7HP (Tel: 0460 74183) Publications Editor: Martin Hoerchner, 48 Mildmay Road, London N1 4NG (Tel: 071 254 3492) 3 THIS SABR'D ISLE by Martin Hoerchner This royal throne of kings, this SABR'd isle, masquerading as a major-league wouldn't have taken place and This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, team.