This Week in SABR: September 15, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, September 15, 2023. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Full schedule for 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Join us in October for a special SABR Scholar Session
Watch a replay of Ballpark Figures with Bianca Smith
Coming soon: Third course in SABR Analytics Certification program
Submit new project proposals to SABR Editorial Board by November 1
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Check out the schedule for the 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Join us for the fifth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, which will be held virtually on September 29-October 1, 2023. All baseball fans are welcome to attend!
- Click here to register for the 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- Schedule: Click here to view the full schedule of panels and presentations
This year’s conference — co-sponsored by SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center and hosted by Rockford University — is a virtual event with the theme “Through the Lens of Baseball.” The conference will feature research presentations, panels, pylon unveiling, presentation of the Dorothy Award and keynote speaker Melissa Ludtke.
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference for complete details. Hope to see you there!
Join us on October 3 for a special SABR Scholar Session
All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to our first SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for a new quarterly virtual series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members. Our guest will be Katie Krall, Senior Product Manager, Baseball Strategy at Hawk-Eye Innovations and former Boston Red Sox Development Coach.
- To learn more or to pre-register for the SABR Scholar Session on Zoom, please contact Jessica Smyth.
Watch a replay of Ballpark Figures with Bianca Smith
Join us each month for SABR’s Ballpark Figures, a new interview series hosted by Shakeia Taylor. The virtual Zoom event is free and open to all active SABR members.
On Thursday, September 7, our guest was Bianca Smith, who in 2020 became the first African-American woman to serve as a professional baseball coach when she was hired by the Boston Red Sox. She now works in Japan as a Sports Exchange Advisor with the JET Program.
Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more about upcoming shows or view past episodes.
Coming soon: Third course in SABR Analytics Certification program
We’re excited to announce that in the coming weeks, we will introduce the newest course in the SABR Analytics Certification program, Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming.
Taught by award-winning baseball writer and analyst Rob Arthur, the Level Three course provides an introduction to programming using a practical approach in its application for baseball and focusing on R (with a dash of SQL) as a programming language, the goal of this online, on-demand course is to give learners a foundational understanding of the technical skills necessary for a career in data science and baseball analytics.
To sign up to be notified as soon as Level Three is available, or to learn more about previous courses, visit SABR.org/analytics/certification.
Call for papers: 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 15th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 19-20, 2024. The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2023.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Submit new project proposals to SABR Editorial Board by November 1
SABR’s Editorial Board welcomes new project proposals from members to be considered for publication through the Digital Library, SABR.org, or any other multimedia formats. We strongly encourage new proposals that involve collaboration between SABR research committees and/or chapters, and web-based projects with an eye toward enhanced multimedia presentation.
- Click here to submit a SABR project proposal
Next deadline: November 1, 2023 (for publication in early 2025 or 2026)
SABR seeks to publish 2-4 web-based multimedia projects and 6-8 books per year. Book projects should be of a scope that can fit in a single volume, typically between 100,000 and 200,000 total words.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Digital Library
As a SABR member, you have vast resources and benefits at your disposal. With so much information at your fingertips, we realize it can be overwhelming to absorb it all! To highlight key benefits, read on for this month’s SABR Member Benefit Spotlight, an email series that identifies and explains some of the most valuable features of your membership. We hope this allows you to take full advantage of all SABR has to offer.
This issue shows you how to search and access all of the new books from the SABR Digital Library — which will soon be publishing our 100th baseball book since 2011!
Click here to watch the full video at SABR.org.
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 #231 on Monday, September 11 featured Marty Appel, author of Pinstripes by the Tale: Half a Century In and Around Yankees Baseball. 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.
3 new biographies published at the SABR BioProject
- George Boehler, by Stephen V. Rice
- Joe Cantillon, by Terry Bohn
- Pat Venditte, by Russ Speiller (first-time author)
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
11 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- May 9, 1920: The first all-Latino lineup in major-league baseball, by Bill Nowlin
- September 11-October 2, 1934: Philadelphia Stars win first and only Negro National League championship, by Rich Puerzer
- October 16, 1934: Philadelphia Stars defeat Dizzy and Daffy all-stars in double bill, by Thomas Kern
- July 22, 1953: Bob Appleby’s ironman attempt fails as Decatur and Mattoon split doubleheader, by Patrick Brown
- September 3, 1966: Braves’ 18-year-old Charles Vaughan masters Astros in first major-league start, by Eric A. Simonsen (first-time author)
- September 2, 1970: Hal King hits grand slam as Hoyt Wilhelm earns final victory of his career, by Mike Huber
- September 16, 2004: Curt Schilling wins his 20th game for Red Sox, by Bill Nowlin
- September 17, 2004: Mariano Rivera proves mortal, allowing Red Sox a come-from-behind win, by Bill Nowlin
- September 17, 2008: New York Mets’ Brandon Knight records first and only major-league win, by Steve Sisto
- September 19, 2013: Red Sox clinch a playoff berth behind John Lackey’s gem, by Bill Nowlin
- September 20, 2020: Uninvited guest attends Yankees game at Fenway, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
¡Arriba! The Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks
As the baseball world celebrates Roberto Clemente Day on September 15, read essays from our SABR Digital Library book on “The Great One.” Or visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition. Available in English or en Español.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Save the date! SABR 52 will be in Minneapolis in 2024
- 40,000 rare images now available in SABR-Rucker Archive
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- SABR forms new Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee
- Save the date! 2024 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference to be held in Cooperstown
- Announcing finalists for 2023 Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 13
- Highlights from the 2023 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- SABR Landmarks Committee unveils new Baseball Grave Map
- Read articles from new 2023 The National Pastime online
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR Analytics Conference
- Learn more about the recipients of 2023 SABR Local Grants
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Bowers | McLean, VA | Albert Lopez | Urbana, IL | ||
| Douglas Ganey | Providence, RI | Gianluca MacKinnon | Edmonton, AB | ||
| Bob Hymes | New York, NY | John McGowan | Reliance, TN | ||
| Gergely Krenn | Mainz, GER | Israel Monzon Gonzalez | Toronto, ON | ||
| Al Lautenslager | Phoenix, AZ | John Parker | Cedar Falls, IA | ||
| Renato Leonelli | Providence, RI | Maria Souki | Antioch, TN |
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from pioneering baseball coach Bianca Smith, and authors Robert Garratt (Jazz Age Giant) and Bill Humber (“An Unheralded Ancestry”). Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- September 18: Northern New England Chapter meeting with Joe Ross (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 18: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- September 19: New SABR Member Experience Meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 21: Games and Simulations meeting with Don Daglow (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 23: Baseball Cards Committee: Jefferson Burdick Award ceremony (2:00 p.m. CDT)
- September 24: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting with Dan Taylor (7:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- September 15: Forbes Field Chapter: Three Rivers Stadium historical marker ceremony (Pittsburgh, PA)
- September 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- September 16: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Minneapolis, MN)
- September 16: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter lunch meeting (Chicago, IL)
- September 17: Rogers Hornsby Chapter ballgame/meet-up (San Antonio, TX)
- September 19: Bob Davids Chapter Maryland Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- September 20: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- September 20: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly luncheon (Denver, CO)
- September 21: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- September 23: Williamsport Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)
- September 23: Central Florida Chapter ballgame/meet-up (St. Petersburg, FL)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Biographical Research: August 2023 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: Submit presentation abstracts for the 2023 Rygelski Research Conference on September 30 (St. Louis, MO)
- Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: September 7 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
- Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: September 2023 newsletter (Chicago, IL)
- Halsey Hall Chapter: September 2023 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: September 2023 newsletter (Denver, CO)
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:
- Evan Drellich: MLB’s billionaire owners leaning on public for wave of new ballparks (The Athletic)
- Rob Mains: What Does the Padres’ Record in One-Run and Extra-Inning Games Mean? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Stephanie Apstein: Once Again, the Braves Won the NL East. Now the Real Work Begins. (Sports Illustrated)
- Jay Jaffe: Chaim Bloom’s Time as Boston’s Fall Guy Has Ended (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: The Leading Minor League Shortstop Defenders (ACTA Sports)
- Russell A. Carleton: Are Stolen Bases Trendy? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Lindsey Adler: The Wealthy New York Mets Hire a Small-Market Guru to Reboot Once Again (Wall Street Journal)
- Eno Sarris: Corbin Carroll, the Diamondbacks’ young, quiet superstar, is learning how to lead (The Athletic)
- Kiri Oler: When They Say He’s Got That Dawg in Him, This Is What They Mean (FanGraphs)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt/Cody Stavenhagen: ‘We may be the worst team to ever play the game:’ How the ’03 Tigers stared down infamy — and won (The Athletic)
- David Laurila: Let’s Talk About Underrated 2023 Orioles (FanGraphs)
- Emma Baccellieri: Minor League Baseball Unionization One Year Later: ’Now We Just Get to Play Baseball’ (Sports Illustrated)
- Tyler Kepner: Pulled back to the ballpark, for a day of Phillies-Braves. No, Lefty — it never gets old. (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: Birthday homers, Statcast standouts among 10 wild stats from the week (MLB.com)
- Jayson Stark: The weekend the baseball gods worked overtime (The Athletic)
- Michael Baumann: Michael Harris II Is at the Top of the World and the Bottom of the Lineup (FanGraphs)
- Frederic J. Frommer: Jake Powell’s racist comment in 1938 was a striking moment for MLB (Washington Post)
- Joe Posnanski: Esquire’s Best Baseball Stories Ever Written (Esquire)
- Michael Clair: Ayami Sato, the world’s most dominant woman on the mound, leads Japan into World Cup (MLB.com)
- Kevin Czerwinski: It’s Donna: Muscarella’s Baseball Art (BallNine.com)
- Craig Brown: The Cuban Giants stood here, exactly here, in 1886 (Threads of Our Game)
- John Thorn: Baseball Pioneers: Dan Okrent (Our Game)
- Amanda Lane: Bill Caudill vs. the Mariners Bullpen Cart (NW Baseball History)
- Sam Gazdziak: Grave Story: Roy Acuff (1903-1992) (RIP Baseball)
- Jeff Cohen: Baseball and BBQ interview with Ed Kranepool (Baseball and BBQ)
- Kurt Blumenau: Ten for the Butterfly King: Charlie Hough’s top ten cards (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: September 15, 2023. Last Updated: September 15, 2023.