This Week in SABR: February 9, 2018

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 9, 2018:


Mariners’ Lorena Martin, Dodgers executives to speak at 2018 SABR Analytics Conference

We are pleased to announce more of our featured speakers and panelists at the seventh annual SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The SABR Analytics Conference will be held Friday, March 9 to Sunday, March 11, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. The conference is open to all baseball fans — early-bird registration discounts are available online only through February 15. Click here to register!

Here is some more information about our featured speakers:

  • Dr. Lorena Martin, Director of High Performance with the Seattle Mariners
  • Ehsan Bokhari, Senior Analyst in Baseball Research & Development with the Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Philip Cho, Senior Analyst in Baseball Research & Development with the Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Emilee Fragapane, Baseball Operations Coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers

They will join Brian Kenny of MLB Network, ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Eduardo Perez, Arizona Diamondbacks Sr. Vice President/Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye, longtime major-league pitching coach Rick Peterson, MLB Advanced Media’s Tom Tango, Mike Petriello, and Daren Willman, Chicago White Sox executive Chris Getz, Seattle Mariners executive Andy McKay, Monsterful VR CEO/founder Jarett Sims, baseball writer Eno Sarris, SABR President Vince Gennaro, New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series CEO Jeremy Booth, Genius Sports Special Counsel Bill Squadron, and more as featured speakers and panelists at the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference. Stay tuned as we announce more!

Click here to learn more about our speakers and panelists. All speakers are subject to change based on availability.


One week left to register early for 2018 SABR Analytics Conference; hotel block now sold out

Early registration is still open for the seventh annual SABR Analytics Conference on Friday, March 9 to Sunday, March 11, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, but you must register before February 15 to take advantage of the early registration discounted rate.

Our special group rate at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, which is set to expire on February 15, is now sold out. Please contact Deb Jayne at djayne@sabr.org or (602) 496-1463 for updates on our hotel block availability.

We hope you’ll join us this 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. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click a link below for more information:

This year’s conference will feature the high-quality content you’ve always enjoyed at the SABR Analytics Conference and the same number of featured panels and research presentations, but there will be a few changes to the usual schedule: We will begin programming early Friday afternoon on March 9 and will run through Sunday afternoon on March 11. The change in schedule is due to the availability at our host hotel this year. However, we have a large block of rooms for SABR Analytics Conference attendees on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

In addition, the Diamond Dollars Case Competition will start at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening and the networking reception will be held on Saturday evening, March 10 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Lunch, which is included in your conference registration, will be served at noon on Friday — before the regular programming begins — and also on Saturday between the morning and afternoon sessions.

Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more or to sign up today.


Three days left to vote for 2018 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award winners

Here’s your chance to vote for the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award winners.

The SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards will recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year. Nominations were solicited by representatives from SABR, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, The Hardball Times, and Beyond the Box Score. To read any of the finalists, click on the article link below.

Click here to vote on the 2018 award winners at SABR.org.

Contemporary Baseball Analysis

Contemporary Baseball Commentary

Historical Analysis/Commentary

Voting will be open through 11:59 p.m. MST on Monday, February 12. Details and criteria for each category can be found here. Only one work per author was considered as a finalist.

Results will be announced and presented at the seventh annual SABR Analytics Conference, March 9-11, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. Learn more or register for the conference at SABR.org/analytics.


SABR Las Vegas chapter honors Hailey Dawson with ambassador award

SABR’s Maddux Brothers-Las Vegas Chapter honored 7-year-old Hailey Dawson, whose story captivated baseball in 2017 and took her all the way to the World Series, with its inaugural Las Vegas Baseball Ambassador Award recently.

Dawson, from Henderson, Nevada, was born without a right pectoral muscle due to a condition called Poland syndrome, resulting in the loss of her three middle fingers and an underdeveloped thumb and pinky finger. An avid baseball fan, she threw out the first pitch before Game Four of the 2017 World Series using a 3D-printed robotic hand developed by engineers at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

She has set a goal to throw out a first pitch at every major-league stadium. Her quest began in 2015 when she threw out a first pitch before a Baltimore Orioles game at Camden Yards; she was also invited to do the same at a Washington Nationals game last season, when she met her favorite player, Las Vegas native Bryce Harper.

SABR chapter leader Rick Swift said the chapter established the award to help promote baseball in the Las Vegas region.


The SABR Bookshelf: Winter 2018

Periodically throughout the year, SABR.org publishes The SABR Bookshelf, a listing of new books that are received at the SABR office. Here are the SABR Bookshelf listings for Winter 2018:

http://sabr.org/content/sabr-bookshelf-winter-2018

Click on the link above for more detailed information on each of these books:

  • The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies, edited By C. Paul Rogers III and Bill Nowlin
  • Baseball’s Business: The Winter Meetings: 1958-2016, edited By Steve Weingarden and Bill Nowlin
  • The Call to the Hall: When Baseball’s Highest Honor Came to 31 Legends of the Sport, by Kevin Warneke and David C. Ogden
  • The Half-Game Pennant of 1908, by Charles C. Alexander
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers Encyclopedia, by Richard J. Shmelter
  • Connie Mack’s First Dynasty: The Philadelphia Athletics, 1910-1914, by Lew Freedman
  • Tom Yawkey: Patriarch of the Boston Red Sox, by Bill Nowlin
  • Blacks in the Adirondacks: A History (New York State Series) , by Sally E. Svenson
  • Blue Monday: The Expos, The Dodgers and the Home Run That Changed Everything, by Danny Gallagher
  • When Baseball Met Big Bill Haywood, by Scott C. Roper and Stephanie A. Roper
  • Tom Gamboa: My Life in Baseball, by Tom Gamboa with David Russell
  • The Detroit Wolverines: The Rise and Wreck of a National League Champion, 1881–1888, by Brian “Chip” Martin
  • Roy Sievers, by Paul Scimonelli
  • Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance, by Mark Whitaker
  • Wopper: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs (Volume 3), by Frank Amoroso
  • The Hometown Team, by Steve Babineau
  • Baseball Italian Style, by Lawrence Baldassaro
  • Teaching Statistics Using Baseball, by Jim Albert
  • The Cornfield Boys, by Douglas Quinn
  • After the Cheering Stops: A Retirement Game Plan for Elite Athletes and Baby Boomer Career Professionals Seeking a New Future, by Alan Spector

Bolded names indicates that the author(s) is a SABR member. Click here for a list of publishers found in the SABR Bookshelf, along with their contact information.

Click here to learn more at SABR.org.


SABR Digital Library: The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies

Add this new baseball book from the SABR Digital Library to your collection:

The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies
Edited by C. Paul Rogers III and Bill Nowlin
Associate editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers 
Foreword by Curt Simmons
Special Contribution by Dr. Bobby Brown 
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-31-6, $19.95 
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-943816-30-9, $9.99
366 pages, 8.5″ x 11″

Click here for a full description of the book at SABR.org.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including all e-books for free. To find past SABR Digital Library publications, visit SABR.org/ebooks.

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.


Renew your membership by February 28 to receive the SABR 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 2018. 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 2018 edition of the Baseball Research Journal, plus discounts on registration to the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference and SABR 48 in Pittsburgh, and a lot more! Please note: We MUST receive your dues by February 28, 2018, 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) 496-1463; 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. Click here for a full list of SABR membership benefits.


SABR 48: Early registration now open for 2018 national convention in Pittsburgh

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 48 convention on June 20-24, 2018, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Early registration is now available at SABR.org/convention; all baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click here for more information on SABR 48 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 48.

The Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh is conveniently located within walking distance from PNC Park and a light rail station, many downtown cultural amenities, and right across the street from the picturesque 36-acre Point State Park where the three rivers converge.

Click on a link below for more information about SABR 48.

  • Registration: We’re again offering a special all-inclusive rate for the annual SABR convention. For $319, a savings of $30 off the regular rate, SABR members can get:
    — Full registration to SABR 48 in Pittsburgh (early-bird: $249; regular rate: $279)
    — 1 ticket in the Corner Box (LF) section to the Pirates vs. Diamondbacks game on Friday, June 22 — includes special “A Day at the Ballpark” pregame session at PNC Park ($40 value)
    — 1 ticket to the Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 22 ($60 value)
    Non-members can pay $394 for the all-inclusive rate. The deadline to register with the all-inclusive rate is Friday, May 18, 2018. Click here for complete information on SABR 48 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 48!
  • Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh of $149/night (plus tax) is only available to registered convention attendees for the nights of Wednesday, June 20 through Saturday, June 23. After you register for the SABR 48 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, so be sure to register for SABR 48 early! The Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh is located at 600 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
  • Awards Luncheon: SABR will host a special Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 22 at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh. The Awards Luncheon, which includes a full meal, will feature the announcement of SABR’s annual awards — including the Bob Davids Award, our highest honor. One ticket to the Awards Luncheon is included in the all-inclusive package or guest tickets are available for $60 when you register for SABR 48.
  • A Day at the Ballpark: For the third year in a row and fourth time in five years, SABR will present “A Day at the Ballpark” before the Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, June 22 at PNC Park. Special thanks to the Pirates for this great opportunity and for offering us a large block of tickets in the Corner Box (LF) section at an affordable price of $40 for SABR members ($45 for non-members). Purchase of SABR 48 conference registration AND a game ticket will be required to attend this special session. Guests and spouses can get in the ballpark early with purchase of a special SABR 48 Ballpark Session pass ($25) and a Pirates game ticket. Click here for more details.
  • Roberto Clemente Museum tours: The Roberto Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh has a special offer for SABR 48 attendees: The museum will host four tours (maximum of 20 people per tour) at $20 per person on Wednesday, June 20. Space is extremely limited, and reservations will only be made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please call the museum at (412) 621-1268, Ext. 2, to reserve your space. No reservations can be made online; payment is due on-site when you arrive for the tour. Tours last about 1.5 hours and the start times on Wednesday, June 20 are as follows (subject to availability): 10:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. Click here for more details.
  • Research presentations: SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 48. The deadline to submit your abstract is Sunday, February 25, 2018. Click here for complete details and application form.
  • Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, click here to learn more about a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 48 in Pittsburgh. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 30, 2018.

All SABR 48 attendees will also receive a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball teams, players and events in the Pittsburgh area. All SABR members, whether you attend the convention or not, will receive the e-book edition of The National Pastime in their inboxes later this summer.

Stay tuned for more featured speakers and the complete schedule to be announced in the coming months. Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.

We hope to see you this summer in Pittsburgh!


SABR 48: Call for presentations

SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 48, which will be held June 20-24, 2018, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh. Early registration is 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 60 minutes and they will 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 SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award for best poster presentation.

The submission deadline for SABR 48 abstracts is midnight PST, Sunday, FEBRUARY 25, 2018. Click here for complete details and application form.

Please note: If your abstract is accepted and you intend to make a research presentation, you must register to attend the SABR 48 convention. Early registration details are now available at SABR.org/convention.


Students, apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 48 in Pittsburgh

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 48 on June 20-24, 2018, in Pittsburgh. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250.

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

All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2018.

Click here for complete details and criteria.


Last chance to vote in 2018 Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend primary election

2018 is here and it’s time to start the ball rolling as we choose our Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend of the year.

Last year, Bob Caruthers (pictured at right) joined previous winners Pete Browning (2009), Hall of Famer Deacon White (2010), Harry Stovey (2011), Bill Dahlen (2012), Ross Barnes (2013), Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (2014), Tony Mullane (2015), and Jack Glasscock (2016) as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legends.

The preliminary voting process, which we call the Overlooked Primary Election, will consist of each voter selecting 10 names from the list of 26 candidates. The top 10 will be presented to the SABR membership in May 2018, when all members will be able to vote in the final election. The winner will be announced at the SABR 48 convention this summer in Pittsburgh.

Below is a PDF with the 26 candidates for 2018 and a brief explanation of their baseball accomplishments and/or contributions to our national pastime. You can download the PDF by clicking on the link below:

http://bit.ly/2018-sabr-overlooked-19c-legend-prelim

The voting in the Overlooked Primary Election will end at 11:59 p.m. MST on Monday, February 12, 2018.

To vote in the Primary Election, you must be a member of the Nineteenth Century Committee. Click here to join the group and then you can request a copy of the ballot from Adam Darowski.


Call for nominations: 2018 SABR Board of Directors election

The SABR Nominating Committee seeks nominations for candidates for the Spring 2018 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 28, 2018. 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 16, 2018.

The offices to be filled:

  • Vice President (2-year term; currently Leslie Heaphy)
  • Secretary (3-year term; currently Todd Lebowitz)
  • Director (3-year term; currently Ty Waterman)

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.


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 4,403 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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


Bios from SABR’s Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award now posted online

In SABR’s Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award, edited by Bill Nowlin and Clayton Trutor and published in 2017, we told the stories of MLB players who had overcome an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Tony Conigliaro, the Boston Red Sox slugger whose career was altered after he was hit by a pitch in the face.

Instituted in 1990 by the Red Sox to honor Conigliaro after his death, the award has been given to 29 players including Rocco Baldelli, Dickie Thon, Jim Abbott, Curtis Pride, and Mike Lowell.

All biographies of non-active players that appeared in Overcoming Adversity can now be read online at the SABR BioProject.

You can also download the e-book for free or purchase the paperback edition at 50% off by clicking here. SABR members can download all SABR Digital Library e-books for free at SABR.org/ebooks.


8 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

Most of these articles appeared in Tigers By The Tale: Great Games at Michigan and Trumbull (SABR, 2016), edited by Scott Ferkovich. To read more articles from this book at the SABR Games Project, click here.

New Games Project stories can be found at 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 Mike Huber. To request an assignment, please contact Steven C. Weiner. 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 started 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.

Deadline approaching for SABR award nominations

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.


Listen to 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 guests are SABR member Zack Meisel of The Athletic and Bryan Grosnick of Baseball Prospectus.

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

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
Cindy Cobb Sag Harbor, NY     John McLaughlin Rocky River, OH
Eric Haist Carrollton, TX     Joe Pritchard Waunakee, WI
John Hennessy Dunellen, NJ     Ronald Thompson Highlands Ranch, CO
Christopher Horgen St. Paul, MN     Bruce Thompson Terryville, CT
Don Kladstrup Paris, FRA     Kenny Wagner Chicago, IL
Mike Maddox Birmingham, AL     John Walter Richmond, VA

 


Research Committee news

Here are the new 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 events on the SABR calendar:

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.

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Originally published: February 9, 2018. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.