Bob McConnell
Bob McConnell (1925-2012) was an original SABR member from 1971 and a star researcher in whatever field to which his interest turned. His expertise was on brilliant and thorough display in biographical research, 19th century baseball, and perhaps most notably, the minor leagues. He revamped the John Tattersall Home Run Log, purchased by SABR from the latter’s estate in 1981, and kept it up to date until its publication in 1996 as SABR Presents The Home Run Encyclopedia, a register of every home run ever hit in major-league play. But perhaps McConnell’s greatest legacy is the three-volume Minor League Baseball Stars, which celebrated not only the anecdotes surrounding those second-tier greats, but also documented their statistical records, accurately for the first time. Along with Ray Nemec, Vern Luse, and Bob Davids, McConnell brought to life the golden age of the minor leagues, when many top-rank players preferred to stay closer to home, making salaries greater than they had made in their brief stays in the majors.
Related links
- Read Peter Morris and John Thorn’s profile of Bob McConnell in the Spring 2018 Baseball Research Journal
- Read Peter Morris’ profile of Bob McConnell for the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Learn more about the “Cooperstown 16”, SABR’s founding members
- Bob McConnell was the first recipient of the Bob Davids Award in 1985
- Download an e-book edition of Bob McConnell’s Going For The Fences: The Minor League Home Run Record Book
- Video: Bob McConnell talks about his role as a founding member of SABR (2011)