Anyone ever send corrections to Baseball Reference?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

they have made changes I've sent them before, but I'm ohfer on my last two. Also sent them some minor league strikeout data from a guy for whom they had no stats, they said they don't do partial stats (which is untrue) and would need full league stats to include my findings.

[celoknob]

Several years ago I informed them of a number of specific errors in the early minor league data, including stats, the teams that players were on and even team names. The response was very tepid and no changes were made. I was a little surprised in the lack of interest but I also understand--that early data is so riddled with systemic errors it would be hard to "fix" the data based on sporadic notes from outside users. Maybe they could develop some system for users to carefully document the errors they find and eventually incorporate it into the dataset.

[rhettyeakley]

In the case of Ellam, the original source for the image is a photo with him in his connellsville uniform and in the lithographic process they changed it to be Nashville. He spent most of the years with Birmingham, he likely was signed or something by Nashville during the time they made the SL cards and never made the team or something along those lines.
-Rhett

[1952boyntoncollector]

They do make changes. Years ago when i had more time on my hands, I actually got them to change a few things on Warren Spahn that was wrong and also Rene Gonzalez. Talk about a difference in the caliber of players involved!

[bwbc917]

They will make adjustments. For instance they use a picture of Bumpus Jones that I had created from a team photo. Not sure when they put it up, but for years they used something different.
As a researcher of obscure, early ballplayers it is not at all unusual to find a player with a team that's not listed in BR. They work with the SABR minor league committee to try to keep info as up-to-date as possible. However, they won't do just one change when it comes up. They hold off and do them in quantity. How often?? I guess we'd have to ask them.
As for the "wrong" uniform, Rhys could certainly attest that there are loads of photos of players in spring training garb who never played regular season with a team.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Like I said they absolutely do make changes. I provided a newspaper article showing Vern Stephens also carried the nickname "Little Slug" and Lou Brock's 1966 Topps card which stated he was nicknamed "Rocket." among others I have sent them over the years.

[quitcrab]

First thing I thought of is that the card was the mistake. We all know that wrong, old and out of date photos were used through out the production of cards

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

"out of date" doesn't work when he hadn't played for the team yet. Time travel would be necessary.

From what has been posted here it's pretty obvious that for some reason (mistake, or a short, non-playing tenure with the team) the photo used to make the image was changed to Nashville. We will probably never know why for certain.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

In the case of Ellam, the original source for the image is a photo with him in his connellsville uniform and in the lithographic process they changed it to be Nashville. He spent most of the years with Birmingham, he likely was signed or something by Nashville during the time they made the SL cards and never made the team or something along those lines.
-Rhett

That is the one explanation I thought of that made any sense and in a follow-up email I posited the same idea. Cool to know the origin of the image though, that's an impressive bit of information!

[swarmee]

Yeah, you would want to use microfiche to look at old Nashville newspapers if you wanted to confirm he played for the team in that timeframe.

[slidekellyslide]

I found a real photo postcard of Ellam along with some of his personal effects in an ebay live auction about 10 years ago. (I no longer own it) There was even a news clipping of his death which was an unfortunate accident.

[rhettyeakley]

Here is further discussion we have had that references the Connellsville PC Dan had found along with another postcard that I had located...

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=204979