I've been looking up old PCL statistics in some recently purchased Sporting News Baseball Guides from the '40s & '50s and I've noticed a couple of inconsistencies between them and the SABR Minor League Database. None of these inconsistencies are numerical in nature (not that I've attempted to verify every single stat cited . . . ), instead they all relate to the team these ballplayers played for.

In 1952 Fred Strobel played 11 games in 34 IP with 6 AB. According to the SABR database, that time was spent with the San Francisco Seals; however, according to TSN Baseball Guide, Strobel played for the Hollywood Stars in '52. Now, both agree that in '54, Stobel's only other time in the league, he played for Hollywood. Could the SABR datase have conflated Strobel's '54 ball club with his '52?

In 1951 there are two inconsistencies: Al Lien & Bob Savage. According to the SABR database, Lien spent '51 with the Portland Beavers, the one year spent away from the San Francisco Seals in his PCL career; however, according to TSN, he never left San Francisco. I also have Dennis Snelling's The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical History, 1903 - 1957, which shows Lien as a member of the Seals in '51, but could Snelling have also relied upon potentially faulty info in the '52 Sporting News Baseball Guide?

John Robert "Bob" Savage is even trickier. In TSN's Baseball Guide Savage he's listed as a member of the San Diego Padres among hitters but among pitchers he's listed as a member of the San Francisco Seals, and the SABR Minor League Database considers Bob Savage to be a member of the '51 Seattle Rainiers. Even more confusing, according to the SABR database he played for San Diego prior to '51 & San Francisco after.

Does anyone have any info that could verify who these ballplayers played for or know of where I could get such information, other sources & such?

I watched the documentary segment of the Mr Perfect DVD set on Friday. Wade Boggs and Curt Hennig were tight. Boggs claims Mr P saved his life on a hunting trip. Boggs cut his leg wide open on a fence, and Perfect carried him a couple miles to get help. Doctor said Boggs would have bled to death. He did not comment on whether, instead of plasma, cold, easy drinking Miller Lite poured from the wound.

Is Hennig a wrassler, Wale?

He was a wrestler--my favorite during my WWF days--died a few years ago, I believe from a drug overdose. Boggs did his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame, if I'm remembering correctly.

Today is a really empty day for watching baseball. It isn't often there are only two games on the schedule.

The Baseball Hall of Fame site says:

Trailways provides bus service to Cooperstown from many cities.

However, I no longer see a stop for Cooperstown on the Trailways site. Has this bus been cancelled?

Today is a really empty day for watching baseball. It isn't often there are only two games on the schedule.

It's still a lot better than the day after the All-Star Game, a/k/a the worst day of the summer.

It's still a lot better than the day after the All-Star Game, a/k/a the worst day of the summer.

And the day after your team's Opening Day is usually the worst day of spring.

Happy 25th to Timmy Cy Young.

And happy 60th to Dusty Baker.

I may be in the minority here, but I like off days. I feel obligated to catch at least one inning when the Red Sox play. That's a lot of pressure.

And I wanted to say that even though I have nothing to add to Post No. 1, I enjoyed reading it and want to encourage further abstruse postings.

And I wanted to say that even though I have nothing to add to Post No. 1, I enjoyed reading it and want to encourage further abstruse postings.

Really? I was afraid that I had killed the dugout. . . . There are a few other things that I've thought about posting; however, I'm really a novice when it comes to baseball esoterica, especially compared to the likes of Andy or Steve Treder. . . .

And I believe I found the answer to one of my questions via the Newspaper Archive:

Seattle Lead Reduced in Coast League
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8 (UP)

Rogers Hornsby had better not make any special plans on spending first-place money in the Pacific Coast league.

One simple reason should make him want the cash in his fist before he wildly throws it away—he may not be in any position to collect when the P. C. L. curtain rings down some five weeks hence. Last night's action, could be a tip-off on events yet to come. While his Seattle Rainiers were being shut out, 5 to 0, by Portland, the second-place Hollywood Stars were waxing San Francisco, 10 to 2.

The results cut the Seattle lead to four games, and the men from far up north still have five games to play with their arch-enemies at the movie city. A pair of eager beavers, pitcher Japhet (Red) Lynn and Eddie Barr, played havoc with any hopes Seattle might have had of waltzing to the Coast crown. Japhet threw six-hit ball at the baffled Suds, while Mrs. Barr's boy was banging out three hits in live trips to the plate, one of which did not count, because Eddie walked.

For Lefty O'Doul's hapless San Francisco Seals, it was the same story — and the same miserable crowd.

A total of 702 of the faithful jammed Paul Fagan's ball park to see San Francisco jump off to a 2 to 1 lead in the fourth inning with Al Lien in complete control. But the Stars came out big in the top of the fifth with three runs, and they might just have well stopped there. However, they got ambitious and added three more runs in the sixth and another three in the eighth. The three runs which came in the eighth canto were regarded as insulting by the majority of paying customers. Twice San Francisco had loaded the bases, once with one down and the other time with nobody away. And each time, the Seals were able to shove one run across.

San Diego travels to Seattle for a series starting tonight while San Francisco meets Oakland at home.

Nice to find a day where Al Lien pitched and both Portland & San Francisco played separately in the only two games.

For the curious, Rogers Hornsby was able to spend that first-place money as the Seattle Rainiers won the '51 pennant. Of course, you know what happened next: the pennant led to Hornsby's infamous return to the MLB as manager of the St. Louis Browns via Mr. Veeck. It did give PCL MVP Jungle Jim Rivera, who hit .352/.420/.553 with 33 SB in 734 PA, a chance at a major league career as Rogers Hornsby brought his star player along with him. He never performed in MLB at the same level as his lone season in the old PCL, but I think we can forgive him that considering he began his major league career at 29. . . .