2008 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks #NF3 Fidel Castro

I honestly did not think I had any Fidel Castro cards but came across the one when doing some weekend paging.

 2008 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks #NF3 Fidel Castro

The Card Title "Fidel Castro Becomes Prime Minister of Cuba" pretty much sums it up. The Back goes into a bit more detail and briefly alludes to Castro's baseball career. 

2008 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks #NF3 Fidel Castro (b-side)

One of the benefits of a SABR membership is access to the Paper of Record archives which includes back issues of "The Sporting News". The late 1950s articles on Cuban baseball are pretty interesting, The Havana Sugar Kings were a pretty successful team playing in a very uncertain environment.

As you can see on the card above Castro took power on February 16 1959. The issue of "The Sporting News" that hit the stands two days later included the following:

The Sporting News (1959 02 18)

The Sugar Kings President Bob Maduro appeared to truly believe that Havana would eventually get a Major league baseball team. According to future issues of the Sporting News Castro did hold up his commitment to throw out the first pitch at the Havana opener.

However any trust between Maduro and Castro quickly ended. In 1962 Maduro fled the country after the Castro Regime confiscated all of his assets.

Bobby Maduro immigrated to the United States and remained in Baseball. He held a variety of different positions with different minor league clubs and worked for Major League Baseball as a liaison with Latin American Leagues and ballplayers. 

Sources and Links
SABR Bobby Maduro Biography - Rory Costello
New York Times

1998 First Overall Pick Pat Burrell

Last week the Broncos Superbowl Winning QB Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement.

We are taking this moment to take a look at a Phillies outfielder that has something in common with Mr Manning.

Pat Burrell

1999 Topps Stadium Club #151 Pat Burell

Within a few months of each other Peyton Manning and Pat Burrell were both draft first overall in their respective sports.

Burrell is one of twelve Draft Pick Cards that run from #149-#160 in the set. The Dozen cards are all RCs, none of which is more significant that Burrell. The subset does include another Phillies Draftee, Eric Valent.  

SABR
I have been a Member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) since 2013 when the National convention was hosted in Philadelphia. This past weekend I gave my first presentation in front of the local SABR affiliate the Connie Mack Chapter. The subject was the success rate of #1 Overall picks in the MLB Draft.

The Phillies are drafting #1 for the first time since the Burrell pick in 1998. I was interested in finding out what the success rate of #1 Picks have been across the history of the draft. I found close to 3/4 of all #1s achieve at least one +2.0 WAR season. A more substantial single season +5.0 WAR season was achieved by a much more modest 1/3 of the candidates. Number Ones reached the playoffs at a rate of 65% of which just short of half (31%) reached the World Series.

In terms of these numbers I judged Burrell a success. His peak WAR was +4.5 which is substantially more that the +2.0 WAR of a pedestrian starter, but not quite an All-Star level of +5.0. However, more importantly to me as a Phillies fan he was among the 31% that reached the World Series and also the 23% that took home a ring.

The powerpoint slides from presentation are below, They are tough to follow without the commentary, but it gives you an idea what I was attempting to learn about the #1 pick. 




Sources and Links
WAR and the Draft Index
SABR
Baseball-ref
Baseball America
New York Times

SABR 45: Masanori Murakami

One of my favorite presentations at SABR 45 featured Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese born player to join the Major Leagues.

1965 Topps #282 Giants Rookie Stars Estelle and Masanori Murakami

A discussion of Murakami's life and career was moderated by Rob Fitts who has written a biography of the Japanese pitcher. 

The SABR panel in Chicago also included Yuriko Gamo Romer who is putting a documentary together on Murakami. A rough cut of the opening of the film titled "Diamond Diplomacy" was shown, the clip included footage of Murakami from both the US and Japan. 

Fitts' Questions for Murakami focused on how he learned baseball in Japan despite the objections of his family, his initial experiences in the states (spring training in Tucson), and his first game which was at Shea Stadium.

Murakami cited Giants coach Bill Werle as a significant early influence when he came to the states. During the course of the presentation it became clear that Mashi was the perfect candidate to play in the states. He had a fascination with Western Culture and films - specifically he had become a John Wayne prior to his arrival in the states. 

Mashi - Robert K Fitts

The Masanori Murakami biography was penned by Japanese baseball authority Robert K Fitts who is from Philadelphia and when to UPenn. Despite this the Mashi Book tour is not making a stop in Philadelphia. 

The title of the book is MASHI, apparently a nickname - likely shorthand for Masanori - notice on the 1965T card above that Masanori uses the shorter Mashi when autographing items. I also must point out the incredible quality of the penmanship. 

2015 06 27 Masanori Murakami 

After Murakami signed my baseball card, he was even nice enough to pose for this picture simulating a throwing motion. Thanks Mashi - I just wish I would have thought to give him a baseball to pose with. 

For a review of the Mashi book check out examiner.com journalist Nick Diunte here. There Examiner also has a companion interview. 

Sources and Links 

Phungo SABR 45 Index

Rob Fitts

Nick Diunte Examiner.com

Flying Carp Productions 

Baseball-ref