2014 SABR Convention: SABR 44 in Houston

July 30-August 3, 2014
Royal Sonesta Houston
2222 W Loop S Fwy.
Houston, TX 77027

Presentations Schedule Committee Meetings Posters Speakers Vendors Room Information Photo Galleries #SABR44 on Twitter

SABR 44: Schedule of Events

Here is the schedule of events for SABR 44, which was held July 30-August 3, 2014, at the Royal Sonesta Houston in Houston, Texas.

For more coverage, visit SABR.org/convention.

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

Wednesday, July 30

8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (Chairman’s Boardroom, 1st floor)
SABR Board Meeting

12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (Registration Desk, 1st 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 Larry Dierker Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing orange SABR 44 polo shirts all week during the convention.

1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (off-site)
Houston City History Tour
This combined bus/walking tour will leave from the Royal Sonesta and head to Minute Maid Park, where we’ll walk around Downtown Houston and give tour-goers a taste of Bayou City history. Tour guide Mike Vance, a SABR member and Executive Director of Houston Arts and Media, is one of the top historians and storytellers in Houston. He will have dozens of stories to share along the walk. Participants will see the site of an early capitol of the Republic of Texas, now a historic hotel where JFK stayed the day before he was assassinated. There will be stops to see stellar art deco architecture and gleaming modern skyscrapers mixed in with tales of dueling, Civil War murder and oil barons. The bus will leave the hotel at 1 p.m. and return at 4 p.m. Tour is limited to 56 people and is subject to cancellation. Participants are asked to dress comfortably, wear shorts and sunscreen, and bring your cameras and bottled water. Fee: $25 in advance. Click here to register.

4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Chairs Meeting
Leslie Heaphy, chair (lheaphy@kent.edu)

5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Regional Chapter Leaders Meeting
Bill Nowlin, chair (bnowlin@rounder.com)

6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Business of Baseball
Michael Haupert, co-chair (mhaupert@uwlax.edu)
Steven Weingarden, co-chair (steveweingarden@gmail.com)

6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball and the Arts
Jeff Campbell, co-chair (hungryformusic@worldnet.att.net)
Joanne Hulbert, co-chair (jhulbert@earthlink.net)

7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (Champions pre-function area, 2nd floor)
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, July 31

7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Registration Desk, 1st floor)
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open for attendees to get their materials. (Please note the registration desk will be closed from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. during the Annual Business Meeting and Welcome Remarks.) If you have questions, you can also find a volunteer member from the Larry Dierker Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing orange SABR 44 polo shirts all week during the convention.

7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: BioProject
Mark Armour, director (markarmour04@gmail.com)

7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Minor Leagues
Joe Werner, co-chair (J_Werner92@ymail.com)
Joe Wancho, co-chair (jw2462@sbcglobal.net)

7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. (Champions V, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Oral History
Paul Ringel, co-chair (pbringel@gmail.com)
Justin Murphy, co-chair (jdmurphy315@yahoo.com)

8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
Annual Business Meeting

9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
Opening remarks: Reid Ryan
Our featured speaker, Reid Ryan, is President of Business Operations for the Houston Astros. Introduction by Bob Dorrill, chair of the Larry Dierker Chapter’s SABR 44 committee.

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
Houston Colt .45s Panel
Expected speakers include: Bob Aspromonte, who scored the first run in Houston major league history; Mickey Herskowitz, prolific author and sports writer who covered the Colt .45s in their first season; Hal Smith, who hit the first home run in Houston major league history; Carl Warwick, a native Texan who played two seasons with the Colt .45s; Jimmy Wynn, the “Toy Cannon,” an early Colt .45s star and Astros power hitter for 11 seasons. Moderator: Greg Lucas, Astros broadcaster from 1995 to 2012.

11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Founders Ballroom, 1st floor)
Vendors Room Open
The Vendors Room will have books and other baseball items available for purchase all week.

11:45 a.m.-12:10 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP01: The Minions of Mikado: The Quest to Form the First Professional Japanese-American Baseball Team
Rob Fitts

11:45 a.m.-12:10 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP02: Framing of Experimental Medical Procedures in Baseball
Coral Marshall

12:30-12:55 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP03: Evaluating the Impact of Baseball at Japanese-American WWII Internment Camps: An Assessment of the Game and its Portrayal in Popular Culture
Emily Hawks and Anthony Salazar

12:30-12:55 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP04: Just a Little Bit Outside …
Nicholas Miceli and Tom Bertoncino

1:15-1:40 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP05: Too Much, Too Fast, Too Young: Major League Baseball’s Struggle to Control Its Menacing Drug Problem
Joe Thompson

1:15-1:40 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP06: A Tall Tale Comes to Texas: Hank Greenberg and the 1932 Beaumont Explorers
Steve Krevisky

2:00-3:00 p.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
College Baseball Panel
Expected speakers include: Roger Clemens, a legend at the University of Texas who went on to win 354 games and seven Cy Young Awards in the major leagues; Jim Gilligan, head coach at Lamar University for 37 years and winner of more than 1,000 collegiate games; Mike Gustafson, President/CEO of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Moderator: Mike Vance, Executive Director of Houston Arts and Media and author of five books on sports and Houston history.

3:00-3:25 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP07: Let Them Play! The Houston Astrodome, the 1970s, and America’s Golden Age of Popular Culture
David Krell

3:00-3:25 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP08: Levittown Defeats Fort Worth to Win the 1960 Little League World Series
Mark Kanter

3:30-3 :55 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP09: A History of the Houston Colt .45s/Astros in The Rule Five Draft
Steven Glassman

3:30-3:55 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP10: “The Bikers Beat the Boy Scouts”: Facial Hair and the 1972 World Series
Maxwell Kates

4:00-10:30 p.m. (off-site)
Minor League Game: Sugar Land Skeeters
We’ll visit Constellation Park, home of the Atlantic League’s Sugar Land Skeeters, about 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston for a game between the Skeeters and the Bridgeport Bluefish. Before the game, former Houston Astros president and SABR member Tal Smith, a special advisor to the president of the Skeeters, will welcome SABR 44 attendees, along with Ira Liebman, voice of the Skeeters and also a SABR member. An optional all-you-can-eat buffet also will be served. Buses will leave the hotel beginning promptly at 4:00 p.m. The game begins at 7:05 p.m.

4:00-4:30 p.m. (Champions V, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Games and Simulations
Steve Krevisky, chair (sakrevisky@sbcglobal.net)
The Great American Fantasy League will stage a simulated game in Champions V immediately following the committee meeting.

4:15-5:15 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Science and Baseball
Eric Van, chair (emvan@post.harvard.edu)

4:15-5:15 p.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Bibliography/Baseball Index Project
Andy McCue, chair (agmccue44@earthlink.net)
Robert McAfee, vice-chair (xerxes7@earthlink.net)

5:15-6:15 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Latino Baseball
Anthony Salazar, chair (salazar8017@yahoo.com)

5:15-6:15 p.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Collegiate Baseball
Karl Green, chair (greenk@mindspring.com)

6:15-7:15 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Retrosheet
David W. Smith, president (dwsmith@retrosheet.org)

6:15-7:15 p.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Nineteenth Century
Peter Mancuso, chair (peterplus4@earthlink.net)
Bob Bailey, vice-chair (bobbailey@cox.net)

7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
Trivia Contest preliminary round
Trivia at SABR 44 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.

10:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. (Hotel bar)
Under-30 Mixer
All SABR members are welcome to attend our Under-30 Mixer at the hotel bar. Our younger members bring a unique perspective to SABR, and we’re excited that the future of baseball research is in their capable hands. Don’t forget to say hello to our Yoseloff Scholarship recipients attending the convention.

Friday, August 1

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Deadball Era
John McMurray, chair (deadball@sabr.org)

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Statistical Analysis
Phil Birnbaum, chair (birnbaum@sympatico.ca)

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. (Champions V, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Scouts
Rod Nelson, chair (rodericnelson@gmail.com)

8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Registration Desk, 1st floor)
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open for all attendees to get their materials. (Please note the registration desk will be closed from 10:00-11:00 a.m. for the 1980 Houston Astros Panel and from 12:00-2:00 p.m. during the Awards Luncheon.) If you have questions, you can also find a volunteer member from the Larry Dierker Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing the orange SABR 44 polo shirts all week during the convention.

8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Founders Ballroom, 1st floor)
Vendors Room Open
The Vendors Room will have books and other baseball items available for purchase all week. (Please note the registration desk will be closed from 10:00-11:00 a.m. for the 1980 Houston Astros Panel and from 12:00-2:00 p.m. during the Awards Luncheon.)

8:00-8:25 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP11: Leo the Lip and the New York Giants
John Burbridge

8:00-8:25 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP12: The Retroactive All-Star Game Project
Chuck Hildebrandt and Mike Lynch

8:30-8 :55 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP13: Revenge of the Parrott
Andy McCue

8:30-8 :55 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP14: Lead Me Out to the Ballgame: A Study Investigating the Leadership of MLB Managers
Howard Fero and Rebecca Herman

9:15-9:4 0 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP15: The Case for Al Campanis
Mark Armour

9:15-9:40 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP16: The Ballpark Sportscape: Outfield Advertising and the Branding Issue
Ed Mayo, Dobb Mayo and John Weitzel

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
1980 Houston Astros Panel
Expected speakers include: Enos Cabell, major league outfielder for 15 years who compiled more than 1,600 hits; Jose Cruz, who retired as the Astros’ franchise leader in games played, at-bats, hits, total bases, and triples, and has spent more than three decades in the organization; Deacon Jones, hitting coach on the 1980 team and a longtime scout with the Yankees, Padres, and Orioles; Tal Smith, General Manager for the 1980 team and later president of baseball operations. Moderator: Kenny Hand, award-winning Houston sports writer and columnist for the last 37 years.

11:15-11:40 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP17: The Cuban Baseball “Defectors” – An Insider’s Full Revelations on the True “Inside” Story
Peter C. Bjarkman

11:15-11:40 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP18: The Daniel Boone of Major League Baseball in Houston: George Kirksey
George Skornickel

12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (Discovery Center, 1st floor)
SABR Awards Luncheon
Keynote speaker: Larry Dierker
Note: Early entrance for SABR donors is from 11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Awards presented or announced at the luncheon include the Lee Allen Award, 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.

2:30-3:30 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
Media Panel
Expected speakers include: Bill Brown, who is in his 28th season as a Houston Astros broadcaster; Evan Drellich, who covers the Astros for the Houston Chronicle; Alyson Footer, national correspondent for MLB.com; Buck Martinez, play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays and a former major league catcher and manager. Moderator: Brett Dolan, who has nearly 20 years of experience as a play-by-play announcer, including seven years on the Astros radio broadcast team.

3:45-4:10 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP19: The Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy
Daniel R. Levitt

3:45-4:10 p.m. (Legends I/II, 1st floor)
RP20: William Hulbert and the Birth of the Business of Professional Baseball
Michael Haupert

4:30-5:30 p.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
Women in Baseball Panel
Expected speakers include: Alyson Footer, national correspondent for MLB.com; Jana Howser, Executive Vice President for Development for the College Baseball Hall of Fame; Marie “Red” Mahoney, the only native Houstonian to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League; and Leila Rahimi, anchor and reporter for Comcast SportsNet Houston. Moderator: Leslie Heaphy, co-chair of SABR’s Women in Baseball Research Committee, Negro Leagues historian, and SABR Director.

5:30-6:30 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Women in Baseball
Leslie Heaphy, co-chair (lheaphy@kent.edu)
Justine Siegal, co-chair (justinebaseball@gmail.com)

5:30-6:30 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Black Sox Scandal
Jacob Pomrenke, chair (buckweaver@gmail.com)

5:30-6:30 p.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd 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)

5:30-6:30 p.m. (Champions pre-function area, 2nd floor)
Poster Presentations
From 5:30–6:30 p.m. on Friday, SABR 44 poster presenters will be available for questions and discussion with their posters in the Champions pre-function area on the 2nd floor. The posters will be available for viewing all week in the Champions pre-function area.

6:30-7:30 p.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Origins
Lawrence McCray, chair emeritus (lmccray@mit.edu)

6:30-7:30 p.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Negro Leagues
Dick Clark, co-chair (tstearnes@comcast.net)
Larry Lester, co-chair (NTResearch@comcast.net)

6:30-7:30 p.m. (Champions V, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Educational Resources
Andy Andres, chair (Andy.Andres@Post.Harvard.edu)
Bill Nowlin, vice-chair (bnowlin@rounder.com)

7:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
Trivia Contest 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 44 Trivia Contest? Come watch to find out.

Saturday, August 2

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball Records
Lyle Spatz, chair (lspatz@comcast.net)
Trent McCotter, vice-chair (treant985@gmail.com)

7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Biographical Research
Bill Carle, chair (bbxpert@aol.com)
David Vincent, vice-chair (grandslams@aol.com)

8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (Registration Desk, 1st 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 Larry Dierker Chapter information table nearby; look for the friendly folks wearing orange SABR 44 polo shirts all week during the convention.

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. (Discovery Center, 1st floor)
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.

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Baseball and the Media
Chuck Hildebrandt, chair (chuck.sabr@gmail.com)
John McMurray, vice-chair (Mcmurrayj@aol.com)

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. (Champions VI/VII, 2nd floor)
Research Committee Meeting: Ballparks
Stan Meradith, co-chair (smeradith@dlrgroup.com)
Gary Gillette, co-chair (ggillette@247baseball.com)
Jim Gordon, co-chair (JimBruin@roadrunner.com)

8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Founders Ballroom, 1st floor)
Vendors Room Open
The Vendors Room will have books and other baseball items available for purchase all week. Please note that the Vendors Room will be closed from 10:30-11:30 a.m. during the From Playing Field to Front Office panel.

9:15-9:40 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP21: An Expanded Game-Theoretic Model of a Batter-Pitcher Confrontation in Baseball
Anton Dahbura

9:15-9:40 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP22: Texas Black Spiders: Texas’ Black Barnstorming Champions
Paul Spyhalski

9:45-10:10 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP23: An In-Depth Study of Team Chemistry in Baseball
Vince Gennaro

9:45-10:10 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP24: The Houston Eagles and Professional Negro League Baseball in Texas: Not Every Bird Soars when it Migrates South
Eric Robinson

10:30-11:30 a.m. (Legends Ballroom IV/VII, 1st floor)
Panel: From Playing Field to Front Office
Expected speakers include: Dr. Bobby Brown, five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees and former American League President; Eddie Robinson, a four-time All-Star first baseman, farm director of the Houston Colt .45s, and GM of the Texas Rangers; and Bob Watson, a two-time All-Star outfielder who scored the 1 millionth run in major league history and later served as GM of the Houston Astros. Moderator: C. Paul Rogers III, a professor of law and former dean of the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University and president of the Ernie Banks-Bobby Bragan SABR chapter in Dallas-Fort Worth.

11:30-11:55 a.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP25: Why Does the Home Team Score So Much in the First Inning?
David W. Smith

11:30-11:55 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP26: Jackie Robinson Wasn’t the Dodgers’ First Choice
Jim Kreuz

12:00-12:25 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP27: The Strike-Zone Squeeze
Richard Thurston

12:00-12:25 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP28: What Options Did the Managers Have, Part 1: Charlie Dressen’s Bad Day at the Office
Bryan Soderholm-Difatte
(Part 2 will take place in the RP31 timeslot at 1:00-1:25 p.m. Saturday.)

12:30-12 :55 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP29: The 1931 Dixie Series: Houston vs. Birmingham: The Brash Youngster Faces the Wily Veteran in a Series for the Ages
Steve Steinberg

12:30-12 :55 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP30: The Definitive Resolution Of the 1912 NL Triple Crown Discrepancy
Herm Krabbenhoft

1:00-1:25 p.m. (Legends IV/VII, 1st floor)
RP31: What Options Did the Managers Have, Part 2: The Brooks Lawrence Affair
Bryan Soderholm-Difatte
(Part 1 will take place in the RP28 timeslot at 12:00-12:25 p.m. Saturday.)

1:00-1:25 p.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
RP32: Was Mantle’s Peak Value Really Greater than Mays’s?
David Kaiser

1:45 p.m.-10:00 p.m. (Minute Maid Park)
SABR 44 Ballpark Session / Toronto Blue Jays at Houston Astros
A special treat is in store for SABR 44 attendees. On Saturday, August 2, SABR convention attendees will have the opportunity to visit Minute Maid Park for an exclusive ballpark session with Houston Astros executives and players. Before the Astros’ 6:05 p.m. game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two SABR 44 panel discussions will take place inside the ballpark. Buses will leave the hotel beginning promptly at 1:45 p.m. A separate bus for those who wish to attend only the ballgame (and not the ballpark sessions) will leave the hotel at 4:30 p.m.

Please note: Purchase of SABR 44 conference registration AND a game ticket will be required to attend this special session at Minute Maid Park. You can purchase your game ticket as part of the SABR ticket block or on your own, but you must have a ticket to enter the ballpark for the SABR 44 panels on Saturday. Registration will NOT be available at the ballpark. You must register at the hotel before 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Reminder: Chits for your ballgame ticket must be redeemed at the table near the Registration Desk on the 1st floor by 4:30 p.m. Friday.

2:30-3:30 p.m. (Minute Maid Park)
Astros Player Panel
Expected speakers include: Alan Ashby, Astros’ catcher for 11 seasons and now a TV analyst for CSN Houston; Art Howe, one of a handful of people to play for and manage the Houston Astros; and Larry Dierker, an Astros icon who has played for, managed, and broadcast for the team. Moderator: Bill Brown, Astros broadcaster for 28 seasons, Texas Sportscaster of the Year, and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

3:30-4:30 p.m. (Minute Maid Park)
Decision Sciences Panel
Expected speakers include: Jeff Luhnow, General Manager of the Houston Astros; Sig Mejdal, Director of Decision Sciences for the Astros; and David Stearns, Assistant General Manager of the Astros.

Sunday, August 3

7:30-8:30 a.m. (Champions I/II, 2nd floor)
Church Service
A religious service will be held for any members who wish to participate. Led by SABR member Fr. Gerald Beirne.

8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Chairmans Boardroom, 1st floor)
SABR Board Meeting

9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (Legends I/III, 1st floor)
Encore presentation: Doug Pappas Research Award

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (off-site)
Historical Ballparks Site Tour
This bus tour, led by SABR member Mike Vance, leaves from the hotel and will include stops at the sites of the three minor league and two former major league ballparks that hosted professional baseball in Houston from the 1870s until 1999. There will also be drive-bys of a few semi-pro baseball locations where former major leaguers stayed in the game after their days in the majors had ended. The tour culminates with a visit to the Astrodome, the most architecturally significant stadium in America. Participants will all receive a ballpark maps handout. Bus will leave the hotel at 10 a.m. and return at 1 p.m. Fee: $25 in advance. Click here to register.