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As I shared, I have been elected the Vice President of the Northern New Jersey Chapter (Elysian Fields) of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
We have a ton of great events planned going forward. I will share these periodically here on SSTN. One need not be a member of SABR to attend virtually or in-person. (Of course, we hope that you find our community so wonderful that you decide to join.)
Please feel free to reach out to me to learn more about SABR.
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Wednesday, January 8, 7:00 p.m. ET on Zoom
SABR Elysian Fields member Dan Cichalski presenting “Bruce Springsteen's ‘Glory Days’: From Speedball to Spitball”
Register here:
In recent years, baseball fans and pundits have enjoyed poking fun at the opening lyric to Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days," specifically his use of the word "speedball" instead of "fastball":
I had a friend was a big baseball player
Back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool, boy
Some have turned Springsteen’s words back on him, saying no one who follows baseball calls it a speedball; that usage makes you look like a fool, boy. Others have defended it as artistic license, a throwback term used perfectly in a song about nostalgia and reminiscing.
Using archival photos, video clips, and song segments, Dan's presentation will look at the history of the term, Springsteen's process in writing the song, and his long connection to baseball — from playing Little League in his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, to performing at ballparks as a top-selling artist and attending ballgames in recent years.
Dan Cichalski has been an editor at MLB.com since 2006, overseeing nightly production of the homepage since 2008. A 1998 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he covered minor league baseball for the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey from 1999-2002, serving as the beat reporter for the Lakewood BlueClaws during their first two seasons. Dan and his wife, Casey, live in Clifton, N.J., with their cats, and, whenever possible, try to include a baseball game in their travel itineraries.
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Tuesday, January 14, 7:00 p.m. ET on Zoom
”Scouting Ichiro” with Dan Evans
Dan Evans was the first person to scout Ichiro Suzuki for an MLB team. Just ahead of the announcement of the 2025 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot results, come hear Dan’s stories about the likely first-ballot Hall of Famer, as well as numerous others he’s scouted and signed.
A former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager, Dan has been in professional baseball for over four decades and has had decision-making roles with five MLB franchises. His most recent MLB role was as Major League Scout & Director of Pacific Rim Operations for the Toronto Blue Jays (2013-2018), who were playoff contestants for the first time in 20 years during that period.
The Chicago native began his baseball journey as an intern for the Chicago White Sox while a junior at DePaul University. He has worked for the White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, and Blue Jays. Evans’ experience is unique and wide-ranging, and he was the first former GM of a big-league organization to lead a baseball representation agency.
Among the players drafted by Evans are Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, All-Stars Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, David Ross, and Mark Buehrle. Evans also acquired (current Dodgers’ manager) Dave Roberts, Hideo Nomo, Brian Jordan, Paul Konerko, Bo Jackson, Magglio Ordonez, Ozzie Guillen, Ellis Burks, and Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Tom Seaver. In addition, he was the White Sox’ Assistant General Manager during Michael Jordan’s baseball career. Three of the first four Taiwanese players in the big leagues were signed under Evans’ tenure, including Chin-Feng Chen, the first Taiwanese-born big leaguer, in 2002. Evans was the primary architect of the Dodgers' first playoff club in over a dozen years. FanGraphs' WAR methodology affirms that his 2003 Dodger bullpen is the best in baseball history.
Evans also hired Kim Ng (baseball’s first female General Manager) twice in his career, once when Ng secured an intern role for the White Sox in 1991 and again when she became the Dodgers’ VP/Assistant General Manager before the 2002 season. He was the Chief Operating Officer of Go The Distance Baseball, LLC from 2021-2023. In that role, he oversaw The Field of Dreams Movie Site regarding strategy, events, planning, governmental relationships, design, construction, and personnel, and the company had record revenues.
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Wednesday, January 22, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Author John Husman discussing his latest book “Roger Bresnahan, A Baseball Life”
Register here:
John is a 20-year member of SABR and is the Team Historian for the Toledo Mud Hens. He has written over a dozen articles published by SABR and is the author of three books.
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Saturday, January 25, 9:00 a.m. at the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium, 186 Maple Street, Paterson, NJ (in-person event)
SABR's Elysian Fields Chapter is partnering with the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium to present a day of baseball history and collecting fun.
Parking: Free parking in the parking deck at 1 Jasper St. Walk through Hinchliffe Stadium to the Muth Museum.
Admission: $2, kids 12 and under free if accompanied by an adult
9:00 a.m. Baseball-card-themed presentation by Ralph Carhart (collector, author of “The Hall Ball,” editor of the SABR publication “Not an Easy Tale to Tell: Jackie Robinson on the Page, Stage, and Screen”)
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Baseball card & collectibles show
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MORE TO COME!!!!!!!
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