The American Association Almanac

    Production of Vol. 17, No. 1: "Home Run Histrionics, The Franchise-leading Teams for Single-season Home Run Production in the American Association" Part one of two parts, the Spring 2021 issue of the American Association Almanac , released in April 2021, represents my most ambitious undertaking to date. Aside from the usual back-n-forth during the writing process (not smooth), the data comprising the backbone of this issue was under constant scrutiny and revision. It became a nagging sore that just wouldn't go away. I wondered if the issue would ever be born given the perpetual roadblocks. Then came time to print and the printer just did not want to cooperate. This was largely due to the paper stock upgrade I made when I purchased several reams of an 80-lb. paper called Futura with a glossy finish. Several adjustments were required before the printer would accept the new paper on my terms. The covers and centerfold all had to be re-run. I'm only doing runs of 50 n...

 After years without a website, the American Association Almanac is finally back on the web with a new and improved approach. The original idea was to find a web-builder format that would support my fairly large data files so they could be shared with those interested some of the same things I'm most interested in. But it was a struggle finding it. Finally last June I discovered google sites and it was perfect for my purposes. At the time I was in the middle of researching the American Association playoffs and did not want to divert my attention. But now that the Fall Almanac is out, I've been able to spend some time getting two sections of the new website produced. Please look at the section on the Home Run Leaders of the deadball era. https://sites.google.com/view/aaalmanac/hr-leaders There you will find profiles for eight players who led their teams in home runs during the year in which that team hit its greatest number of homers from 1902 to 1920. Once you're there, fin...

Vol. 16, No. 2 of the American Association Almanac: The Playoffs, 1953-1957 Hot off the presses! Just released: The American Association Almanac 's  37,000-word report on the American Association playoffs (print only) from 1953 to 1957. Data collection began in April and was completed through 1962 by mid-June when the writing process began. The original intent was to include game accounts through 1962 but that idea proved unfeasible. This way I was able to dedicate the wordage necessary for capturing the essence of each contest. In all, 84 games are covered. As it states in the Introduction: This issue of the Almanac examines the American Association playoffs from 1953 to 1957 and accounts for all 84 playoff games for that time period. A brief introduction provides background for the contestants for each year, followed by a scoring summary and highlights for each season’s playoff.  Accounts for each of the 84 games contain essential information for documenting each event alon...

The idea for this 36,000-word report (Vol. 16, No. 2 of the American Association Almanac) came about as the result of a discussion with my wife about the teams with the most home runs in the American Association. The question came up about how a team's home run output might look good on paper, but what about the home runs it gave up? The only way to know is to collect the data and compare it. The results were surprising in some areas, not so surprising in others, but making distinct conclusions required a protracted, sustained effort over a period of four-plus months of work laying the groundwork. Fun work, but arduous and intricate...and at times frustrating, esp. with the way box scores can differ from one publication to the next.  Writing for this issue began in late-January. After editing and production (including layout), the issue was complete and ready for mailing two months later, a six-month project. There was no way I could collect the data for each season for of the eigh...

The spreadsheet above contains the database for each of the 65 home runs claimed by the 1903 Toledo Mud Hens, as well as for each of the 65 home runs hit against them.  The 1903 season was selected as Toledo's most productive home run season from 1902 to 1920. This work was completed in preparation for a report on home runs during the deadball era in the American Association to be published on paper for the Spring of 2020. Subscriptions are available at $24/yr. or $42/2 yrs. Beginning with the 1902 season when the league was first formed, Toledo played at Armory Park. The field there had an unusually short right field which may have accounted for some of the home runs hit there. However, ground rules stipulated that a ball hit beyond the barrier in right field was to be designated a double, according to an article by John Husman found at https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/30843621 . This negates the claim that the short right field distance had a significant boon to home run hitting a...

The American Association Almanac presents....   The American Association Playoffs, 1947-1952 This 35,000-word volume is the third in a series dedicated to the American Association playoffs, a postseason series which began in 1933 and continued through the 1962 season. Based on newspaper accounts and original research conducted by the author, this issue focuses on detailed game descriptions which help bring to life the spirit of each contest, using newspaper accounts and the data expunged from box scores to enhance the narrative. In all, there are 110 game descriptions which are concerned primarily with how the scoring took place, with special emphasis on who was accountable for each game's deciding run. As in past issues of the Almanac, a smattering of anecdotal information is included as a way of adding a more human element to the otherwise repetitive descriptive elements. In this way the Almanac as a whole can be viewed as a continuous narrative or sampled in parts, dependi...

1952 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION PLAYOFF SERIES LEADERBOARD 1952 Playoff Teams (by pos. in final standings) 1. Milwaukee Brewers 2. Kansas City Blues 3. St. Paul Saints 4. Minneapolis Millers Dates Semifinals: Sept. 9 to Sept. 14 Final Round: Sept. 15 to Sept. 21 PLAYER RECORDS Runs 13 - Don Bollweg, Kansas City 13 - Bill Bruton, Milwaukee Hits 19 - Luis Marquez, Milwaukee Doubles 5 - George Crowe, Milwaukee Triples 2 - Bill Bruton, Milwaukee 2 - Bob Cerv, Kansas City Home Runs 5 - Bill Skowron, Kansas City Runs Batted In 19 - Bill Skowron, Kansas City Batting Average (min. 30 at-bats) .367 - Mickey Owen, Kansas City (11/30) Total Bases 31 - Bill Skowron, Kansas City Slugging Percentage .620 - Bill Skowron, Kansas City Hitting Streak 9 games - Luis Marquez, Milwaukee 9 games - Vic Power, Milwaukee FIELDING Assists 43 - Billy Klaus (ss), Milwaukee Infield Putouts* 28 - Kal Segrist (2b), Kansas City Outfield Putouts 40 - Bill Renna (cf), Kansas City *excluding first basemen 1952 SINGLE-GAME PL...