2014 World Series Prediction

One can use many different metrics to predict which team will win the World Series.  Win-Loss record, TeamWAR, hot streaks, facial hair, uniforms.  The list goes on.

I'm going to look at how the team's cities appear on television.  No, not the pretty shots as the network leaves the inning going to commercial, but what television shows have portrayed the cities of San Francisco and Kansas City.

First up, San Francisco.  Quick, off the top of your head, name three shows that were based in the City by the Bay.  I'll wager that you came up with at least one of these: The Streets of San Francisco, Full House, Monk, Nash Bridges, or maybe even Dharma & Greg.  Wikipedia, that wellspring of knowledge, lists 109 shows set there.

I'll just use one of these as an example: The Streets of San Francisco.


How cool and funky is that?

Kansas City, on the other hand, doesn't have quite as robust a list of shows. Name three. Quick. Okay, name one. I'll give you some hints. Kansas City SWAT (a reality show), Malcom & Eddie (on the UPN), The Legend of Jesse James, Apple Pie (late 1970s sitcom with Dabney Coleman and Rue McClanahan that only lasted for eight episodes), Pulse of the City, Switched at Birth, and Married to the Kellys.  That's it.  Seven shows.  And my favorite, Married to the Kellys, wasn't really set in KC, but in semi-rural Kansas.

Jump ahead to 1 minute 24 seconds to catch the show's theme.


As much as I liked this show, and some of the actors in it, it just doesn't stand up to the The Streets of San Francisco.

I'm quietly rooting for the Royals, but I think that with the weight of 109 shows behind them the Giants will win this year's series.

No, I'm not going to torture you with the Full House theme.  Look it up on your own.

Baseball in the Boudoir

I was looking for an article that described the origin of the phone in the dugout to the bullpen. This is one article that I found.  Harry Wolverton played from 1898 to 1905 and again in 1912.  Not quite as titillating as the post title would suggest.

Denver Post - July 10, 1915

image from GenealogyBank.com

BBA Stan Musial (MVP) NL Award selections

Time for another round of award selections for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance. I was asked by Arne to make selections for the Stan Musial Awards - MVP of the Year in the National League.

Here you go...

1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Giancarlo Stanton
3. Andrew McCutcheon
4. Anthony Rendon
5. Jonathan Lucroy
6. Buster Posey
7. Adam Wainwright
8. Jason Heyward
9. Anthony Rizzo
10. Josh Harrison

Want to see how the BBA History Chapter voted for all the awards?  Go here.

Negro League Players buried at Burr Oak Cemetery

In the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference facebook group the other night there was some discussion about the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.  Burr Oak is an African American cemetery, with several notable residents, including musicians and athletes.

Researcher Ted Knorr shared his 2005 remarks on the occasion of marking eight previously unmarked graves of great Negro League baseball players.  The graves were marked by the Negro Leagues Grave Marker Project.

Ted mentions 19 players.  Burr Oak, in their their list of notable burials, shows only 17.  Who were the other two?

From the Burr Oak list of notable burials I've transcribed information about the Negro League Baseball Players.  If known I've added the FindAGrave.com listing and the Baseball-Reference.com listing.

Burley, Daniel Gardner - Sportswriter
FindAGrave listing
Location: Elmgrove, Lot 266, Gr. 1

Cornelius, William McKinley
Seamheads NL Database listing
Location: Locust Lane, Lot 44, Gr. 1

Crutchfield, John (Jimmie)
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing
FindAGrave listing
Location: Burr Oak, Lot 51, Gr. 11

Davis, Roosevelt
Seamheads NL Database listing
Location: Sec. 6, Lot 11, Row 73, Gr. 47

De Moss, Elwood (Bingo)
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing
Location: Sec. 7, Lot 1, Row 4,  Gr. 29

Donaldson, John
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing
FindAGrave listing
Location: Sec. 7, Lot 1, Row 17,  Gr. 97

Garrett, Robert - Umpire
FindAGrave listing
Location: Fairlawn, Lot 626, Gr. 12

Hardy, Paul J.
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing
Location: Sec. 9, Lot 1, Row 32, Gr. 8

Marshall, William J.
Seamheads NL Database listing
Location: Acacia Lawn, Lot 628, Gr. 5

McCurine, James Jr.
Baseball-Reference listing
Location: Acacia Lawn, Lot 421,  Gr. 3

Ousley, Guy
Baseball-Reference listing
Location: Sec. 6, Lot 9, Row 80, Gr. 39

Phillips, John
Baseball-Reference listing
Location: Sec. 9, Lot 5, Row 16,  Gr. 7

Powell, Clarence - although listed in Burr Oak's notable burials list it has never been confirmed that Clarence Powell played for a Negro League team.
(Milwaukee Graves)
Location: Fairlawn, Lot 81, Gr. 11

Strong, Othello L.
Location: Sec. 6, Lot 17, Row 41, Gr. 39

Taylor, James
Seamheads NL Database listing
FindAGrave listing
Location: Sec. 5, Lot 7, Row 12, Gr. 22

Trent, Theodore
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing
Location: Sec. 5, Lot 5, Row. 6, Gr. 39

Tyson, Armand C.
Baseball-Reference listing
Location: Fairlawn, Lot 616, Gr. 9

It seems that there's still more work to be done here.

During my research I've found the obituaries for Jimmie Crutchfield and John Phillips.  I'll be sharing them later.

UPDATE:  Ted Knorr provided the name of another player, Wendell Smith.  Poking around on the web turned up a story on the Chicago Baseball Museum site that listed a few more: Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Williams and Alec Radcliffe.  I've also added links to the Seamheads.com Negro League Database.

Radcliffe, Alec
Baseball-Reference listing

Smith, Wendell - Sportswriter
Baseball Hall of Fame listing

Williams, Woodrow Wilson (Woody)
Baseball-Reference listing


UPDATE 2:  Gary Ashwill provided five more player names and a bit of correction.  Daniel Burley and Wendell Smith were not players, but sportswriters associated with the Negro Leagues.

Brazelton, Clarkson
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing

Green, Joe
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing

Harding, Halley
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing

McAdoo, Tullie
Baseball-Reference listing - BBRef has a different death date than Seamheads
Seamheads NL Database listing

Walker, Admiral
Baseball-Reference listing
Seamheads NL Database listing 
FindAGrave listing

UPDATE 3:  Dr. Jeremy Krock shared another name and some more information. 

Franklin L. Mann

BBA Willie Mays Award selections

I'm a proud member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  Arne Christensen, who runs the fantastic Misc. Baseball blog, is the president of the History Chapter.  This blog falls in that category.

I was asked by Arne to make selections for the Willie Mays Awards - Rookies of the Year in both Leagues.

Here you go...

American League

1. Jose Abreu - 1st baseman for the Chicago White Sox. He led the AL Rookies in at bats (556), runs (80), hits (176), doubles (35), home runs (36), RBI (107), bases on balls (51), OBP (.383), slugging (.581), and OPS (.964). 
2. Masahiro Tanaka - pitcher for the New York Yankees. He lead the AL Rookies in complete games (3). He went 13-5 in 20 starts with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He tied the AL Rookies mark in shutouts (1). 
3. Matt Shoemaker - pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He lead the AL Rookies in Wins (16) and had a 3.04 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. 

National League

1. Jacob deGrom - pitcher for the New York Mets. He led the NL Rookies in strikeouts (144), most innings pitched (140.1), and tied for most wins (9). He had a 2.69 ERA. 
2. Billy Hamilton - outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. He led the NL Rookies in runs (72), hits (141), doubles (25), strikeouts (117), and stolen bases (56). He tied for league leading Rookie RBI (48). 
3. Yangervis Solarte - 3B for the San Diego Padres. He led the NL Rookies in bases on balls (53). He tied for league leading Rookie RBI (48). Solarte was consistently in the top tier in many categories, including second place in at bats (469), runs (56), hits (122), and OBP (.336).