Al Munro Elias

Al Munro Elias

• Born June 5, 1872 in Charleston, SC USA
• Died August 1, 1939 in New York, NY USA

Biographical Information

Al Munro Elias was the founder of the Elias Sports Bureau in 1913 with his brother Walter, and was a pioneer in the compiling of statistics about baseball. Their work pioneered the compilation of statistics in all sports.

Their first line of business was to sell scorecards including statistical information to baseball fans, and soon the New York Telegram began publishing their weekly compilation of "batting and pitching averages". In 1919, they were appointed as the official statisticians of the National League and International League, and later added the American League to their empire.

In 1937, the Elias Sports Bureau took over publication of The Little Red Book, the official statistics journal of the major leagues. In 1938, the Bureau began producing The Pocket Cyclopedia of Major League Baseball, and for many years published the official Green Book, the National League's annual summary.

The company he founded is still a going concern and remains the official statistical compiler for Major League Baseball.

Related Sites

• Bio at the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
• Brooklyn Daily Eagle obit