1 The SABR UK Number 15 Examiner September 2010 The Research Journal and Newsletter of the Bobby Thomson Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research “Away: How Cricket and Baseball ” opens at ’Cricket Ground by Beth Hise, Curator common misunderstandings and John Newberry’s A Little Pretty bring new or underappreciated Pocket-Book, dating from the mid- A new exhibition Swinging elements about the two sports to 1700s, that shows a vignette and Away: how cricket and baseball the fore. poem for 12 games including Base- connect has opened at the MCC It is now clear that cricket Ball, Cricket, Stool-Ball and Trap- Museum, Lord’s Ground, London in and baseball have no direct evolu- Ball. time for a busy summer of cricket. tionary relationship and the exhibi- Today both sports are profes- This exhibition sees the MCC sional and commercial enterprises embarking on a new with highly paid elite initiative. By reaching players, corporate out to another sport, sponsors, television baseball, the MCC coverage and passion- museum - home of ate fans, seemingly the famous Ashes urn further apart than and an internation- ever. Most cricket ally significant cricket countries do not play collection is endeav- much baseball, and ouring to see cricket vice versa (with a few today and cricket’s important exceptions history in a new light. where both are The National Baseball played, such as Hall of Fame and Australia or South Museum in Africa). Thus as Cooperstown, New potential players grow York collaborated on up around the world the project and lent a they are rarely faced significant number of with choosing be- objects to the exhibi- tween these two tion. This is the first sporting cousins. Yet, time any artefacts tion looks at baseball and cricket’s for a short time in 19th-century from their celebrated collection have origins and touches on stool-ball America these two sports were far been displayed in England. They will and trap-ball as well. Of particular more inter-related than many today also host the exhibition in interest to Examiner readers will be realise. Cooperstown in 2011, mirroring the companion handkerchief to continued on page 15 MCC’s initiative to better under- stand baseball by seeing it in relation to cricket. The exhibition and accompa- Obituary: Bobby Thomson nying catalogue examine cricket and Our Patron Saint, Bobby Thomson, passed away on 16 August this year. baseball across a number of themes What can I say about Bobby Thomson that hasn’t already been said? He from the games today, equipment, gave baseball its supreme moment in 1951, in a home run that capped grounds, laws and rules to interna- off probably the most exciting pennant race in MLB history. Bobby was tional tours, professionalisation born in Glasgow, and moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of 2. and origins. The focus is limited, He never completely forgot his British roots; in fact, one of our mem- with a few exceptions, to the bers, Barry Winetrobe, got to meet him when he was on a golfing trip to relationship across the Atlantic Scotland - photo on page 16. Rest in Peace, Bobby, and thanks for the between the nations claiming these incredible memories. sports as their own – America and - Martin Hoerchner England. It seeks to clear up a few http://chapters.sabr.org/uk/ 2 Can SABR UK survive? by Martin Hoerchner In this light, the con- The bottom line is We are standing at clusion must be made that we need people to the crossroads in a cru- that we need to change or step up to the plate. We cial time for the Bobby die. need a new Chairman, Thomson Chapter. We No one can deny that and a new Secretary (to have been active since there is a huge interest in replace Michael Olenik, 1992, and have received baseball in the United who has been doing stel- worldwide recognition, Kingdom. Channel 5 lar duty from 3000 miles largely but not solely due showed weekly live base- away). As Publications to our prestigious journal ball for many years, right Editor, I will be glad to The SABR UK Examiner , from its launch in 1997. work with a new regime, which I hope I’ve proven They had two hosts who and I’m sure the Head of is still very much alive. read email upon email the Historical Committee We were prominently from viewers between will too. featured in the Major innings. It was only re- We need a Chairman League Baseball docu- cently cancelled due to who will help us build Baseball Discov- mentary the presence of ESPN our membership. The ered . We have been bat- America (also in HD!), duties are light; he/she ting way above our weight which shows live baseball only needs to organize (to mix a couple of meta- practically every day. The the AGM, act as a liaison phors). British Baseball Federa- between members, and But those who have tion has a membership between the Chapter and stayed with us can’t deny numbering in the thou- the media, file an annual that our numbers have sands; unfortunately we report, and come up with been shrinking. Our re- have neglected to build ideas to make being a cruitment of new mem- bridges with them. Most Chapter member interest- bers has been abysmal; of this interest is home ing. Possibly most im- our last AGM had attend- grown, but we also have portantly, we need a ance in single figures. the American expat com- Chairman who can reap When we add to that the munity. a harvest from the fields fact that a) Chairman Not only are there a of baseball interest in the Mike is retiring, and b) we lot of baseball fans out U.K. are losing our esteemed there in the UK, but I’m SABR UK will not venue, The Kings of sure there are more than survive without this Clerkenwell pub, which eight who are seriously leader. And after all we’ve has been sold to an inter- interested in the history accomplished, it would national consortium. and study of baseball. We be a shame to let it die. need to reach out to them. 3 The British Baseball -Hall of Fame by Joe Gray, baseball in the mid-1930s, became British Baseball (Project Cobb), a Chair of Electors the first inductee in the “Game body which has the dual aim of builders” category. restoring the game’s past where Last October saw the an- The Board of Electors com- possible and preserving details of nouncement of the inaugural class prises individuals with an interest the sport today. of inductees into the British Base- in the history of baseball played At the start of this year, ball Hall of Fame (BBHoF). The first under modern rules on British soil. Project Cobb was accepted into thing to note about the BBHoF is This includes an esteemed SABR UK SABR as its fifth chartered commu- that the focus is not on British- representative, in Patrick Carroll. nity, and the first with a primary born individuals who have excelled There is also a spot for a repre- focus away from North America. in North American pro ball, for sentative from the British Baseball Chartered communities differ from these figures can be recognized Federation, in acknowledgement of traditional SABR chapters in that through other means (as is exempli- the BBHoF’s endorsement by the their principal means of communi- fied by the naming of the UK national governing body. Electors cation and collaboration is through chapter for SABR after Bobby put forward nominations for each an online community. With this class and vote on whether each development, baseball in Britain is Thomson). Instead, election to the candidate should be inducted or now served by a pair of SABR BBHoF is for superlative contribu- not. Nominations are also put groups, and Project Cobb’s focus on tions to or performances in the forward by Regional Experts, who the more modern aspects of the game of baseball in Britain. have been appointed to assist the game’s history means that the two The three inductees in the BBHoF with biographical details. bodies have remits with a neat inaugural class handily illustrated The idea of founding a Hall of combination of dovetailing and the breadth of potential candidates: Fame for baseball in Britain has reinforcing overlap. Ross Kendrick, Great Britain’s been discussed on a number of The announcement of the stand-out player in their triumph in occasions in the past, but one of 2010 BBHoF class is planned for the 1938 World Championships, the barriers to its formation was the the second week of October. Full was inducted as a “player”; Norman paucity of historical details to details can be found via the Wells, Sr, a pivotal figure in the properly evaluate candidates’ BBHoF’s webpage Merseyside baseball scene from 1946 worthiness for enshrinement. While (www.bbhof.org.uk). Further infor- to the present day, went in under it would be overly ambitious to hope mation on Project Cobb, including the “Coaches, managers, umpires, to fully repair the patchy record, the contact details, can be found on and other officials” designation; and BBHoF aims to overcome this that organization’s website Sir John Moores, the principal barrier through its alliance with the (www.projectcobb.org.uk/ backer for Britain’s golden era of Project for the Chronicling of cobb.html). 4 A Diamond on a Hilltop by Patrick Carroll or a dozen, would show up.