Just found a link to this story on the SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) web site about the untimely death of Doug Pappas, a lawyer and writer on issues related to the business side of baseball. Pappas had served as the chair of SABR’s Business of Baseball committee since its inception 10 years ago, and also served as pro bono legal counsel to SABR. I never had any direct contact with him, but his Business of Baseball pages are the best source I know of for unbiased information about the business side of baseball, particularly with regard to baseball labor relations. His treatment of the issues always seemed to me impeccably fair, honest, and accurate, and he did an outstanding job of providing documentary evidence for his opinions and claims. He had come to thoroughly despise Bud Selig after bringing to light countless instances of Selig’s lying and acting in bad faith, but God knows Selig earned it. Whenever I had a question about which side was telling the truth about an issue related to baseball’s labor problems, I could usually find an answer on his site, and it was usually provided with a healthy dose of humor and expressed extremely well.
Apparently, Pappas died of heat prostration while hiking in Big Bend National Park last week. There’s a fuller appreciation of Pappas and his life and work from someone who did have the good fortune to know him here. And a thread at Baseball Think Factory’s Baseball Primer with 129 posts, many from those who knew him well.
RIP, Doug Pappas. I for one will miss your insight, wisdom, and humor.