The library will be closed Sunday, March 31st, for Easter

Memorial Hall Library

"To Be Like Sandy Koufax" Researching Rookie Ball Players for Ancestry or Just for Fun!

N. Andover Hometown Sox Pitcher Robbie Robinson

Do you have a baseball player in your family history? Or, are you just a baseball history fanatic? A new record set available through our Ancestry Library Edition subscription is U.S. Baseball Questionnaires 1945-2004. This unique collection contains self-completed surveys of newly signed professional baseball players collected by talent agents and agencies. Uncover a unique glimpse at the “baseball ambitions” of the rookie players you are researching. One favorite we found was 1965 North Andover High School graduate Robbie Robinson’s stated goal: “to be like Sandy Koufax.” A 1959 survey completed by the young Carl Michael Yastrzemski cites “playing on the same team with my father for three years” as his most interesting experience in baseball to date. The eighteen-year-old Wade Boggs filled in the ancestry field of his survey in a unique way: rather than stating he was of Irish or Welch descent, he spells out “7th cousin to Abner Doubleday!” Also fascinating are the off-season occupations of players that include, investment bankers, students, boilermakers and employees at Andover’s Tyer Rubber Factory. The forms include valuable genealogical information such as:

  • Full Name
  • Nickname
  • Position
  • Self-Reported Ancestry 
  • Birthplace and Date
  • Residence
  • Height and Weight
  • Batting and Throwing Handedness
  • High School and Graduation Year
  • College Information
  • Sports Played in School
  • First Professional Club
  • Off-Season Occupation
  • Scout
  • Memories
  • Military Service Details
  • Family Details

For more information about this record set or help with Memorial Hall Library’s genealogical resources, contact Local History Librarian, Stephanie Aude saude@mhl.org.