This Week in SABR: June 9, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, June 9, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR 51: Single-day registration now available; call for on-site volunteers
First SABR Defensive Index rankings of 2023 season released
Help us add landmarks to the SABR Baseball Map
Read articles from new Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal online
Call for papers: 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Mystery of Negro Leagues star Dave Brown finally solved
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SABR 51: Single-day registration is now available
Single-day registration is now available for SABR’s 51st annual convention on July 5-9, 2023, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Check out the schedule for each day single-game registration is available:
Single-day registration for SABR members is $135 per day; pricing for non-members is $165 per day. Our full regular registration package remains available for $299 for members, and includes access to all convention programming on July 5-9. Limited time remains to add a White Sox game ticket (Friday, July 7) and/or Historic Ballparks Bus Tour (Saturday, July 8) to your registration, so don’t wait to secure your spot for either of those exciting group events.
In addition, the final day to book a room at the Palmer House Hilton using SABR’s discounted room block is Friday, June 9.
All baseball fans are welcome to attend SABR 51 on July 5-9, 2023, at the Palmer House Hilton. Click here to register for SABR 51. Or visit SABR.org/convention for the full schedule and details.
Call for on-site volunteers at SABR 51
SABR’s Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter is looking for volunteers to help keep the convention events running smoothly. If you are able to help, it would be greatly appreciated! Click here to find available times and sign up for a volunteer shift.
Open times are available for Tuesday’s goody bag stuffing; Wednesday’s registration check-in; presentation room timekeepers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; and more.
SABR 51 schedule updates
- Chicago Downtown Baseball Walking Tour: This guided 2-hour walking tour of historic baseball sites in downtown Chiacgo, led by SABR’s Jacob Pomrenke, will take place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5. The guided tour on July 5 will be limited to the first 50 people who sign up; click here to RSVP in advance. A handout map with descriptions will be available at SABR 51 for anyone else who wishes to take a self-guided tour.
- Historic Ballparks Bus Tour: Join us for a Historic Ballparks Bus Tour to see unique sites that hosted professional and semi-professional baseball in the city of Chicago for the past 150 years. Cost: $30 per person when you register for SABR 51. Note: Anyone who purchases a bus tour ticket will receive a tear-off chit in their registration packet; you must bring this chit with you in order to board the bus. Click here to learn more about the tour.
- Dynasty League Baseball All-Time Greats Tournament: SABR’s Games and Simulations Committee is co-hosting a 64-team All-Time Greatest Teams tournament on the Dynasty League Baseball website during SABR 51. SABR members and Dynasty League registered users will be able to participate in the tournament online on Thursday, July 6. (You don’t need to attend SABR 51 in order to play.) Click here to sign up or for more details.
SABR Defensive Index rankings released through June 4
Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and Toronto center fielder Kevin Kiermaier lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through Major League Baseball games of Sunday, June 4.
The SABR Defensive Index is used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR. The SABR Defensive Index accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process that will be added to the votes from the managers and coaches.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Help us add landmarks to the SABR Baseball Map
Put it on the map! The Landmarks Committee is excited to announce its first SABR Baseball Map Addition Election and we need your help to find worthy candidates. Please check the SABR Baseball Map to verify that your suggested addition is not already listed.
- Make your nomination(s) HERE by June 23, 2023 at 11:00 p.m. CDT.
Nominations are open to all SABR members. The nominating party is encouraged, but not required, to submit a brief statement in support of their candidate(s) for possible publication in the Hardball Voyager blog to help campaign for each nominee.
Articles submitted by June 19 may be published in the Hardball Voyager prior to distribution of the ballot, at the discretion of committee leadership. Please send your post and any original photos (must be your own) to Mark Armour and John Racanelli or contact us with any questions.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Join SABR’s Campaign for Baseball Research!
We say it right in our name: Society for American Baseball RESEARCH.
Research is at the heart of what we do as an organization. SABR’s online Research Collection and array of Research Resources are major sources of pride and a key component in our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball.
This spring, we invite you to join the Campaign for Baseball Research. Our goal is to raise $60,000 to expand, maintain, and preserve SABR’s Research Collection and Research Resources for current and future generations of baseball enthusiasts. We will use your best gift of $150, $300, $500, or $1,000 to better serve our growing membership base, attract more attention for our research, and offer new tools to all corners of the worldwide baseball community.
To donate or learn more about the Research Collection projects and improvements to our Research Resources, assets, and tools that will be funded by a successful campaign, visit sabr.org/donate/research-campaign.
Second course in SABR Analytics Certification program now available
In 2022, we launched the SABR Analytics Certification program, an online, on-demand curriculum offering professional development and learning opportunities for those interested in elevating their skills and knowledge relating to baseball analytics.
The second course in the program, Level Two – Advanced Analytics in Baseball, is now available!
SABR members save $55 on both available courses (and future courses), so we hope you’ll check out these exciting opportunities at sabr.org/analytics/certification.
View the full schedule for the 2023 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on July 20-23, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click here to register online for the 2023 Malloy Conference.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more or to register for the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference.
Call for papers: 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center have announced a call for papers for the fifth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, scheduled for September 29-October 1, 2023, at Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois.
The 2023 conference will be a hybrid event, with panels and presentations on Zoom and a dinner banquet and golf outing in Rockford, Illinois. Registration information will be available soon. Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by June 30, 2023, to Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Read articles from new Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal online
All articles from the new Spring 2023 edition of the Baseball Research Journal can now be found online in the Research Collection at SABR.org. This issue includes a special illustrated cover of Harvey Haddix by SABR member Gary Cieradkowski.
Those of you who receive the print edition should find your BRJ arriving in the next two to four weeks. For digital subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered on Thursday, May 25.
- Click here to download the PDF e-book edition of the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal.
- Click here to order a copy of the print edition of the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal from Amazon.com.
We hope you enjoy reading the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal!
Last chance to vote for 2023 Overlooked 19th Century Legend
Each year, SABR’s Nineteenth Century Research Committee selects its Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend — a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
All SABR members are eligible to cast a vote for the winner. The winner will be announced this summer during the Nineteenth Century Committee’s business meeting at SABR 51 in Chicago.
Click here to view the finalists’ bios, compiled by project co-chairs Adam Darowski and Joe Williams. Voting in the final election will run until June 12, and will be open to all SABR members.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org or to cast your vote.
Baseball fans, tune in this season to SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer. Episode #217 on Monday, June 4 featured a panel discussion on baseball in the classic Peanuts comics as Rob interviews Benjamin L. Clark, Luke Epplin, and Anika Orrock. Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode or subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
Dave Brown mystery solved in new BioProject update
Dave Brown was a star left-handed pitcher for Rube Foster’s Chicago American Giants in the early days of the Negro National League, but he disappeared from the baseball scene after he was accused of murder in New York City in 1925. Almost nothing was known about his whereabouts or his fate.
Two SABR members — Richard Bogovich and Brown’s SABR biographer, Frederick C. Bush — have collaborated to finally solve this tantalizing mystery. The full story of Dave Brown’s life and career is told for the first time in his revised and expanded SABR biography, published this week.
3 new stories published at the SABR BioProject
- Charlie Eakle, by Kurt Blumenau
- Elmer Gedeon, by Glen Sparks
- Josías Manzanillo, by Tony Oliver
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
25 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- May 26, 1875: Journeyman outfielder Jim Clinton notches his only major-league pitching victory, by Mark Pestana
- September 4, 1902: Canadian Alex Hardy tosses two-hit shutout for Chicago Orphans in major-league debut, by Gary Belleville
- May 21, 1930: Babe Ruth first to hit three home runs in a game at Shibe Park, by J.G. Preston
- September 4, 1930: Al Simmons’ sixth RBI scores reliever Grove for A’s marathon win, by Gordon J. Gattie
- October 1, 1930: Grove outduels Grimes in World Series opener, by Brian Frank
- October 2, 1930: George Earnshaw quiets the Cardinals in Game 2, by James Forr
- October 8, 1930: Earnshaw’s complete-game gem on one-day rest gives Athletics second straight championship, by Gregory H. Wolf
- September 15, 1931: Philadelphia A’s clinch American League pennant without fanfare, by Harry Schoger
- October 5, 1931: Cardinals tag Grove early; Burleigh Grimes grinds in Game 3, by Doug Feldmann
- October 6, 1931: Earnshaw throws two-hit shutout to even Fall Classic, by Don Zminda
- October 7, 1931: Wild Bill and the Wild Horse of the Osage lead Cardinals’ charge in Game 5, by Gregory H. Wolf
- July 15, 1932: Al Simmons becomes first A’s player to homer three times at Shibe Park, by Mike Lynch
- July 31, 1932: It was a ‘dark and stormy day’ for Browns, Red Sox, by Mike Cooney
- July 25, 1954: Montreal Royals defeat Havana on Roberto Clemente’s walk-off home run, by Gary Belleville
- February 12, 1955: Clemente, Mays homers book-end Santurce’s 11-inning Caribbean Series win over Magallanes, by Thomas Van Hyning
- April 17, 1955: Roberto Clemente records first hit and scores first run with Pirates, by Jane Schupmann Hewitt
- April 18, 1955: Roberto Clemente hits first home run and records first outfield assist — in same inning, by Joe Leisek
- April 24, 1955: Roberto Clemente notches first career game-winning RBI, by Kellen Nielson
- July 23, 1959: Bob Veale fans 14, overcomes 9 walks in Class B no-hitter, by Gregory H. Wolf
- September 8, 1969: The first of many that were not to come for Pilots’ Miguel Fuentes, by Tony Oliver
- June 8, 1990: Toronto’s Tom Gilles earns first and only career win on two pitches, by Tom Hawthorn
- April 17, 2004: New acquisition Curt Schilling beats Yankees for first time in season, by Bill Nowlin
- April 19, 2004: Gabe Kapler and Mike Timlin contribute to Red Sox comeback win over Yankees on Patriots Day, by Bill Nowlin
- August 23, 2009: John Smoltz earns 213th and final career win in debut with Cardinals, by Andrew Heckroth
- May 25, 2011: Infielder Wilson Valdéz pitches the 19th inning and records the win for Phillies, by Len Pasculli
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
New Team Ownership History: Seattle Pilots
The short, unhappy life of the Seattle Pilots is the latest addition to the Team Ownership History Project, a joint effort of the BioProject and the Business of Baseball Committee.
- Seattle Pilots team ownership history, by Andy McCue
While the project began to chronicle ownership of the current 30 major league franchises, it has been extended to the Negro Leagues, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Leagues, and Federal League, as well as teams that disappeared in the 19th century. Opportunities are still available for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, all editions of the Athletics, plus the other leagues mentioned above. Interested authors should contact Andy McCue to get involved.
Willie Mays: Five Tools
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks
Visit SABR.org to download any SABR Digital Library e-book for free or save 50% off the paperback edition.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Armour, Levitt, Williams, Evans, Shieber elected to SABR Board of Directors
- 10,000 images from SABR-Rucker Archive added to Research Collection
- SABR 19th Century Grave Marker Project honors pitcher Bobby Mathews
- Jason Cannon’s Charlie Murphy biography wins 2023 SABR Larry Ritter Book Award
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR Analytics Conference
- Check out highlights, photos from Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
- The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2023
- Submissions open for fourth edition of Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- Learn more about the recipients of 2023 SABR Local Grants
- Watch a preview of the Landmarks Committee’s new SABR Baseball Map
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
- All e-books in SABR Digital Library available for free to members
Please give a warm welcome to all new SABR members who joined this week! View more Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org or click here to download the Membership Handbook. Find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.
| Name | Hometown | Name | Hometown | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cullen Ainsworth | Katy, TX | Alan Mazur | Denver, CO | ||
| Blake Aldridge | Longview, TX | Scott McLaughlin | Temple, TX | ||
| Jack Burgess | Frisco, TX | Leona Mirza | Wilmette, IL | ||
| Lucy Carrier | Cathedral City, CA | David Mitchell | Chapel Hill, NC | ||
| Mike Comfort | Oskaloosa, IA | Luke Pietraszewski | Sleepy Hollow, IL | ||
| Robert Diamond | New York, NY | Patrick Regal | Baltimore, MD | ||
| Matthew Dicker | Chicago, IL | Dennis Sergent | Holland, MI | ||
| Nicholas Follet | Philadelphia, PA | Anthony Simpson | Ridgefield, CT | ||
| Brian Gerstmann | Phoenix, AZ | David Southerland | Houston, TX | ||
| Chad Guendelsberger | Weston, MO | Paul Sullivan | Alexander City, AL | ||
| Tony Kottoor | Phoenix, AZ | William Verret | Lafayette, LA | ||
| Taylor Malone | Baltimore, MD | Peter Zimmerman | Park Ridge, IL |
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Lucas Kelly of FanGraphs. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- June 12: Northern New England Chapter meeting with John Kocsis Jr. (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 12: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Bailey Hall (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- June 13: Central Florida Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 14: SABR New Member Experience meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 15: Larry Doby (SC) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- June 10: Casey Stengel NYC Chapter meeting (New York, NY)
- June 10: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
- June 10: Lajoie-Start spring meeting (North Attleborough, MA)
- June 10: Maddux Bros.-Las Vegas Chapter meeting (Las Vegas, NV)
- June 10: Dusty Baker-Sacramento Chapter meeting (Sacramento, CA)
- June 10: Central Illinois Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Normal, IL)
- June 12: Dayton Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Springfield, OH)
- June 15: Beyond the Box Score: Baseball in the Analytics Era (Kansas City, MO)
- June 15: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- June 17: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- June 17: Southern California regional ballgame/meet-up (Lake Elsinore, CA)
- June 17: Chicago/Central Illinois chapter ballgame/meet-up (Joliet, IL)
- June 17: Bob Davids Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Washington, DC)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Games and Simulations: Learn more about the SABR 51 Dynasty League Baseball All-Time Greats Tournament
- Nineteenth Century: Vote now for the 2023 Overlooked 19th Century Legend
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: June 2023 newsletter (Austin, TX)
- Ted Williams Chapter: June 2023 newsletter (San Diego, CA)
Sign up for SABR chapter announcements at SABR.org/chapters.
Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.
Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:
- Tyler Kepner: A Mets Hall of Fame Class That Specializes in Honesty (New York Times)
- Neil Greenberg: Luis Arraez is mounting MLB’s latest run at .400. It’s probably doomed. (Washington Post)
- Matt Gelb: Is the Philles’ pitch clock quicker than other MLB parks? The Phillies, and data, say so. (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: From Elly to Scherzer, here are 10 mind-blowing stats from this week (MLB.com)
- Jayson Stark: MLB season’s first 60 games: What we’ve learned and what execs are saying (The Athletic)
- Travis Sawchik: Padres thrust into new world of TV; have new rules goosed attendance? (The Score)
- Lindsey Adler: Jacob deGrom’s Big Contract Anticipated His Season-Ending Injury (Wall Street Journal)
- Eno Sarris: New rules, old problems: Why MLB strikeouts are still soaring, with no end in sight (The Athletic)
- David Laurila: Joey Votto Talks Hitting (FanGraphs)
- Daniel R. Epstein: An Ode to Ben Joyce’s Fastball (Baseball Prospectus)
- Clinton Yates: Vida Blue is an essential part of telling baseball’s story (Andscape)
- Grant Brisbee: The relentless optimism of Roger Craig, who brought fun back to the Giants (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: Remembering Roger Craig, Sage of the Split-Fingered Fastball (1930–2023) (FanGraphs)
- Dayn Perry: John Fisher is redefining sports owner malpractice as he spitefully tries to move his Oakland A’s to Las Vegas (CBS Sports)
- John Shea: Giants, A’s Spanish broadcasters speak out on inequality issues (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Hannah Keyser: Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder on the emotional toll of injuries (Yahoo! Sports)
- Mark Simon: Jake Meyers On Making The Difficult Catch (Sports Info Solutions)
- Derrick Goold: Swept by Pirates, besieged by losses, how can last-place Cardinals stop sinking this time? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Michael Clair: Meet baseball’s Mr. Worldwide, who has played in seven foreign countries (MLB.com)
- Michael Baumann: Investigating the Interaction Between Scoring Environment and NCAA Regional Upsets (FanGraphs)
- Steven Goldman: Manoah in Retrograde (Baseball Prospectus)
- Russell A. Carleton: Lost in the Shuffle (Baseball Prospectus)
- Howard Megdal: What They’re Saying: Michael Lorenzen Edition (Baseball Prospectus)
- Anne R. Keene: A D-Day Without Vin Scully (Next Avenue)
- Sam Gazdziak: Grave Story: Satchel Paige (1906?-1982) (RIP Baseball)
- Jason Schwartz: 11 for 11: Hubbell’s amazing feat on cardboard (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)
Please note: Some articles may require a separate subscription to view online. SABR does not endorse, and is not responsible or liable for, any content that appears on a third-party website.
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. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.
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Originally published: June 9, 2023. Last Updated: June 9, 2023.