1
SABR Sire Called Out
Team’s Tots to Take Torch
By Frank Vaccaro
1
In June of 1930 a small boy reached across the railings of the press area at Redland Field and handed Cincinnati Enquirer sportswriters Tom Swope and Jack Ryder a note. The boy had counted the pitches of that day’s game and, after a chuckle, the sportswriters made it a regular feature in their columns.
That boy’s name was Lee Allen, and what he did over the next forty years did much to give baseball fans what they have today: a baseball encyclopedia and a Hall-of-Fame library. But in 1969 Allen died. Numbers in the new encyclopedia hung alone when his gregarious storytelling should have filled the air. So too The Sporting News, long the bible of baseball, scaled back its baseball coverage that it might devote equal time to other sports. A scattered Diaspora of statistical-minded baseball writers recoiled to their day jobs; their hometowns; their families.
Against this backdrop, one man, L. “Robert” Davids, a Washington, D.C. area baseball historian recently rejected by publishers and periodicals, seized the moment to create a chartered organization for and of baseball historians. Beginning in 1951, he had submitted short sidebar articles to The Sporting News that numbered in the hundreds by 1965, most with hokey, double-barreled headlines: “Nellie Mr. Nix
in Whiff Parade,” “Roberts in 300 Innings For Fifth Time,”
or “Iron Man Yogi Trains Sights on Mitt Full of Mask Marks.”
His own correspondence with like-minded fans gave him the foundation of a mailing list, and, with the added names from four other prominent baseball historians, he mailed out thirty letters on March 19, 1971 - his forty-fifth birthday - announcing a meeting that August 10th to create a “formal group.” Hall of Fame librarian Cliff Kachline had previously offered Davids use of the library at Cooperstown for such an event.
Before most had even responded, Davids pulled out his old Hermes typewriter and banged out twelve sidebar articles on an 11x17 piece of construction paper, Xeroxed it, folded it over and distributed it. Known simply as “Baseball Briefs” it noted among many tid-bits that Frank Howard could hit his weight and still have a respectable average and that Jim Bunning had been removed from more games than any other pitcher in history. He continued “Baseball Briefs” monthly until the end of the season.
The response was overwhelming, igniting a chain reaction of events that, steered by Davids, gave birth to our Society for American Baseball at the August meeting. Interest nationwide saw membership grow for seventeen consecutive years with Davids channeling the passions of his
Continued on page 3
Your Letters
From Jeff Korell ---
The World Trade Center "Twin Towers Of Light Memorial", which dominated the New York City sky on the night of March 11 (6 months after 9/11) were clearly visible from my apartment window here in Staten Island. They were seen all over New York City and could also be seen for a 40-mile radius of New York City. It was a very fitting Memorial.
Your Letters
MEET THE MEXA METS
by M. Frank
I realize there are members of this chapter who have an attachment to the Mets and I hope they will not let that color the logic here.
The Mets should move to Mexico City.
It's been years since MLB went international, and it's time to go further. Mexico City is more populous than any US city. Since the powers that be talk of contraction rather than expansion, an existing team would have to move there.
Why the Mets? The Mets are clearly #2 in a two-team town. They are unhappy with one of the oldest and worst stadiums in MLB, with little on board to rectify this soon.
In Chicago, no team is clearly #1 or #2 and both have been there forever. How can the Mets challenge the Yankees’ legacy? Even an average team like the Tigers has a legacy of Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Trammell and Whitaker. What's the Mets’ legacy? Choo Choo Coleman?
Jerry Koosman chomping at the bit to get traded home
to Minnesota? Gooden and Strawberry and their baggage?
The Mets have already played games that count in Mexico. "Mexico Mets" sounds good.
With more out of town games on TV and national press coverage available and faster cars and trains to Philly, the lack of an NL team playing here in person would be minimized.
NYC to have Chapter Officers
This notice was sent to John Zajc to be placed in the next Bulletin:
The Steering Committee for the NYC Casey Stengel Chapter is being formed for the purpose of soliciting candidates for office, defining the duties of Chapter Officers, and discussing issues of policy and governance. If you want to make your voice heard, and contribute your ideas and time, please contact.
The SABR Bulletin will reach all chapter members eventually; in addition, everyone is encouraged to join in the discussion forum so that your voice and ideas can be shared at
The Steering Committee needs members --- Are you interested in being part of the Steering Committee to decide questions about chapter officers, policy and governance? ANYONE can volunteer. Please contact Evelyn Begley at 212-477-8809 or .
Topics being considered:
** Should the steering committee try to recruit at least 2 of the 4 or 5 chapter officers from Westchester (and north of it), New Jersey, Long Island, and even Connecticut members of the Casey Stengel Chapter?
** How many officers should our chapter have, and which titles will members be nominated for?
** How long will the terms be?
** Do we want to pattern our governance on the national bylaws?
** What is the best voting mechanism?
Please feel free to add your questions, answers, and comments.
L. Robert Davids
March 19, 1926-February 10, 2002
Photo Courtesy of David Vincent
Bob Davids in June of 2000
continued from Page 1
SABR Sire Called Out
Team’s Tots to Take Torch
By Frank Vaccaro
members, creating and editing the monthly newsletter “The SABR Bulletin” in 1971, the first “Baseball Research Journal” in 1972, “This Day in Baseball” in 1973, “Minor League Stars” in 1976 and 1978, and “The National Pastime” in December of 1982 which put SABR on the map and led to a spike in membership that endures to this day.
His quaint brick home on Chesapeake Street became SABR’s first national address. With a mellow voice that had a hint of mid-western twang, Davids motivated a motley crew of volunteers in late-night envelope-stuffing sessions, his wife Yvonne bringing relief with meals, drinks, and fresh baked cookies. Many SABR members, it was said, received cookie crumbs along with their bulletins.
Always more comfortable out of the spotlight, Davids accepted awards sheepishly, refused an honorary lifetime membership on SABR’s board, and winced when the Baltimore-Washington chapter was renamed the Bob Davids Chapter. Yet he had the presence of mind to know when to lead the way and “filled in” as SABR’s President on four occasions, twice after triple bypass surgery in 1982.
The son of an Iowa farmer to a capitol city gentleman, Davids turned a short service stint as an Army Engineer into a successful inside-the-beltway writing career. After earning a journalism degree, in 1949, and a masters in history, in 1951, both from the University of Missouri, he wrote speeches for Atomic Energy Commission officials and technical manuals for the Department of Defense. He wrote legislation for both sides of the House and indulged in spinning off long articles for Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, sifting the histories of personalities elected to serve in the various seats in Washington. He married the former Yvonne Revier in 1953.
Jolted into fandom when rookie pitcher Bob Feller struck out 15 St. Louis Browns in his first major league start in 1936, Davids, at the age of ten, began amassing a collection of clippings that connected the numbers of the sport with names. Doubles and triples, strikeouts and stolen bases - and all stats - were totaled and ranked; classified and categorized. He meticulously glued notes on corresponding themes on large white sheets of construction paper.
In his work for The Sporting News, no milestone went unobserved and no record-breaking performance was ignored. A small bedroom upstairs was designated “Bob’s little room,” the site for his massive collection of clippings and notes. He frequented the collections at the Library of Congress, many times on lunch break: his favorite microfilm machine, second row on the left.
Before bed this February 3, Davids fell in the back of his Washington home while taking out recyclables, and passed away February 10 after complications from cancer. He was 74.
“Baseball Briefs” had come back to become an annual feature of Bulletins from 1989 to 2000. He never missed a SABR national convention and to them, he added his own brand of trivia challenges, contests that featured puns and wordplay on players’ last names.
Ironically, in his own name the “L” stood for Leonard, really the Dutch Lendert, but young Davids so abhorred the jibe “Dirty Davids” that he insisted every one call him Bob. He even adopted the formal “Robert,” always in quotations, in his official capacities. His older brother had started calling him “Bob” in the 1930s after young Davids would march around the house imitating the sound of the family’s new washing machine: “bob, bob, bob...” But because Arlington National Cemetery, where Davids is buried, used information from the Veteran’s Association, Davids’ headstone reads only Leonard Davids.
I hope you knew his dry humor delivered deadpan while his saucy eyes scanned you for a reaction. I hope you knew his gentleness; his erect posture that made him seem larger than he was; his encyclopedic knowledge of baseball. He was a people person, organized, modest, liable to produce a week’s worth of baseball research for anyone he’d meet just to help out. He was the bridge from the hand of a small boy in Cincinnati to you. He was L. “Robert” Davids, our founder.
-30-
XXX
Frank Vaccaro does his research at the main branch of the
New York Public Library, 42nd Street
Westchester Baseball Group Report
By John Vorperian
Westchester Baseball Group opened 2002 with vibrant colors and dazzling designs local sports artist and SABR booster Charles DeSimone shared his artwork. Each canvas had a painted baseball autographed by an individual athlete. Around the signature were particular scenes from the pro’s career. Mr. DeSimone brought Brooks Robinson, Ozzie Smith, and Warren Spahn—(the paintings)! Everyone got a current DeSimone art catalog.
Additionally, a second January guest Brooklyn Cyclones Coach Donovan Mitchell fielded all questions about the Astros, Mets, Cyclones, and MLB Winter Meetings.
February, Ralph Wimbish, Co-Author, ELSTON & ME: TheStory of the First Black Yankee (University of Missouri Press) gave a fine presentation on the trials and triumphs of Bronx Bomber Elston Howard’s Life.
Beware the Ides of March and Eric Weiss too. New York City Casey Stengel SABR Chapter Winter Regional Trivia Crown Winner Weiss administered his own QUIZ on the W.B.G. Afterwards, Jim Reisler, author, BABE RUTH SLEPT HERE: The Baseball Landmarks of New York City (Diamond Communications Inc.) highlighted how he researched in the Big Apple.
Upcoming events are:
April 4 Vic Debs, Jr.:“Why Jake Daubert should be in H.O.F.” Duke Goldman: “Life of ‘Indian Bob’ Johnson”
May 2 Glenn Stout, Tony Morante, & Max Frazee: “Harry Frazee-The NEW Truth.”
June 6Paul Votano “Late & Close: History of Relief Pitching”
The Group meets 1st Thursdays, 7pm-9pm, Barnes & Noble, 2614 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY. The meetings are open to all. For more information see web site or contact W.B.G via e-mail at:
John Vorperian’s
Book Review
PERFECT: The Inside Story of Baseball’s Sixteen Perfect Games by James Buckley Jr., (Triumph Books) Hardcover ISBN 1-57243-454-6
They call it a game of inches, but really numbers rule baseball. Hitting .400, breaking 61, 30 game winner, all Diamond milestones, yet, the greatest feat is 27 outs and no base runners in a least nine innings of a complete-game win by a hurler. Think of it as James Buckley Jr. pens in PERFECT: The Inside Story of Baseball’s Sixteen Perfect Games, “since 1876.. over 170,000 games have been played..only 16…” perfect games have been thrown.
PERFECT’s author calculates the phenomenon to be .00005% occurrence. So which event causes something to happen? View an entire MLB season for a perfecto or high-carry that metal golf driver through a meadow during a furious electrical storm? Well faster than you can say give me a lump sum award on that LOTTO ticket the shocking answer is clearly the latter.
So why not delve into PERFECT: The Inside Story of Baseball’s Sixteen Perfect Games and discover in “you are there” narrative style the uncanny aspect of these particular baseball exceptions? In ’68, Jim Hunter tossed one against the Twins and in ‘98 so did David Wells. As a young baseball fan this writer remembers hearing about Catfish’s exploit the next day and just reeling in a schoolyard daze—no body got on first? Walk, hit by pitch, a fielding error, isn’t this the AL team with sluggers Killebrew, Carew, Oliva, and Allison? Author Buckley dissects the box score to explain Hunter’s monumental achievement.
PERFECT: The Inside Story of Baseball’s Sixteen Perfect Games also devotes a chapter to the nearly perfect. Missed it by that much and there are a number of pros. Pedro Martinez, Harvey Haddix, Milt Pappas, to name some, but, closer to home is current Hudson Valley Renegades skipper Dick Bosman. In 1974 Bosman nearly extinguished the World Champion Oakland Athletics. If successful his specific tale would have made a super seventeen to Triumph Books’ PERFECT.
Review by John Vorperian. He and his wife, Suzanne reside in White Plains, NY with two cats, Tiggie and Daisy. Vorperian is an active member of Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), Professional Football Researchers Association, & coordinator for the Westchester Baseball Group.
For more of his reviews see:
1
1
The 20th Century’s Greatest Pitcher for One Game:
A Vote for Charlie Robertson
By Paul Tarr
How do you determine which was the greatest game pitched in the 20th Century from the thousands upon thousands played? What criteria can one select that will help to reduce the contenders to a total, which can be analyzed in detail? The answer is simple. The best game pitched in the 20th Century must be perfect – 27 batters faced in a 9-inning game and not one batter reaching first base.
But what about a pitcher who had the worst luck a pitcher could have in a game? What do you do if a pitcher faces and retires all 27 men consecutively in a 9-inning game but his team doesn’t score? Should this pitcher be eliminated from consideration even if he gives up a hit and/or a run in later innings? I think not.
Requiring a pitcher to have pitched a perfect game to be considered for inclusion reduces the list to 15 games, a more manageable total. The games under consideration are listed below in date order:
1. Cy Young, Bos vs. Phi AL 3-0; May 5, 1904
2. Addie Joss, Cle at Chi AL, 1-0; October 2, 1908
3. Charlie Robertson, Chi at Det AL, 2-0; April 30, 1922
4. Don Larsen, NY AL vs. Bro NL, 2-0; October 8, 1956
(World Series)
5. Jim Bunning, Phi at NY NL, 6-0; June 21, 1964 (1st Game)
6. Sandy Koufax, LA vs. Chi NL, 1-0; September 9, 1965
7. Catfish Hunter, Oak vs. MinnAL, 4-0; May 8, 1968
8. Len Barker, Cle vs. Tor AL, 3-0; May 15, 1981
9. Mike Witt, Cal at Tex AL, 1-0; September 30, 1984
10. Tom Browning, Cin vs. LA NL, 1-0; September 16, 1988
11. Dennis Martinez, Mon at LA NL, 2-0; July 28, 1991
12. Kenny Rogers, Tex vs. Cal AL, 4-0: July 28,1994
13. David Wells, NY vs. Min AL, 4-0; May 17, 1998
14. David Cone, NY (AL) vs. Mon (NL), 6-0; July 18, 1999
(Interleague game)
15.*Harvey Haddix, Pitt at Mil, NL, 0-1: May 26, 1959 (allowed first hit in the 13th after pitching 12 perfect innings and lost in 13th)
What other criteria can we use to reduce the list to the top 3 games pitched?
First, in my opinion any final list of the top 3 games pitched must include Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. The stress and the pressure of pitching in a World Series surely exceeds anything a pitcher experiences in the regular season. Not only is this the only perfect game pitched in a World Series, it is also the only World Series no-hitter. It occurred in Game 5 of the World Series and gave the New York Yankees a 3 to 2 game lead in games won, a lead which they never relinquished. They won the series in 7 games from the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The second finalist also stands out because of unusual circumstances. In 1959, Harvey Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings of baseball, retiring the first 36 Milwaukee Braves hitters that he faced. Unfortunately, Lew Burdette, the Milwaukee Braves pitcher did not surrender any runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the 13th inning Haddix weakened and gave up a double to Joe Adcock (originally a home run), scoring Felix Mantilla, who was on base because of an error and Haddix lost the game. Adcock’s home run was scored as a double when Henry Aaron, who had been walked intentionally, ran into the dugout before he scored and was passed on base by Adcock. Despite the loss, many analysts consider this to be the greatest game pitched in the 20th Century.