Larry Barnett
Larry Barnett umpired in the American League from 1969 to 1999 and became MLB supervisor of umpires from 2000-2001. Barnett officiated in 4 World Series, serving as crew chief in 1981. He ties Jim Evans with a record 7 American League Championship Series and holds the ALCS record of 36 games. Barnett also umpired in 4 All-Star games and was the home plate umpire when Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. One of the most controversial calls in World Series history came in 1975 when Barnett was behind home plate and made a call of no interference on Ed Armbrister after he impeded Carlton Fisk's cut-off throw to second base. The result ignited considerable debate leading to MLB's conclusion that Barnett made the correct call and instructing all future umpires to make the identical call should the same incident occur.
Bobby Bragan
Bobby Bragan played in the major leagues as a shortstop and catcher between 1940-44 and 1947-48 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers. As a member of the Dodgers, he appeared in the 1947 World Series with rookie teammate Jackie Robinson. Bragan went on to be a major league skipper, managing the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1956 and 1957, the Cleveland Indians in 1958 and the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves from 1963 to 1966. In 1969, Bragan became president of the double A Texas League and in 1975 was elected president of the minor leagues' governing body, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. In 1991, he established the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation which motivates young people to become better scholars, citizens, athletes and to serve as leaders and role models for their peers.
Bill Deane
Bill Deane is a freelance baseball researcher and writer who served eight years as senior research associate for the National Baseball Library & Archive. He has published several books and hundreds of articles about baseball history receiving the 1989 SABR-Macmillan Baseball Research Award and the 2003 Cliff Kachline Award. Bill served as managing editor for Total Baseball and fact-checked articles and books for such authors as Roger Kahn, Bill Gilbert, and John Thorn He has provided research and consulted for numerous companies including Curtis Management Group, STATS, Inc., and Topps Baseball Cards.
Jim Evans
An American League Umpire from 1971 to 1999, Evans umpired in four World Series, three All-Star Games, and three American League Division Series. He also officiated seven American League Championship Series, tying a record set by Larry Barnett. He is the Author of Official Baseball Rules Annotated and the Professional Baseball Rules Index. In 1989, Evans combined his passion for baseball and background in education by establishing the Jim Evans Academy for Professional Umpiring, one of baseball's two accredited major league umpiring schools. He continues to teach the next generation of umpires through his innovative training programs throughout the world.
Bob Feller
His blazing fastball made Bob Feller one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Starting fresh out of high school in 1936 at age 17, Feller spent his entire 18 season career with the Cleveland Indians. Feller is currently the longest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame where he was inducted in 1962 with Jackie Robinson. Feller ended his career in 1956 as an eight time All-Star having amassed 266 victories and 2,581 strikeouts. He pitched three no-hit games and shares the major league record with 12 one-hitters. He was the Major League Player of the Year in 1940 and led the AL in strikeouts seven times. He remains the only pitcher in major-league history to throw a complete game no-hitter on Opening Day.
Danny Litwhiler
Danny Litwhiler played from 1940 to 1951 with the Phillies, Cardinals, Braves and Reds. Between 1941 and 1943, Litwhiler played 187 consecutive games in the outfield without an error. He played in two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, including the famous streetcar series of 1944, where the Cardinals beat their cross-town rivals the St. Louis Browns. Litwhiler went on to have an illustrious college baseball coaching career. In 1955 he was named head coach at Florida State University, and in 1964, became head coach at Michigan State University where for the next 19 years turned out many major leaguers including Kirk Gibson and Steve Garvey. Throughout his career Danny Litwhiler developed many innovations that are still used today including the unbreakable mirror, diamond grit and JUGS radar gun that measures pitching speed.
Fred Lynn
It was in Boston where Fred Lynn broke into the Big Leagues in 1975 and became the first player in history to capture Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors in the same year. Lynn spent a remarkable 17 seasons in the Majors, playing for the Red Sox, Angels, Orioles, Tigers and Padres. On June 18, 1975, Fred Lynn had what may be the greatest individual performance in baseball history. Lynn belted three home runs, a triple, a single, and drove in a Red Sox record of 10 runs collecting an American League record of 16 total bases. Lynn is a four time All-Star, four time golden glove winner, led the American League in 1979 with a .333 batting average and in 1982 became the first player from the losing team ever to be selected as MVP of the ALCS. Fred Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002.
Dorothy Seymour Mills
Dorothy Seymour Mills is considered one of the first and leading historians of turn-of-the-century baseball. As the wife of Dr. Harold Seymour, Mills spent nearly forty years researching and contributing to Dr. Seymour's groundbreaking three-volume history of baseball, for which she received no official credit. It was after Dr. Seymour's passing that other researchers learned she was the unattributed co-author of his work. Her acclaimed autobiography "A Woman's Work - Writing Baseball History with Harold Seymour" describes her significant contribution to the field of baseball history. The Seymour Medal is now awarded annually by the Society of American Baseball Research in honor of Dr. Harold & Dorothy Seymour.
Matthew S. Moore
A native of Indianapolis, Matthew Scott Moore earned a B.S. degree in Social Work from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1983. Soon after graduating, Moore produced and directed an innovative pilot TV program, Deaf Magazine, and founded DEAF LIFE, a nationally distributed magazine entirely written and produced by Deaf people. He is the co-author of For Hearing People Only a book written to answer many of the common questions hearing people have about the Deaf Community. Moore currently serves as president of the Committee for Dummy Hoy whose purpose is to see Hoy recognized for his accomplishments through induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Matthew is currently authoring an upcoming full-scale biography of Hoy and runs the Dummy Hoy Homeplate internet site. (www.dummyhoy.com)
Peter Morris
Peter Morris is an award-winning author and leading authority on 19th century baseball. Many critics agree that his encyclopedic two-volume study of the innovations of baseball "A Game of Inches" belongs in the pantheon of great baseball books. His impeccable research and impartial perspective have made him one of the most respected historians in baseball today. Morris has written numerous books on baseball, is a winner of the USA Today/Sports Weekly award and is a two-time recipient of the coveted Seymour Medal awarded annually for the best book of baseball history or biography.
Robert Panara
Robert Panara is considered the pre-eminent American deaf author and poet and is a renowned actor and educator. His many published works include "The Silent Muse: An Anthology of Prose and Poetry by the Deaf, "Poetry in Sign", "On His Deafness and Other Melodies Unheard" and is now on his third edition of "Great Deaf Americans". Dr. Panara is recognized as one of the founders of the National Theatre of the Deaf and was the first faculty member of The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Panara's encyclopedic knowledge of baseball is renowned. He is now retired from teaching and devotes his time writing and lecturing on a variety of subjects including the evolution of baseball.
Greg Rhodes
Greg Rhodes is the Executive Director of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum as well as serving as team historian. Rhodes has authored or co-authored six best-selling books on the Reds including "Redleg Journal" and "Reds in Black and White: 100 Years of Cincinnati Reds Images". Rhodes has twice won the national Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award, which recognizes outstanding baseball research. Rhodes has also served as president of the board of Historic Southwest Ohio and chaired the local chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson is generally considered the greatest defensive third-baseman of all time. He played his 23-year career from 1955-1977 with the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson won 16 consecutive golden gloves. He also played in 18 consecutive All Star games and was named the Most Valuable Player in 1966. Robinson played in four World Series and was named most valuable player in the 1970 World Series. In 1999, Robinson was named to the All Century Team - honoring the best 25 baseball players during the 20th century. Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 and is one of only 26 players in history to be elected on the first ballot.
Joan Hoy Sampson
Joan Hoy Sampson is the granddaughter of baseball legend William Ellsworth "Dummy" Hoy. Hoy played major league baseball for several teams from 1888 to 1902, most notably the Cincinnati Reds. Hoy lived for nearly 100 years and Joan grew up experiencing the remarkable stories and wisdom that came from Hoy's long life. After the death of his beloved wife, Hoy lived with Joan and her family, inspiring them with his physical, intellectual and spiritual strength.
Ken Singleton
Ken Singleton played an impressive 15 year career as an outfielder and designated hitter for the Mets, Expos and Orioles. In 1973, Singleton led the league in on-base percentage which was one of nine top-ten finishes in that category over his career. That same year, he belted 23 home runs 103 RBI's and finished with a .302 batting average. In 1975, he was traded to Baltimore, spending 10 years with Orioles and playing the best baseball of his career. During his stay in Baltimore, the Orioles captured two pennants and won the World Series in 1983. After retiring as a player, Singleton moved into the announcer's booth for the Montreal Expos from 1985-1996. Singleton is currently a popular commentator for the New York Yankees.
Ted Supalla, Ph.D.
Ted Supalla is the director of the Sign Language Research Center at the University of Rochester. The study of signed languages of the world, particularly those which have emerged naturally within communities of deaf people, provides unusual insight into the way humans process and develop communication systems. Dr. Supalla’s research focuses on the similarities between these languages including how signs are initially formed. In historical linguistic work, he has reconstructed the grammar of American Sign Language (ASL) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to compare early and modern ASL. This provides an understanding of how languages change and whether the processes are similar for signed and spoken languages.
Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver is a Hall of Fame Manager that spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles from 1968-1982 and 1985-1986. During his tenure, the Orioles won six Eastern Division titles, four American League pennants, and a World Series championship. Weaver's managerial record is 1,480-1,060 and includes five 100+ win seasons. Weaver was notorious for his on-field confrontations with umpires which was often accentuated by his quick-wit and acerbic humor. With 98 ejections, Weaver holds the dubious distinction of being thrown out of more games than any manager in American League history. Earl Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
Bill Werber
As of February 2007, Bill Werber remains the only living member of perhaps the greatest baseball team in history, the 1927 New York Yankees. Werber played throughout the 1930's and early 40's with the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Reds and the New York Giants. In 1934, Werber joined the Red Sox where he had a career-high batting average of .321 and led the American League with 40 stolen bases. On August 26, 1939, as Cincinnati's lead-off hitter, Werber became the first player to ever bat in a televised baseball game. Werber won the National League Pennant in both 1939 and 1940 playing third base for the Cincinnati Reds. In the 1940 World Series, Werber led the Reds with a .370 batting average, beating the Detroit Tigers in seven games. In 1961, Werber's contribution to the Red's championship teams earned him a place in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
