New Statistical Study

[Brian McKenna]

I hear a huge Negro league statistical study was just completed, leading to a special hall of fame election. Any idea when it will be published?

[Cucamongadan]

Well I'm glad to finally see some response to the question - I excerpt from the Negro League Awards thread:

11-13-2005, 03:45 PM
bkmckenna
i'm interested in seeing this new statistical effort which was just completed - anyone know when it will be published?

11-13-2005, 05:05 PM
My understanding is it won't be published for at least a year or two in anything resembling complete form. Perhaps we'll get bits and pieces of it to go with the inductions for the HOF in February.
Jim Albright


...I was so excited and happy to hear the study was being done- I can't wait to see the final results. I hope it can be put out there sooner than a year or two. The sooner the better so we can finally get some data on league statistics, team statistics, etc., and researchers can start to rough out what they can on things like park factors, pitcher-batter matchups, etc.

[SABR Matt]

I await with baited breath.

I'm hoping similar effort goes into the study of Japanese baseball and of minor league and independent league baseball...especially quasi-major leagues like the old Pacific Coast and International Leagues.

[jalbright]

SABR Matt:

I agree with you, but don't expect MLB or Cooperstown to lead the charge. It'll have to come from guys like me and other SABR types or sympathizers (meaning baseball researchers, not just statheads). Let's face it, the only reason MLB/Cooperstown did the study was to respond to loud criticisms fostered by research done by many folks who did it on their own or for a book that was more a labor of love than a money making venture. The other leagues you mention will only get that kind of treatment if similar research is amassed privately first, publicized and leads to some real public noise, IMO. Another area which is ripe for study is baseball in Castro's Cuba.

Jim Albright

[jalbright]

The ballot for the February 27 vote for Negro League inductees has been set. I'm also running a contest (for pride only) to see who can do the best in selecting the inductees. Details are here: http://baseball-fever.com/showthread...806#post423806

Jim Albright

[jalbright]

This post indicates that at least some of the materials will be published by National Geographic: http://baseball-fever.com/showpost.p...03&postcount=1

Jim Albright

[jalbright]

Some further information from SABR-L, SABR's mailing list:

the undersigned representative of the HOF posted this with respect to

the issue of publication of Negro Leagues statistics compiled by the
Hall of Fame study and utilized by voters in the recent election.......
*****************************
I cannot speak in any official capacity, but I can pass along this information:

1) The Larry Hogan book focused on the historical findings of the study. The HOF hopes to publish a separate, comprehensive volume of statistics, if... there is a big enough market for it.

2) At some point, most or all of the statistical data compiled during the study
will be microfilmed and/or digitized and made available at the HOF library and/or on the HOF website.

3) The same is true of the box scores compiled during the study.

4) There is no timetable for all of this work to be done and, as far as I know,
no specific target date by which it is hoped or expected that this material will
be available to the public. All I know is that at some point, researchers will be
able to access this data and analyze it in the same way that they can currently access and analyze the major league data available here on microfilm (i.e. our collections of day-by-day records and box scores).

5) I hope this information helps allay any doubts about the HOF's intentions.
This is not an either/or plan. The raw data will be made available whether or not there is a published volume of statistics. We are a research facility dedicated to making resources available to researchers.

Gabriel Schechter
Research Associate
National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
25 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY, 13326
[email protected]
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org

I hope this information is available sooner rather than later.

Jim Albright

[Tambourine Man]

Please keep this thread updated. I have a friend who played a bit for the Memphis Red Sox and Indianapolis Clowns that would be very interested in any such data.

Thanks in advance!