2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

2014

The Magnolia Chapter of SABR hosted the eleventh annual Southern Association Baseball Conference took place on March 1st at the Doubletree Hotel in Atlanta. Former Atlanta Crackers player Clarence “Buck” Riddle (1956 – 1958) entertained the crowd with his reminiscences. Oreon Mann, the son of Crackers beloved owner Earl Mann, was also in attendance.

Weekend Program

Individual Presentations

• Atlanta’s First Base Ball Game & Oakland’s Boys of Summer – Alan Morris
• Atlanta Baseball During World War II – S. Derby Gisclair
• Ty Cobb and Earl Mann: A Southern Association – Wesley Fricks
• Negro League Players with Connections to Atlanta – Jim Riley
• Ty Cobb As Seen Through the Eyes of a Batboy – Mil Fisher
• The Football Coach’s Tenure as President of the Atlanta Crackers – Karl Green
• Ponce de Leon Remembered – Clarence Watkins

2013

The tenth annual Southern Association Baseball Conference took place on March 2nd at Rickwood Field in Birmingham. This year’s theme was Southern Association Ballparks and the Movies. Having just wrapped up filming of “42” at Rickwood – and many of the artifacts from the filming were still on display for attendees to view – the them was carried forward with discussions of other baseball films such as “The Pete Gray Story” (filmed at Engel Field in Chattanooga) and “The Soul of the Game” (filmed at Rickwood).

Weekend Program

Individual Presentations

• Hollywood and the Ballparks of the Southern Association – David Brewer
• Cobb the Movie: A Week at Rickwood Field – Chuck Stewart
• Chattanooga Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Jackie – Dan Creed
• Jackie Robinson and the Movies Come to Birmingham – Jeb Stewart
• Branch Rickey and Southern Players
  • Branch Rickey – Clarence Watkins
  • Ed Stevens: The Other Side of “42” – Johnny Bowlin
  • Dixie Walker – Clarence Watkins
  • Ben Chapman: A Forgotten Yankee – Gerald
  • Bobby Bragan – Clarence Watkins

2012

The 2012 conference was once again held at Rickwood Field in Birmingham and was focused on the historic ballparks of the Southern Association. Sadly, only Rickwood Field in Birmingham and Engel Stadium in Chattanooga remain standing today. Our luncheon speaker was former Birmingham Baron and Shreveport Sport player Paul Seitz.

Weekend Program

Individual Presentations

• Russwood: The Evolution of a Ballpark - Clarence Watkins
• New Orleans Ballparks – S. Derby Gisclair
• The Colorful, Quirky Confines of Nashville’s Sulphur Dell – Skip Nipper
• Chattanooga’s Engel Stadium: Heyday to No Play – Dan Creed
• Mobile’s Historic Ballparks – Gary Higgenbotham
• Baseball in Memphis – Clarence Watkins

2011

Historic Rickwood Field once again played host to the Southern Association Baseball Conference. Special guests this year were former MLB and Southern Association players Roy Hawes and Alan Koch.

Weekend Program

Individual Presentations

• Hub Perdue: The Original Clown Prince of Baseball – John Simpson
• Roy Hawes: A Fan Favorite on the Diamond and Beyond – Dan Creed
• Buster Boguskie: The Mayor of Sulphur Dell – Skip Nipper
• Billy Bancroft: Birmingham’s First Sports Hero – Chuck Stewart
• Spook Jacobs: Life in the Minor Leagues – Clarence Watkins

2010

The 100th anniversary of historic Rickwood Field was the centerpiece of the seventh annual Southern Association Baseball Conference, held Saturday, March 6th at the ballpark. Presentations were made by Clarence Watkins, John Simpson, Derby Gisclair, David Brewer, and Chuck Stewart. A.H. "Rick" Woodward III, grandson of Rickwood builder and Barons owner, shared memories and photos of his grandfather and of growing up at Rickwood Field. The luncheon speaker was former Southern Association and major league veteran Alex Grammas.

The conference closed with a series of book signings and tours of Rickwood Field.

Individual Presentations

• Baseball Before Rickwood – Clarence Watkins
• In Search of the Greatest Game Ever Played in Dixie – John Simpson
• Joe Jackson in Birmingham – Derby Gisclair
• Rickwood Field: Its Construction and Evolution – David Brewer
• Angels at Rickwood – Chuck Stewart

2009

The topic of the sixth annual Southern Association Baseball Conference was focused on all-star games which were amply covered by the presenters. A wonderful series of displays and memorabilia provided by Skip Nipper, Lamar Smith, Dan Creed, and Clarence Watkins was, once again a hit of the conference. We also had John Harrell of Montgomery, Alabama (former Chickasaw Buddy) displaying his 19th century homemade bat collection.

Lunch was accompanied by special guest Paul Seitz as speaker, a former player with the 1961 Shreveport team.

Individual Presentations

• The First Southern Association All-Star Game – Clarence Watkins
• Southern Association All-Star Games 1938 – 1961 – Derby Gisclair, Gary Higginbotham & Mark Stang
• Baseball in Atlanta – Paul Crater
• 1954 Southern Association All-Star Game – Ken Fenster
• 1913 Empire League of South Georgia – Bill Ross

2008

The fifth annual Southern Association Baseball Conference was held on April 12th in Nashville and hosted by Skip Nipper. The Davidson County Regional Library was the venue and all attendees were treated to an impressive variety of exhibits of Nashville baseball memorabilia and history provided by Skip Nipper as well as from the library's extensive archives.

Individual Presentations

• Magical Sulphur Dell – Panel Discussion – Junie McBride, Virgil Nipper, and Bill Traughber
• Nashville Baseball: The Early Years – Bill Traughber
• The Kitty League and the Southern Association – Kevin McCann
• Jim Turner: A Yankee from Nashville – Skip Nipper
• The Southern Association Baseball Website – S.Derby Gisclair

2007

The Southern Association Baseball Conference returned to historic Rickwood Field for its fourth annual event. The theme for this year’s conference was the southern Negro Leagues and was held in conjunction with the Alabama Negro League Association banquet. A panel discussion featuring three former Negro League players was a highlight of the conference.

Individual Presentations

• Birmingham’s Barrier Breakers: Nine Former Black Barons Who Went to the Major Leagues – Larry Lester
• Ernest Withers: Pickpockets and Rickwood Field – Bill Chapman
• Rickwood Remembers: The Great Satchel Paige – Bryan Stephens
• Negro League Ballparks of the South – Phil Lowrey
• The Birmingham Giants and the First Family of Negro League Baseball – Clarence Watkins

2006

Chattanooga’s Historic Engel Stadium was the site of the third annual Southern Association Baseball Conference on April 8, 2006. Highlights of the weekend included an overview by David Brewer on the efforts to save Rickwood Field, a review of Stephen Martini new book entitled “The Chattanooga Lookouts & 100 Seasons of Scenic City Baseball,” a player Q & A session with three former Lookout players, an overview by Derby Gisclair of the early history of the Southern Association told through his collection of early tobacco baseball cards, a review of David Jenkins new book, “Baseball in Chattanooga,” and an informal tour of the old ballpark.

Weekend Recap
Weekend Program

Individual Presentations

• “Take Me Out to the Ballpark” – David Brewer
• The Chattanooga Lookouts – Steve Martini
• The Early Southern Association - Derby Gisclair
• Baseball in Chattanooga – David Jenkins
• Friends of Engel Stadium – Dan Creed
  
• The Teams, The Players, The Fans - Derby Gisclair
• A Tribute to Arturn Schott - Derby Gisclair

2005
Birmingham

The second annual Southern Association Baseball Conference took place on September 16th at Rickwood Field in Birmingham and was a glowing success. The ghosts of the old ballpark came alive during the six presentations.

Weekend Program
Press Release

Individual Presentations

• The Greatest Game Played in the South: Nashville 1908 – Bill Traughber
• The Southern Association’s Longest Games – Phil Lowry
• Chattanooga’s Amazing String of Batting Champs – David Jenkins
• Legendary Larry Gilbert – Skip Nipper
• 1928 Barons Opening Day – Clarence Watkins
• “Good Wood” – A Fan’s History of Rickwood Field – Ben Cook

2004

FRONT ROW (l to r): Lenny Yochim, Mel Brookey, Clarence Watkins, Barton Leaf BACK ROW (l to r): Mark Stang, Darrell O'Mary, Skip Nipper, Joe Deleonard, Lamar Smith, and David Brewer

The first annual Southern Association Baseball Conference was dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Southern Association of Baseball 1901-1961, with scheduled events including an opening banquet on October 8th, followed by a league symposium on October 9th featuring individual authors and historians discussing their research and publications on Southern Association teams.

Weekend Recap
Weekend Program
Press Release

Individual Presentations

• The New Orleans Pelicans - Derby Gisclair
• The Life and Times of Joe Engel – Mark Stang
• The Story of Nashville’s Sulphur Dell – Skip Nipper
• Sixty Years of the Mobile Bears – Gary Higgenbotham
• The Atlanta Crackers – Tim Darnell
• Remembering the 1960 Fire at Russwood Park – Clarence Watkins
• The 1887 Memphis – Mobile Series – Bill Plott
• A Tribute to Rickwood Field – Ben Cook