2015 SABR Convention: SABR 45 in Chicago

June 24-28, 2015
Palmer House Hilton
17 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 726-7500

Presentations Schedule Committee Meetings Posters Speakers Vendors Room Information Photo Galleries #SABR45 on Twitter

SABR 45: Schedule

Here is the schedule of events for SABR 45, which will be held June 24-28, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. For more information, visit SABR.org/convention. Click on a link below for more highlights, photos, and multimedia clips (when available) from each session.

Click here to scroll down to that day’s schedule:
Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Wednesday, June 24

8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Kimball Room, 3rd floor)
SABR Board Meeting

1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (2nd floor registration area, above the lobby)
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open for attendees to get their materials. If you have questions, you can also find a volunteer member from the Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing SABR 45 polo shirts all week during the convention.

1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (Off-site)
Chicago Downtown Baseball Walking Tour
This magnificent 2- to 3-mile guided walking tour of significant baseball sites in the Downtown Loop will depart from the hotel at 1:00 p.m. and last approximately two and a half hours. The guided tour will be limited to the first 40 people who sign up; please RSVP by sending an e-mail to jpomrenke@sabr.org. For everyone else, a map and handout will be available at the SABR 45 information table to allow any convention attendees to do it themselves during their stay in Chicago. (Click here to download the walking tour map as a PDF.)

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Chairs Meeting
Leslie Heaphy, chair (lheaphy@kent.edu)

5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Regional Chapter Leaders Meeting
Bill Nowlin, chair (bnowlin@rounder.com)

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Minor Leagues
Joe Wancho, co-chair (jw2462@sbcglobal.net)

7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Science & Baseball
Eric Van, chair (emvan@post.harvard.edu)

7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (Empire Room, Lobby Level)
Ross Adell Welcome Reception
Ross Adell, a SABR member for almost 25 years before he died of cancer in 2006 at the tender age of 50, loved a good party. He enjoyed making new friends and introducing them to kindred baseball spirits. That’s what the SABR convention is all about. For those of you attending your first convention, we know it can be a bit daunting. But we want you to feel welcome and Ross would, too. So come join us at the Ross Adell Welcome Reception — everyone is welcome, not just first-timers. We’ll talk baseball and help show you how to get the most out of your SABR convention experience.

Thursday, June 25

7:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (Registration Bay 1-4, 4th floor)
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open for attendees to get their materials. If you have questions, you can also find a volunteer member from the Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing SABR 45 polo shirts all week during the convention.

8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Broadcasters Panel
Expected speakers include: Chicago Cubs announcers Len Kasper, Jim Deshaies, and Ron Coomer. Moderator: Curt Smith, author and historian.

9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Annual Business Meeting

8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.; 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Exhibit Hall, 4th floor)
Vendors Room Open
The Vendors Room will have books and other baseball items available for purchase all week. Please note: The Vendors Room will be closed during the Cubs ballgame.

1:20 p.m.-4:20 p.m. (Wrigley Field)
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
On Thursday afternoon, June 25, SABR convention attendees will have the opportunity to visit historic Wrigley Field for a game between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Chits for your ballgame ticket must be redeemed at the Registration Table by 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Please note: you can purchase your CTA fare online ($6 round-trip for a single-ride ticket or $4.50 if you already have a Ventra card) at transitchicago.com or by visiting a Ventra machine in person at any CTA station.
CTA directions to Wrigley Field: Northbound trains run approximately every 6-8 minutes from the Monroe Red Line station next to the convention hotel (exit onto State Street, on the west side of the hotel, for the Red Line station.) The Wrigley Field stop is at Addison. To return to the hotel, take the Red Line train south from Addison to the Monroe station. Visit transitchicago.com for complete CTA schedule and fare information.

7:00 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
The Baseball Project concert
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; show at 8:00 p.m.
Convention attendees will have a special opportunity to see The Baseball Project in concert in the Grand Ballroom at the Palmer House Hilton. Formed in 2007 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Baseball Project is a supergroup that includes veteran musicians Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills. Buck and Mills are founding members of the R.E.M., one of the best-selling alternative rock bands of all time. Click here for details. Tickets: $40 in advance; $60 on-site (during registration hours) or at the door.

Friday, June 26

8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (Registration Bay 1-4, 4th floor)
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open for attendees to get their materials. If you have questions, you can also find a volunteer member from the Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing SABR 45 polo shirts all week during the convention. Please note: The Registration Desk will be closed during the Awards Banquet.

8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.; 2:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. (Exhibit Hall, 4th floor)
Vendors Room Open
The Vendors Room will have books and other baseball items available for purchase all week. Please note: The Vendors Room will be closed during the Awards Banquet.

8:00 a.m.-8:25 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP01: Juan Marichal and John Roseboro: The Fight of Their Lives
John Rosengren

8:00 a.m.-8:25 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP02: Mike Burke and Lee MacPhail: Their Six Years Trying to Resurrect the Yankees
Mark Armour

8:30 a.m.-8:55 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP03: A Legacy of What-Ifs: Horace Stoneham and the Integration of the Giants
Steve Treder

8:30 a.m.-8:55 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP04: Andy Coakley vs. the Cubs: Baseball’s Forgotten Labor Struggle
Tara Krieger

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Curveballs: Pitching Prodigies, Real and Imagined
Expected speakers include two of the most colorful characters in baseball during the 1980s: Joe Berton, who played the role of Sidd Finch in Sports Illustrated’s classic hoax, “The Curious Case of Sidd Finch”; and Steve Trout, a former first-round draft pick and son of a major-leaguer who starred for the Cubs and White Sox in real life. Moderator: Barry M. Bloom, MLB.com national columnist.

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
ESPN presents “1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas”
Expected speakers include Steve Wulf, a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine; John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball; and Douglas Alden, the Myles Thomas project’s creator, head writer, and executive producer, and a multiple Emmy Award-winning writer/producer/director.

11:15 a.m.-11:40 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP05: An Aging Fan Base: Using Twitter to Develop a New Generation of Baseball Fans
Allison Levin

11:15 a.m.-11:40 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP06: When the Yankees Came Back to Columbus: Baseball and Cultural Conflicts in Columbus, Georgia, 1960-1966
Hart Mizell

12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (Red Lacquer Room, 4th floor)
SABR Awards Banquet
with Ernie Banks/Minnie Minoso Tribute, presented by Phil Rogers
Note: Early entrance for SABR donors is from 11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
The SABR 45 Awards Banquet will include a special tribute to Chicago baseball icons Ernie Banks and Minnie Minoso, presented by MLB.com national columnist Phil Rogers. Click here for more information. Awards presented or announced at the luncheon include the Roland Hemond Award, the SABR Baseball Research Awards, the McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Awards, and the Henry Chadwick Awards. The Awards portion of the luncheon concludes with the awarding of the Bob Davids Award, SABR’s highest honor.

2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Women in Baseball Panel
Expected speakers include: Cubs executive Caroline Phillips, White Sox executive and author Martha Jo Black, author and historian John Kovach, and South Bend Blue Sox player Christie Spisak. Moderator: Leslie Heaphy, SABR’s Women in Baseball Committee co-chair.

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Nineteenth Century
Peter Mancuso, chair (peterplus4@earthlink.net)
Bob Bailey, vice-chair (bobbailey@cox.net)

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Business of Baseball
Michael Haupert, co-chair (mhaupert@uwlax.edu)
Steven Weingarden, co-chair (steveweingarden@gmail.com)

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (Salon 3 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Scouts
Rod Nelson, chair (rodericnelson@gmail.com)

3:15 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Women in Baseball
Leslie Heaphy, co-chair (lheaphy@kent.edu)
Guest speakers: Panelists from the SABR 45 Women in Baseball Panel.

4:00 p.m.-4:25 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP07: What Makes a Dynasty? Hitting, Fielding and Pitching
David Kaiser

4:00 p.m.-4:25 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP08: Fred Goldsmith and the Curveball: Did He Invent the Pitch that Changed the Game?
David Fleitz

4:30 p.m.-4:55 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP09: Home Team Scoring Advantage in the First Inning Largely Due To Time and Travel
David W. Smith

4:30 p.m.-4:55 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP10: Red Stockings, White Stockings, and Cal McVey
John Liepa

5:00 p.m.-5:25 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP11: If It’s Wednesday (or Sunday), It Must Be Woodie
Don Zminda

5:00 p.m.-5:25 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP12: “Not ‘Pop’ Anson!”: Historical Memory and Cap Anson’s Color Line Legacy
Zachary Moser

5:30 p.m.-5:55 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP13: The Increased Importance of Quality Starts
John Burbridge

5:30 p.m.-5:55 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP14: 1915/2015: Commemorating the Centennial of Oscar Charleston’s Rookie Season with the Indianapolis ABCs
Geri Driscoll

6:00 p.m.-6:25 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP15: Happiness Is Leading the Majors in RBIs: Who was Happiest in 1917 – Zimmerman, Veach, Cobb, or Felsch?
Herm Krabbenhoft

6:00 p.m.-6:25 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP16: Chicago Hates Cincinnati! How Pro Baseball Conquered the Windy City
Bruce Allardice

6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball and the Media
Chuck Hildebrandt, chair (chuck.sabr@gmail.com)
John McMurray, vice-chair (Mcmurrayj@aol.com)
Guest speaker: Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com baseball editor

6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Ballparks
Kevin Johnson, co-chair (kjokbaseball@yahoo.com)
Ron Selter, co-chair (rselter@att.net)
Guest speaker: Stuart Shea, author of Wrigley Field: An Unauthorized History and Calling the Game

6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Salon 3 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Black Sox Scandal
Jacob Pomrenke, chair (buckweaver@gmail.com)
Guest speaker: Peter Alter, archivist, Chicago History Museum

7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Trivia Contest preliminary round and quarterfinals
Trivia at SABR 45 is for all baseball fans. Come test your knowledge against SABR’s best! The Trivia Contest is open to all SABR convention attendees. Just show up with your thinking cap on and follow the instructions.

7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball Index Project
Andy McCue, chair (agmccue44@earthlink.net)

7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Deadball Era
John McMurray, chair (deadball@sabr.org)
Guest speakers: Dr. Charles Alexander, acclaimed author and Henry Chadwick Award recipient; Nathaniel Grow and Chuck Kimberly, 2015 Larry Ritter Award winners

7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (Salon 3 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Educational Resources
Herb Wilson, co-chair (whwilson@colby.edu)

8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball Records
Lyle Spatz, chair (lspatz@comcast.net)
Trent McCotter, vice-chair (treant985@gmail.com)

8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Biographical Research
Bill Carle, chair (bbxpert@aol.com)

Saturday, June 27

7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: BioProject
Mark Armour, director (markarmour04@gmail.com)

8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Registration Bay 1-4, 4th floor)
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open for attendees to get their materials. If you have questions, you can also find a volunteer member from the Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing SABR 45 polo shirts all week during the convention.

8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Exhibit Hall, 4th floor)
Vendors Room Open
The Vendors Room will have books and other baseball items available for purchase all week.

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Collegiate Baseball
Karl Green, chair (atlcrackersfan@gmail.com)

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. (Honore Ballroom, Lobby Level)
Donors Breakfast
As part of the SABR Donor Program, all donors of $100 or more since the last convention are invited to a special breakfast in their honor to learn about how their gifts have made a difference to the organization and to the betterment of baseball. SABR Executive Director Marc Appleman and SABR President Vince Gennaro will be at the breakfast to engage in discussions on any topics of interest to members. To learn more, visit SABR.org/donate.

9:00 a.m.-9:25 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP17: Remember the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars: Bigotry and Boyhood in 1955
Chris Lamb

9:00 a.m.-9:25 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP18: When Chicago Came to Milwaukee in the ’60s
Dennis Degenhardt

9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
White Sox Players Panel
Expected speakers include: two-time AL All-Star outfielder Carlos May; 1983 AL Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle; former White Sox outfielder Mike Huff, along with moderator Dan Migala of Property Consulting Group.

10:30 a.m.-10:55 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP19: Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man? Gender and Professional Athletes
Michael Haupert and Lisa Giddings

10:30 a.m.-10:55 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP20: Disco Demolition Night
Rick Schabowski

11:00 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP21: The Colonel and Hug: The Odd Couple… NOT!
Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz

11:00 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP22: “Little League Home Runs” in MLB History
Chuck Hildebrandt

11:30 a.m.-11:55 a.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP23: When McCarthy Lost His Mojoe: The Red Sox Years
Bryan Soderholm-Difatte

11:30 a.m.-11:55 a.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP24: Split Season 1981: Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo and the Strike That Saved Baseball
Jeff Katz

12:00 p.m.-12:25 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP25: Pat Gillick and His “Many Rivers”: One General Manager’s Approach to Gaining an Edge
Dan Levitt

12:00 p.m.-12:25 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP26: They Came Before Minnie, Alexei & Abreu: Chicago’s Cuban Connection and a Reconsideration of Baseball’s Integration Story
Adrian Burgos Jr.

12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. (Exhibit Hall, 4th floor)
Poster Presentations
From 12:30–1:30 p.m. on Saturday, SABR 45 poster presenters will be available for questions and discussion with their posters in the Exhibit Hall area on the 4th floor. The posters will be available for viewing all week in the Exhibit Hall area.

1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Negro Leagues Panel
Expected speakers include: Al Spearman, a top pitcher in the final years of the Negro Leagues with the Chicago American Giants and Kansas City Monarchs; and Ernie Westfield, pitcher for the Birmingham Black Barons and starter in the final East-West All-Star Game at Comiskey Park. Moderator: Larry Lester, co-chair of SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee.

2:30 p.m.-2:55 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP27: The Best Baseball Story Ever? A Critique of “Bleacher Bums”
David Krell

2:30 p.m.-2:55 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP28: The Twenty-Year’s War: The Cubs, the White Sox, and Baseball Broadcasting
James Walker

3:00 p.m.-3:25 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP29: The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson and Hollywood’s Version of Robinson’s Legacy
Lisa Doris Alexander

3:00 p.m.-3:25 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP30: Heresy: Bill Veeck Was Not a Good Owner for Fans
Andy McCue

3:30 p.m.-3:55 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP31: For an Actor, He’s a Good Ballplayer: Baseball and Vaudeville in the Deadball Era and Beyond
R.J. Lesch

3:30 p.m.-3:55 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
RP32: Baseball in New York 1947-1957: Dollars, Sense, and Nonsense
Steven Riess

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Asian Baseball
Rob Fitts, meeting chair (robertfitts@verizon.net)
Guest speaker: Masanori Murakami, first Japanese player in major-league history

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Oral History
John McMurray, chair (sabroralhistorycommittee@gmail.com)

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball and the Arts
Joanne Hulbert, co-chair (jhulbert@earthlink.net)

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (Salon 3 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Games and Simulations
Steve Krevisky, chair (sakrevisky@sbcglobal.net)

5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Negro Leagues
Larry Lester, co-chair (larrylester42@gmail.com)
Guest speakers: Panelists from SABR 45 Negro Leagues Panel

5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)

Research Committee Meeting: Statistical Analysis
Phil Birnbaum, chair (birnbaum@sympatico.ca)

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Latino Baseball
Anthony Salazar, chair (salazar8017@yahoo.com)

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (Salon 12 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Retrosheet
David W. Smith, president (dwsmith@retrosheet.org)

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (Salon 3 Room, 3rd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Pictorial History
T. Scott Brandon, co-chair (t_scott_brandon@msn.com)
Mark Fimoff, co-chair (bmarlowe@comcast.net)
Cary Smith, co-chair (zinnbeck@aol.com)

7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (State Ballroom, 4th floor)
Encore presentation Doug Pappas Research Award

7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. (Grand Ballroom, 4th floor)
Trivia Contest Semifinals and Finals
We steadfastly maintain that there is nothing trivial about baseball trivia. Come watch SABR’s best as they try to answer questions that are presented in ascending difficulty. The early-round questions will be at a relatively easy starting point, while the late-round questions, though more difficult, will still interest casual fans. Who will win the SABR 45 Trivia Contest? Come watch to find out.

Sunday, June 28

7:30-8:30 a.m. (Price Room, 5th floor)
Church Service
A religious service will be held for any members who wish to participate. Led by SABR member Fr. Gerald Beirne.

8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (Kimball Room, 3rd floor)
SABR Board Meeting

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (off-site)
Historical Ballparks Sites Bus Tour
This bus tour will leave from the hotel and will include drive-bys and stops at sites that hosted professional and semi-professional baseball in Chicago from 1868 through 1990. Sites may include, but are not limited to, White Stocking Park, West Side Grounds, Twenty-third Street Grounds, Excelsior Park, South Side Park, Brotherhood Park, and old Comiskey Park. Participants will all receive a handout with maps and details about the sites being visited. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:00 a.m. and return at approximately 1:00 p.m. The tour is limited to the first 45 people who sign up. Fee: $25.