Embedded Files
Jim Riley Passes Away at 86.
James Andrew Riley III, an expert on the history of baseball’s Negro Leagues and a former SABR Board President, died at the age of 86 on April 21, 2026. His landmark reference volume, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues has been recognized as one of the most comprehensive works chronicling the segregated era of Black baseball. The book won a Macmillan-SABR Research Award, an honor Riley had previously received in 1990 for his work (with the late John Holway and Dick Clark) compiling Negro Leagues statistics for the eighth edition of Macmillan’s The Baseball Encyclopedia.
JIm's other baseball books included All-Time All-Stars of Black Baseball (1983); Dandy, Day, and the Devil (1987); Buck Leonard: The Black Lou Gehrig (1995); Nice Guys Finish First: The Autobiography of Monte Irvin (1996); Negro Baseball Leagues: African-American Achievers (1997); and Of Monarchs and Black Barons (2012). He also served as editor for the book Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and His Great Black Teams (2006).
He joined SABR in 1979 and remained an active member for the next four decades, serving on SABR’s Board of Directors from 1996 to 2001, including one term as Board President from 1999 to 2001. He was the Director of Research at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City from 1996 to 2001. He also was a recipient of the SABR Negro League Committee’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Robert Peterson Recognition Award, and a past president of SABR’s Central Florida Chapter. His friendship with Atlanta native James “Red” Moore, a former Negro Leagues first baseman, facilitated Red’s appearance at several SABR Magnolia Chapter meetings.
Jim was born on July 25, 1939, and grew up in Elizabethton, Tennessee. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University. He also earned a doctorate degree from Nova University, and spent 30 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator at Florida high schools. He married Dorothy "Dottie" Taylor in 1960 and they had two sons, Jubal and Josh. In addition to his wife and sons, he is survived by four grandchildren, Andy, Mark, Graham, and Delaney. A private family service was held.
Jim and Dottie moved to northwest Georgia in the late 1990s after he retired to be closer to their family. He was an instrumental early member of the Magnolia Chapter at the time of its resurrection around that same time, and our local members marveled at Jim's depth of knowledge about the stars of Black baseball. He will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his friends in the Magnolia Chapter.
Welcome New Members!
We'd like to welcome a number of new members (and a few who joined a while back who I happened to miss...very sorry) to the Magnolia Chapter, including Timothy Ashburn (St. Marys), Eugene Rubinchik (Atlanta), Kapil Patel (Evans), Brian Mann (Suwanee), Sydney Leahy (Brookhaven), Jay Reid (Cordele), Luke Wallace (Flowery Branch), Marshall Dawson (Smyrna), David Scott (Marietta), Karl Pendleton (Lithia Springs), Charles Kicker ((Gainesville), Jayden Trawick-Junta (Atlanta), Mark Potter (Smyrna), Bob Peatman (Atlanta), Camron McDowell (Lithonia), Tyler Evje (Milton), Doug Gaither (Lafayette), Jack Hughes (Atlanta), David Hoffecker (Flowery Branch), and Christopher Martinez (Atlanta). Please contact Craig Brown if you have any questions about the chapter! We'd also like to know if you would like to become involved in chapter leadership efforts (see below for more information), or if you are actively involved in any type of baseball research. If you (or anyone else in the chapter) would like to send along a brief bio and a photo for your member bio page, please email Terry with that information!
Magnolia Magazine - the newsletter of SABR's Magnolia Chapter is now available!
Chapter President Craig Brown produces a chapter newsletter several times a year. Magnolia Magazine is a collection of baseball stories, memories and musings from the members of SABR's Magnolia Chapter. Interested in contributing a short article, story or book review for a future issue? Your topic can be anything about baseball, past or present. All ideas are welcome. We'd also be interested in background information about our members (education, occupation and career changes, family news, your baseball interests and why you joined SABR, etc.) that you might willing to share with the chapter. Feel free to include a photo of yourself as well! Please send submissions at your earliest convenience to Craig!
The Spring 2026 issue is now available!
Here's the Fall 2025 issue!
Here's the Spring 2025 Issue!
Check out the Fall 2024 issue!
See the Spring 2024 issue
The Fall 2023 issues is available here!
The Spring 2023 Issue is available here!
Magnolia SABR By-Laws Available Here; Opportunities to Get Involved in Chapter Leadership Available!
In an effort to comply with recommendations from the national SABR organization, Magnolia SABR has recently drafted a new set of By-Laws. These By-Laws outline a proposed leadership structure that includes a Program Chair, and Activities Chair, and a Membership Chair. The responsibilities of each position are outlined in the attached document. The By-Laws call for these positions to be filled through periodic elections. The problem is a lack of interested potential candidates willing to devote just a few hours a month to helping the chapter move forward. The chapter has historically been "run" by a small handful of veteran members who were willing to help out on an informal basis. We've been able to maintain an active chapter for years following this path; but the current leadership is VERY WILLING to have "new blood" - including younger members - step forward and play an active role in organizing chapter activities and taking it to new levels.
If you are interested in getting involved in helping Magnolia SABR move forward in any of the positions listed above, please contact Craig Brown and let him know of your interest in helping run the chapter. We look forward to new people who can bring a fresh perspective so our local SABR experience!
View the Magnolia Chapter By-Laws HERE!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse