This month, the Baseball Caucus is delighted to interview Dennis Snelling, author of The Greatest Minor League: A History of the Pacific Coast League, 1903-1957, which was a 2012 finalist for the Casey Award as Best Baseball Book, and also of the upcoming biography of Hall of Fame second baseman Johnny Evers, due out from McFarland in 2014.

What is your typical research process/methodology?

I generally try to trace back information provided by other sources (books, articles) to its main source (contemporary newspaper accounts, letters, etc.) and if possible interview subjects.  One has to be careful about interviews, since memories are often faulty or accounts self-serving.  I try not to read too much about my subject beforehand—only basic materials—in order to reduce the influence of others on my work.  I try to question everything and prove it if possible, understanding that in non-fiction, you sometimes have to make a judgment call.

How often do you use libraries (in person or online); archives (in person or online); material in your personal collection?

I use them constantly—without libraries and archives, non-fiction writing would be almost impossible! For “The Greatest Minor League” I utilized libraries and archives in Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley and Sacramento in person, and archives in Salt Lake City, Seattle, Oakland, and the Baseball Hall of Fame by email or mail. For photographs I used archives from the University of Southern California, the San Francisco Library, the Baseball Hall of Fame and the National Archives. There are also always expanding resources on the internet—although you must be careful with what you find there!

To what extent do you get assistance from a librarian, archivist, or research assistant?

A lot of assistance, especially if it is located in a place I cannot get to. For my latest book, a biography of Johnny Evers, I received wonderful help from an archivist at Notre Dame University who helped me “remotely” navigate a small collection left to their library by his son. Most of my assistance in person comes in the form of locating photographs for my books.

What was the most interesting thing you found in doing research?

That is almost impossible to narrow down—when you are fascinated by a subject to the point of wanting to write a book about it, there are scores of interesting things you discover—but one thing that sticks out in my mind is finding an original New York Yankees scouting report in an archive in San Francisco that covered every player in the Pacific Coast League, including a twenty-year-old outfielder named Joe DiMaggio.

Was there anything you could not find?

Mostly stories that I could not confirm or discovered were likely untrue. I’m still trying to determine the veracity of Lefty O’Doul’s oft-repeated claim that his grammar school teacher taught him to play baseball.

Favorite books, baseball and non-baseball?

Non baseball—“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, “Ragtime” by E.L. Doctorow, “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, “Manhunt” by James Swanson and anything by David McCullough. Baseball—The Harold and Dorothy Seymour baseball histories, “The Glory of Their Times” by Lawrence Ritter and “The Baseball Enyclopedia.” I love the period from the Civil War to the 1920s.

What are you currently reading?

“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” by Jon Meacham and “Destiny of the Republic” by Candice Millard.

What is your most memorable baseball moment?

In 1978 I attended a baseball game in San Diego with my best friend and college roommate and caught a foul ball hit by San Diego second baseman Fernando Gonzalez. Six months later, we attended a game in San Francisco between the Giants and Padres and this time my best friend caught a foul ball—also off the bat of Fernando Gonzalez.

Any authors you admire?

Anyone who sticks to it and gets it done.

Links:

Author website:   http://www.dennissnelling.com

Facebook page for “The Greatest Minor League”:  http://www.facebook.com/greatestminorleague

Name:  Marjorie Greer

Where do you live:  the Monterey Area

Employment:  Corporate Technical Librarian

Been a member of the caucus since: no idea

What does the caucus give you: a group that has common similarities and interests within SLA.

Most memorable Baseball caucus meeting: My only one-with the obnoxious baseball player in Chicago.

Favorite team(s):  SF Giants (in the last 5 years), LA Dodgers (since I was born), NY Yankees (since the 1990′s), NY Mets (since the 1990′s)

Favorite player(s):   Robinson, Tony Gwynn, Oral Hershiser

Favorite memory:  going to an LA Dodger game for my 21st birthday

Biggest disappointment:  Pete Rose, other drug related players

Favorite ball park:  Colorado Rockies

What must you have at every Baseball game: Hot dogs

Favorite book: Harry Potter

Any player/broadcaster/ author  living or dead you like to meet:  Vin Scully

What’s left on your Bucket list: the new Yankees park, Boston Red Sox, maybe back to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Name: David Grossman

Where do you live: Emeryville, CA

Employment: History Room and Adult Reference Librarian, Mill Valley Public Library and co-instructor, with Deb Hunt, for Career Development workshop series for librarians and information professionals and co-author, with Deb Hunt, for “The Librarian’s Skillbook: 51 Essential Career Skills for Information Professionals”

Been a member of the caucus since: 2005

What does the caucus give you: camaraderie with other librarians who like baseball

Most memorable Baseball caucus meeting: I don’t get to many meetings; just the baseball games

Favorite team: Giants — second generation NY/SF Giants fan since 1911

Favorite player: Willie Mays (who else?)

Favorite memory: Giants beating Dodgers in 3 game playoff in 1962, 2010 and 2012 post seasons, Baumgarner’s gem in game 2, the only WS game I’ve ever attended.

Biggest disappointment:   1962 World Series – Game 7, 1989 World Series, 2002 World Series; Giants trading away Cepeda, the Alou brothers, Gaylord Perry, Bobby Bonds, Dave Kingman, George Foster, Gary Maddox, Gary Matthews, Steve Stone all in their prime; Mays/McCovery/Marichal at the end of their careers…I could go on and on…

Favorite ball park:  AT&T

What must you have at every Baseball game:  This has changed over time. Used to be 3 hot dogs and a Ghirardelli sundae; now 2 veggie dogs or the veggie sushi and a bag of peanuts and a good seat on the Club Level

Favorite book:  Ball Four (I actually did a book report on this one in high school)

Any player/broadcaster/ author living or dead you like to meet:  I’d like to watch a game with Willie McCovey in his box at AT&T.

Whats left on your Bucket list:  Owning my own skybox at AT&T

This month, the Baseball Caucus is delighted to interview John Rosengren, author of Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes.  It is published by NAL Hardcover.

What is your typical research process/methodology:

I am as thorough as I can be, tracking down whatever resources I can find and talking to as many people as possible. 　I’ve found one of the best questions I can ask is, Whom else should I talk to? (though I usually say Who instead of whom because the whom can sound a bit stiff and forced, not really conversational).

To what extent do you use: books, articles, databases, archival material, etc.?

I use whatever resources I can find, and much of it is found in libraries. 　I love walking among the stacks of the downtown Minneapolis Central library, pulling bound copies of old magazines off the shelves. 　Those are some of the best days I’ve spent. I’m also grateful for the Interlibrary Loan at the University of Minnesota, where I’ve been able to view microfilm and retrieve books from all over. 　I’ve also requested court documents, military records and FBI files. Perhaps the most efficient research is done online with databases of old newspapers or reliable records. 　I’m always amazed what Google searches will turn up, but mostly I target sites to research, such as The Sporting News archives for baseball stories or government sites for specific info.

How often do you use libraries (in-person or online), archives (in-person or online). or material from your personal collection?

For my book on Hank Greenberg, I also used special collections found in the New York Public Library and the Detroit Public Library.

To what extent do you get assistance from a librarian, archivist, research assistant?

I am quick to ask librarians for help because they tend to have better research skills than I do and better knowledge of the resources available in their collection. 　In the old days, meaning pre-Internet, I often called the Reference Desk with questions. 　I loved that I could do that and find someone on the other end eager to assist me.

What was the most interesting thing you found in doing research?

For this last book, it was the fact that Hank Greenberg worked for Henry Ford, “America’s arch anti-Semite” as the Detroit Jewish Chronicle referred to him, most likely doing light espionage.　

Was there anything you could not find?

I could not find more specifics of Greenberg’s job for Ford Motor Company. 　The company’s archives confirmed his employment. 　His military records showed his description of his duties as an investigator was to “investigate subversive activities of individuals against the Company.”　　No one at Ford Motor Company or other historians or other records could elaborate or clarify this for me. 　That was frustrating.

What is your favorite book? (baseball and non-baseball)

It’s so hard to pick one. 　Top five are “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri, “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton, “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison and “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy.

Are there any authors you admired?

Many. Dante’s structure, humor, theology and commentary are unparalleled. Wallace is so brilliant and funny. 　Paton is poignant. 　Tolstoy insightful. 　Morrison lyrical and haunting. Louise Erdrich brave, unflinching and deft storyteller. Michael Chabon terrific with his plots. J. F. Powers sought the divine in his fiction and had it distilled to taut language. 　Hemingway was an early influence with his style. 　Mark Twain is terrific with his biting humor. 　A line from one of Flannery O’Connor’s short stories runs frequently through my mind. I loved the theme and Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, so Harper Lee has to be in there. 　I admire Truman Capote for his gripping and revolutionary narrative in “In Cold Blood.” 　Cervantes is unforgettable and funny. 　 　And, of course, there’s Shakespeare–I doubt anyone will ever equal what he did with plots and language.

What are you currently reading? (fiction and non-fiction)

At the moment, I’m rereading “Anna Karenina.” 　Before that, it was Louise Erdrich’s “Roundhouse” and Chabon’s “Telegraph Avenue.” 　On deck are Scott Berg’s “38 Nooses” and Katherine Boo’s “Behind the Beautiful Forevers”

What was your first game?

My first game? 　Growing up in Minnesota, I learned to skate as soon as I could walk and was soon playing hockey on the frozen pond in our neighborhood. 　Those games constitute some of the happiest memories of my life. 　I began playing baseball at a young age as well, but one of my best memories was the game I played on a beautiful Wednesday evening last summer after a 30-year hiatus. 　When I pulled on the uniform of a team in the 35-over wooden bat league and trotted out to my spot in left field, I felt like I was eleven years all over again. 　What a joy that had been absent too long in my life.

Please give us the link or links to your site.

www.HankGreenberg.net

www.johnrosengren.net

Please join us to swap baseball stories and talk about America’s Game with an award-winning author and ex-player.  Open to all SLA members.

This webinar on May 17^th, sponsored by the Baseball Caucus, Legal Division and the Illinois Chapter featured five veteran exhibitors. Mike Gruenberg, Gayle Lynn-Nelson, Tom Poure, Fran Staples, and Tony Landolt together provided insight on how to get the most out of the exhibit hall, approach vendors, and obtain all of the cool swag.   Although sponsored by the aforementioned groups, Tracy Maleeff of the Legal Division was the person who originally presented the idea for this type of panel discussion.  Anne Hengehold, SLA Illinois President, served as moderator.

Highlights:

• Prepare before the conference so you can be organized and make good use of free time.  What do I want to get out of the conference?  Which vendors do I want to talk to?  What products do I want to learn about?
• Dress and appearance should be comfortable, but professional. Sometimes executives attend so the more professional your appearance, the more seriously you are taken.  “Your next job could come from meeting someone on that floor,” said Lynn-Nelson.  Another panelist suggested, “Your mind takes an impression before you even shake hands.”
• SWAG is good promotion for the vendor regardless if you are interested in their product or not.  If you want swag but are not interested in their product, be honest and tell them you are sure their product is great but you really would just like a t-shirt.  They appreciate the honesty.  The best time to get swag is the last hour on the very last day as vendors don’t want to take it with them.
• Students should let vendors know they are students and indicate their interests, as they can often connect them to useful resources and people.
• Building relationships is the primary reason why vendors are in the exhibit hall.  They want to hear from existing clients about their positive and negative feedback and of course meet new people who may become a client or refer their product to someone else.

More discussion on what vendors preferred to be called and what their pre- and post-show process is can be heard at:  http://www.anymeeting.com/slalegal/EE51DF80854C.

You can get the slides here:  SLA2013webinar

Andrea McCoy is the IPD Technical Librarian of Navistar, Inc. and a member of SLA and ALA.

For this month’s “In Games Gone By” feature, Baseball Caucus member Lorene Kennard reminisces about the retirement of the one and only Ryne Sandberg.  Thanks Lorene!

In 1997, I was in library school at University of South Carolina, when I heard that Ryne Sandberg was retiring. The first thing I did was to go online and get tickets for me, my mom, a cousin and a friend for the last home game of the season, which was a Sunday. Then, I booked a flight home to Illinois for the weekend.  I have been a fan of Ryno since he first came to the Cubs in 1982. So, I was really excited to be at his last game at Wrigley. His actual last game would be a few days later in St. Louis, but I tried not to think about that too much.

It turns out that he was originally scheduled to play his last game on Saturday, but his last at bat Saturday was an out, so he decided to play on Sunday. Nobody from home had told me this since we already had made the plans and had the tickets for Sunday.

When we got to the ballpark that day, I immediately went down to the wall near the Cubs’ dugout, while everyone else who was with me went to our seats instead. Most players had stopped signing autographs by then, but I just wanted to be near the field. Players walked back and forth warming up. Then, Ryno came out to a loud ovation. He threw for a bit, then turned and came over to the wall right where I was standing and started signing autographs!  The only thing I had that he could sign was my ticket. After he signed my ticket and handed it back to me, he made his way down the line. I couldn’t go anywhere because of all the people surrounding me at this point, so I started taking pictures. At one point, he looked my way like, what is going on, like I’m a stalker, which of course, I am not. ahem.

I have included a selection of photos from the day. It was truly my most memorable Cubs’ game. My mom, cousin and friend missed the whole thing. They weren’t paying any attention to where I was because they never thought anyone would acknowledge the fans or actually sign anything. They didn’t believe me until I showed them my signed ticket. (Alas, the thumbprint on the ticket is mine and not his. He was wearing a batting glove.)

Name:  Bill Fisher

Where do you live:  Eugene, Oregon

Employment:   Professor, School of Library & Information Science, San Jose State University

Been a member of the caucus since:  Charter member!

Most memorable Baseball caucus meeting:  It’s really a tie among all of them — the variety of speakers has been great from players to managers/coaches, to management, and those who write about the game — each brings a unique perspective to their involvement with baseball.  Although I must admit, our meeting in Philadelphia with Tug McGraw was “special.”

Favorite team(s):  LA Dodgers and Oakland A’s

Favorite player (as a child or as adult):  Sandy Koufax

Favorite memory:  Great seats right behind home plate (once seeig the Dodgers at home and once seeing the A’s at home) — curve balls really DO curve — amazing!

Favorite ball park:  Wrigley Field  (Although I was at PetCo in San Diego a couple of years ago and it is also a very nice venue.)

What must you have at every Baseball game:  Hot Dog, of course!

Favorite book:  Anything by James Lee Burke

Any player/broadcaster/ author  living or dead you like to meet:  Vin Scully

What’s left on your Bucket list:  I have not been to a Tampa home game and I also needs to make the “rounds” again to some of the newer ball parks (like the new Yankee Stadium).

Making It Count! : Face to Face with Vendors at the SLA INFO-EXPO

San Diego is coming up fast!  Are you ready to make the most it?

Want to make the most of your time at the INFO-EXPO? Learn how to be most efficient and productive in talking with vendors (and also how to avoid those awkward conversations when all you want is the cool tee shirt) ) – from the viewpoint of veteran exhibitors!

Please join us as five SLA vendor members with more than 80 years of professional Library selling experience give you the ins and outs on making your SLA experience more productive. These information industry veterans will help you prepare the right questions so your time in the exhibit hall is well spent.

Friday, May 17, 2013
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central Time

Register here!

Hosted by: Baseball Caucus, Legal Division and the Illinois Chapter.