Thomas E. Van Hyning's formative years were spent in Puerto Rico (PR). He befriended Santurce Crabbers players Ruben Gomez, Orlando Cepeda, and Juan "Terin" Pizarro. His three books: Puerto Rico's Winter League, Santurce Crabbers, and The Caribbean Series: Latin America's Annual Baseball Tournament 1949-2024, were motivated by his love for Caribbean baseball. From 1991-1995 he was U.S. correspondent for the PR Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. He has written for SABR's The National Pastime, Baseball Research Journal; beisbol101, Negro Leaguers PR, and PR Baseball Hall of Fame websites. Thomas, a SABR Records, and Latino Baseball Research Committee member, was the Mississippi Tourism Division's Research Manager from 1994-2022. On June 22, 2022, he received the Travel and Tourism Research Association Distinguished Researcher Award. His degrees are from the University of Georgia (BBA) and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (MS. Ed). He, his wife Donna, and Yorkie Paula reside in an RV.
