This Week in SABR: April 22, 2016

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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 22, 2016:

Read articles from the Spring 2016 Baseball Research Journal online at SABR.org

Good news! The Spring 2016 edition of the Baseball Research Journal has been mailed out to all SABR members.

Those of you who receive the print edition should find your BRJ arriving in the next two to four weeks, although we hear many have already arrived. For digital subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered to your inboxes on April 7.

To learn more about contributing to a future SABR publication, click here.

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.

We hope you enjoy reading the Spring 2016 Baseball Research Journal!

Bak, Goldman, Lamb win 2016 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Awards

The 2016 winners of the McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, which honors the best articles on baseball history or biography completed or published during the preceding calendar year, are:

Bak (2005) and Lamb (2010) are previous winners of the McFarland-SABR award. Goldman is a first-time winner.

The McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award honors the author(s) of the best articles or papers, published or unpublished, on baseball history or biography completed during the preceding calendar year. Eligible works include magazine and journal articles, previously unpublished chapters or articles in anthologies or other books with multiple authors, and unpublished research papers and written versions of oral presentations. Each winner will receive a plaque and a cash prize of $200.

The awards will be presented at the 46th annual SABR convention, July 27-31, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Miami, Florida.

The selection committee consists of: Len Levin (chair), Phil Bergen, Warren Corbett, Chuck Hilty, and Bill Humber. To submit a nomination for the 2017 awards, please send an electronic copy (or three print copies) of the work, along with the title, author, and publisher information (if applicable) to Len Levin.

For a complete list of winners of the McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, click here.

SABR 46: Barry Bonds, Don Mattingly to speak at Miami convention this summer

We are excited to announce that former MLB All-Stars Barry Bonds and Don Mattingly will be featured speakers at the SABR 46 convention this summer in Miami.

SABR 46 will be held July 27-31, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Miami. Discounted early registration rates are available now at SABR.org/convention. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

Bonds, who joined the Miami Marlins as their hitting coach in 2016, was one of baseball’s most complete and controversial players, a seven-time MVP and 14-time All-Star who ranks among the all-time leaders in almost every offensive category, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986-1992 and San Francisco Giants from 1993-2007. He holds the single-season (73) and career (762) records for most home runs, surpassing Hank Aaron’s iconic total of 755 in 2007. His 2,558 walks are the most by any hitter, and he also ranks third in runs scored and fifth in RBIs. He stole 514 bases and earned eight Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. He is the son of former major-leaguer Bobby Bonds and the godson of Hall of Famer Willie Mays.

Mattingly is entering his first year as the Marlins manager, after a five-year stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he won three consecutive NL West titles from 2013-15. He played 14 seasons with the New York Yankees, compiling more than 2,000 hits, 222 home runs and a .307 lifetime average. He was a six-time American League All-Star, a nine-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, and voted the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1985. In 1987, he tied an MLB record by hitting home runs in eight consecutive games and set a record with six grand slams in a season.

Both former ballplayers will be part of our SABR 46 pregame ballpark session at Marlins Park on Friday, July 29, moderated by SABR member and MLB.com columnist Barry M. Bloom. You must be registered for SABR 46 and have a Marlins game ticket in order to attend the ballpark session. Discounted all-inclusive registration packages are now available at SABR.org/convention.

Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

More details and the complete schedule will be announced in the coming months. Find more information on SABR 46 at SABR.org/convention.

SABR 46: View a special screening of Fastball documentary

Attendees at SABR 46 this summer will have a chance to see a special screening of the new Fastball documentary film, directed by the Emmy Award-winning Jonathan Hock and narrated by Kevin Costner, on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Miami.

Discounted early registration rates are now available for SABR’s 46th national convention at SABR.org/convention. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. The convention will be held July 27-31, 2016, in Miami, Florida.

Filmed at baseball’s most hallowed grounds, from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to Yankee Stadium to the sandlot field in Weiser, Idaho, where Walter Johnson’s fastball changed the game over a hundred years ago, the film provides unparalleled insight into both the mechanics and the mythos of our National Pastime. The film features interviews with dozens of former players, from legendary Hall of Famers to up-and-coming All-Stars. Fastball documents the history of the “fastest” pitcher — from Walter Johnson’s famous speed of 122 feet per second, to Bob Feller’s post-war record of 98.6 mph, to Nolan Ryan’s “officially” clocked best of 100.9, to the current speed gun king Aroldis Chapman’s 105.1.

For more information on Fastball, or to view a trailer of the film, visit fastballmovie.com.

Last call: Cast your vote in the 2016 SABR Board of Directors election

SABR members, you should have received an e-mail message on Tuesday, April 12 and a reminder e-mail on Tuesday, April 19 with a link to vote online in the 2016 SABR Board of Directors election. The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, April 26.

The only way to vote online is through the link you  receive by e-mail. All e-mails will come from the address tellers@sabr.org; if you wish to add it to a whitelist in your e-mail client, that may help ensure that you will receive the e-mails.

  • If you did NOT receive an e-mail on Tuesday, April 12 with a link to vote, please contact Jacob Pomrenke to have your ballot re-sent.

The 2016 Board of Directors election includes two ballot items: the election of the SABR Vice President and two (2) open Director positions — you must rank the Director candidates in order of preference. The candidates for election are:

For Vice President

  • Leslie Heaphy

For Director (2)

  • Barry Bloom
  • Dennis Degenhardt
  • Barry Deutsch
  • Chris Dial (incumbent)
  • Bill Nowlin
  • George Skornickel

You can read the candidate biographies, along with full descriptions of the positions and responses the candidates made to a series of questions, in the 2016 SABR Election Guide which is available for download below:

Download the 2016 SABR Election Guide here (PDF)

For more information on the 2016 SABR election, click here.

Early registration now open for SABR 46 in Miami

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 46 convention, July 27-31, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Miami in downtown Miami, Florida.

  • Registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 46 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 46! More details on guest speakers, panelists, and presenters will be announced soon. We’re again offering a special all-inclusive rate for the annual SABR convention. SABR members can pay $269 for an all-inclusive package that includes full registration to SABR 46, a premium Home Plate Box ticket to the Miami Marlins game on Friday, July 29 (includes special pregame ballpark session/tour and roundtrip bus transportation), and one ticket to the Awards Luncheon — the package is a savings of $40 off the regular rate. Non-members can pay $299 for the all-inclusive rate. The deadline to register at the all-inclusive rate is Monday, June 13, 2016.
  • Hotel: Don’t forget to book your hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Miami; our room block usually goes quickly. Click here to book your room online. The deadline to book your room at the SABR group rate of $129/night (plus tax) is Monday, June 13, 2016. If you have any questions about your reservation, please call the hotel at (305) 358-1234.
  • Pregame ballpark session/tour: SABR 46 attendees will have a special opportunity to visit Marlins Park for an exclusive pregame ballpark session with Miami Marlins executives and players. Before the Marlins 7:10 p.m. game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, July 29, a special SABR 46 panel discussion will take place at Marlins Park followed by a ballpark tour for convention attendees. Guest speakers and more details will be announced soon. Purchase of SABR 46 conference registration AND a game ticket will be required to attend this special session. A SABR 46 Marlins game ticket also includes roundtrip bus transportation. Click here to learn more.
  • Pre-order your SABR logo shirts, caps, or souvenir baseballs: Avoid the rush at registration, and pre-order your SABR logo polo shirt, T-shirt, baseball caps, or souvenir crystal baseball online when you register for SABR 46. Please indicate shirt size (adult S to XXXL) when you register. Caps are one-size-fit-most. Your items will be available to be picked up when you arrive at the SABR convention. The souvenir baseballs are crystal paperweights measuring about 3 inches around, with an embossed SABR logo in the center. Deadline to pre-order: Monday, June 13, 2016.

All SABR 46 attendees will also receive a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball teams, players and events in the Miami area. All SABR members, whether you attend the convention or not, will receive the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime in their inboxes later this summer. Click here to register for SABR 46.

Students: Less than two weeks left to apply for a SABR 46 Yoseloff Scholarship

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 46 in Miami. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Some form of age verification (photocopy of driver’s license, passport, etc.) must be attached to your application.

Submissions must include a written essay and a letter of recommendation from a current high school/college teacher, guidance counselor or a school administrator. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2016.

For full details on how to apply, or to download an application, click here.

SABR 19th Century Grave Marker Project to unveil first plaque for James Whyte Davis

SABR’s 19th Century Baseball Grave Marker Project is pleased to announce a special ceremony to dedicate the newly installed marker for New York Knickerbocker pioneer James Whyte Davis.

Join us at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 14, 2016, at the main entrance of Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery (500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232) as celebrants take a trolley tour, hosted by historian Tom Gilbert, through the story of early baseball. The journey will begin at the burial site of “Too Late” Davis, where the first marker installed by the young Project will be unveiled.

Inspired by an idea proposed by official Major League Baseball historian John Thorn at SABR’s 2015 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, the committee was formed last year in an effort to correct some of the slights of history. The game’s pioneers spent their early working lives dedicated to a sport that, even at the highest level, had not yet become the lucrative opportunity we think of today. Many of them died without the funds to mark the ground where they were laid to rest. With the help of donations from SABR members as well as a generous grant from Major League Baseball, the Project intends that James Whyte Davis — pictured at right, with Doc Adams — is just the first of many afforded the honor they were denied at the times of their deaths.

To learn more about James Whyte Davis at John Thorn’s “Our Game” blog, click here.

Before the ceremony, guests will take a tour of the most famous final resting place in New York City. Through the Gothic spires of Green-Wood Cemetery lie more than 200 of the game’s early players, managers, executives, and notables. Hall of Famer Henry Chadwick and baseball’s first superstar, Jim Creighton, spend eternity not far from Davis, as do other former Knick teammates Louis F. Wadsworth, Duncan Curry, and William Tucker. The history of the early game is told in the stone of Green-Wood.

Graveside speeches by noted baseball historians will tell the story of Davis, a man that Doc Adams referred to as baseball’s first “fiend.” Please be a part of this historic event and celebrate the life of one of the men whose largely unknown history played such an important role in America’s Pastime.

For more information, please contact Ralph Carhart at thehallballproject@gmail.com.

Registration now open for 2016 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

The 19th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be held July 7-9, 2016, in Kansas City. The conference is open to all baseball, history and sports fans of all ages. Registration is now available.

  • To register: Click here to register online at the SABR Store. Or click here to download a printable registration form and information packet (PDF); you can mail your check or money order before June 20 to SABR Malloy Conference, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004. The early registration rate for SABR members is $165 for adults (includes all activities) or $120 for students. (Non-members: $200 adults/$150 students). Single-day registration for Friday or Saturday is $75 for SABR members, $95 non-members. The Thursday education forum only is $15 for SABR members, $30 non-members. Optional sessions or guest tickets are also available. Please note: The early registration rate expires on May 10, 2016.
  • Book your hotel room: The Malloy Conference will be held at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center, 6100 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS 66211. Limited rooms are available at a special discounted rate of $119/night (plus tax) for singles/doubles or $129/night (plus tax) for triples. Click here to reserve your room today or call (866) 837-4214 and mention the Jerry Malloy Conference. Please note: The cutoff date to book your room at the SABR discounted rate is June 13, 2016.

The 2016 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will celebrate “Barnstorming in the Negro Baseball Leagues.” Barnstorming has always been a central part of the life of Negro League ballplayers. All Negro Leaguers took part in barnstorming games across the country and in cities like Kansas City. Monarchs great Satchel Paige, whose 110th birthday is being celebrated during this conference, did his fair share of barnstorming. Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, or other Negro Leagues issues.

Visit SABR.org/malloy for information on the 2016 Call for Papers, Essay Contest, Art Contest, and Library Grant Program.

ESPN launches “1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas” historical fiction project; SABR members can help contribute

It’s been almost a year since John Thorn, Steve Wulf, and I had the honor of presenting our vision for “1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas” at the SABR 45 convention in Chicago — finally, last week our project launched on ESPN.com.

“1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas” is a novel written in the form of a diary by a pitcher who really did play for the legendary ’27 Yankees team, which starred Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and the rest of Murderers’ Row. Almost all of the action in the diary takes place off the field—in speakeasies, brothels and gambling dens, in Harlem night clubs and rent parties, and on the Long Island estates of Wall Street and entertainment tycoons.

Set in the height of the Roaring Twenties, it chronicles the adventures of white and black baseball immortals, Jazz pioneers, Prohibition entertainers, bootleggers, gamblers and swindlers—all part of Myles’s exploration of youth, greatness, morality, sex, race, and the meaning of heroes. Most of all, it’s a deeply intimate journey through the worlds of Baseball, Jazz and Prohibition—three worlds that really did come together in 1927.

In addition to the Myles Thomas diary, the project also includes wonderful letters written by Steve Wulf, under the name of Ford Frick, who was a Yankees beat writer that season (as well as Babe Ruth’s ghostwriter), and historical essays about baseball in the Roaring Twenties by John Thorn. Visit medium.com/1927-the-diary-of-myles-thomas to check out the full project.

SABR has been a big part of our project, especially the SABR BioProject, which has been a tremendous source for our research. We hope to continue our conversation with SABR members over the course of the summer. In fact, we’re hosting the project on a platform (Medium.com) that easily enables online conversations. Additionally, we also have set up an ESPN 1927 Google Group exclusively for SABR members to contribute to the conversation. If you’d like to sign up, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.

Finally, our team is in a permanent state of research — so if there are any new facts, stories, or discoveries, including images of ephemera of the Yankees of that era that you would like to share with us, please don’t hesitate to send it to us at Douglas.Alden@espn.com or ping our Facebook page.

— Douglas Alden

Submit your entries for 2016 Women on the Diamond art competition

SABR’s Women in Baseball Research Committee is teaming up with the International Women’s Baseball Center to sponsor the 2016 Women on the Diamond art competition.

The winning entry and runner-up in each category, professional and amateur, will have their art displayed during the third annual Women’s Baseball Symposium in September 2016 at the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. The winning entry in the professional and amateur category will also receive a $200 prize. Photos of the winning entries and runners-up will also be included in an upcoming issue of SABR’s Women in Baseball newsletter.

Deadline for all entries to be received is May 23, 2016. Entry fee: $30 (includes up to three entires per category); make all checks out to “International Women’s Baseball Center.” JPG images may be e-mailed to Lheaphy@kent.edu or photocopies/entry fees mailed to: Dr. Leslie Heaphy, Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Rd., No. Canton, OH 44720. For sculptural works, multiple pictures in jpeg format may be entered. All entries must be “by the hand of the artist.” For complete criteria, click here to download the application form.

A Youth Art Contest is also being held, with an entry fee of $10. The winner will receive a $150 prize. All schools that enter students will have their name placed in a drawing and two winners will be chosen. The winning schools will each receive $250 worth of age-appropriate books about women’s baseball for their libraries. Click here to download the Youth Art Contest application form.

Judges include graphic designers and artists Miranda Bowman, Gary Cieradkowski, James Fiorentino, and Debbie Sampson.

For more information on the Women in Baseball Research Committee, click here.

9 new biographies published by SABR BioProject

Nine new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 3,739 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

All new biographies can be found here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/recent

  • Search for any SABR biography: You can now visit sabr.org/bioproj_search to search for any player — or manager, executive, scout, spouse, broadcaster, or umpire — who appears in the SABR BioProject. You can also browse all of these BioProject categories and a lot more, including 300-game winners, Hall of Famers, 1960s All-Stars, or Negro Leaguers, at our Browse page: sabr.org/bioproj/browse.
  • 1954 Cleveland Indians biographies now posted online: In SABR’s Pitching to the Pennant: The 1954 Cleveland Indians, edited by Joseph Wancho and published by University of Nebraska Press in 2014, we celebrated the record-setting Tribe, one of the most memorable teams in baseball history. Their mark for most wins (111) fell only when the baseball schedule expanded, and their winning percentage, an astounding .721, is still unsurpassed in the American League. Though the season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the New York Giants in the World Series, the 1954 team remains a favorite among Cleveland fans and beyond. The SABR BioProject biographies that appeared in Pitching to the Pennant can now be read online at: http://sabr.org/category/completed-book-projects/1954-cleveland-indians. You can also purchase the book from University of Nebraska Press by clicking here.

3 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Three new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:

All new Games Project stories can be found here: http://sabr.org/gamesproject/recent

Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Sunday nights

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro, will air this weekend at its regular time, 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET on Sundays, on MLB Network Radio.

This week’s guests are Matthew Trueblood from Baseball Prospectus and SABR member Owen Watson of FanGraphs.

Now, you can also watch video highlights of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on MLB.com and you can also listen to all recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

Click here to watch more video highlights of Baseball SABR Style from MLB.com.

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.

For more information, click here.

In Memoriam

  • SABR member William Maurice “Bill” Gorman, 76, of Mesa, Arizona, died on March 26, 2016. His death marked the passage of a Native Arizonan, a passionate baseball fan and a man known for his loyalty to lifelong friendships. Born February 25, 1940 in Phoenix, Arizona, to William & Mary Gorman, now deceased, his lifelong love of baseball began in the little town of Maricopa and continued through his playing days at St. Mary’s High School, where he graduated in 1957. He continued his baseball career at Arizona State University (1959-62) where he was proud to be coached by Bobby Winkles, to be one of the team captains during his senior year, and to have caught ASU’s first two no-hitters pitched by Sam Cook and Harley Anderson. He graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and worked as the Ticket Manager for ASU before becoming the General Manager of the Single-A Visalia Mets and later the General Manager with the Class AAA Omaha Royals and the Fresno Grizzlies. He and his wife Linda retired to Mesa in 2013 to enjoy spring training games and get-togethers with family and friends. Survivors include his wife, Linda, ex-wife Janet, their children April and her husband Jose Aguinaga, Wil and his wife Bernadette and their children, Liam, Libby, and Finn; brother Jim and two sisters, Mary Baron and Patty Downey. In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Bill can be made to ASU Baseball scholarships; Sun Devil Club, PO Box 872205, Tempe, AZ 85287 or Mayo Clinic; Dept. 85259 – Community of Caring Fund of Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

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

We’ve heard your feedback: Some of you have said you look forward to “This Week in SABR” every Friday, but sometimes there are just too many compelling articles and announcements to read every week. We’re not complaining — hey, keep up the great work! — but we know the feeling. So in an effort to make the length of this newsletter more manageable to read, we’ll summarize some of the repeating/recurring announcements in a special “In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)” section of “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: http://sabr.org/content/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 (SABR.org/directory).

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Eriel Barcenas Union City, NJ     Garrett Kuhn Burke, VA
Gerald Bray New York, NY     Bill Leatherman High Point, NC
John Edwards Gilbert, AZ     Barry Rumbles Coquitlam, BC
Steve King Lynbrook, NY     Larry Schunk Des Moines, IA
Jerome Kowalski Chagrin Falls, OH     Ethan Shoulberg New York, NY
Diana Kuhn Burke, VA     Robert Stephenson El Macero, CA

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:

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

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:

  • Halsey Hall Chapter May 2016 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
  • New Best Practices handbook: Chapter leaders, download the new Chapter Leaders Best Practices Handbook, compiled by SABR staffer Marisa Elliot, on the Admin Tools page at admin.sabr.org. The handbook offers suggestions and guidelines for meetings, speakers, revitalizing a chapter, and getting publicity for SABR and chapter events.

Visit SABR.org/chapters for more information on SABR regional chapters.

SABR Events Calendar

Here is a list of upcoming SABR events:

All SABR meetings and events are open to the public. Feel free to bring a baseball-loving friend … and make many new ones! Check out the SABR Events Calendar at SABR.org/events.

Around the Web

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

Read these articles and more at SABR.org/latest.

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.

Have trouble reading this e-mail? Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox (and not the spam folder.)

 

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Originally published: April 22, 2016. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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