Minor League Baseball in Hanover, Pennsylvania

John Coulson has recently published a book entitled Hanover Raiders: Minor League Baseball in Hanover, Pennsylvania, which chronicles its history from 1866 to 1930. Unfortunately, it isn't listed for sale on Amazon.com, so I'm sure how copies can be purchased from the author.

Here are a few articles related to Hanover Raiders:

Hanover's Professional Team Remembered in Book

Library to Host Local Author

SABR Minor League Encyclopedia Update

The next update for the SABR Minor League Encyclopedia will be on October 1. Among the additions will be statistics and data for the 2008 season.

I will do my best to have the committee newsletter published this weekend. I know I've promised it since July, but I've been very busy the past two months. Thank you for your patience.

Feature on Sulphur Dell Website

Minor League Committee member Skip Nipper and his website on Nashville's historic Sulphur Dell ballpark are featured in a recent article written by fellow SABR member and Nashville sports historian Bill Traughber. It relates how the memories of Skip's father, Virgil Nipper, inspired Skip to create the website and collect the memories of other Nashville fans as well, and post photos and memorabilia of the Nashville Vols.

The article may be found on the Nashville Sounds official site here.

West Frankfort (IL) Cardinals Book

Toby Brooks, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Carbondale, is writing a book on the history of the West Frankfort (IL) Cardinals of the Illinois State League (renamed the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League and later the Midwest League). It will focus on the impact that the team had on the community during and after its heyday. The Southern Illinois Miners (based in nearby Marion) will honor the 60th anniversary of West Frankfort's 1948 pennant-winning club by wearing replica uniforms on August 30.

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2008/08/10/local/25396592.txt

Olean Oilers and Bradner Stadium Articles

The Olean (NY) Times Herald is publishing a three-part series of articles on Bradner Stadium and professional baseball in Olean. Parts 1 and 2 are below:

Part 1:
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/04/news/doc48951d14137df709546024.txt

Part 2:
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/04/news/doc489787739b6f9431848524.txt

Essential Books on Minor League Baseball

Back in 1987 and again in 1998, a panel of SABR members compiled a list of books that should be in every personal baseball library. The first was before my time in SABR and the second I must not have been paying attention. But I was struck by the fact that only three titles related to the minor leagues were included. It's been eleven years since the list was compiled, so I wondered what books would be added by members of the Minor League Committee now.

An obvious choice would be the three editions of The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball by Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff. But there are others and I would be interested to know what you think they would be. Please send your list (ranked from top choice on down) to me here or write to my home address (please see the SABR online directory). This will also be posted in the Spring issue of the committee newsletter, Beating the Bushes. The results will appear in the Fall issue. (SABR and Minor League Committee members only please.)

Minor League Baseball Teams with Baseball in Wartime to Honor Veterans

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Minor League Baseball is partnering with the Baseball in Wartime organization this Memorial Day to remember all war veterans, especially those Minor League players who served in World War II.

On Monday, May 26, there will be a public address announcement at ballparks throughout the country that will honor all veterans and highlight the 4,000 Minor League Baseball players who served duringWorld War II, including the 113 who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, losing their lives in military training and combat.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to partner with the Baseball in Wartime project," said Minor League Baseball Senior Vice President, Business Operations John Cook. "We hope these efforts will increase awareness of the program, but more importantly, we want to pay tribute
to all veterans who served and specifically those who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II.

"Doing so in conjunction with the Memorial Day holiday in our ballparks is a natural tie-in and will be the first piece of what we hope to be an ongoing partnership between Minor League Baseball and Baseball in Wartime."

"Working with Minor League Baseball is the ultimate step in honoring these veteran athletes," stated Baseball in Wartime Founder and Editor Gary Bedingfield. "There is no doubt that Minor League Baseball played its part when the country needed it most, but this has largely been forgotten over the 60-plus years since the end of World War II. I hope this moment of remembrance will be the beginning of a permanent tribute to military veterans of Minor League Baseball."

Baseball in Wartime's main goal is to preserve the memories of professional baseball players who put down their bats and gloves and served their nation in World War II. The organization has a monthly newsletter and an extensive website (www.baseballinwartime.com) that now contains in excess of 650 biographies.

Gary Bedingfield
Baseball in Wartime (Founder and Editor)
www.baseballinwartime.com
garybed@gmail.com