Former Elias Sports Bureau President & CEO SEYMOUR SIWOFF, who "brought statistical analysis to the sports world," died Friday at his home in N.Y. at age 99, according to Richard Goldstein of the N.Y. TIMES. Siwoff had been in his role at Elias from '52 until this March. In recent years, the bureau's day-to-day operations "had been overseen" by Exec Dir STEVE HIRDT, but Siwoff "remained a presence in its Manhattan office until just a few months ago." Siwoff "purchased the Al Munroe Elias Baseball Bureau" in '52 and renamed it the Elias Sports Bureau, which "eventually became the record-keeper" for MLB, the NFL, NBA, NHL, WNBA and MLS. It also "provides national and local sports broadcasting outlets and sports websites with data and content drawing on its archives; among its offerings are short 'Elias Says' items for ESPN's website" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/30). In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote Siwoff was a "step ahead of everybody." He was "wise and wonderful and a friend to anyone lucky enough to have ever had a single conversation with him" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/1). In DC, Matt Schudel wrote Siwoff "made baseball a game of numbers" perhaps "more than anyone else" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/1). NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes Siwoff is the "father of modern statistical research," and the sports world "owes him a ton" (NBCSPORTS.com, 12/2).
