Happy Birthday And Merry Christmas, Sean Forman

by Al on Dec 14, 2008 5:00 AM CST in News Comment 46 comments

If you don't know who Sean Forman is, you should. And if you've ever used baseball-reference.com, you've used his creation, perhaps without knowing who was behind it all.

In just a few short years, Sean Forman's site has made all the printed encyclopedias museum pieces. Since he started updating the site on a daily basis last year, it's been my go-to site for both current and past statistics. Since it now has complete play-by-play game accounts (thanks to Retrosheet, and we should also thank Dave Smith and his Retrosheet volunteers for all their hard work in compiling this data), you can now put together historic comparisons between present-day players and just about anyone who's played in the last half-century.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Sean and his site; I simply wouldn't have as much access to baseball statistics without it.

Naturally, a site like that doesn't run for free. Sean doesn't know I'm doing this, and I wasn't solicited for this plug (although we have been discussing this among the SBN baseball bloggers on our in-house email list), but I'm posting this to say that if you, too, find bb-ref useful, that you find a page or two to sponsor. The sponsorships start as low as $2. I personally (with BCB as the link) sponsor six pages, including three player pages:

Angel Guzman

Sean Marshall

Carlos Marmol

Two Cub team pages: 1967 and 1984. (1984 may not show up for a day or so because I just signed up for that page yesterday.)

And, the page for major leaguers who went to my alma mater, Colgate University. Yes, there were some -- 13 in all, actually, which is a significant number to a Colgate student or graduate, since there were 13 men who founded the school -- although none since 1963 (and Colgate doesn't even have a baseball team any more). Ebba St. Claire was the best of them, catching parts of four seasons in the 1950's; if the name sounds familiar, his son is Randy St. Claire, who pitched (mostly) for the Montreal Expos in the 1980's and who is now the pitching coach for the Washington Nationals.

In any case, 'tis the season. Buy Sean and his site a small birthday (today happens to be his birthday, according to Facebook) or Christmas gift, a token of all of our appreciation for his fantastic site.

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Hmmm....

Love that site. There are a few interesting names topping the list of newly available pages, but the price is a little dear for me. Prince Fielder, anyone? :)

by yajohn on Dec 14, 2008 6:00 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I will check it out AL

one thing of note though—sb nation must have added a ton of advertisement cause its all over the place when I open up bcb.

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Dec 14, 2008 8:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I just sponsored Wuertz

Most current Cubs are taken.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by zambranofan on Dec 14, 2008 8:52 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Derek Lee is available!

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 9:30 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Derrick May is

but Derrek Lee is taken.

by rlpete on Dec 14, 2008 9:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Derek Lee played for one year in 1993

I put in D Lee to save time and he was next to ours.

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 9:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

you got wuertz...

because I let my sponsorship on him expire.

I wholeheartedly agree that this is a fantastic site and if you use it, you should help with it. I currently have sponsored the pages for…

Hank Sauer
Jose Ascanio
Chad Fox
Carmen Pignatiello
and Geovany Soto

Kasey

See what old Cubs Scorecards looked like at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/scorecards.html
Also, see the Cubs 2009 schedule at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/sched2009.html

by kaseyi on Dec 14, 2008 9:37 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So you are Cubsbythenumbers?

I never would have guessed.

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 9:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Happy Birthday Sean

you run a great website

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 9:26 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Lots of good old Cubs available

A sampling that I just checked this morning…..Bill Hands, Rick Monday, Jerry Morales, Leon Durham, Milt Pappas, Scot Thompson (only $5), Dwight Smith and Jerome Walton.

I have Paul Popovich and Ray Burris now.

by rlpete on Dec 14, 2008 9:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Add

Steve Trout, Ivan DeJesus, Brant Brown, Dennis Lamp, Mick Kelleher, Paul Reuschel, Neifi Perez and Oscar Zamora to the list of available names. Most only $10.

Todd Hundley and Michael Barrett are yours for $20. Sammy Sosa is available for $135 too.

by rlpete on Dec 14, 2008 9:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe Dusty can support Neifi

Lord knows he did it when they were with the Cubs.

Old Style is the nectar of life.

by Mordecai on Dec 14, 2008 2:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

hmm... I may have to take a gander at Barrett's page

He’s been good to me with a few homerun balls out on Waveland, although the last one had a… how should I put this… certain ‘aroma’ to it, not to mention getting my clothes dirty. Good times… ;-)

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 14, 2008 2:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't get it

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 2:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This incident is detailed in ballhawk's article in Wrigley Season Ticket 2008.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 14, 2008 2:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

well that doesn't help

unless I can find it online

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 2:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You could still buy a copy...

… hint, hint.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 14, 2008 2:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

lol

I don’t know if I’m THAT curious

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe Ken will tell you.

And there will be a WST 2009 to buy next February!

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 14, 2008 2:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

let's just say that sometime a player will hit the sh*t out of the ball...

…and sometimes a player will hit the ball into some sh*t. Of the canine variety.

When a homerun ball isn’t caught on the fly, there’s usually a mad scramble for the ball on the ground. And during these scrambles, the focus is usually on the ball and rightfully so. But there are times when one should pay more attention to what’s on the ground…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 14, 2008 2:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

oh man, that sticks

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 3:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

oops, that was suppose to say stinks

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 15, 2008 1:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

"Sticks" could work too.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 15, 2008 4:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yep

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 15, 2008 7:11 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ew

lol

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 15, 2008 7:35 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Oldie

For a year or so, I sponsored the Mitch Webster page and the 1977 Cubs page. I should re-up. Thanks for remembering, Al.

"These are terrible times, and I shouldn't joke about them." --Warren Zevon

by ExNorthsider on Dec 14, 2008 10:57 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Will do on Monday

Will do on MOnday. Thanks for the headsup.

MaIne South Hawks 2008 Class 8a Champs!

by cubstoseriesby100 on Dec 14, 2008 12:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Alright everyone, don't blow BR's circuits

but you can still sponser Dusty Baker for $35!

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 12:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Do you get a collector's edition toothpick?

"Well, we're out of cake! We only had three bits and we didn't expect such a rush! So what do you want?"
"What, so my choice is 'or death?' Well, then I'll have the chicken, please."
--Eddie Izzard

by znohitter on Dec 14, 2008 12:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yup, plus

a blown out elbow and/or shoulder.

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Dec 14, 2008 12:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I've sponsored a non-Cub page for several years now.

Mitch Lyden has a special place in my ballhawk heart, so sponsoring his page seems to be an appropriate way to honor him.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 14, 2008 2:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That wasn't just his "first" ML homer...

… it was his ONLY ML homer. He played in only six ML games, going 3-for-10.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 14, 2008 2:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yep.

not too many players get to say they’re a lifetime .300 hitter in the majors.

I wonder how many times he’s used that line in bar… ;-)

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 14, 2008 2:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Colgate

interesting to see Colgate has produced 13 major leaguers. I’m a current student and it’s a real shame we don’t have a team here anymore. I’d love to be able to get my baseball fix up here in the spring.

by wewantwood on Dec 14, 2008 6:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hey, nice to see a current Colgate student here!

Al, class of 1978.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 15, 2008 4:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I've been reading this site for a couple years

Just decided to make my first post…unfortunately as of May I’ll no longer be a “current” student.

by wewantwood on Dec 15, 2008 11:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Congrats on your upcoming graduation!

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 15, 2008 1:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm also a Colgate alum...

The final season for the varsity program was 1995, IIRC. The reason given was Title IX, as women’s hockey was added when baseball was cut. The real basis for the decision to cut baseball was that it was a prohibitively expensive program because the long winters meant that 1) the field maintenance costs were enormous and 2) it required a comparatively huge travel budget because the team had to play road games for the first 6 or 8 weeks of the season. Also, it didn’t help that the team had been terrible for decades…you’ll notice that Colgate didn’t have a single player drafted after 1969, much less one that reached the majors. A couple years after they cut baseball, I played on the club team with several of the last remaining varsity players and their skills were, um, pretty underwhelming for supposedly having played D1 baseball.

Is the club team still a going concern? I hope so because it was great getting to simply play baseball again for a few more years after my decidedly mediocre high school career ended…I found it to be a much better “baseball fix” than watching a wretched varsity team from the stands. At the end of my senior year, we rented out the Syracuse AAA stadium for a game and playing in that seemingly huge park remains my favorite memory of actually playing the game.

"Some people will look at a glass of water and say it's half-empty, while another guy will look at it and say it's half-full. A Cubs fan looks at the same glass and asks, "When's it gonna spill?" - Mike Royko

by LaddieRenfroe on Dec 15, 2008 1:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I can see why it would have made financial sense

to cut the varsity program. As for the club team, I know it is still in existence but that’s about all one could say for it. I used to run on the track team and my limited exposure to them was when they would come try to kick us off the indoor track during our practices because it was still too snowy to play outside.

by wewantwood on Dec 15, 2008 3:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Tom Goodwin

I’ve got him covered.

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." ~ George Burns

by tville on Dec 14, 2008 10:19 PM CST reply actions 0 recs