TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

August 28, 1969 At a press conference, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the publication of The Baseball Encyclopedia the wondrous thud of this 2,337-page bound publication, weighing more than six pounds and mass produced by computer software on onion-skin-thin paper, was as revelatory as it was roomy.

For the first time, the public had up-to-date and accurate access to the complete statistics of more than 10,000 professional baseball players going back to 1876. Think beyond the back-of-bubble-gum-card material.

The expanded columns had 17 stats for hitters and 19 for pitchers. It mined the archives of newspapers, scoresheets and loose-leaf binders collecting dust at the Baseball Hall of Fame to confirm and even recalculate categories such as RBIs, which were not recorded before 1920, and earned runs charged to pitchers, which weren’t computed until 1911.

Famed sportswriter Jimmy Breslin wrote in the New York Times: “The book figures to be of untold value to bartenders who have to settle arguments with customers.”

The first Major League Baseball-endorsed book of historical accuracy was not just a must-have for public libraries, team record-keepers and newspaper sports reference desks; it kick-started the creation of the Society for American Baseball Research a year later in 1970.

Just prior to the book’s Sept. 10, 1969, release, then-Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn hosted an unprecedented news conference in a New York restaurant, trying to explain to the media why this was a significant, collaborative achievement.

David Neft, the book’s first-edition editor in chief, says he’s over the moon to be here today at age 82 and witness the marking of this milestone.

“I realized two things from the start — one, I better damn well get it right, and two, whatever else I did professionally in my life, I figured that 50 years later, when I’m dead and buried, if anyone remembers me for anything, it’ll be for this book,” said Neft, who holds a doctorate in statistics and was the director of research for Information Concepts, the company hired for this undertaking.

MLB official historian John Thorn, who moderated the June 2019 SABR event, said RetroSheet.org, founded in 1989, has so far digitized the play-by-play and box scores of nearly 175,000 games — 98% of all played over the last century. Baseball-Reference.com, launched in 2000 and expanded to basketball, the NFL, hockey, college football and soccer, says its primary aim is to be the “easiest to use, fastest and most complete sports statistics (site) anywhere. If we have some fun in the process, that’s good too.”

“You are all descendants of The Baseball Encyclopedia, and we all owe David our deep appreciation and applause on this 50th anniversary,” Thorn told the gathering. “All of us on this stage stand, in our past and our continuing work, on the shoulders of The Baseball Encyclopedia and its principal architect.”

Smith even brought along the copy given to him in 1969 with the inscription: “To David: This should answer some questions you hadn’t even thought of. Mother and Dad.”

Neft remains most proud of the fact his work eventually helped Baseball Hall of Fame voters comprehend the impact of someone such as pitcher Addie Joss (1902-10, elected in 1978 with a 1.89 lifetime ERA, second all-time) and outfielder Sam Thompson (1885-1898, elected in 1974 with 1,300 RBIs in 1,407 games over 15 years).

“For so long, there was a lack of information that could help define their accomplishments,” Neft said. “This fueled an appetite for people getting involved on their own, like SABR, but also working with like-minded colleagues to mine new information, discuss its importance, and open it up to everyone.”

For the record, it was likely the first time many stumbled across a player such as Archibald “Moonlight” Graham, who played one game with the 1905 New York Giants. He’s on page 902 of the first edition, and he inspired the Burt Lancaster character in the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams.”

Here is a deeper dive.

**My Dad bought this version, it sat on his book shelf for the next 33 years. It moved often from 1977-1984 as his son learned to love statistics and researching baseball history.

I learned about the great Cubs teams, Ty Cobb, Al Simmions, the Athletic’s of the late 1920’s. It spurred many Willie Mays vs Babe ruth converstions. We bought every new version but that original was pure baseball gold.

The book disappeared after he passed away, I was never sure what happened to it.

While browsing an Antique store I found the original 1969 version, in its case. Which I scooped up immediately. It sits next to his 1955 Grundig Radio in my office and keeps us connected.**

Todays Podcast

August 28, 1921 — Despite three doubles by Babe Ruth, the Tigers drop the Yankees, 7 – 3. Ruth starts a record streak in which he gets at least one extra-base hit in nine straight games. Into the record books go his 119 extra-base hits, 177 runs, and 457 total bases. His .846 slugging average is one point behind that of a year ago.

August 28, 1940 — Homestead Grays (Negro League) P Ray Brown earns his 27th consecutive victory over a 2-year span when he shuts out the Baltimore Elite Giants 5 – 0 on a 3-hitter. The win raises his record to 12-0 for the season.

August 28, 1951 – The Braves sell pitcher Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000 and a young pitcher named Lew Burdette. It is another late-season insurance measure for the New Yorkers. Burdette would later be the key pitcher when the Braves beat the Yankees in the 1957 World Series. He won games 2,5 and 7 including back to back shutouts in game 5 and 7. Sain did pitch for 3 championship teams for New York but only pitched 13.2 innings over those years and went 1-1 in the World Series. Burdette pitched more innings and won more games in 1957 series alone.

August 28, 1967, the Boston Red Sox sign free agent first baseman/outfielder Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, who had been fired by the Kansas City A’s for making critical remarks about owner Charlie Finley. Harrelson reportedly receives a $75,000 bonus and salary package for 1967 and 1968. Harrelson will homer in his first Boston at bat but will hit just .200 for the Red Sox in 1967, he did hit 3 homeruns and drive in 14 however. The next year, however, he will become an All-Star and lead the American League with 109 RBI. Harrelson has become a colorful out spoken announcer since his retirment for baseball.

August 28, 1983 — Greg Luzinski becomes the first player to park three home runs onto the roof at Comiskey Park, connecting off Boston’s Oil Can Boyd in a 6 – 2 Chicago victory. Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams each accomplished the feat twice.

Luzinski’s 25th homer on top of the left-field upper deck followed Harold Basines’ 12th home run and gave Chicago a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Luzinski, who went 4-for-4, drove his second homer into the left-field upper deck after Baines doubled.

August 28, 1990, Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs becomes the first second baseman in history to notch consecutive 30-home run seasons. Sandberg hits his milestone 30th home run against the Houston Astros, helping the Cubs to a 5-2 win. Sandberg went onto hit 40 homeruns, he is 1 of 9 men to hit 40 homeruns in a season and the cubs ar the only team to have 40+ homerun hitters at shortstop and secondbase.

August 28, 2001 — Seattle OF Ichiro Suzuki reaches 200 hits for the season as the Mariners fall to the Devil Rays, 6 – 0. By going 2 for 3, Suzuki becomes only the third American League rookie to reach 200 hits since 1964.

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: CHICK HAFEY 

- Ans. Hafey was hitting clean-up for the NL team in the 1^st ASG. He was the 1^st batter in the top of the 2^nd inning & hit a soft liner over the infield off NYY’s Lefty Gomez, but was erased on a double play. It was Hafey’s only ASG.

- #1   Hafey’s MLB career didn’t start with glasses, but two years in, he developed a condition that made them necessary.

- #2 In the opener in Philadelphia, on 28-Jul-1928(1), Hafey had a 2B in the 5^th, a 2B in the 8^th & a HR in the 12^th. All 3 hits were off the same pitcher, PHI’s Bob McGraw.  In the 2^nd game, 28-Jul-1928(2), Hafey again had two 2Bs & a homer in addition to a walk and a single. All but the 1^st double were off PHI’s reliever, Claude Willoughby. Several players have since tied this record.

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

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