John Burgeson
American video game designer (1931-2016)
John W. Burgeson (19 August 1931 – 12 September 2016) was an IBM engineer who created the first computer baseball simulation game in 1961, on an IBM 1620 Computer in Akron, Ohio. Burgeson's invention was accepted and officially recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in contribution.
A baseball fan and long-time member of SABR, Burgeson initially wrote the program on his own time for enjoyment. He shared the program with the company, and they included it as part of the IBM 1620 program library, for which it was the only game. The game was run by placing a deck of punch cards into a card reader, which in turn read them into the computer's memory. Users would pick a lineup from a roster of 50 players, the computer would pick its lineup from the remaining list and the simulation game was then played to completion based on the statistical probabilities for each batter and pitcher.
In 1961, a radio DJ at KDKA in Pittsburgh, Rege Cordic, read three of Burgeson's printed play-by-play game results on the air in a re-creation of the fictional games.
On September 12, 2016, at the age of 85, John W. Burgeson died. He is survived by his wife, eight children, twelve grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “John Burgeson” is american video game designer (1931-2016). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through John, Burgeson and American, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “american video game designer (1931-2016)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 25, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q6223891. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1931, 2016, 1961 and 1620.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “John Burgeson”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow John Burgeson primary sources, John Burgeson archive and John research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “John Burgeson”?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “John Burgeson” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.