This Week in SABR: December 23, 2016
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 Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2. The next “This Week in SABR” newsletter will be sent on Friday, January 6, 2017. Here’s what we’ve been up to as of December 23, 2016:
Make a year-end donation to help us reach our goal in 2016!
This has been a banner year for SABR, and your year-end charitable gift can help us bring 2016 to an even more successful close.
SABR continues to offer unparalleled opportunities for involvement and benefits for members around the world. We depend upon the volunteer work of members to mount our exciting events like the SABR Convention (in New York City next summer), the SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, and the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference; to produce groundbreaking research through the SABR Digital Library e-book program (with 8-10 free e-books provided to members each year), 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!
In addition to donating online, you can also send your donation by check to: SABR, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
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.
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 Deb Jayne (602) 496-1463 for details.
Don’t forget: 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 now 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 2017.
You can renew your membership for 1 year or 3 years online at the SABR Store; by phone at (602) 496-1463; 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: $65 for one year or $175 for three years, with discounts available to anyone under 30 or over the age of 65.
For one low price, 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 (New York City in 2017), the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference; 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.
Early registration now open for 2017 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is now open for the sixth annual SABR Analytics Conference on March 9-11, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. We hope you’ll join us next spring in Arizona, where we’ll bring together the top minds in the baseball analytics community to discuss, debate and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball.
Our guest speakers and panelists are expected to include Jessica Mendoza, ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” analyst; Brian Kenny, MLB Network host; Vince Gennaro, SABR President; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs staff writer; and many more still to be announced.
All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click a link below for more information:
- Registration: Click here to register for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference; early registration is $395 for SABR members, $495 for non-members, and $350 for students (includes one-year membership).
- Hotel: Click here to book your room at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix at the special SABR rate of $188/night (plus tax). Or call (602) 252-1234 and mention that you’re with the SABR Analytics Conference.
- Research Presentations: Click here to learn more about presenting your research at the SABR Analytics Conference; the submission deadline for 2017 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts was November 23, 2016.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference; all applications must be sent to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than December 31, 2016.
- Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Learn more or apply now to participate in the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition.
- Research Awards: We’re seeking nominations for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards; click here to learn more.
SABR has a long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics. SABR’s long history in this area of baseball research, coupled with our mission of advancing the understanding and knowledge of baseball, makes us the perfect choice to coordinate and host this ground-breaking event.
The Analytics Conference schedule consists 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.
For more information on the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.
Students: Last call to apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend 2017 SABR Analytics Conference
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 2017 SABR Analytics Conference. This scholarship will pay for registration, air transportation and lodging up to a total value of $1,250. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than December 31, 2016.
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.
Click here to learn more or to download the 2017 Yoseloff Scholarship application.
Register now for the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition at SABR Analytics
The SABR Analytics Conference is pleased to host the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition on Thursday, March 9, 2017. Click here for more details.
In the Diamond Dollars Case Competition, undergraduate, graduate and professional school students from colleges and universities across the country compete against each other by preparing an analysis and presentation of a baseball operations decision — the type of decision a team’s GM and his staff is faced with over the course of a season. The cases are developed by SABR President Vince Gennaro, author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball, and consultant to MLB teams. The Diamond Dollars Case Competition is the first national competition to be based solely on baseball operations issues.
Four- to five-person student teams are asked to evaluate a baseball operations case problem. The student team presents their analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges that includes MLB front office executives. More than a dozen alumni from the first five Diamond Dollars Case Competitions have secured internships or permanent positions within Major League Baseball.
For more information on the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition, please contact SABR President Vince Gennaro or click here for rules and entry requirements.
SABR Digital Library: Baseball’s Business: The Winter Meetings: 1901-1957
Warm up by the hot stove with the newest e-book from SABR Digital Library:
Baseball’s Business: The Winter Meetings: 1901-1957 (Volume One)
Edited by Steve Weingarden and Bill Nowlin
Associate editors: Marshall Adesman and Len Levin
Foreword by Roland Hemond
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1637-8
ISBN (e-book) 978-1-9438-1636-1
390 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
“I treasured going to the Winter Meetings. You don’t see people for a whole year and then here you are, face to face, and trying to make a deal.” — Roland Hemond (Winter Meetings attendee since 1952)
This new SABR book about the history of the Winter Meetings contains stories and hidden treasures that may help resolve moments of wonder that have periodically crossed your mind as a baseball fan or as a scholar.
So much of baseball history happened at the Winter Meetings. This book provides you with a historical answer to the business of baseball over many of the early years of the minor leagues, the National League, and the American League, and even features a chapter on the Eastern Colored League Winter Meetings. Important philosophies regarding chosen identity, reactions to societal trends, agreements on how to operate, approval of new members, and player transactions emerged from the discussions and decisions made at the winter meetings.
This book represents the first of two volumes to cover the history of Baseball’s Winter Meetings. Volume One covers the years 1901 through 1957, and Volume Two (to be published in 2017) covers the years 1958 through 2016. The first volume covers the years of twentieth century baseball from the first year there were two “major leagues” — the American League having begun as a major league in 1901 — and running through the final year before expansion to the West Coast. The second volume brings coverage of the Winter Meetings through the 2016 gathering in Washington, D.C.
Volume One comprises the collective work of a team of 38 SABR researchers and editors. The overall project was initiated by SABR’s Business of Baseball Committee, the brainchild of editor Steve Weingarden. Volume Two will comprise the work of a number of the same authors and editors, but more than two dozen others. All in all, well over 60 SABR members will have contributed to this effort, including Abigail Miskowiec, Aimee Gonzalez, Andy Bokser, Bill Felber, Bill Nowlin, Bob LeMoine, Chris Jones, Christopher Matthews, Dale Voiss, Dennis Pajot, Ely Sussman, Eric Frost, Frederick C. Bush, Gary Levy, Gregory H. Wolf, Jacob Pomrenke, Jason C. Long, Jeremy Green, Jerry Nechal, Jim Howlenhaus, Jim Overmyer, Joe Marren, Marshall Adesman, Mike Lynch, Nick Klopsis, Nick Waddell, Paul Hensler, R.J. Lesch, Rich Bogovich, Roland Hemond, Silvio Sansano, Stephen R. Keeney, Steve Weingarden, Steven Bryant, Ted Leavengood, Travis Stern, and Zak Schmoll.
SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!
- E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of Baseball’s Business: The Winter Meetings: 1901-1957 for FREE from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, Kindle/MOBI and EPUB formats.
- Paperback: Get a 50% discount on Baseball’s Business: The Winter Meetings: 1901-1957 paperback edition for $10.97 (plus shipping) from CreateSpace.
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 can download all SABR Digital Library publications for free and get 50% off the paperback edition. Find all current and past titles at SABR.org/ebooks.
SABR Digital Library celebrates five years of publications
Five years ago this month, we launched the SABR Digital Library with our first book, Can He Play? A Look at Baseball Scouts and Their Profession, edited by Jim Sandoval and Bill Nowlin.
Led by Publications Editor Cecilia Tan, since December 2011 we’ve published dozens of books on topics ranging from the 1951 New York Giants, the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, and the 1986 New York Mets; the 100 greatest games of the 19th century; the history of baseball broadcasting; The Simpsons’ “Homer at the Bat”; and the Winter Meetings — best of all, they’re all FREE for SABR members to download! (You can also get 50% off the paperback editions.)
The SABR Digital Library takes advantage of new methods of publishing to showcase the best efforts of SABR’s members, chapters and committees.
Learn more about the SABR Digital Library and find all of our past titles at SABR.org/ebooks.
Read articles from the Fall 2016 Baseball Research Journal online
Good news! The Fall 2016 edition of the Baseball Research Journal has been mailed out to all SABR members.
Those of you who were active members as of November 1 should have received the print edition of the BRJ by now. For digital subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered to your inboxes last month.
- Click here to download the e-book edition of the Fall 2016 Baseball Research Journal.
- Click here to purchase a copy of the print edition of the Fall 2016 Baseball Research Journal.
- All articles from the Fall 2016 Baseball Research Journal are now available to read online at SABR.org.
To learn more about contributing to a future SABR publication, click here.
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.
We hope you enjoy reading the Fall 2016 Baseball Research Journal!
Save the date! SABR Day is coming up on January 28, 2017
Just a reminder to all that the eighth annual SABR Day will be held Saturday, January 28, 2017. We’re starting to compile details now on 2017 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 28, 2017, in the following cities:
- Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
- Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
- Houston, TX (Larry Dierker Chapter)
- Kenosha, WI (joint meeting of Emil Rothe/Chicago and Ken Keltner Badger State Chapters)
- Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
- New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
- New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
- Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack Chapter)
- Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
- St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
- San Diego, CA (Ted Williams Chapter)
- San Francisco, CA (Lefty O’Doul Chapter)
- More meetings TBA soon!
Click here for complete details on all events on our 2017 SABR Day map (or click here to view details on a spreadsheet).
In addition, SABR Day meetings will also be held on these dates due to schedule or venue availability. Click on a link below to learn more:
- January 14: Austin, TX (Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
- January 21: Kansas City, MO (Monarchs Chapter)
- January 21: Baltimore, MD (Babe Ruth Chapter)
- January 21: Fort Lauderdale, FL (South Florida Chapter)
- February 4: Washington, DC (Bob Davids Chapter)
- February 4: Atlanta, GA (Magnolia Chapter)
Chapter leaders, please be sure to send any details on your SABR meeting to Blane Ferguson at bferguson@sabr.org so we can update our SABR Day map at SABR.org/sabrday.
Entries now accepted for 2017 Women on the Diamond art competition
SABR’s Women in Baseball Research Committee is teaming up with the International Women’s Baseball Center to sponsor the 2017 Women on the Diamond art competition.
The winning entry and runner-up in each category, professional and amateur, will have their art displayed during the fourth annual Women’s Baseball Symposium in September 2017 at the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. The winning entry in the professional and amateur category will also receive a $200 prize. Photos of the winning entries and runners-up will also be included in an upcoming issue of SABR’s Women in Baseball newsletter.
A Youth Art Contest is also being held, with an entry fee of $10. The winner will receive a $150 prize. All schools that enter students will have their name placed in a drawing and two winners will be chosen.
Deadline for all entries to be received is May 29, 2017. Entry fee: $30 (includes up to three entires per category); make all checks out to “International Women’s Baseball Center.” JPG images may be e-mailed to Lheaphy@kent.edu or photocopies/entry fees mailed to: Dr. Leslie Heaphy, Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Rd., No. Canton, OH 44720. For sculptural works, multiple pictures in jpeg format may be entered. All entries must be “by the hand of the artist.”
For complete criteria, or to download the application forms, click here.
Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference 2017 scholarship, art contest, library grant applications now available
Each year, SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee raises money to donate books to schools or libraries; 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 through the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference.
Click a link below for more information on the 2017 scholarships, art contest, and library grants.
- High School Essay Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee will award $1,000 scholarships to two high school seniors in its ninth annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2017. Students must write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships. Click here to download the Jimmie Crutchfield Memorial Scholarship application or click here to download the Normal “Tweed” Webb Scholarship application. The deadline to apply is March 27, 2017.
- Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2016-17. School and community libraries from across the country are invited to submit grant proposals centering on educating students and the community about black baseball and American history. Click here to download the PDF application for eligibility requirements, submission criteria, and style guidelines. The deadline is May 8, 2017.
- Art Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee’s will hold its eighth annual Art Contest in 2017. The theme is “Black Baseball History.” For professionals and amateurs: Click here to download the PDF application for eligibility requirements, submission criteria, and style guidelines. The entry fee is $30 and the deadline for submission is May 29, 2017. For the youth contest: Click here to download the youth art contest PDF application. The entry fee is $10 (per three entries) and the deadline for submission is May 22, 2017.
The 20th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be returning to its roots on July 27-30, 2017, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, site of the first Negro League conference in 1998. A registration packet and more information will be available in early 2017 at SABR.org/malloy.
7 new SABR biographies published
Seven new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 3,960 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:
- Paul Dade, by David E. Skelton
- Pat Hynes, by Bill Lamb
- Guy “Moose” Morton, by Bill Nowlin
- Mike Mussina, by Ryan Brecker (first-time author)
- Big Jeff Pfeffer, by Bill Lamb
- Bob Smith, by Bill Nowlin
- Dean Stone, by Bill Nowlin and David E. Skelton
All new biographies can be found here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/recent
- Search for any SABR biography: You can now visit sabr.org/bioproj_search to search for any player — or manager, executive, scout, spouse, broadcaster, or umpire — who appears in the SABR BioProject. You can also browse all of these BioProject categories and a lot more, including 300-game winners, Hall of Famers, 1960s All-Stars, or Negro Leaguers, at our Browse page: sabr.org/bioproj/browse.
Van Lingle Mungo biographies now posted online
In SABR’s Van Lingle Mungo: The Man, The Song, The Players, edited by Bill Nowlin and published by SABR in 2014, we paid tribute to an iconic baseball song with lyrics made up entirely of player names from the 1930s and ’40s.
Just as 1930s and 1940s Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants pitcher Van Lingle Mungo was surprised that Dave Frishberg wrote a song around his name back in 1969, so he might have been surprised to come across this book all these years later. Frishberg’s song “Van Lingle Mungo” (which you can listen to on YouTube here) listed 37 ballplayers in the lyrics. A different version contained three different names. That’s a total of 40, and all 40 are represented with biographies in this book, including John Antonelli and Frankie Crosetti, Ferris Fain and Johnny Sain, and Bobby Estalella and Art Passarella.
The SABR BioProject biographies that appeared in Van Lingle Mungo can now be read online at: http://sabr.org/category/completed-book-projects/van-lingle-mungo
You can also purchase the book or download the e-book by clicking here. SABR members can download all SABR Digital Library e-books for free at SABR.org/ebooks.
4 new stories published by the SABR Games Project
Four new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:
- January 1, 1914: Giants beat White Sox as World Tour visits Australia, by Bob LeMoine
- August 13, 1916: Braggo Roth walks off with inside-the-park home run, by Joseph Wancho
- July 1, 1920: The Big Train no-hits the Red Sox, by Kevin Larkin (first-time author)
- October 11, 1969: Cuellar, Orioles beat Mets in World Series opener, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
In addition, more articles from our SABR Digital Library book The 1986 New York Mets: There Was More Than Game Six, edited by Leslie Heaphy and Bill Nowlin, can now be found at the SABR Games Project website:
- September 17, 1986: Gooden, Magadan lead Mets to first division title in 13 years, by Gregory H. Wolf
- October 18, 1986: Red Sox win World Series opener in wintry weather, by Matthew Silverman
- October 19, 1986: Clemens-Gooden duel falls flat as Red Sox win Game Two, by Matthew Silverman
- October 21, 1986: Rested Mets win Game Three behind Bob Ojeda, by Matthew Silverman
- October 22, 1986: Darling leads Mets to Game Four win, tying World Series 2-2, by Matthew Silverman
- October 23, 1986: Red Sox take 3-2 lead as World Series heads back to New York, by Matthew Silverman
Read more game stories from the 1986 Mets book at the SABR Games Project by clicking here.
New Games Project stories can be found at http://sabr.org/gamesproject/recent. Find all published Games Project articles at SABR.org/GamesProject.
- Get involved: Writing for the Games Project is an easy way to get involved as a SABR member. Find out how by reading the Games Project FAQs section or checking out the Authors’ Guidelines.
- Still seeking a Chief Editor: For those of you who have reached out offering to edit or fact-check games over the past few weeks: Thank you! Thanks to numerous responses, we are now sufficiently staffed in this area to more quickly process game articles toward publication. However, we are still seeking a Chief Editor to help coordinate the editing for all Games Project stories. This is a crucial role that is necessary to keep the project running smoothly. If you are interested, please contact Greg Erion or Bruce Slutsky for more information.
Interested in baseball cards? Join SABR’s Baseball Cards Research Committee
Want to learn more about the history and evolution of baseball cards? SABR’s newly revived Baseball Cards Research Committee, co-chaired by Mark Armour and Chris Dial, is seeking new members.
The committee has launched a new website at https://sabrbaseballcards.blog; check out all the great content that has been posted this week:
- The Mac Brothers – Willie and Big, by Jeff Katz
- Doug McWilliams: Baseball Card Photographer, Chronicler of Baseball History, by Jon Leonoudakis
- The first baseball card?, by Kevin Graham
- Death of a Museum, by Mark Armour
- Sandy Koufax Regional Issue: 1959-1961 Morrell Meats, by Ross Uitts
- ’80s Oddballs: Milwaukee Brewers Police Cards, by Anthony Lehman
- Whither the Astros?, by Mark Armour
- A New Grading Scale?, by Mark Aubrey
- Unfinished (set) business, by Jeff Katz
The committee’s purpose is to encourage more interactive knowledge sharing about the history and importance of baseball cards as a representation of the game itself and to research the history of the relationship between statistics and baseball cards. The committee also provides a forum for discussion on other important aspects of the baseball card industry, such as memorable, important and famous series designs; the influx of new card sets and limited-edition inserts in the 1980s and ’90s; documentation on all of the major card companies and important figures in the evolution of the baseball card industry; and research into the evolution of the game as viewed through the lens of baseball cards (batting gloves, player/managers, the DH, record-setting achievements, the steroids era, etc.)
Any SABR member can sign up for announcements or contribute to future committee newsletters. Click here to learn more.
For more information on all 30 SABR research committees, click here.
Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Sundays
Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro is back for the Hot Stove League offseason, at a new time: 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET on Sundays, on MLB Network Radio.
Please note: There will be no show this week due to the holidays. But you can still listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.
You can also watch video highlights of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on MLB.com. Click here to watch more video highlights of Baseball SABR Style from MLB.com.
Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM 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.
Save the date: SABR 47 will be in New York City in 2017
SABR will be returning to the Big Apple for our 47th national convention on June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York. Registration information will be available at SABR.org/convention in early 2017. The New York Mets are scheduled to play the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series at Citi Field during SABR 47.
The Grand Hyatt New York, one of the city’s most historic and luxurious hotels, is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan just steps from Grand Central Terminal and within walking distance of many major attractions, including Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the New York Public Library. The Grand Hyatt is also easily accessible to all forms of transportation: planes, trains, automobiles (including car services), and more.
SABR 47, which is open to all baseball fans, will include top featured speakers from around the baseball world — front office executives, players, managers, scouts, writers and analysts. More details will be announced in early 2017 at SABR.org/convention.
SABR’s 2017 national convention will be our 47th annual gathering; the organization’s founding in Cooperstown in 1971 is counted as the first. Learn more about SABR’s convention history by clicking here.
For more information on the SABR convention, visit SABR.org/convention.
Deadlines approaching for SABR award nominations
- Seymour Medal, due 12/31/2016: 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 2016 publication date, contact Trey Strecker at ninebaseballeditor@gmail.com by December 31, 2016.
- Larry Ritter Award, due 12/31/2016: 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 2016 publication date, contact Doug Skipper at theskippers1@hotmail.com by December 31, 2016.
- Ron Gabriel Award, due 12/31/2016: 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 2017 awards, please send a copy of your work to Gary Sarnoff at runtowin89@hotmail.com by December 31, 2016.
- SABR Baseball Research Award, due 1/31/2017: 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 2017 awards, please contact Bill Felber at bfelber@att.net.
- McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, due 2/15/2017: 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 2017 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.
In Memoriam
- Dr. Brent P. Kelley, 75, died on December 11, 2016, at his home in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Born in Miami, Florida, he was a retired equine veterinarian, a baseball historian, and an author of 23 books on baseball, horses and American history. Among his works was a series of oral histories of baseball’s Negro Leagues. Research for those books uncovered several players who had been forgotten to history, and as a result of his work, many have received recognition and pensions they had never gotten before. He joined SABR in 1985 and was a key person on the Pee Wee Reese Chapter governing board and the local convention committee that organized the 1997 SABR Convention in Louisville. His two greatest passions were animals and baseball, and he lived his life accordingly. Few have followed their interests more passionately, both professionally and privately. He was survived by his five children and nine grandchildren. A memorial service was held on December 16 at Lusk-McFarland Funeral Home in Paris, Kentucky. Memorials may take the form of contributions to PAWS, 6 Legion Drive, Paris, KY 40361, or to Pitch In For Baseball, 1541 Gehman Road, Harleysville, PA 19438.
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:
- ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza, MLB Network’s Brian Kenny to speak at 2017 SABR Analytics Conference
- Anthony Rizzo, Francisco Lindor win 2016 Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards, presented by SABR
- SABR 46: Check out complete multimedia highlights from our Miami convention
- Download your free e-book copy of The National Pastime: Baseball in the Sunshine State
- Roland Hemond: Treasuring my memories of the Winter Meetings
- Seamheads relaunches award-winning Negro Leagues Database
- Retrosheet announces Fall 2016 updates
- The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2016
- 2017 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference returning to Harrisburg
- Interested in baseball cards? Join SABR’s Baseball Cards Research Committee
- SABR Digital Library: When Pops Led the Family: The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
- Highlights and photos from SABR Philadelphia 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium
- Q&A with award-winning SABR authors Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg
- Read all biographies from our 1986 Mets book online at the SABR BioProject
- Learn more about new SABR Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Check out highlights and photos from the 2016 SABR Arizona Fall League Experience
- Educators, sign up your class for a discounted SABR Student Group Affiliate Membership
- Stew Thornley is the 2016 recipient of the Bob Davids Award
- View highlights and photos from 2016 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Kansas City
- Watch SABR panels from the 2016 MLB All-Star FanFest in San Diego
- Help support SABR’s 19th Century Baseball Grave Marker Project
- All e-books in SABR Digital Library available for free to members
All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: http://sabr.org/content/this-week-in-sabr-archives.
For more information, click here.
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 Membership 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 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brian C. Brian | Bellevue, NE | Seth Moland-Kovash | Rolling Meadows, IL | ||
Wayne Chandler | Sugar Land, TX | Paul Price | Kettering, OH | ||
Darrell Zielke | White Rock, BC | Mark Schremmer | Mission, KS | ||
Frank DiFoggio | Oak Lawn, IL | Ross Uitts | Miami Lakes, FL | ||
Thomas Fesolowich | Farmingdale, NY | Frank Ward | Glastonbury, CT | ||
Clark Goble | Prairie Village, KS | Jonny Warren | Scarborough, ON | ||
Tyler Kepner | Wilton, CT | James Wolf | Chestertown, NY | ||
Adam Knor | Pittsburgh, PA | Ty Zimmerman | Tyrone, PA | ||
Jake Mastrandrea | Shrewsbury, MA |
Research Committee news
Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:
- Baseball Cards: The newly revived Baseball Cards Research Committee has launched a new website. Check out more articles and updates at https://sabrbaseballcards.blog.
- Black Sox Scandal: December 2016 newsletter
- Statistical Analysis: December 2016 newsletter
Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research.
Regional Chapter news
Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter meeting recap (December 17; Austin, TX)
- Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter holiday luncheon recap (December 17; West Hartford, CT)
- Larry Dierker Chapter meeting recap (December 19; Houston, TX)
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter meeting recap (December 19; St. Louis, MO)
- Halsey Hall Chapter January 2017 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Chapter websites/social media: Chapter leaders, all chapters are encouraged to have a presence online to help raise awareness of SABR and bring extra attention to our research, events, and activities. Click here if your chapter is interested in learning more about creating a new chapter website or social media accounts, and for a complete list of chapter sites and social media accounts.
- Best Practices handbook: Chapter leaders, download the new Chapter Leaders Best Practices Handbook on the Admin Tools page at admin.sabr.org. The handbook offers suggestions and guidelines for meetings, speakers, revitalizing a chapter, and getting publicity for SABR and chapter events.
Visit SABR.org/chapters for more information on SABR regional chapters.
SABR Events Calendar
Here is a list of upcoming SABR events:
- January 7: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Minneapolis, MN)
- January 11: Bob Davids Chapter Monthly Hot Stove Dinner (Arlington, VA)
- January 14: Rogers Hornsby Chapter 11th annual Winter Meeting (San Marcos, TX)
- January 16: Larry Dierker Chapter monthly meeting (Houston, TX)
- January 17: Bob Davids Chapter Maryland Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- January 18: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly luncheon (Denver, CO)
- January 18: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter “Called Shot” monthly meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- January 19: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- January 20: Yogi Berra Museum: “The Future of the National Pastime” panel (New York, NY)
- January 21: Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter Strat-O-Matic Game Day (Middletown, CT)
- January 21: Monarchs Chapter SABR Day meeting (Kansas City, MO)
- January 21: South Florida Chapter SABR Day meeting (Tamarac, FL)
- January 21: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter SABR Day meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- January 25: Smithsonian: “Ask Tom Boswell Anything” with Phil Hochberg (Washington, DC)
- January 28: 2017 SABR Day
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:
- SABR member Bob Rives elected to Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame (KSN.com)
- John Thorn: Jim Bouton: An improvisational life (Our Game)
- Àngel Lluís Carrillo Pujol: An introduction to sabermetrics in Spanish (Sports Made in the USA)
- Jerry Crasnick: Which Hall of Fame voters will tip their cap to Curt Schilling? (ESPN.com)
- Russell Carleton: Front-office jobs, and worrying about the money (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jesse Spector: On players’ and coaches’ skepticism of defensive metrics (The Hardball Times)
- David Laurila: Managers’ view: Is increased curve usage a thing? (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: How versatility became cool in baseball (Baseball Prospectus)
- Craig Edwards: What would a peak year by Mike Trout look like? (FanGraphs)
- John Dewan’s Stat of the Week: Which outfielders had Cannon Arms in 2016? (ACTA Sports)
- Bill Ryczek: Stability at last: baseball in the 1900s (The National Pastime Museum)
- Joe Posnanski: 75 years apart, women’s baseball ties wow (MLB.com)
- Tim Hagerty: The longest scoreless game in minor-league history (The Sporting News)
- Bill Nowlin: The Boston Red Sox’s depressing years (The National Pastime Museum)
- Ben Berkon: A Jewish player’s 1914 baseball card triggers $125,000 dispute (New York Times)
- Tim Wendel: Palmer and Weaver and the Orioles’ tough love (The National Pastime Museum)
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.
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Originally published: December 23, 2016. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.