®
SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL
RESEARCH
NINETEENTH
CENTURY COMMITTEE
Early "Newsletters"
The
Nineteenth Century Committee was established early in 1983, about six months
after John Thorn and Mark Rucker distributed a letter of invitation, including
a request to pass it on. Following approval by the SABR Board, the co-Chairs
distributed a welcome letter with survey enclosed. The invitation and welcome
(without the survey) are included in the printed Newsletter Archive and
are "reprinted" on the 19c Cmte
website in good quality (visit http://sabr.org;
select "Research").
Subsequent letters from the co-Chairs were concerned mainly with
communication among members, perhaps via a newsletter, and with the 19c Stars
project, which yielded a book of 136 one-page biographies, Nineteenth
Century Stars (SABR, 1989). Here is a synopsis. –Paul Wendt
Letters from co-Chairs John Thorn
and Mark Rucker to the 19c Cmte, 1982-1987
1982 September 30 (1p)
Letter of invitation or "Call to Arms" [Thorn, 20 years later].
1983 Winter or Spring (3pp)
Letter of welcome. Survey of member interests. Ballot concerning 19c ballplayers not in the Hall of Fame.
1983 October 1 (3pp)
Communication. "We hope the [Table, interests of members by name] will help communication among us. The way to exploit the talents in this committee is through continual exchange of information and advice. We hope someday to have a large group of us assembled in one place where a close rapport can develop. Until then, however, consistent contact through the mail is our best way to learn from one another."
The two letters, survey of interests and HOF poll are covered in the Anniversary Issue of the newsletter (#2003).
1984 January 15 (1p)
Communication. "At present we are probably duplicating research. And many of us find gaps in our findings which others could rapidly fill. We would like to propose a method by which information could be requested and provided." What a newsletter might be. Call for a volunteer to receive and collate submissions.
1984 March 5 (1p)
Communication. Report of positive responses to call [a false start]. Suggested scope of submissions by members:
" New sources of reference: books, periodicals, etc
Little known collections of materials in libraries, museums, or private hands
Facts, hypotheses, statistics
Anecdotes, folklore
Corrections of historical records
Information on important and neglected players and teams
Important questions which you need answered
1984 September 11 (3pp) - "IN RE: A committee publication for distribution to SABR members in 1986"
19c Stars. Announcement and description of the 19c Stars project. Instructions for marking and supplementing the list of possible subjects. List of about 200 possible subjects grouped pre-1880 (about 80) and post-1880 (about 120).
Professional teams 1870-1881. "pages 71-86 of the 1881 DeWitt Baseball Guide [constitute] a valuable listing, with season-opening rosters, of all the professional teams in the country from 1870 through 1881. Of particular interest are lists of pro nines outside the National League or National Association –such independent teams as the Syracuse Stars and Cincinnati Buckeyes of 1876, all the League Alliance and International Association teams of 1877, and the California pro teams of 1880." [not Cincinnati but Columbus Buckeyes, I think]
1985 June 12 (3pp)
19c Stars. Assignment of subjects. Instructions for biographies. Many unclaimed players should be covered. List of 14 players who would be "most grievous omissions." [10 were covered in 19c Stars and 4 in BB's First Stars.]
1987 January 7 (7pp)
19c Stars. Progress report including comprehensive lists of subjects.
List of member names & addresses [the earliest complete list of 19c Cmte members (58) in the archive.]