SABR Analytics Conference

2016 SABR Analytics Conference Schedule

The fifth annual SABR Analytics Conference was held March 10-12, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.

Here is the full schedule for the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference. Click on a link below to view highlights.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
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
  Presentations of the Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Introduction at 8:30 a.m. by SABR President Vince Gennaro. Click here to view the results.
  
• 1:45-2:00 p.m.: Conference Welcome: Vince Gennaro/Marc Appleman
  SABR President Vince Gennaro and CEO Marc Appleman will open the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference.
• 2:00-2:30 p.m.: Brian Kenny: “Ahead of the Curve”
  MLB Network host Brian Kenny will give a talk titled “Ahead of the Curve.”
  
• 2:45-3:45 p.m.: The Analytics of Hitting and Pitching
  Speakers: Former major-leaguers Aaron Boone and Dallas Braden of ESPN, and FanGraphs staff writer Eno Sarris. Moderator: Mike Ferrin, Arizona Diamondbacks/MLB Network Radio.
• 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Research Presentations 1-2
  RP1—Jason Sherwin, “How The Brain Hits, And Where We See It On The Field”
  RP2—Scott Spratt, “Splitting Range, Positioning, and Throwing in Defense”
• 5:15-6:15 p.m.: MLB Now Panel
  Speakers: SABR President Vince Gennaro, Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network/FoxSports.com, former major-leaguer Eric Byrnes of MLB Network. Moderator: Brian Kenny, MLB Network.  
  
• 7:00-9:30 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. Click here for more details.
  

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016
Hyatt Regency Phoenix

• 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Registration open at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix.
• 8:00-9:00 a.m.: One on One: Derrick Hall
  Speaker: Derrick Hall, President/CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks. Moderator: Ken Rosenthal, MLB Network/FoxSports.com.
• 9:45-10:45 a.m.: General Manager Panel
  Speakers: Dick Williams, Cincinnati Reds; Billy Eppler, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Moderator: Brian Kenny, MLB Network.
• 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Research Presentations 3-4
  RP3—Jonathan Judge, “Measuring Performance Better and Sooner”
  RP4—Joe Rosales, “Quantifying the Impact of Injuries on Playing Time and Performance”
• 12:00-1:00 p.m.: Lunch
  Analytics Conference registration includes lunch.
• 1:15-2:15 p.m.: Technology Panel
  Speakers: Michael Bentley, Founder, Blast Motion; Kevin Forbes, Product Specialist, Kinduct Technologies Inc.; Jason Sherwin, Chief Executive Officer, deCervo. Moderator: Vince Gennaro, SABR President.
• 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Statcast on Every Screen
  Speakers: Daren Willman, Director of Baseball Research and Development, MLB Advanced Media; Mike Petriello, Analyst, MLB.com. Moderator: Vince Gennaro, SABR President.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Research Presentations 5-6
  presented by Baseball Info Solutions
  RP5—Robert Brustad, “Hidden Gold on the Diamond? The Contribution of the Relative Age Effect to Talent Estimation Errors of High School Players in the June MLB Draft”
  RP6—Scott Powers and Eli Shayer, “True wOBA: Estimation of True Talent Level for Batters”
• 4:45-5:30 p.m.: Diamond Dollars Case Competition
  Encore of the winning presentation by Ohio University.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
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.: Defensive Metrics Panel
  Speakers: Former major-leaguer Alex Cora of ESPN; John Dewan, Baseball Info Solutions; Caleb Peiffer, Manager, Baseball Operations, Seattle Mariners. Moderator: Mike Ferrin, Arizona Diamondbacks/MLB Network Radio.
• 9:45-10:45 a.m.: Research Presentations 7-8
  RP7—Rob Arthur, “Hot & Cold Streaks Using Batted Ball Velocities”
  RP8—Brian Cartwright, “Solving DIPS by Deconstructing BABIP”
• 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: How Big Data and Analytics is Impacting Baseball’s Business Operations
  Speakers: John Fisher, Arizona Diamondbacks; Ryan Gustafson, San Diego Padres. Moderator, Dan Migala, PCG/SportsDesk Media.
• 12:15-12:45 p.m.: Research Presentation 9
  presented by Baseball Info Solutions
  RP9—Jim Albert, “Component Predictions of Batting and Pitching Measures”
• 12:45-1:45 p.m.: Lunch
  Analytics Conference registration includes lunch.
• 2:00-3:00 p.m.: Baseball Operations Panel
  Speakers: Sarah Gelles, Baltimore Orioles; Yeshayah Goldfarb, San Francisco Giants; Nick Ennis, San Diego Padres. Moderator: Vince Gennaro, SABR President.
• 3:15-3:30 p.m.: SABR Analytics Conference Research Award presentations
  The winners of the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards will be announced and presented. 
• 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Research Presentations 10-11
  presented by Baseball Info Solutions
  RP10—Lindsay Parr, “The Stolen Base”
  RP11—Rob Mains, “Unintended Consequences of Rising Strikeout Rates”
• 4:30-5:00 p.m.: Conference wrap-up by Vince Gennaro and Marc Appleman.

For more information about the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.