Seamheads: Touring the Bases With… the Veterans Committee

Justin Murphy’s telling interview with “Steve Hirdt, president of Elias Sports Bureau, and Roland Hemond, former general manager of the White Sox and Orioles and current member of the Diamondbacks front office.”

What resources did you use in your research?

Hirdt: Well, I read what I could about each player. I obviously was familiar with each in broad terms—there wasn’t a guy who I was asking, ‘who is this, when did he play?’ Of course, I used our own statistical resources here at Elias, which probably gave me an advantage over other committee members, especially having such easy access to them.

Hemond: The Hall provides you with background history—the statistics, the years they played, the awards. They give you a real good detailed operation. During the meeting, you can ask for additional information to substantiate your own statements as well as other people’s. There are Hall of Fame employees who would go and do that at your beck and call; they have a great computer system where they can do that sort of thing. You want to be enlightened not only by your own recollections but by statistics. I felt really good that it was taken seriously by all the participants. You listen closely to those who have seen the players, and for those who haven’t, you try to dissect as accurately as you can what the stats might have meant during their period of participation.

Personally, I used primarily the Hall of Fame material. That was really accurate, high-quality information. I also used some books I have at home, encyclopedias and things. There’s more than just the stats, though- you have to recognize the value of a player on the winning ball club.