Seymour Siwoff | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 9, 1920 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 2019 (aged 99) Manhattan, New York City |
| Alma mater | St. John's University |
| Spouse | Gertrude Schatzberg |
| Family | Lela Swift Schwartz (sister) |
Seymour Siwoff (November 9, 1920 – November 29, 2019) was an American statistician and businessman who was the president and chief executive of the Elias Sports Bureau from 1952 to 2019.[1] He was named a finalist for the 2020 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor, however he was not elected.[2]
Siwoff was born in Brooklyn[3] on November 1, 1920.[4] His sister was television director and producer Lela Swift.[5] In 1943, he graduated from St. John's University with a degree in accounting and then served during World War II in the 88th Infantry Division where he was hit by shrapnel in Italy.[3] He worked as an accountant after the war and in 1948 took a position with the Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of the National League, where he had interned during college.[3] In 1952, he purchased the Bureau from the widows of Al Munro Elias and Walter Bruce Elias, who founded the company in 1913.[4] Under Siwoff, the company was known for providing more obscure facts (day/night games, performance against left/right-handed pitchers, home/away, and with runners in scoring position), foreshadowing the modern era's advanced statistics.[4] In 1980, the Elias Sports Bureau became the official statistician of the American League, replacing the Sports Information Center.[4] Siwoff expanded the company into providing statistical support to the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Major League Soccer, and various television and radio networks.[4]
He was married to Gertrude Schatzberg (1921–2018); they had two children, Nancy Siwoff Gilston and Ronald Siwoff.[6][7][4] He died at his home in Manhattan on November 29, 2019.[4] His grandson, Joe Gilston, is owner and president of the Elias Sports Bureau.[4]