Issue #467

The goal with The Baseball Buffet series is to provide the best daily dose of relevant baseball info in a smart-brevity format (mostly short bullets, getting to the point, with quick analysis/insights.) Think of it like what baseball fans of a certain age would look forward to in their morning newspaper’s sports section each day!

⚾ Welcome! ⚾

I hope everyone in the USA had a nice Thanksgiving Day holiday with family, friends, or however you celebrate. Because of the holiday, there wasn’t much news around the league—so at least while you were enjoying your turkey and fixings, you weren’t missing out on any hot stove activity.

SABR Committees

On some slow news days during this offseason I’m going to highlight various elements of SABR, The Society for American Baseball Research. This non-profit organization was started in 1971 by a group of 16 baseball fans at a meeting at the Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, NY. Since then the organization has grown to now boast over 7,000 members, with chapters in dozens of cities, several conferences each year, and a wealth of resources and member benefits.

I’ve been a member for a couple of decades, and have enjoyed going to the annual convention many times over the years. In my experience, when baseball fans hear of “SABR” they sometimes (understandably) think of Sabermetrics, or the study of advanced baseball statistics. While such stats are certainly an important part of what many SABR members care about, it is far from the only thing. In fact, I’d say an interest in the history of baseball is at this point the biggest thread that binds members together.

So to help widen understanding of SABR as an organization, I want to share a bit about the content the organization produces, the benefits of membership, and so on. To that end, I’ll start with one aspect: SABR Research Committees. These are groups of SABR members who focus on specific areas of baseball history and research. Each committee encourages research on a specific area of baseball, shares findings, and often creates specialized databases or resources. Subjects range widely, from the very specific (like the 1919 Black Sox Scandal) to broad areas like the Business of Baseball, Ballparks, or Baseball and the Arts. Any SABR member can join a committee to receive its announcements and participate in, or just follow along with, its activities.

Here is a list of the several dozen current SABR Research Committees (in alphabetical order). You can learn more about each at the linked webpages for each at the linked page in the paragraph above.

  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Research Committee

  • Asian Baseball Research Committee

  • Ballparks Research Committee

  • Baseball and the Arts Research Committee

  • Baseball Cards Research Committee

  • Baseball Index Project Committee

  • Baseball Landmarks Committee

  • Baseball and the Media Research Committee

  • Baseball Records Research Committee

  • Biography Project Committee (BioProject)

  • Biographical Research Committee

  • Black Sox Scandal Research Committee

  • Business of Baseball Research Committee

  • Century Research Committee

  • Collegiate Baseball Research Committee

  • Concessions Research Committee

  • Deadball Era Research Committee

  • Educational Resources Committee

  • Games and Simulations Research Committee

  • Games Project Research Committee

  • Iconography Project

  • Latino Baseball Research Committee

  • Minor Leagues Research Committee

  • Negro Leagues Research Committee

  • Nineteenth Century Research Committee

  • Official Scoring Research Committee

  • Oral History Research Committee

  • Origins Research Committee

  • Pictorial History Research Committee

  • Science and Baseball Research Committee

  • Scouts Research Committee

  • Spring Training Research Committee

  • Statistical Analysis Research Committee

  • Town Ball Research Committee

  • Umpires and Rules Research Committee

  • Women in Baseball Research Committee

Today’s Trivia Question

As noted below, one of today’s Birthday Boys is slugger Matt Williams. He had 378 career HR, and that ranks him 8th amongst players who played 51% or more of their games at 3B. How many of the top seven guys who were primarily 3B can you name?

2026 Team Wall Calendars!

Its that time of year… I know wall or desk calendars aren’t for everyone, but as a kid in the 1980s it was a tradition in my house to get a new calendar for the new year. And most years, my theme was baseball.

Turner Sports produces attractive 12×12” Team Wall Calendars. I think they produce them for all 30 MLB teams, but I could only find some teams available at Amazon. Looks like Calendars.com has a broader selection, but here are the ones I found at Amazon:

Again, those are the teams I could find at Amazon so far. Other teams seem to be available at Calendars.com.

On this day in baseball history…

Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. Unless otherwise noted, the descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.

📅 On November 28…

  • 1927: The Pirates trade away future Hall-of-Famer Kiki Cuyler. “The Pittsburgh Pirates trade future Hall of Fame outfielder Kiki Cuyler to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Sparky Adams and outfielder Pete Scott. Cuyler, who had drawn the wrath of manager Donie Bush for his failure to slide in a game, will hit only .285 next season, well below his lifetime average of .321. He became expendable after rookie Lloyd Waner became a starter, but will be a great addition to the Cubs. Adams will have two seasons in Pittsburgh before going to the Cardinals.”

  • 1944: Hal Newhouser wins AL MVP Award in a close vote. “Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser is named Most Valuable Player in the American League, gathering four more votes than teammate Dizzy Trout. Newhouser's 29 wins contrast with his 34 combined wins the previous four years, as his 2.22 ERA is bettered by Trout (2.12), who also has 27 wins.”

  • 1957: In the second ever Cy Young Award, Warren Spahn is the near-unanimous winner. “Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves wins the Cy Young Award as the major leagues' top pitcher almost unanimously. His only competition for the title is Dick Donovan, of the Chicago White Sox, who receives one vote.”

  • 1958: The Red Sox sign teenager Carl Yastrzemski. “The Boston Red Sox sign teenage sensation Carl Yastrzemski to a reported bonus of $100,000. The future Hall of Famer will make his major league debut with Boston in three years.”

  • 1972: Major trade in Los Angeles between the Dodgers and Angels. “In a blockbuster intrastate trade good for both teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers send Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, Mike Strahler, Bobby Valentine and Bill Grabarkewitz to the California Angels in exchange for Andy Messersmith and Ken McMullen, who returns to the team that signed him. Next season, Robinson will play 147 games, hitting 30 home runs with 97 RBI and Singer will combine with Nolan Ryan to strike out 674 batters, a 20th Century major league record for two teammates. Messersmith will win 39 games in the next two seasons for the Dodgers and finish second in the Cy Young Award voting in 1974.”

  • 1973: Al Bumbry takes home AL Rookie of the Year honors. “Baltimore Orioles outfielder Al Bumbry beats out five other vote-getters to win American League Rookie of the Year honors. Bumbry played just 110 games, but tied for the AL lead in triples (11) and batted .337.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉

Matt Williams (1965)

  • First-round draft pick (3rd overall) in 1986 by the San Francisco Giants

  • 17-year major league career, spanning from 1987-2003, mostly with the Giants and Diamondbacks

  • Hit 30+ HR six times, including a league-leading 43 HR in the strike-shortened 1994 season

  • Had 100+ RBI four times, including a league leading 122 in 1990

  • Five-time All-Star, and won four Gold Glove Awards at 3B

  • Overall had 378 HR, 1,218 RBI, a .268/.317/.489 slash line, and a 113 OPS+

  • Managed the Washington Nationals to a 96-66 record in 2014 and an 83-79 mark in 2015

Robb Nen (1969)

  • 10-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1993-2002, mostly the Marlins and Giants

  • Three-time All-Star

  • Had 35+ saves in seven consecutive seasons, including leading the NL with a career-high 45 saves in 2001

  • Had impressive ERA marks of 1.95 in 1996, 1.52 in 1998, 1.50 in 2000, and 2.20 in his final season in 2002

  • A shoulder injury required three surgeries and much rehabilitation, eventually leading to his early retirement

  • Overall had 314 saves, 793 K in 715 IP, a 2.98 ERA, and a 139 ERA+

  • Son of former major league 1B Dick Nen who played parts of six seasons spanning from 1963-1970

Dave Righetti (1958)

  • 16-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1979-1995, mostly with the Yankees and Giants

  • Won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1981 after posting an 8-4 record and a 2.05 ERA over 15 starts

  • Threw a no-hitter on July 4th, 1983, the first Yankee no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

  • After that season, the Yankees converted Righetti into their closer when Goose Gossage left for the Padres. He went on to have eight consecutive seasons with 20+ saves, including a league-leading 46 saves in 1986, his first of two consecutive All-Star seasons.

  • Overall had 252 saves, a 3.46 ERA, and a 114 ERA+

John Burkett (1964)

  • 15-year major league pitching career, spanning 1987-2003, spending time with the Giants, Rangers, Marlins, Braves, and Red Sox

  • Two-time All-Star, including in 1993 when went on to lead the NL in wins with a 22-7 record

  • Overall had a 166-136 (.550) record and 4.31 ERA

Walt Weiss (1963)

  • First-round draft pick (11th overall) in 1985 by the Oakland Athletics

  • 14-year major league career, spanning from 1987-2000, mostly with the A's, Rockies, and Braves

  • Won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1988 after playing well defensively at SS but providing only modest offense with 3 HR, 39 RBI, 4 SB, and a .250 average

  • Would later have 10+ SB three times, and was an All-Star for the Braves in 1998

  • Overall had 96 SB and a .258 career average

  • Managed the Colorado Rockies from 2013-2016, and was recently announced as the manager for the Atlanta Braves for the 2026 season

Sixto Lezcano (1953)

  • 12-year major league career, spanning from 1974-1985, with seven seasons for the Brewers and the rest spread across four other clubs

  • Had 15+ HR five times, with a career high of 28 HR and 101 RBI in 1979

  • Was primarily a RF and won a Gold Glove Award in 1979

  • Overall had 148 HR, a .271/.360/.440 slash line, and a 124 OPS+

Currently active players who were born on November 28 include LAD Will Klein, LAA José Fermín, TBR Kevin Kelly, CIN Jose Trevino, and Cooper Hummel (free agent).

Check out the second annual Here’s the Pitch, edited by Dan Schlossberg, from the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. The book is published by ACTA Sports, which previously was the publisher of the annual Bill James Handbook around this time each year. (ACTA is also the publisher of my first baseball book from 2019, which is of course always mentioned at the end of each edition of this newsletter.)

This year, Here’s the Pitch 2026 has a foreword by Jayson Stark, an introduction by edited Dan Schlossberg, and then 26 articles by a range of IBWAA authors. Topics vary greatly, from walk-up music and fungoes; women in baseball; Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Pete Rose, and Babe Ruth; some looks ahead to 2026; and much more… check it out!

Baseball Quote of the Day

One of the new features I’m starting up during the offseason is a baseball-related quote of the day. These will include quotes by players or managers that are insightful or funny, and interesting quotes from others about the game itself. I’ll try to mix it up over time.

Today I’ll go with some funny, self-deprecating quotes from the great Bob Uecker (curated from the collection at The Baseball Almanac):

"Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. To last as long as I did with the skills I had, with the numbers I produced, was a triumph of the human spirit."

"Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets."

"If a guy hits .300 every year, what does he have to look forward to? I always tried to stay around .190, with three or four RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way I always had something to talk about during the winter."

"I hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel's suitcase."

"In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs."

"I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don't even get printed."

"I signed with the Milwaukee Braves for three-thousand dollars. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn't have that kind of dough. But he eventually scraped it up."

"People don't know this but I helped the Cardinals win the pennant. I came down with hepatitis. The trainer injected me with it."

"Sporting goods companies pay me not to endorse their products."

"The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up."

"When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes."

⚾ I hope you enjoyed the newsletter today! ⚾

Today’s Trivia Answer

The all-time HR leaderboard for players who played 51% or more of their games at 3B is as follows:

  • 548 - Mike Schmidt

  • 512 - Eddie Mathews

  • 477 - Adrian Beltré

  • 468 - Chipper Jones

  • 414 - Darrell Evans

  • 390 - Graig Nettles

  • 386 - Aramis Ramirez

  • 378 - Matt Williams

  • 369 - Manny Machado

  • 360 - Gary Gaetti

  • 353 - Nolan Arenado

  • 342 - Evan Longoria

  • 342 - Ron Santo

  • 326 - Eugenio Suárez

Matt Williams ranks 8th on this list for now, but presumably active players Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, and Eugenio Suárez will surpass him soon (while maintaining their 51%+ games at 3B status).

Good Reads

Here I am providing one or more links to baseball articles I’ve enjoyed recently, whether by writers at MLB.com or elsewhere.

See recent issues of The Baseball Buffet for more recent good reads!

Did you know? I wrote a 600+ page book with the same title as this newsletter/blog? Now Taking the Field: Baseball’s All-Time Dream Teams for All 30 Franchises was published in early 2019, by ACTA Sports. It is available at Amazon and most other major booksellers.

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