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June 21, 2011
June's SABR Houston
meeting saw 25 chapter members in attendance
at the Ragin Cajun Restaurant. The first order
of business was to advise members that our proposal
to host the 2013 SABR annual Convention had
not been successful and the convention had been
awarded to Philadelphia. Thanks to all who had
worked so diligently to put the proposal together.
We have been encouraged to rebid for the 2014
Convention.
Our keynote speaker was Grover
"Deacon" Jones a baseball lifer who
played, coached and scouted for a variety of
major league clubs. Deacon shared his 6 guidelines
for life: Faith, Respect, Sweat, Discipline,
Responsibility and Accountability which he had
learned from his parents. Mr. Jones is currently
Special Assistant to the President of the Sugar
Land Skeeters, a new professional team that
will begin play in 2012 and he talked about
the impact the team will have on the local community.
Of special note, after retiring as a 20 year
Baltimore Orioles Scout, Deacon was honored
to receive the "Legends of Scouting Award"
from major league baseball this past January.
Bill McCurdy brought us up to
date on the rapidly expanding SABR research
project "Houston Baseball History, The
First 100 Years, 1861-1961". There are
now 12 SABR members along with several outside
researchers involved in this 2 year project.
The kickoff session was held last month at the
Houston Central Library.
Mike Vance, Executive Director
of the Houston Arts and Media and former director
and producer for a local television station
brought to us aspects of "Houston's Sporting
Life 1900-1950" which is also the name
of a book he recently authored. Mike is a member
of the research project and after the meeting
joined SABR.
Bob Dorrill recalled an exciting
baseball experience he and his wife shared earlier
in the year when they took part in the "Owners
Experience", a promotion sponsored by the
Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field. Attending
with members of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter,
they were exposed to every possible aspect of
minor league baseball; from the front office
to the clubhouse to the pressbox and beyond.
A simply amazing event.
The trivia contest, written by
Tom Kleinworth and based on the 1986 Astros,
was won by Joe Thompson.
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