Spring/Summer 2008

SABR National Convention June 26-29

SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) 2008 National Convention June 26-29 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio

Steve will be presenting a paper at the convention on Thursday afternoon, June 26, on legendary Cleveland Indians’ player-manager Tris Speaker.

“Tris Speaker: A Leader among Men”

Tris Speaker is considered one of the greatest hitters and center fielders of all time. He is rarely considered a great manager, though his rallying Cleveland to the 1920 World Championship after the death of Ray Chapman is acknowledged. His remarkable achievement in managing the Indians in 1921—keeping them in the pennant race against all odds—is overlooked.

This paper looks at a leader of extraordinary skill, with a particular focus on the 1920-1921 Cleveland Indians, their personnel, and how they were used. It looks at the elements of Speaker’s success, the building blocks of his style and strategy. Heywood Broun wrote of him in Vanity Fair in October 1921,

“He is a leader who never gives up and never allows his team to give up in spite of the circumstances of a game. It seems to me that he is by far the finest manager in professional baseball.”

For more on the SABR Convention, go to www.sabr.org/sabr.cfm?a=cms,c,2473,17

Spring/Summer 2007

St. Louis

SABR National Convention July 25-29 at the Adams-Mark Hotel St. Louis

Steve will be presenting a paper at the convention. (He’s tentatively scheduled for 3:30, Thurs. July 26.)

"September 18, 1922:
The Most Heartbreaking Loss in St. Louis Baseball History"

The third and final game of what was called the “Little World Series” was played before enormous crowd at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Browns. With first place and ultimately the AL pennant at stake (the Yankees were in first by ½ game at the time), the game and its finish had incredible drama, including five late-inning bad breaks that saw the game slip away from the Browns. As John Sheridan wrote in the Globe-Democrat, 9/18/22:

“It was one of the most nerve-racking finishes ever flaunted before a St. Louis public. That one inning will remain indelible in the memory if the fans who witnessed it—to the grave. It was a nightmare.”

For more on the event, go to http://www.sabr.org/sabr.cfm?a=cms,c,1834,17