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This Week in SABR: April 15, 2022

This Week in SABR: April 15, 2022

Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web. Here’s what we’ve been up to as of April 15, 2022:


Check out SABR’s new Jackie Robinson 75th anniversary web project

Jackie Robinson 75: Baseball's Re-IntegrationSeventy-five years ago today, on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson trotted out to first base at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn as the first Black man to appear in the all-White major leagues in the twentieth century. In his memoir, I Never Had It Made, Robinson wrote, “I never expected the walls to come tumbling down in my lifetime.”

At SABR.org, Jackie Robinson 75: Baseball’s Re-Integration, edited by SABR Century Committee chair Sharon Hamilton, dives into the SABR Research Collection archives and draws on the contributions of more than 85 SABR authors and historians to tell the story of Robinson’s complicated, never guaranteed, journey as a civil rights pioneer on and off the field.

The re-integration of baseball was not an easy process. This project puts Robinson’s accomplishment into context by taking a look back to the Reconstruction Era of the nineteenth century, when the promise of a fully integrated baseball world briefly existed. We tell the stories of baseball’s great Black players who starred in both the major and minor leagues in the 1870s and 1880s, and examine how professional baseball ended up with a color line in the first place. We also take a look at the pivotal roles played by influential Black pioneers to fight for equality, from baseball executives Rube Foster and Sol White to sports writers Wendell Smith, Sam Lacy, and Fay Young — all of whom helped pave the way for Robinson nearly six decades later.

This historical background sets the stage for an in-depth look at the beginnings of Robinson’s professional baseball career and his path from being a star shortstop with the Kansas City Monarchs to his signing with the Dodgers in 1945. The project moves on to Robinson’s integration of the minor leagues with the Montreal Royals in 1946 before exploring his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 — a year filled with trials and triumphs.

Finally, this project celebrates the integration pioneers who came after Robinson, as the rest of the teams in the American and National Leagues signed Black players over the ensuing years. Those other integration pioneers never had it made either, and this project aims to pay homage to all of these heroes of America’s national pastime.

Visit SABR.org/jackie75 to learn more.


SABR Digital Library: Not an Easy Tale to Tell: Jackie Robinson on the Page, Stage, and Screen

Not an Easy Tale to Tell: Jackie Robinson on the Page, Stage, and Screen, edited by Ralph CarhartOn Jackie Robinson Day, add a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:

Not an Easy Tale to Tell: Jackie Robinson on the Page, Stage, and Screen
Edited by Ralph Carhart
Associate editors Bill Nowlin, Carl Riechers, and Kate Nachman
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-970159-71-4, $6.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-970159-72-1, $19.95
8.5″ x 11″, 128 pages

Few athletes have sparked the creative imaginations of artists more than Jackie Robinson. His presence can be seen in cinema, on television and on stages, big and small; even tucked within the pages of written fiction. As we approach the seventy-fifth anniversary of Robinson’s integration of the Dodgers, he continues to inspire, including a recent appearance in the premiere episode of HBO’s groundbreaking Lovecraft Country.

Robinson’s tale serves as such ripe material for creatives because of how singular and inspiring it is. Over time, those creative representations have shaped the story of Jackie Robinson, taking him beyond his true, complicated personhood and elevating him to an inspirational symbol. The only other American athlete to ascend to the level of folklore is Babe Ruth, a son of immigrants whose “rags to riches” journey resonated with the hopes of early twentieth century Americans. Robinson’s tale, by contrast, embodies American society’s post-war aspirations for itself and the conflicts that would shape it, including the fight for civil rights and roles that education, athletics, the military, and professional sports played in racial integration.

Not an Easy Tale to Tell looks at the stories behind the stories that have shaped the way we think about Jackie Robinson. Not only does it separate the fact from fiction, but it looks at why that fiction was created. It also posits the idea that sometimes the fiction is just as important. Contributors to this volume examine Robinson’s portrayals in Hollywood movies, children’s books, musicals and plays, and documentaries.

Artists keep returning to Robinson because he is one of the most inspirational figures of the twentieth century not in spite of, but because of his complexities. He did more than change the game of baseball—he changed America. By doing so, he inspired multiple generations of artists to look to him to help them tell their stories. In utilizing Robinson as a symbol, they invariably highlight, time and again, how his actual story is not an easy tale to tell.

Contributors include: Adam Berenbak, Milbert O. Brown Jr., Steve Butts, Ralph Carhart, Ray Danner, Bryan Dietzler, Raymond Doswell, Peter Dreier, Pat Ellington Jr., Sharon Hamilton, Tom Hawthorn, Leslie Heaphy, Tom Lee, Luisa Lyons, Adam C. MacKinnon, Nick Malian, Kate Nachman, Joshua Neuman, Bill Nowlin, Zac Petrillo, Carl Riechers, and Benjamin Sabin.

SABR members, get this e-book for free!

Having trouble downloading our e-books? To view PDF files on your computer, click here to download the free Adobe Reader software. Having trouble downloading e-books to your Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or iPad? Click here for additional help.

Visit SABR.org/ebooks to find more titles from the SABR Digital Library.


Join SABR’s Give Local campaign today

Donate now to SABR's Give Local campaignAs SABR strives to become the essential community for the world of baseball, our amazing chapters, research committees and communities of interest continue to promote our great game and share our passion for baseball’s past, present and future.

In 2021, SABR launched its Local Grants Program, delivering mission-focused funding to chapters and committees for projects concentrating on one or more of SABR’s four pillars: Research, Preservation, Scholarship, and Future of the Game. During our Give Local campaign, we’ll proudly share some of the stories of our inaugural group of Local Grants recipients and how they will put these funds to work in their communities.

  • By joining our Give Local campaign between today and June 10, you will help support SABR’s general operation and fund more of our members’ amazing work on the local level.

While seven projects initiated by SABR chapters across the country received Local Grants for 2022, there were many more worthy applications submitted that we were unable to fund in the first year of the program.

Visit SABR.org/donate/give-local to learn more.


Baldassaro, Chetwynd, Spatz, Steinberg win 2022 SABR Baseball Research Awards

2022 SABR Baseball Research Award winners: Lawrence Baldassarro, Josh Chetwynd, Lyle Spatz, Steve SteinbergThe 2022 SABR Baseball Research Awards, which honor outstanding research projects completed during the preceding calendar year that have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball, have been awarded to:

  • Lawrence Baldassaro, Tony Lazzeri: Yankees Legend and Baseball Pioneer (University of Nebraska Press)
  • Josh Chetwynd, “Taking Your LUMPs: Major League Baseball’s History of Pitchers Failing to Retire a Single Batter in an Outing” (NINE Journal)
  • Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg, Comeback Pitchers: The Remarkable Careers of Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn (University of Nebraska Press)

The SABR Baseball Research Award is designed to honor projects that do not fit the criteria for the Seymour Medal or the McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award. The selection committee included Tara Krieger (chair), Pete Cottrell, and Art Mugalian.

To see a complete list of SABR Baseball Research Award winners, click here.


Watch: Ballpark Figures with author Marc Normandin

Marc NormandinJoin us each month for SABR’s Ballpark Figures, a new interview series hosted by award-winning writer Shakeia Taylor. The virtual Zoom event is free and open to all active SABR members.

On Tuesday, April 5, we heard from Marc Normandin, who writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at MarcNormandin.com. His writing has also appeared at Defector, Baseball Prospectus, SB Nation, and other publications. He also writes a regular newsletter on retro video games.

Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more.


Check out more highlights from the 2022 SABR Virtual Analytics Conference

2022 SABR Virtual Analytics ConferenceAt the SABR Virtual Analytics Conference on Sunday, March 20, we heard a panel discussion on Sport Science and Player Health.

Panelists included: Ryan L. Crotin, Vice President of ArmCare.com; Kristen Nicholson, director of the Biomechanics and Pitching Laboratory at Wake Forest School of Medicine; Jason Themanson, Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Program at Illinois Wesleyan University; and moderator Will Carroll, author of Under the Knife columns and The Science of Baseball: The Math, Technology, and Data Behind the Great American Pastime.

For more highlights, stories, and clips from the 2022 SABR Virtual Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.


Sign up now for the SABR 50 annual convention in Baltimore

SABR 50 logoSABR’s 50th Annual Convention will take place on August 17-21, 2022, in Baltimore, and we are beyond thrilled to celebrate with you in person. Registration for SABR 50 and hotel accommodations at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor is now available at SABR.org/convention.

This is an event well worth the wait, and we already have an All-Star lineup of featured speakers and exciting events planned, including:

  • Keynote address by Tim Kurkjian, winner of the BBWAA’s 2022 Career Excellence Award
  • Opening Remarks by Sig Mejdal, Vice President and Assistant General Manager, Analytics, Baltimore Orioles
  • Oriole Park at Camden Yards panel with Bill Stetka (Orioles Team Historian), Greg Bader (Orioles Senior Vice President, Administration & Experience), and Joe Spear (founder of Populous)
  • Women in Leadership panel with Orioles executives Eve Rosenbaum (Director, Baseball Development), Nicole Sherry (Director, Field Operations), Jennifer Grondahl (Senior Vice President, Community Development & Communications), and Lisa Tolson (Senior Vice President, Human Resources)
  • Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox game on Friday, August 19

Of course, there is a lot more on the way — innovative panel discussions, ground-breaking research presentations, and more opportunities to make and renew cherished baseball friendships. We hope to see you this summer in Baltimore!

Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.


Two weeks left for early registration to 2022 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Birmingham

2022 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League ConferenceEarly registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on June 2-4, 2022, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

The full schedule for the 2022 Malloy Conference has now been posted online; click here to view the daily panels, presentations, and historic site tours.

  • Register: Click here to register online for the 2022 Malloy Conference. Full registration is $175 before April 29, $195 afterward. Students: $125 before April 29, $140 afterward. Single-day registration is also available for $75 for Friday or Saturday. Extra tickets can be purchased for the Rickwood Field bus tours, Thursday’s “meet and greet” reception, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Tour, or the awards banquet on Saturday night. All of these sessions are included in the full registration package.
  • Hotel: Click here to book your room online at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel at the special group rate of $155/night (plus tax). Our host hotel is located at 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., North Birmingham, AL 35203. Call (205) 324-5000 for questions about your hotel reservation.
  • Schedule: Click here to view the full schedule for the 2022 Malloy Conference.
  • COVID-19 policy: All attendees must supply proof of a negative test. Those who can provide proof of vaccination are exempt from this requirement. Attendees will be required to follow any additional local public health declarations, including mask mandates. Click here to learn more.
  • Contact: For questions, email Larry Lester or Leslie Heaphy.

Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more.


Call for papers: 2022 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference

SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference logoSABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center have announced a call for papers for the fourth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, scheduled for September 16-18, 2022, at Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois.

This year’s conference theme is “Title IX and Women’s Baseball: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are and Where We’re Headed.” Topics can focus on anniversaries such as: Title IX (50th), Marie Pepe (50th), umpires (Bernice Gera 50th), A League of Their Own (30th), the Colorado Silver Bullets (25th anniversary of final season); or any other ideas related to women’s baseball are welcome for individual oral and poster presentations.

Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by June 27, 2022, to Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.


Sign up now for SABR Analytics Certification online course

Watch on YouTube: SABR Analytics Certification previewIt’s time to get SABR Certified! The first course in the new SABR Analytics Certification program — Conversational Analytics and Critical Thinking in Baseball — is available online now.

The SABR Analytics Certification program is an online, on-demand curriculum offering professional development and learning opportunities for those interested in elevating their skills and knowledge relating to baseball analytics. The curriculum was developed by current baseball professionals, including employees of Major League Baseball and its clubs.

SABR members get a significant discount on this Analytics Certification course registration, saving $55 off the regular price.

Visit SABR.org/analytics/certification to sign up today or learn more.


Join us for more Stay Home With SABR virtual events

University of Illinois baseball (Photo: Joel Dinda / Flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0)SABR chapters and committees are encouraged to set up virtual meetings to stay engaged with our members throughout the world at SABR.org, as part of our Stay Home With SABR initiative to assist in limiting the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

  • Can’t-Miss Event: SABR’s Central Illinois Chapter will hold a virtual Zoom meeting at 6:30 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, April 19. All baseball fans are invited to attend. Bill Kemp, McLean County Museum of History’s librarian, will walk guests through the county’s rich baseball history, highlighting famous names and ballparks from the past, and providing a special look at the Three-Eye League. The event is free, but advance registration is required. Click here to register in advance for this meeting.
  • Video Replays: This week, we heard from Terry Bohn (“Bushels of Fun: Early Baseball in the Black Hills”) and Bob Brady of the Boston Braves Historical Association. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.

Here are some more upcoming virtual events you can attend online; check the Events Calendar for complete details:

  • April 18: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CDT)
  • April 19: Central Illinois Chapter meeting with Bill Kemp (6:30 p.m. CDT)
  • April 20: SABR New Member Experience (8:00 p.m. EDT)
  • April 21: Larry Doby (SC) Chapter meeting with Milledge Murray and Lamarr Garard (7:30 p.m. EDT)
  • April 21: Dick Allen-Connie Mack (PA) Chapter meeting with Ed Achorn (8:00 p.m. EDT)
  • April 23: Jorge Colón-Delgado: Josh Gibson in Puerto Rico (12:00 p.m. EDT)
  • April 23: Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington (KY) Chapter meeting with Bret Ripley (1:00 p.m. EDT)
  • April 24: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter Meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)

In addition, the following events will be held in person:

  • April 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
  • April 18: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter meeting (St. Louis, MO)
  • April 19: Bob Davids Chapter Maryland Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
  • April 21: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
  • April 23: Schott-Pelican Chapter meeting (New Orleans, LA)
  • April 23: Smoky Joe Wood Chapter meeting (Middletown, CT)

Find more upcoming SABR meetings on our Events Calendar page.


7 new biographies posted at SABR BioProject

Kimera Bartee (TRADING CARD DB)Seven new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project. Here are the new bios published this week:

All new biographies can be found here: SABR.org/bioproject


18 new stories published at the SABR Games Project

Albert Pujols (TRADING CARD DB)Eighteen new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project, including a selection from SABR’s A Palace in the Nation’s Capital: Griffith Stadium, Home of the Washington Senators. Here are the new game stories:

New Games Project stories can be found at SABR.org/gamesproject.

  • Get involved: Have memories of a game you attended? Or a game you watched that caught your interest? Write about it! Writing for the Games Project is an easy way to get involved as a SABR member. Find out how by reading the Games Project FAQs section or checking out the Authors’ Guidelines. We have editors and fact checkers who are willing to help you write your first article.
  • Social media: Follow the SABR Games Project on Twitter or Facebook to keep up with new stories and updates.

SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with author Tyler Kepner

SABRcast #157: Tyler KepnerBaseball fans, tune in this season to SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer.

Episode #157 on Monday, April 11 featured Tyler Kepner, New York Times national baseball writer and author of K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches. His newest book, The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series, is set to publish in October 2022. He started his career as a teenager, interviewing players for a homemade magazine in the early 1990s. He attended Vanderbilt University on the Grantland Rice/Fred Russell sports writing scholarship, then covered the Angels for the Riverside Press-Enterprise and the Mariners for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He joined the New York Times in 2000, covering the Mets for two seasons, the Yankees for eight, and serving as the national baseball writer since 2010. He appeared on Episode #2 of SABRcast in April 2019.

Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode.

Subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or Stitcher, and listen to each episode as soon as it’s released on Mondays. To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.


Listen to a new episode of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Saturdays

Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM with Vince GennaroBehind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro, is back at a new time for the regular season. Listen to new episodes at 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays on MLB Network Radio.

You can also listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio app.

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM focuses on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today. It airs weekly throughout the year on MLB Network Radio, available to subscribers nationwide on XM channel 89, Sirius channel 209, and on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.


ICYMI: Highlights from last week’s This Week in SABR

Here are some major headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:

All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: SABR.org/this-week-in-sabr-archives.


Welcome, new members!

We’d like to welcome all of our new SABR members who have joined this week. You can find all Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org and the Membership Handbook can be downloaded here.

Please give these new members a warm welcome and help them make the most of their membership by giving them the opportunity to get involved in their local chapter or a research committee.

You can find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Thomas Allen Maple Grove, MD     Sean Henry Las Vegas, NV
J.C. Bartley Longmont, CO     Mitchell Hirsch Celebration, FL
Dwayne Brenna Saskatoon, SK     Chuck Johnson Helena, MT
Michael Brightling St. Thomas, ON     Drew Kellock Safety Harbor, FL
Robert H. Carden Crystal Lake, IL     Genmu Miller Funabashi, JPN
Clint Chafin Moultrie, GA     Joe Putnam Bellefonte, PA
Justin Craft Ann Arbor, MI     Carlos Rojas Scottsdale, AZ
Krista Emmett Chalfont, PA     Dwayne Sims Mitchellville, MD
Jason Ernst Grand Marais, MN     Chris Smith Fort Worth, TX
Matthew Frazier Petaluma, CA     David Weibel Lewis Center, OH
Anthony Garza Houston, TX     Rick Woelfel Willow Grove, PA
George Gonzalez Mt. Holly, NJ        

Research Committee news

Here are the new research committee updates this week:

Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research/committees.


Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter and chartered community updates this week:

Click here for more information on SABR regional chapters. Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.


Around the Web

Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:

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.

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Originally published: April 15, 2022. Last Updated: April 15, 2022.