SABR Analytics Conference

2015 SABR Analytics Conference Schedule

The fourth annual SABR Analytics Conference was held March 12-14, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.

Here is the full schedule for the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference. Click on a link below to learn more.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015
Hyatt Regency Phoenix

• 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.: Registration open at Hyatt Regency Phoenix.
• 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Diamond Dollars Case Competition, presented by Cray
  Presentations of the Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Introduction at 8:30 a.m. by SABR President Vince Gennaro in the Phoenix Ballroom.
  
• 1:45-2:00 p.m.: Conference Welcome: Vince Gennaro/Marc Appleman
  SABR President Vince Gennaro and Executive Director Marc Appleman will open the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference.
• 2:00-2:30 p.m.: Opening Remarks: Brian Kenny
  MLB Network host Brian Kenny will welcome attendees to the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference with a talk on the state of baseball analytics.
  
• 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Player Panel
  Speakers: Former major-leaguers Curt Schilling, John Kruk, and Doug Glanville of ESPN. Moderator: Brian Kenny, MLB Network.
• 3:30-3:45 p.m.: SABR Analytics Conference Research Award presentation: Historical Analysis/Commentary
  Sam Miller won the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award for Historical Analysis/Commentary. Presented by John Thorn.
  
• 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Research Presentations 1-2
  RP1—Vince Gennaro, SABR President, “What’s Different About Postseason Baseball?”
  RP2—Jason Wilson and Jarvis Greiner, Biola University, “A 2014 MLB Case Study in Quantitative Pitch Mapping Using QOP (Quality of Pitch) and GI (Greiner Index) with PITCHf/x data”
• 5:15-5:45 p.m.: BSports Presentation
  Presentation by Bill Squadron, Executive Vice President, Pro Analytics, BSports.
  
• 6:00-7:00 p.m.: Analytics in the Broadcasters Booth
  Speakers: Steve Berthiaume, Arizona Diamondbacks; Doug Glanville, ESPN; Josh Suchon, Albuquerque Isotopes. Moderator: Joe Block, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
• 7:30-10:00 p.m.: Welcome/Networking Reception with Baseball Industry Network
  The welcome reception (Garden Terrace, 3rd floor) is an opportunity for conference attendees to meet some of our panelists, speakers, writers and others working throughout the baseball industry. Cash bar. Welcome by Laurel Prieb, MLB’s Vice President of Western Operations. Click here for more details.
  

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
Hyatt Regency Phoenix

• 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Registration open at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix.
• 8:30-9:15 a.m.: One on One: Larry Baer
  Speaker: Larry Baer, President/CEO, San Francisco Giants. Moderator: Vince Gennaro, SABR President.
• 9:30-10:15 a.m.: One on One: Tony La Russa
  Speaker: Tony La Russa, Chief Baseball Officer, Arizona Diamondbacks, and 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Moderator: Steve Berthiaume, Announcer, Arizona Diamondbacks.
• 10:30-11:30 a.m.: General Managers Panel
  Speakers: Dave Stewart, Arizona Diamondbacks; Jeff Bridich, Colorado Rockies. Moderator: Brian Kenny, MLB Network.
• 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Research Presentations 3-4
  RP3—Graham Goldbeck, Sportvision, “Making a Pitch for Better Command”
  RP4—Martin Rioux, IDEALIS, “Using PITCHf/x or Statcast Data to Benchmark Hitter Performance Through Data Envelopment Analysis”
• 12:45-1:00 p.m.: SABR Analytics Conference Research Award presentation: Contemporary Commentary
  Grant Brisbee won the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award for Contemporary Commentary. Presented by Pete Palmer.
• 1:00-2:00 p.m.: Lunch
  Analytics Conference registration includes lunch.
• 2:15-3:15 p.m.: Origins of Baseball Analytics
  Speakers: John Thorn, Official Historian, Major League Baseball; Pete Palmer, sabermetrics pioneer and co-editor of Total Baseball; John Dewan, Owner, Baseball Info Solutions; Dick Cramer, sabermetrics pioneer and co-founder of STATS LLC. Moderator: John Walsh, former Executive Vice President and Executive Editor, ESPN.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Impact of Analytics on the Field
  Speakers: Keith Law, Senior Writer, ESPN.com; Eric Wedge, Analyst, ESPN; Eduardo Perez, Analyst, ESPN. Moderator: Buster Olney, Senior Writer, ESPN.com.
• 4:45-6:15 p.m.: Research Presentations 5-7
  RP5—Rodney J. Paul, Jeremy Losak, and Justin Mattingly, Syracuse University, “The Impact of Length of Game on Major League Baseball Attendance Demand”
  RP6—Greg Ackerman, Syracuse University, “Why Does a Team Outperform its Run Differential?”
  RP7—Dan Meyer, Colby College, “Geographic Bias and the Amateur Draft”

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015
Hyatt Regency Phoenix

• 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Registration open at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix.
  
• 8:00-8:30 a.m.: Baseball-Reference.com Q&A
  Baseball-Reference.com founder Sean Forman will be on hand to answer questions and provide tips on getting the most out of his website and its research tools.
• 8:30-9:30 a.m.: Baseball Operations Panel
  Speakers: Sam Grossman, Director of Baseball Research and Analysis, Cincinnati Reds; T.J. Barra, Manager of Baseball Research and Development, New York Mets; Zack Rosenthal, Assistant General Manager/Baseball Operations, Colorado Rockies. Moderator: Vince Gennaro, SABR President.
• 9:45-10:45 a.m.: Research Presentations 8-9
  RP8—Ben Jedlovec, Baseball Info Solutions, “Trajectory-Based Hitting and Pitching Statistics”
  RP9—Allison R. Levin, Social Network Advisors for Professional Sports, “Sabermetrics in Practice: Examining Fan Voting for MLB All-Stars over Three Eras”
• 10:45-11:00 a.m.: SABR Analytics Conference Research Award presentation: Contemporary Analysis
  Jeff Sullivan won the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award for Contemporary Analysis. Presented by Dick Cramer.
• 11:00-11:30 a.m.: Diamond Dollars Case Competition, presented by Cray
  Final presentations of the Diamond Dollars Case Competition.
• 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Who Is Responsible For A Called Strike?
  Speakers: Joe Rosales and Scott Spratt, Baseball Info Solutions.
  
• 12:00-1:00 p.m.: Research Presentations 10-11
  RP10—Stephen Loftus, Virginia Tech, “BXwOBA: A Bayesian Approach to Expected wOBA”
  RP11—Anne C. Marx Scheuerell, Loras College; Brad Smith and David B. Marx, University of Nebraska, “Evaluating Offense Productivity in College Baseball”
• 1:00-2:00 p.m.: Lunch
  Analytics Conference registration includes lunch.
• 2:00-3:15 p.m.: Business of Baseball Panel
  The Business of Baseball is becoming more dependent on analytics. Take an inside look into how team’s front offices are using analytics and data to progressively drive incremental revenue growth. Speakers: Kenny Farrell, Vice President of Business Analytics, Arizona Diamondbacks; Ryan Gustafson, Senior Director of Business Strategy and Innovation, San Diego Padres. Moderator: Dan Migala, Founding Partner, Property Consulting Group.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Research Presentations 12-13
  RP12—Scott A. Van Lenten and Frank J. Infurna, Arizona State University, “Performance Enhancing Dads? Paternity and Bereavement Leave in Major League Baseball”
  RP13—Howard M. Wasserman, Florida International University, “An Empirical Analysis of the Infield Fly Rule”
• 4:45-5:45 p.m.: The Future of International Prospects
  Speakers: Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com; Jim Callis, MLB.com/Pipeline; Bryan Minniti, Assistant General Manager, Arizona Diamondbacks. Moderator: Rob Neyer, Senior Baseball Editor, FoxSports.com.
• 5:45-6:00 p.m.: Conference wrap-up by Vince Gennaro and Marc Appleman.

For more information about the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics/2015.