This Week in SABR: December 23, 2015

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Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web. Please note: The SABR office will be closed on Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1. The next “This Week in SABR” newsletter will be sent on Friday, January 8, 2016. Here’s what we’ve been up to as of December 23, 2015:

Make a year-end donation to help us reach our goal!

We’re about to hit the “sweet spot” of SABR’s year-end donation drive, and your support can make a big difference. We’re less than $10,000 from reaching our goal by December 31 — and we need your help! Please consider making a charitable contribution to SABR today:

You can also send your donation by check to:

SABR
Cronkite School at ASU
555 N. Central Ave. #416
Phoenix, AZ 85004

By doing so you help SABR fulfill its mission and increase the impact of our baseball analysis and historical study. Please note: We MUST receive your donation by December 31 in order to process it in 2015. 

If you’ve already made a contribution to SABR this year, we are grateful for your generous donation.

SABR depends upon the volunteer work of members to mount our exciting events like the SABR Convention, the Analytics Conference, and the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference; to produce groundbreaking research through the SABR Digital Library e-book program, the Baseball Research Journal, and The National Pastime; and to expand the online resources of the research committees, regional chapters, the BioProject, the Games Project, and much more. SABR continues to offer unparalleled opportunities for involvement and benefits for members around the world.

As a 501(c)3 organization, tax-deductible donations allow SABR to expand member opportunities and to become an even larger voice in the baseball community. Many members have already become donors, and you can join them right now by making your gift online at SABR.org/donate. Please help us reach our donation drive goal!

All of us at SABR appreciate your support of our great organization and the game we love.

To learn more, visit SABR.org/donate.

Give the gift of SABR this holiday season

A SABR membership makes a great gift for the baseball fan in your life! All baseball fans are welcome to join SABR. Gift memberships are $65/year (with discounts available for anyone under 30 or over 65), and members receive all the benefits of a standard membership.

Here are some benefits of membership:

  • Two issues of the Baseball Research Journal, which includes articles on history, biography, statistics, personalities, book reviews, and other aspects of the game.
  • Expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime, our convention journal which focuses on baseball in the region where that year’s national convention is held (in 2016, it’s Miami)
  • “This Week in SABR” e-newsletters every Fridays, with the latest goings-on in SABR and highlighting SABR members’ research
  • New e-books we publish through the SABR Digital Library — free to all SABR members
  • Regional chapter meetings, which can include guest speakers, presentations and trips to ballgames
  • Online access to back issues of The Sporting News and other periodicals through Paper of Record
  • Access to SABR’s lending library and other research resources
  • Online member directory to connect you with an international network of passionate baseball experts and fans
  • Discount on registration to our annual conferences and National Convention
  • Access to SABR-L, an e-mail discussion list of baseball questions and answers that many feel is worth the cost of membership itself
  • The opportunity to be part of a passionate international community of baseball fans

Click here for a complete list of Member Benefits and what you receive for your annual dues. Want more details? Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about getting the most out of your SABR membership.

SABR membership is on a “rolling” calendar system; that means your membership lasts 365 days no matter when you sign up!

Please note: If you are an active SABR member and wish to purchase a gift membership for someone else, you must log out of the website first before you can proceed with your order. If you have any questions, please call (602) 496-1460 for details.

Last call: Students, apply now for a 2016 SABR Analytics Yoseloff Scholarship

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference on March 10-12, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, air transportation and lodging up to a total value of $1,250.

The objective of this scholarship fund is to encourage student engagement with baseball analytics, and to engender an active interest in baseball research and SABR. The Yoseloff scholarship is to assist young researchers who want to attend SABR’s Analytics Conference and to introduce them to fellow SABR members and professionals within the baseball community. Through this fund, SABR hopes to inspire future baseball research, expose students to high-quality research and build the research capability of interested students.

Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Some form of age verification (photocopy of driver’s license, passport, etc.) must be attached to your application. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than December 31, 2015.

Click here for complete details on eligibility requirements and submission details. Or Click here to download the PDF application.

Last call: Submit your 2016 SABR Analytics research presentation abstract

SABR and Baseball Info Solutions are proud to announce a call for research presentations for the fifth annual SABR Analytics Conference, March 10-12, 2016, at the Hyatt Phoenix Downtown in Phoenix, Arizona. 

The SABR Analytics Conference brings together the leading minds in baseball analytics to discuss and debate topics relevant to the quantitative analysis of the game of baseball, including aspects of innovation and technology. Past conferences have been attended by representatives from 27 MLB teams.

Research presentations can be focused on any area of baseball research, including player evaluation or business practices. Submissions will be evaluated based on originality, validity, and applicability of the research along with other relevant factors.

Submissions will be considered under two tracks: Student Track (open to all undergraduate and graduate students), and Open Track (open to anyone).

  • To apply: Abstracts of proposed research presentations should be no more than 500 words in length, and must include the abstract’s title, review of previous work on the subject, a summary of the research methodology and anticipated results, and the expected contribution to the field of baseball analytics offered by this work. Please send all abstracts to this e-mail address: abstracts@baseballinfosolutions.com.

The submission deadline for 2016 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts is 11:59 p.m. PST, Friday, January 1, 2016. Please note: If your presentation abstract is accepted, you will be required to register for the conference in order to qualify for a presentation slot. A final abstract of 250 words or less for the conference program will be required at that time.

Click here for complete details and criteria.

More featured speakers announced for 2016 SABR Analytics Conference

We’re pleased to announce more featured speakers and panelists for the fifth annual SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held March 10-12, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Conference registration is available now at the SABR Store. Click here to register! The conference is open to all baseball fans. Stay tuned as more featured speakers will be announced soon!

  • Brian Kenny, host, MLB Network
  • Mike Ferrin, broadcaster, Arizona Diamondbacks and MLB Network Radio
  • Nick Ennis, Director of Baseball Operations, San Diego Padres
  • Sarah Gelles, Director of Analytics, Baltimore Orioles
  • Yeshayah Goldfarb, Director of Minor League Operations/Quantitative Analysis, San Francisco Giants
  • Vince Gennaro, SABR President
  • Dan Migala, Founding Partner, Property Consulting Group

Please note: Due to a scheduling conflict, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will no longer be able to speak at the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference. All speakers are subject to availability.

SABR has a long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics. While SABR is a multi-faceted organization involved in virtually every aspect of baseball, we continue to build on our legacy by producing and hosting the fifth annual SABR Analytics Conference.

Once again, we’re bringing together the top minds of the baseball analytic community under one roof to discuss, debate and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball.

The schedule will consist of a combination of Guest Speakers, Panels and Research Presentations — plus the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition, in which undergraduate, graduate, and law school students from across the country analyze and present a real baseball operations decision.

  • Conference registration is available now at the SABR Store. Click here to register! The conference is open to all baseball fans. The early registration rate is $395 for SABR members and $495 for nonmembers, or $350 for currently enrolled high school or college students (includes one-year membership to SABR).
  • Book your hotel room: The 2016 SABR Analytics Conference will be held Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 12 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N. 2nd St., Phoenix, AZ 85004. Click here to book your hotel room at the special SABR group rate of $179/night (plus tax) for double occupancy. Or call (602) 252-1234 and mention that you’re with the SABR Analytics Conference.

Check back soon at SABR.org/analytics as we announce some of our featured speakers, panels and presentations for the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference!

Related links:

It’s time to renew your SABR membership

For those of you whose SABR memberships expire by December 31 — you can check your current membership status here — it’s time for you to renew! We’re excited about the upcoming year ahead of us and we hope you’ll take advantage of all the great membership benefits offered to SABR members in 2016. Here’s a short list:

http://sabr.org/member-benefits

You can renew your membership for 1 year or 3 years online at the SABR Store; by phone at (602) 496-1460; or by mailing this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the office at: SABR, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Dues are the same as they have been in recent years: for this, you get two editions of the Baseball Research Journal, the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime; 8-10 free e-books published by the SABR Digital Library; “This Week in SABR” every Friday; access to research resources such as Paper of Record (with complete archives of The Sporting News); discounts to all SABR conferences such as the National Convention (Miami 2016), the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference; discounts to MLB.TV; and much, much more.

We believe SABR has something for everyone, from the active researcher to someone passionate about baseball. We hope you’ll invite your friends, colleagues and family members to join at store.sabr.org.

  • Add a family member for $15: Any SABR member can add a family member in the same household for $15 per year; they will receive all electronic member benefits and access to the website, but no printed publications. To add a new family member, please contact Membership Director Deb Jayne. Note: In order to renew your existing family membership, you must log in to the SABR website under the family member’s username/e-mail address, not your own.

SABR Digital Library: The Team That Time Won’t Forget: The 1951 New York Giants

Add a pennant-winning book to your collection with the newest e-book from SABR Digital Library:

The Team That Time Won’t Forget: The 1951 New York Giants
Edited by Bill Nowlin and C. Paul Rogers III 
Associate editors: Clem Comly and Len Levin 
Contributing editors: James Forr and Carl Riechers  
Foreword by Monte Irvin  
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9335-9998-4
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9335-9999-1    

Because of Bobby Thomson’s dramatic “Shot Heard ’Round the World” in the bottom of the ninth of the decisive playoff game against the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team will forever be in baseball public’s consciousness.  

But of course there is much more to the story of that famous team than a dramatic home run (albeit the most famous and probably the most dramatic home run in baseball history) and sign stealing. After all, the team started the year 2-12 and found itself 13 games out of first place with a little more than six weeks left in the season. They soon peeled off 16 wins in a row and went 37-7 down the stretch to force the famous playoff. The ’51 Giants did win 97 games other than the game everyone remembers.  

The team is also of historic significance because of its role in the integration of baseball. It was the year Willie Mays first showed his brilliance to major-league audiences, in late May joining black teammates Monte Irvin, Hank Thompson, and Ray Noble. At the time, the Dodgers and Giants had most of the smattering of African-American players in the big leagues, and it is no surprise that those two teams battled down to the wire for the National League pennant.  

Fueled by Giants manager Leo Durocher, who had previously managed the Dodgers, the two teams simply did not like each other and they showed it. Beanballs, flashing spikes, and brawls and near brawls were the order of the day. It is, of course, a rivalry that endures today, with both clubs having moved to the West Coast in 1958.  

For any number of reasons, the ’51 Giants truly are the team that time won’t forget. It is the aim of this book to assure that to be true by providing an in depth look at and future resource about that historic team.  

Includes a foreword by Giants outfielder Monte Irvin, as well as biographies of all players, coaches, executives, and broadcasters. Also included are chapters on the Polo Grounds, recaps of notable games, the integration of the Giants, sign-stealing, the 1951 All Star Game, World Series, and more.  

Contributors: Eric Aron, Thomas Ayers, Matt Bohn, Terry Bohn, Maurice Bouchard, Bo Carter, Alan Cohen, Rory Costello, Nicholas Diunte, Alexander Edelman, James E. Elfers, Greg Erion, Charles F. Faber, Scott Ferkovich, Dan Fields, Jeff Findley, James Forr, Rob Garratt, Peter M. Gordon, Don Harrison, Tom Hawthorn, Dr. Lawrence Hogan, Monte Irvin, Bill Johnson, Jimmy Keenan, David H. Lippman, Jeffrey Marlett, Brian McKenna, Rob Neyer, Skip Nipper, Armand Peterson, Janice A. Petterchak, Joe Phillips, C. Paul Rogers III, John T. Saccoman, Curt Smith, David W. Smith, Lyle Spatz, Mark S. Sternman, Andy Sturgill, Rick Swaine, Judith Testa, Stew Thornley, Steve Treder, Clayton Trutor, Gregory H. Wolf.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

Having trouble downloading our e-books? To view PDF files on your computer, click here to download the free Adobe Reader software. Having trouble downloading e-books to your Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or iPad? Click here for additional help.

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. Find all past publications at SABR.org/ebooks.

Read all articles from Fall 2015 Baseball Research Journal online

Good news! The Fall 2015 edition of the Baseball Research Journal has been mailed out to all SABR members.

Those of you who receive the print edition should find your BRJ arriving in the next two to four weeks, although we hear many have already arrived. For digital subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered to your inboxes on November 4.

To learn more about contributing to a future SABR publication, click here.

We hope you enjoy reading the Fall 2015 Baseball Research Journal!

8 new biographies posted at SABR BioProject

Eight new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 3,558 published biographies. Here are the new bios:

All new biographies can be found here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/recent

Join us for the 7th annual SABR Day on January 30, 2016

Just a reminder to all that the seventh annual SABR Day will be held Saturday, January 30, 2016. We’re starting to compile details now on 2016 SABR Day chapter meetings around the country. We’ll post them as soon as we get them at SABR.org/sabrday.

Regional SABR meetings are open to all baseball fans and are usually free to attend, so bring a friend! Guest speakers often include current and former baseball players, managers, umpires, executives, scouts, writers and authors.

SABR Day events are scheduled for Saturday, January 30, 2016, in the following cities:

  • Cincinnati, OH (Hoyt-Allen Chapter) 
  • Cooperstown, NY (Cliff Kachline Chapter)
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL (South Florida Chapter)
  • Kenosha, WI (Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter/Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter)
  • Las Vegas, NV (Maddux Brothers-Las Vegas Chapter)
  • Little Rock, AR (Robinson-Kell Chapter)
  • Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
  • New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
  • Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
  • St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
  • San Francisco, CA (Lefty O’Doul Chapter)
  • Washington, DC (Bob Davids Chapter)

Click here for complete details on all events on our 2016 SABR Day map (or click here to view details on a spreadsheet).

Chapter leaders, to add your SABR Day event to the calendar, please send details to jpomrenke@sabr.org. We’ll post more information soon on each of these meetings at SABR.org/sabrday.

In addition, some chapters are holding their SABR Day meetings on a different day, due to venue or schedule availability. Click on a link below or see the Events Calendar for details on each of these meetings, as well:

For a complete recap of 2015 SABR Day activities, visit SABR.org/sabrday/2015.

Save the date! 2016 Malloy Conference to be held July 7-9 in La Crosse, Wisconsin

The 19th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, hosted by SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee, will be held July 7-9, 2016, at the Hampton Inn in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A registration packet and more information will be available soon at SABR.org/malloy.

The Malloy Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. For the past 18 years, the event has been the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination and promotion of black baseball history. The conference is open to baseball and history fans of all ages. Each year, monies are targeted to donate books to schools or libraries; raise funds for the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project; and award scholarships to high school seniors in a nationwide essay contest and a nationwide art contest.

The 2016 Malloy Conference, which begins on Satchel Paige’s birthday of July 7, will feature a trip to the local Northwoods League affiliate La Crosse Loggers on Friday night and a banquet cruise on the La Crosse Queen paddlewheeler on Saturday night. The Queen is a modern-day replica of the grand river boats that plied the Mississippi River and frequently called on the port of La Crosse in the late 19th century.

Hotel accommodations at reduced rates will be available at the brand new Hampton Inn, conveniently located in downtown La Crosse, just two blocks from scenic Riverside Park. Our site coordinator for the 19th Jerry Malloy Conference is Dr. Michael Haupert, a SABR member and economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

For more information, visit SABR.org/malloy. Learn more in the Negro Leagues Committee’s December 2015 newsletter.

From the SABR archives: 40 years ago, arbitrator Seitz sets the players free

On this date 40 years ago, the most important labor arbitration decision of all time involved baseball, two pitchers, and one of the finest labor arbitrators of all time.

Peter Seitz’s decision on December 23, 1975, in baseball’s Andy Messersmith case still reverberates throughout the multibillion-dollar sports industry. Seitz set the players free.

The rest, they say, is history. Player salaries skyrocketed, increasing sevenfold in the next decade as the free market came to baseball. The fears expressed by owners about baseball dynasties proved unfounded in the short run. In that first decade, ten different clubs won the World Series — the only time that has happened in the history of the century-old postseason tournament. Since that time, the parties have tinkered with their reserve/free agency system, but it has remained fundamentally unchanged.

Read all about that fateful decision in Roger I. Abrams’ article from the Fall 2009 Baseball Research Journal: http://sabr.org/research/arbitrator-seitz-sets-players-free

Find more SABR journal archives by clicking here.

Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on-demand

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a new radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro, can be heard on Sunday nights throughout the year on MLB Network Radio.

Please note that the show will air a re-run this Sunday, but you can listen to all recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

Baseball SABR Style focuses on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today. It airs weekly throughout the year on MLB Network Radio, available to subscribers nationwide on XM channel 89, Sirius channel 209, and on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

For more information, click here.

Deadlines approaching for SABR award nominations

  • Seymour Medal, due 12/31/2015: The Dr. Harold and Dorothy Seymour Medal honors the best book of baseball history or biography published during the preceding calendar year. The award is presented during the Seymour Medal Banquet at the NINE Spring Training Conference every March. If you have a book to nominate with a 2015 publication date, contact Michael Haupert at mhaupert@uwlax.edu by December 31, 2015.
  • Larry Ritter Award, due 12/31/2015: Each year, SABR’s Deadball Era Committee presents the Larry Ritter Book Award to recognize the best new book primarily set in the Deadball Era that was published during the previous calendar year. The award is presented during the committee’s meeting at the annual SABR convention. If you have a book to nominate with a 2015 publication date, contact Doug Skipper at theskippers1@hotmail.com by December 31, 2015.
  • Ron Gabriel Award, due 12/31/2015: The Ron Gabriel Award annually honors the author(s) of the best research, published or unpublished, on the subject of the Brooklyn Dodgers completed during the preceding calendar year. To submit a nomination for the 2016 awards, please send a copy of your work to Gary Sarnoff at runtowin89@hotmail.com by December 31, 2015.
  • SABR Baseball Research Award, due 1/31/2016: The SABR Baseball Research Award (formerly the Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award) honors those whose outstanding research projects completed during the preceding calendar year have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball. To submit a nomination for the 2016 awards, please contact Bill Felber at bfelber@att.net.
  • McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, due 2/15/2016: The McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award honors the authors of the best articles on baseball history or biography completed or published during the preceding calendar year. To submit a nomination for the 2016 awards, please contact Len Levin at lenlevin5@hotmail.com.

Please note: Only ONE entry per nomination will be considered (do not submit multiple nominations for the same award). For more information on SABR Awards, click here.

ICYMI: Highlights from last week’s This Week in SABR

We’ve heard your feedback: Some of you have said you look forward to “This Week in SABR” every Friday, but sometimes there are just too many compelling articles and announcements to read every week. We’re not complaining — hey, keep up the great work! — but we know the feeling. So in an effort to make the length of this newsletter more manageable to read, we’ll summarize some of the repeating/recurring announcements in a special “In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)” section of “This Week in SABR”.

Here are some major headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:

All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: http://sabr.org/content/this-week-in-sabr-archives.

Welcome, new members!

We’d like to welcome all of our new SABR members who have joined this week. You can find all Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org and the New Member Handbook can be downloaded here.

Please give these new members a warm welcome and help them make the most of their membership by giving them the opportunity to get involved in their local chapter or a research committee.

You can find contact information for any SABR member in the online membership directory (SABR.org/directory).

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Tim Anderson Phoenix, AZ     Matthew Lassman San Antonio, TX
Scott Anderson Mooringsport, LA     Nathan Lovato Fort Collins, CO
Stephen Baker Shreveport, LA     Matt Parker Lindenwold, NJ
Alexander Deutsch New York, NY     Eric Tobin Casper, WY
Justin Eddy Kalamazoo, MI     Wayne Williams St. Cloud, MN
Eric Enders El Paso, TX     William Wilson Knoxville, TN
Nick Eversole Louisville, KY     Bryan Womack Alpharetta, GA
Andrew Lassman San Antonio, TX        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:

Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research.

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:

Visit SABR.org/chapters for more information on SABR regional chapters.

SABR Events Calendar

Here is a list of upcoming SABR events:

All SABR meetings and events are open to the public. Feel free to bring a baseball-loving friend … and make many new ones! Check out the SABR Events Calendar at SABR.org/events.

Around the Web

Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:

Read these articles and more at SABR.org/latest.

This Week in SABR is compiled by Jacob Pomrenke. If you would like us to include an upcoming event, article or any other information in “This Week in SABR,” e-mail jpomrenke@sabr.org.

Have trouble reading this e-mail? Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox (and not the spam folder.)

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Originally published: January 13, 2016. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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