This Week in SABR: February 24, 2017

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Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web. Here’s what we’ve been up to as of February 24, 2017:

SABR announces 2017 Henry Chadwick Award recipients

The Society for American Baseball Research is pleased to announce the 2017 recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award, established to honor the game’s great researchers—historians, statisticians, annalists, and archivists—for their invaluable contributions to making baseball the game that links America’s present with its past.

The 2017 recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award are:

  • Peter C. Bjarkman (1941 – ) is the author of more than 40 books on sports history, including academic histories, coffee-table pictorials, and biographies for young adults. Best known as the leading authority on post-revolution Cuban League baseball, he has also helped to shape our understanding of the long, often difficult interaction between baseball in Latin America and Major League Baseball. His 2007 book, A History of Cuban Baseball, 1864-2006 is the definitive work on the subject. His most recent work is Cuba’s Baseball Defectors: The Inside Story.
  • Dan Levitt (1962 – ) is the author or co-author of several baseball books, covering the Federal League, longtime Yankee general manager Ed Barrow, and the evolution of team building. The breadth of his research contributions includes biography, records (discovering the season record for lowest ERA), statistical analysis, labor relations (an extensive project with the Major League Baseball Players Association), economics (uncovering the truth behind Harry Frazee’s finances), and more, studying more than a century of baseball history. He has received several awards for his research, and his extensive contributions to SABR earned him the Bob Davids Award in 2015.
  • Larry McCray (1942 – ) created the vast and invaluable Protoball Project, to help researchers and writers locate and refine primary data on the evolution and spread of ball play from ancient times to up to 1870, just before the first professional baseball league began. Enlisting the efforts of 100 other “diggers,” as they are termed on the site, Larry is the man most responsible for the new public understanding of baseball’s predecessor games. He served as Guest Editor of the special Protoball issue of Base Ball: A Journal of the Early Game, featuring more than thirty articles on this long neglected and little understood area.
  • Lyle Spatz‘s (1937 – ) most lasting contribution to baseball research might be his long tenure (1991-2015) as the accomplished chairman of SABR’s Records Committee, years of great change in the field. He also has found the time to write dozens of articles and many books on the game, spanning such subjects as All-Star games, Yankee opening days, Yankee transactions, Bill Dahlen, Willie Keeler, and his childhood hero Dixie Walker. His book 1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York (with Steve Steinberg) won the Seymour Medal, among many research honors Lyle has received.

By honoring individuals for the length and breadth of their contribution to the study and enjoyment of baseball, the Chadwick Award will educate the baseball community about sometimes little known but vastly important contributions from the game’s past and thus encourage the next generation of researchers.

The criteria for the award reads in part: The contributions of nominees must have had public impact. This may be demonstrated by publication of research in any of a variety of formats: books, magazine articles, websites, etc. The compilation of a significant database or archive that has facilitated the published research of others will also be considered in the realm of public impact.

For a complete list of Chadwick Award winners, click here.

Check out the full schedule for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference

We’ve got an all-star lineup of speakers and panelists for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference on March 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Arizona. Check out the full schedule below:

http://sabr.org/analytics/schedule

Our speakers and panelists are expected to include: Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, postseason legend Luis Gonzalez, sabermetric pioneer Bill James, Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer and front-office executives Jason McLeod and Scott Harris, Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen, ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza and broadcaster Jon “Boog” Sciambi, MLB Network host Brian Kenny and analyst Eric Byrnes, MLB Advanced Media’s Tom Tango, Mike Petriello, and Daren Willman, SABR President Vince Gennaro, FanGraphs writer Eno Sarris, Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Mike Ferrin, Chicago Cubs broadcaster Jim Deshaies, deCervo co-founder Jordan Muraskin, Dan Migala of PCG & SportsDesk Media, sports ophthalmologist Daniel M. Laby, Brian Murphy of StriVR, and more.

Click here to learn more about our featured speakers at the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference. Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

Just two weeks away from the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference; register to join us!

There’s still time to register for the sixth annual SABR Analytics Conference on March 9-11, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more.

We hope you’ll join us 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. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

Click a link below for more information:

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.

SABR 47: Early registration open now for 2017 national convention in New York City

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 47 convention, June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York. Conference and hotel registration is now available. Click here for more information on SABR 47 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 47.

Please note: The hotel room block is selling out fast, so be sure to register for SABR 47 soon!

This year’s SABR National Convention will combine some familiar SABR traditions along with a number of new events. For the second year in a row and third time in four years, SABR will present “A Day at the Ballpark” before the New York Mets game on Friday, June 30 at Citi Field. Special thanks to the Mets staff for this great opportunity and for offering us a large block of tickets in the Big Apple Reserved section at an affordable price. A special ballpark session will be held at Citi Field on Friday afternoon, followed by the game that night between the Mets and the Phillies. More details on the guest speakers will be announced soon, but you can be sure we will have an All-Star lineup.

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.

Click on a link below for more information about SABR 47.

  • Registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 47 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 47! We’re again offering a special all-inclusive rate for the annual SABR convention. For $319, a savings of $39 off the regular rate, SABR members can get:
    — Full registration to SABR 47 in New York (regular rate: $269)
    — 1 ticket in the Big Apple Reserved section to the Mets vs. Phillies game on Friday, June 30 — includes special “A Day at the Ballpark” pregame session at Citi Field and round-trip subway transportation ($50 value)
    — 1 ticket to the Awards Reception on Thursday, June 29 ($69 value)
    Non-members can pay $394 for the all-inclusive rate. The deadline to register with the all-inclusive rate is Monday, May 1, 2017.
  • Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Grand Hyatt New York of $199/night (plus tax) is only available to registered convention attendees. After you register for the SABR 47 convention, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with details on how to book your hotel room at the SABR group rate. There are a limited number of rooms in our group block and it will be virtually impossible to find a comparable rate at a top NYC hotel in the Midtown area, so be sure to register for SABR 47 early!
  • Awards Reception: SABR will host a special Awards Reception in the early evening on Thursday, June 29 at the Grand Hyatt New York. The Awards Reception will feature the announcement of SABR’s annual awards — including the Bob Davids Award, our highest honor — plus an array of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The reception will be held this year in place of the Awards Luncheon. One ticket to the Awards Reception is included in the all-inclusive package or guest tickets are available for $69 when you register for SABR 47. 
  • Research presentations: SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 47. The deadline to submit your abstract is Sunday, February 26, 2017. Click here for complete details and application form.
  • Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, click here to learn more about a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 47 in New York City.

We hope you’ll join us this summer in New York City! Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.

For a multimedia look at every SABR convention since 1971, click here.

SABR 47: Just 2 days left to submit research presentation abstracts

SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 47, which will be held June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York in Midtown Manhattan. Early registration rates and hotel information are now available at SABR.org/convention.

Oral presentations are expected to last 20 minutes, followed by a five minute question-and-answer period. Posters will be presented, with the author on-hand to discuss the work, during a poster session of 90 or so minutes, and will probably remain on display throughout the convention.

Through on-site judging, the most highly-regarded presentations will receive the Doug Pappas Award for best oral presentation and the USA Today Sports Weekly Award for best poster presentation. 

The submission deadline for SABR 47 abstracts is midnight PST, Sunday, FEBRUARY 26, 2017.

Click here for complete details and criteria. Please note: If your abstract is accepted and you intend to make a research presentation, you must register to attend the SABR 47 convention. Registration details are now available at SABR.org/convention.

Renew your SABR membership by February 28 to receive the new Baseball Research Journal

For those of you whose memberships expired recently, there’s still a little time left to renew and be a part of the SABR community again in 2017. If you’ve already renewed, we thank you for your support and look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Renew now to receive the Spring 2017 edition of the Baseball Research Journal, plus discounts on registration to the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference and SABR 47 in New York City, and a lot more! Please note: We MUST receive your dues by February 28, 2017, in order for you to receive the upcoming BRJ.

  • Here’s how to renew: 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 SABR office at 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 an annual membership or $45 for anyone under 30 or over 65. For this 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 (NYC 2017), the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference; and much, much more. Click here for a list of SABR membership benefits.

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.

Want to receive your Baseball Research Journal in e-book format?

Once again, SABR is offering its members the opportunity to opt out of receiving the printed version of the Spring 2017 Baseball Research Journal. We’ll deliver the e-book version of the BRJ in the format of your choice (EPUB, MOBI/Kindle or PDF) straight to your inbox around Opening Day 2017. Click here to learn more about receiving the e-book edition of the BRJ.

Opt out of receiving the printed edition by February 28, 2017, in order to get early access to all the great content in the BRJ in e-book format and online at SABR.org.

  • To opt out of receiving the printed version of the Baseball Research Journal: Click here to edit your membership profile. Scroll to the bottom and select “Receive publications electronically.” Then save your changes.

Please note: If you do nothing, you will continue to receive two print editions of the Baseball Research Journal every year by mail.

If you’ve never read a Baseball Research Journal in e-book form, click here to try it out with the Spring 2016 edition. The Baseball Research Journal, and all SABR e-books, are available in EPUB, MOBI/Kindle or PDF formats.

Last call for nominations: 2017 SABR Board of Directors election

The SABR Nominating Committee seeks nominations for candidates for the Spring 2017 elections. All candidates for the Board of Directors must have been members of the Society for at least the preceding four years to be eligible for election. Deadline for nominations is February 27, 2017. Nominees must prepare a Candidate Statement Form following guidelines that will be available from any Nominating Committee member.

The Candidate Statement Form must be received by the Nominating Committee chair no later than March 18, 2017.

The offices to be filled:

  • President (2-year term; currently Vince Gennaro)
  • Treasurer (3-year term; currently F.X. Flinn)
  • Director (3-year term; currently Emily Hawks)

The Nominating Committee also seeks your input. Members are asked to submit office-specific questions for each of the offices open in this election. We also seek input on general questions for every nominee. Candidates will answer selected questions on the Candidate Statement Form. Regional Chapter leaders and Research Committee Chairs are especially encouraged to pass on this request to their respective members to better address member needs.

Self-nominations are welcome. If you would like to nominate yourself or another candidate or suggest a question for the candidates, contact Nominating Committee chair Neal Traven at beisbol@alumni.pitt.edu.

SABR Digital Library: Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome

Add an innovative book to your collection with the newest publication from SABR Digital Library:

Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
Associate Editors: Frederick C. Bush, James Forr, Len Levin, Bill Nowlin
Introductions by Tal Smith and Larry Dierker 
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9438-1632-3
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1633-0
8.5″ x 11″, 299 pages

This book — a collaborative effort by members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) — evokes memories of the Astrodome. Heralded as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” when it opened in 1965, the Astrodome was the world’s first domed stadium.

Readers are introduced to the stadium’s history through detailed summaries of 70 games played there and nine insightful feature essays about the ballpark. Some of the games might be considered great, like Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking fifth no-hitter, or historic, like the first regular-season game in the ’Dome. Other contests are remembered for outstanding or milestone accomplishments, such as Jim Wynn becoming the first player to hit three home runs in the Astrodome, or fantastic finishes like the Astros’ 22-inning victory in 1989. Stories from 35 years of Astrodome history feature Hall of Famers like Ryan, Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Randy Johnson, as well as stars from Larry Dierker and Mike Cuellar to José Cruz and Mike Scott, and lesser remembered or forgotten players, such as George Bjorkman. No volume would be complete without the Astros’ heartbreaking losses in postseason games in the 1980s and 1990s.

Feature essays contextualize the stadium’s history, with pieces on the Astrodome’s engineering, the major movers and shakers in the early stages of the stadium’s creation (including Roy Hofheinz, George Kirksey, and Craig Cullinan), the Astrodome as a home to non-baseball events, and of course, an in-depth historical review of the Astrodome itself. Astrodome icons, pitcher Larry Dierker and longtime team executive Tal Smith, wrote introductions for the volume.

Contributors include: Mark Armour, John Bauer, Frederick C. “Rick” Bush, Alan Cohen, Rory Costello, Richard Cuicchi, Larry Dierker, Greg Erion, Dan Fields, T.S. Flynn, James Forr, Gordon J. Gattie, Paul Geisler, Chip Greene, Matt Henshon, Brent Heutmaker, Michael Huber, Chuck Johnson, Norm King, Justin Krueger, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Bill McCurdy, Bill Nowlin, Chad Osborne, Thomas Rathkamp, Alan Reifman, Richard Riis, Rick Schabowski, Mark S. Sternman, Jim Sweetman, Joseph Thompson, Robert C. Trumpbour, Steve West, Tal Smith, Mike Whiteman, Gregory H. Wolf, and Kenneth Womack.

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. To find all past titles, visit SABR.org/ebooks.

Early registration now open for 2017 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

The 20th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, hosted by SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee, will be returning to its roots on July 27-30, 2017, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, site of the first Negro League conference in 1998.

  • Registration: All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click here to register online. Early registration for SABR members is $170, which includes all presentations and sessions. Non-SABR members: $200. Students: $120 for SABR members, $150 for non-members. Single-day rate for Friday or Saturday: $75 for SABR members, $100 for non-members. The Education Forum on Thursday is $15. Guest tickets for friends and family can also be ordered. Click here for an information packet (PDF) with complete details on registration rates. The early registration deadline is May 29, 2017.
  • Hotel: The 2017 Malloy Conference will be held at the Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Click here to book your room online at the special SABR rate of $129/night (plus tax). Or call (717) 233-6000 and mention you’re with the “SABR Malloy Conference.” The cut-off date to book your room is July 5, 2017.
  • Schedule and information: Click here for the 2017 Malloy Conference information packet (PDF).
  • Contact: E-mail Ted Knorr with any questions about the conference.

The Malloy Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. For the past 19 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.

Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more about the 2017 Malloy Conference call for papers, essay contest and scholarships, art competition, and school library grants.

5 new SABR biographies published

Five new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 4,007 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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

5 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Five new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:

New Games Project stories can be found at http://sabr.org/gamesproject/recent. Find all published Games Project articles at SABR.org/GamesProject.

If you have any questions about the Games Project, please contact Greg Erion. If you want to know if a game is available to write about, please contact Bruce Slutsky. After the article has been completed in accordance with our Authors’ Guidelines, please submit it to Len Levin, who will initiate the editing process and get your story ready for toward publication.

  • Get involved: Have memories of a game you attended? Or a game you watched that caught your interest? Write about it! 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. We have editors and fact checkers who are willing to help you write your first article.
  • Contributor Release Form: As of January 1, 2017, all writers publishing articles (biographies, essays, game pieces, etc.) are being asked to sign a Contributor Release Form which can be sent via email to jpomrenke@sabr.org or hard copy to SABR, 555 N. Central Ave., Suite #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004. The form only needs to be filed once for all future SABR publications. Click here to download the form.
  • Still seeking a Chief Editor: 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 for more information.

Listen to a live episode of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM this Sunday

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.

This week’s show is a special live episode focusing on the top 10 active players at each position entering the 2017 season — SABR members, feel free to call in to (866) 652-6696 between 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, February 26, to talk baseball and ask questions with Vince Gennaro. (You do not have to be a SiriusXM subscriber to call in.)

You can 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. You can also listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

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.

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.

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
Patti Althoff Williamston, MI     Jere Judd Durham, NC
Paul Arvidson Valparaiso, IN     Callie Maddox Oxford, OH
David Ayers Brownsburg, IN     Michael Marsh Chicago, IL
Jeff Bishop Dallas, TX     William Mozal Tampa, FL
Thomas Campeau Fort Drum, NY     Paul Rizzotto Stafford, TX
Laird Coates Englewood Cliffs, NJ     Rick Russell The Dalles, OR
Kevin Cooper Oak Park, IL     Tim Shumaker Lancaster, OH
Edward Evans San Mateo, CA     Bill Stetka Columbia, MD
Marc Gold Staten Island, NY        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:

  • Baseball and the Arts: The Baseball and the Arts Committee has announced plans for a new SABR publication focused on baseball and the arts, including poetry, music, essays, fiction, and visual art. First, we need a couple of motivated, interested souls to join an editorial board to review the deluge expected from SABR members. If you have an interest in serving as an editor or future contributor, please contact Joanne Hulbert at jhulbert@earthlink.net.

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: February 24, 2017. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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