This Week in SABR: November 22, 2024
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, November 22, 2024. Please note: The SABR office will be closed for Thanksgiving on November 28-29. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Deadline extended: SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts
Playoff Pitch: Encourage new members to sign up for $1!
SABR seeking candidates for External Relations Officer position
Apply now for a Local Grant in 2025
Read all essays from Dodger Stadium book
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Deadline extended! Submit SABR Analytics presentation abstracts now
SABR has extended the deadline for presentation abstracts by one week for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. The submission deadline for all 2025 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts is 11:59 p.m. MST on November 26, 2024.
Abstracts of proposed research presentations should be no more than 500 words in length, and must include the abstract’s title, review of previous work on the subject, a summary of the research methodology and preliminary and/or final results, and the expected contribution to the field of baseball analytics offered by this work. Please send all abstracts to this e-mail address: analytics-presentations@sabr.org. Please clearly indicate whether you are submitting for the general track or for the student track of presentations.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Early registration is now open for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from March 14-16, 2025, at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona.
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. Register today to join us!
- Registration: Click here to register for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Early-bird registration is $395 for SABR members, $495 for non-members, and $150 for currently enrolled high school or college students. Student-only virtual registration is $50. Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive the discounted registration link.
- Student Registration: Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive a special link to register at a discounted rate. Students have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 13. All student registrations also include a one-year SABR membership ($25 value) and a complimentary Rapsodo certification course ($395 value). SABR membership will be fulfilled after event sign-up and access to Rapsodo course will be delivered after the conference.
- Research Presentations: Present your baseball research at the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline to submit an abstract: November 20, 2024.
- Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Click here to register your team for the 2025 Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Registration is $1,750 per team, which includes admission to all SABR Analytics Conference sessions and a one-year SABR membership for each participant.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
- Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship: Applications are now open for the 2025 Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
- Research Awards: We’re seeking nominations for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
- Certification Courses: The first three courses in the online, on-demand SABR Analytics Certification program, including the newest offering Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, are available now. Click here to learn more or to sign up.
Apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship or Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four Yoseloff Scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the SABR Analytics Conference on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging fees associated with the conference up to a total value of $1,250.
Awarded annually to four recipients, the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship will provide meaningful professional development and networking opportunities for female identifying students or young professionals pursuing a career in baseball analytics and data science. This scholarship will pay for all registration fees and expenses associated with the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona; plus registration for all courses in the online SABR Analytics Certification program. Click here to learn more or to apply.
Click here to learn more about SABR Scholarships.
Playoff Pitch: Encourage new members to sign up for $1!
As we enjoy the World Series, SABR is rolling out its own Playoff Pitch to encourage new monthly membership sign-ups. This limited-time offer will introduce new potential members to all that SABR has to offer by giving them their first month of monthly membership for just $1.
If you have friends or family members that would enjoy SABR, please encourage them to check out SABR.org/playoff-pitch for more details. It’s a fantastic way to dive into the rich history, research, stories, and stats that celebrate our beloved game, so please share our community with anyone you’ve ever thought “would love SABR!” This promotion is only valid for new monthly memberships and expires November 25, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: 2025 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will host the 25th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on August 7-9, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky. This interdisciplinary conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars.
Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, or other Black baseball topics. Some possibilities include Louisville Black Caps, Louisville Unions, Louisville Black Colonels, Felton Snow, Sammy Hughes, barnstorming, future research, Malloy history, and much more. Proposals should include a 250-word abstract, plus a brief biographical note with contact information. For poster presentations, please indicate the number and size of posters you wish to display.
Please email your proposals to Leslie Heaphy before March 3, 2025.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Apply now for a SABR Local Grant in 2025
The SABR Local Grants program provides an opportunity for chapters, research committees, and chartered communities to apply for funding for their projects under SABR’s Four Pillars: Research, Scholarship, Preservation, and Future of the Game.
Applications are now open for a 2025 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until January 31, 2025. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2025.
Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.
Help us Bring It Home in 2024 and invest in SABR’s future
SABR has made great progress toward our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball, but there is still work to be done to fulfill that goal. By investing in mission-focused initiatives and outreach, SABR will be well positioned to sustain and grow into the future. Key areas of focus to achieve that growth include the continual addition of research resources, expansion and amplification of programming, and an emphasis on connection for our members and the wider baseball community. Gifts from members like you will help us BRING IT HOME, ensuring we achieve a successful 2024 while making investments in our collective future.
You can support SABR’s annual Bring it Home Campaign by making a gift of $150 or more by December 31, 2024. We will use your best gift of $150, $300, $500, or $1,000 to boost SABR’s general operations. Contributions from generous donors like you are critical in supporting SABR as we add to our research resources, expand programming, and strengthen the connection of our baseball community.
Visit SABR.org/donate/2024 to learn more.
SABR accepting applications for External Relations Officer position
The Society for American Baseball Research is seeking an External Relations Officer (ERO) to lead organizational efforts to partner, collaborate, and engage with industry, educational, and civic institutions while reporting to and partnering with the Chief Executive Officer. A new position in the organization, this leader will play a pivotal role in building the external relations function.
As our ERO, you will collaborate with other organizational leaders including the staff, Board of Directors, committee chairs, chapter board members, and more to advance SABR’s relationships in pursuit of our vision to become the essential community for the world of baseball. This position will interact with all aspects of the organization in order to communicate with external partners and develop creative new relationships.
Click here to learn more or to apply.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Renewing Your Membership
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 a 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 month’s issue shows you how to renew your membership and update your profile information.
Click here to read the full article at SABR.org.
Call for volunteers: Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires
Thanks to the hard work of a fantastic team of volunteers, more than 100,000 Bill Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires of players from 1945-2005 have now been transcribed. These questionnaires will give baseball researchers tremendous first-hand knowledge from the pens of 18-year-old minor-leaguers.
We’re now seeking volunteers to help match the players to their Baseball-Reference IDs, making it easier for everyone to find their favorite player. We have finished more than one-third of the players so far, and we are seeking more help to finish by the end of 2024. No experience or time commitment is needed, just a love for baseball, data, and history. You can jump right into volunteering at tinyurl.com/WeissPage, or reach out to Jason Sigler to get an informational video and more instructions.
Seeking submissions for Found Poetry of Baseball Announcers book
This is the last call for submissions for an upcoming SABR book project, Here Comes The Pizzer: The Found Poetry of Baseball Announcers, scheduled for publication in the spring of 2025.
SABR members are asked to take play-by-play calls from throughout history and fashion them into “found” poems. Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. Examples can be found in the most recent edition of Turnstyle.
To send in a submission, fill out the following form by December 15 or contact editor Eric Poulin with questions.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
Read all essays from Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth
In 2024, SABR published Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth, edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks, a compilation of memorable games and important chapters in the history of one of baseball’s most iconic venues.
All of the essays from the Dodger Stadium book are now available to read online in the SABR Research Collection.
Click here to download your free e-book edition of Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth, or save 50% off the paperback edition.
2 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- John Valentin, by Diane MacLennan
- Charles Van Sickle, by Kurt Blumenau
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
6 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- May 6, 1968: Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver duel for first time as Cardinals win in 11 innings, by Gregory H. Wolf
- July 5, 1970: John Kennedy hits inside-the-park home run in his first plate appearance for Red Sox, by Bill Nowlin
- August 3, 1981: Yankees, Red Sox minor-league affiliates meet in unique Hall of Fame Game, by Kurt Blumenau
- April 12, 1994: Red Sox double up Royals in slugfest as Scott Cooper hits for the cycle, by Mike Huber
- October 19, 2008: Rays beat Red Sox in Game 7 to clinch their first American League pennant, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
- June 6, 2022: Eduardo Escobar hits for cycle, drives in 6 runs as Mets roll, by Larry DeFillipo
In addition, the following stories from Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth (2024) were also posted online this week:
- October 15, 1988: Kirk Gibson’s ‘impossible’ home run wins World Series opener for Dodgers, by Darren Gibson
- August 17, 1992: Kevin Gross dazzles Dodgers fans by no-hitting Giants, by Andrew Harner
- October 3, 1993: Dodgers turn the tables on rival Giants in final weekend, by Tom Schott
- April 13, 1996: Hideo Nomo takes spotlight with 17 strikeouts on a big sports night in Los Angeles, by Bob Timmermann
- October 9, 2004: José Lima’s shutout gives Dodgers a long-awaited playoff victory at Dodger Stadium, by Joal Ryan
- September 15, 2009: Andre Ethier hits record fourth walk-off home run of the season, by Joseph Wancho
- June 18, 2014: Clayton Kershaw throws no-hitter against Rockies, by Glen Sparks
- October 15, 2017: Justin Turner’s walk-off home run in Game 2 calls up memories of Kirk Gibson, by Glen Sparks
- March 28, 2019: Dodgers smack eight homers in record-breaking Opening Day at home, by Bryan Dietzler
- October 21, 2021: Chris Taylor hits three home runs to propel Dodgers to crucial win in NLCS, by Frank Ittner
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Dazzling Debuts: First At-Bat Home Runs
Edited by Giselle Stancic, Bill Nowlin, and Jacob Pomrenke
Visit SABR.org/dazzling-debuts for exclusive highlights online or to download the free e-book edition.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Read articles from Fall 2024 Baseball Research Journal online
- 2024 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners announced
- The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2024
- Read SABR biographies for 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
- Check out highlights, photos, and recordings from the SABR 52 convention in Minneapolis
- Browse the new, searchable SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Sean Lahman donates Lahman Baseball Database to SABR
- Watch highlights from 2024 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- D. Bruce Brown selected as 2024 Bob Davids Award winner
- Save the date! SABR 53 will be in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2025
- SABR special committee: 1949-50 Negro American League, independent Black teams are major-league caliber
- Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bates | Fort Worth, TX | Vincent Maltese | Urbana, IL | ||
| Perry Cooper | Cincinnati, OH | Greg McLaughlin | Tampa, FL | ||
| Brian Dunn | Oviedo, FL | Lauren McNulty | San Francisco, CA | ||
| Tyler Fallon | Kansas City, MO | Ronnie Pease | Crookston, MN | ||
| Leyna Gibbs | St. Peters, MO | Marc Russo | New York, NY | ||
| Jason Gilmartin | Olathe, KS | Ed Skirkie | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| James Hardin | Baltimore, MD | Dennis Timko | Saint Peters, MO | ||
| Mahnoor Hissam | Lahore, PAK | Jack Welsh | Floral Park, NY | ||
| Jack Kettner | Bloomfield, MI | Jason Woolf | Selma, TX | ||
| Michael Maleta | Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Anthony Salazar (“Building a WPA Ballpark”); John Nogowski (Last Time Out); Glen Wolfram (Front Page Sports); Joe Caracciolo (“Baseball Game Simulations”); and the Baseball Landmarks Committee’s “show and tell” meeting. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- November 24: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EST)
- November 25: Clyde Sukeforth (ME/NH) Chapter meeting with Alan Holst (7:00 p.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- November 22: Juan Marichal Chapter meeting (Santo Domingo, DOM)
- November 30: Lajoie-Start Southern New England Chapter meeting (Greenville, RI)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Origins: November 2024 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: November 6 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
- Halsey Hall Chapter: December 2024 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: November 2024 newsletter (Austin, TX)
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 salute to Ichiro, CC Sabathia and the other 12 Hall of Fame ballot newcomers (The Athletic)
- Mark Simon: Several Standout Defenders Join Hall of Fame Ballot (Sports Info Solutions)
- Jay Jaffe: 2025 Classic Baseball Era Committee Candidate: Vic Harris (FanGraphs)
- Michael Clair: Hiroto Takahashi could be next Japanese ace in the majors (MLB.com)
- Daniel R. Epstein: The Free Agent Starter Guessing Game (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: Introducing the We Tried Tracker (FanGraphs)
- Sarah Langs: Cy Young Award puts Tarik Skubal in exclusive group: The Birthday Award Club (MLB.com)
- Alex Speier: History tells us there are very few sluggers like Juan Soto (Boston Globe)
- Michael Rosen: Nick Martinez Doesn’t Need Strikeouts (FanGraphs)
- Russell A. Carleton: Why Do They Swing For The Fences? (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Nick Pivetta Believes In Pitching To His Strengths (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: The 2024 Season in Inequality (Baseball Prospectus)
- Michael Baumann: Quantity Is No Longer Job No. 1 (FanGraphs)
- Lewie Pollis: Is This How the Strikeout Era Ends? (Lewsletter)
- Patrick Dubuque: The Hall of Fame Sort of Matters (Baseball Prospectus)
- Craig Brown: Baseball’s first red stockings: 1865 Olympic, Philadelphia (Threads of Our Game)
- Michael Levesque: Joseph Gomes’ passion for baseball prevailed through years of racial adversity (Warwick Beacon)
- Steven Goldman: The Rube Was in the House When the House Burned Down (Baseball Prospectus)
- Gary Cieradkowski: “Scissors” Foutz: Those Leadville Blues (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Shravan Pradeep: Soft matter mechanics of baseball’s Rubbing Mud (PNAS)
- David Kronheim: 2024 Major League and Minor League Baseball Attendance Review (NumberTamer.com)
- Ken Smoller’s Last Comiskey named as finalist for Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year (ChicagoWrites.org)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Jim Kern (Baseball and BBQ)
- Gary Mintz: Interview with author Tom Hoffarth on Vin Scully (New York Giants Preservation Society)
- Roy Carlson: 1970 Venezuelan Baseball Card Set Connects With Off-Season Topps Players (Sports Collectors Daily)
- Jason Schwartz: The Leaf HOF rookie cards that aren’t (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Patrick Bone: My Favorite Common (SABR Baseball Cards)
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: November 22, 2024. Last Updated: November 22, 2024.