This Week in SABR: April 3, 2020
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 3, 2020:
Stay Home With SABR initiative launched
SABR has announced the Stay Home With SABR initiative, an eight-week effort from April 1 to May 31, 2020, to assist in limiting the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
During this time, all new membership dues SABR receives will be split with Heart to Heart International, a nonprofit organization that distributes urgently needed equipment and medication to partners around the world during this global crisis.
Beginning next week, SABRcast with Rob Neyer will be recorded via online livestream, featuring nationally known guests plus an interactive Q&A in which all baseball fans can participate. The first live show, which will feature ESPN announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi, will air at 5:00 p.m. PDT on Monday, April 6 at SABR.org/sabrcast and the archives will be available online afterward.
SABR will also share all virtual meetings with our members throughout the world at SABR.org and our social media channels. Here are some upcoming virtual events:
- SABR’s Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter will host Facebook Live chats at Facebook.com/SABRChicago with The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard at 3:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, April 4 and author Scott Lindholm at 2:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday, April 5; and a Zoom chat with Negro League Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick at 11:00 a.m. CDT on Saturday, April 11.
- The SABR Baseball Cards Committee will host a Zoom book club event with SABR member Brad Balukjian, author of The Wax Pack Book, at 4:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday, April 5. Click here for more details.
Find more virtual meetings on our SABR Virtual Events Calendar page.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Check out more highlights from the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference
Couldn’t make it to Arizona for the SABR Analytics Conference? Visit SABR.org/analytics for full coverage of this exciting “virtual” event that brought together the top minds in the baseball analytics community in 2020. Find stories and multimedia clips from our panel discussions and research presentations, photo galleries, and much more.
In an effort to ensure the health and safety of our attendees during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, all SABR Analytics Conference panels and presentations are available to view online through a livestream at our YouTube channel and at SABR.org/analytics.
Click on a link below for more multimedia highlights from the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference:
- Watch highlights from Brian Kenny’s “The State of Analytics” talk
- Watch highlights from the Changing Baseball panel with Rob Arthur, Meredith Wills, Jay Jaffe, and Mike Ferrin
- Watch highlights from the Technology panel with T.J. Barra, Seth Daniels, Scott Coleman, and Rob Neyer
- Watch highlights from the Automated Strike Zone panel with Bobby Evans, Ben Jedlovec, Wayne Greiner, and Rob Neyer
- Listen to highlights from the 15 research presentations delivered at the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference
- Rachael McDaniel, Emily Waldon, Meredith Wills win 2020 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards
- Sean Forman honored with 2020 SABR Analytics Conference Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2020 Diamond Dollars Case Competition winners announced
- Check out a photo gallery from each day at the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference
- More highlights coming soon!
For more coverage of the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.
SABR office continuing to work remotely
The SABR office, housed at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Phoenix, Arizona, has been closed indefinitely due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Staff members will work remotely until it is advisable to resume normal operations on-site.
On Monday, March 16, ASU announced that all in-person classes would transition to online instruction for the rest of the spring semester through the end of April. A reassessment of the situation will take place at that time. Please contact a member of the SABR staff by email or phone with any questions.
Thanks to all SABR members, supporters, and partners for your patience and understanding.
SABR Digital Library: Green Cathedrals, Fifth Edition
Add a majestic book on baseball palaces to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:
Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of All Major League and Negro League Ballparks, Fifth Edition
Author: Philip J. Lowry
Editor-In-Chief: Ron Selter
Associate Editor, Negro Leagues: Kevin Johnson
Associate Photo Editor: Paul Healey
ISBN (e-book) 978-1-9438-1656-9, $9.95
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1657-6, $29.95
8.5″ x 11″, 332 pages
Click here to read a full description of this book at SABR.org.
SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!
- E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of Green Cathedrals for FREE from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, Kindle/MOBI and EPUB formats.
- Paperback: Get a 50% discount on Green Cathedrals paperback edition from the SABR Store ($17.99 includes shipping/tax; delivery via Kindle Direct Publishing can take up to 4-6 weeks.)
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.
SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including e-books for free and 50% discounts on paperback editions. For more titles, visit SABR.org/ebooks.
Early registration now open for SABR 50 in Baltimore
Join us in Baltimore to celebrate a special occasion this summer: SABR’s 50th annual convention! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 50 — scheduled for July 15-19, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore — is now available at SABR.org/convention.
Click here for complete details on the SABR 50 All-Inclusive Package, Early-Bird Registration, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 50.
Attendees at our SABR 50 convention this summer in Baltimore will have a special opportunity to visit Camden Yards for an exclusive Day at the Ballpark session on the morning of Thursday, July 16 to hear from Baltimore Orioles executives and players. Guest speakers and more details will be announced later this spring. Access to the Day at the Ballpark session at Camden Yards is included in your registration for SABR 50. We’ll return to Camden Yards on Friday night for a game between the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.
Our featured speakers for SABR 50 are expected to include:
- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN analyst, author of three baseball books, and Maryland native
- Janet Marie Smith, who oversaw the building of Camden Yards and the revitalization of Baltimore’s waterfront
- Sig Mejdal, Baltimore Orioles Vice President and Assistant GM
Click on a link below for more information about SABR 50.
- Registration: Click here for complete information on the SABR 50 All-Inclusive Package, Early-Bird Registration, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 50!
- Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor of $199/night plus tax (single/double occupancy) is only available to registered convention attendees. After you register for the SABR 50 convention, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with details on how to book your hotel room at the SABR group rate. There are a limited number of rooms in our group block, so be sure to register for SABR 50 early!
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, click here to learn more about a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 50 in Baltimore. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 29, 2020.
Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.
SABR 50: Call for presentation reviewers
Reviewers are needed to evaluate abstracts submitted as potential presentations at the SABR 50 convention this summer in Baltimore. You can help decide which ones make the cut! If interested, volunteer by contacting Neal Traven at beisbol@alumni.pitt.edu.
Click here to learn more about the submission guidelines for SABR 50 presentations.
To learn more about SABR 50, or to register, visit SABR.org/convention.
Deadline extended! Students, apply now for a SABR Negro Leagues Committee scholarship in 2020
SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee will award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its 12th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2020. Students must write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more about each scholarship or to download an application. All applications must be sent or postmarked no later than May 4, 2020, and emailed to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.
Eligible applicants must be 1) a current high school senior, 2) anticipating completion of high school diploma at the time of application, 3) planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution, and 4) carrying a minimum 2.5 GPA at the end of their junior year of high school.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Friends of SABR for March 2020
Thanks to all of our supporters for helping SABR fulfill its mission! Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of March 2020:
| Rebecca Alpert | Peter Marcus | |
| Joseph Auslander | Bill McPoil | |
| John Beal | Barry Mednick | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Paul Moorehead | |
| Ken Carrano | Tom Murrah | |
| Vincent Comparato | Jim Myers | |
| Peter Coolbaugh | David Newman | |
| David Curtoys | Bill Nowlin | |
| James Dayboch | Virgilio Partida | |
| Tim Deale | Gregg Pericich | |
| Jack Decker | Chris Petroff | |
| Dennis Degenhardt | Jon and Wendy Rose | |
| Mark Dugo | Michael Rosenwasser | |
| Len Eddinger | Don Roth | |
| Barbara Erion | Charles Roussel | |
| Diane Firstman | Mark Rucker | |
| F. X. Flinn | Bob Russon | |
| Adam Foldes | Kelly Sagert | |
| Edward Fong | Robert Sawyer | |
| John Gilstrap | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Michael Green | Jeff Schwartz | |
| Steven Greenes | Lynda Singer | |
| Donna Halper | Paul Soyka | |
| Barry Halpern | Thomas Stone | |
| Harriet Hamilton | Wesley Story | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Tim Tassler | |
| William Hickman | Joseph Thompson | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | John Thorn | |
| David Hughes | Neal Traven | |
| William Johnson | Thomas Tuttle | |
| Charles Kimberly | Louis Verardo | |
| Ted Knorr | Marlene Vogelsang | |
| Thomas Lee | Steve West | |
| Larry Lester | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Lewis Levey | Patrick Zazzi | |
| Leonard Levin | Don Zminda | |
| Rob Mains |
Want to become a Friend of SABR? Click here to make a recurring monthly contribution or click here to learn more about our Giving Circles to make a one-time contribution.
SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with author Joan Ryan
Listen to a new episode of SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a new weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer.
Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to Episode #53 — our guest this week is Joan Ryan, an award-winning journalist and author of five sports books, including the upcoming Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry. She is also the author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters, a groundbreaking exposé that was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 100 sports books of all time.
Subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play, and listen to each episode as soon as it’s released on Mondays. To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.
- Related link: Click here to learn more about SABRcast Live with Rob Neyer beginning on Monday, April 6
7 new SABR biographies published
Seven new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 5,120 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:
- Paddy Driscoll, by Chris Rainey
- Judy Johnson, by Thomas Kern
- Ken MacKenzie, by Ron Rembert
- Edwin A. McAlpin, by Bill Lamb
- Fancy O’Neil, by Tim Hagerty
- Ace Parker, by Chris Rainey
- George Steinbrenner, by Vince Guerrieri
All new biographies can be found here: 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.
10 new stories published by the SABR Games Project
Ten new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:
- April 15, 1958: Giants, Dodgers meet on the West Coast for the first time, by Kevin Larkin
- April 14, 1960: Pirates’ Opening Day win foreshadows a championship, by Jeff Barto
- April 8, 1969: San Diego Padres win inaugural major-league game, by Gregory Funk (first-time author)
- April 6, 1974: Mike Schmidt’s Opening Day homer lifts Carlton, Phillies over Seaver, Mets, by Brian Engelhardt
- April 10, 1980: Cardinals’ Vuckovich shuts out defending champion Pirates on Opening Day, by Carl Riechers
- April 17, 1981: A’s dominate Mariners in home opener for ninth straight win, by Geoff Young
- April 3, 1989: Ken Griffey Jr. makes major-league debut for Mariners, by Marc J. Steiner (first-time author)
- March 31, 1996: Mariners recapture the magic, rally to win on Opening Day, by Steve Friedman
- April 8, 2004: Padres walk off in first game at Petco Park, by Tom Larwin
- April 13, 2012: Giants’ Matt Cain pitches a one-hitter on Opening Day, by Laura H. Peebles
New Games Project stories can be found at SABR.org/gamesproject/recent. Find all published Games Project articles 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.
Listen to recent episodes of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Saturdays
Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro, is back at a new time. Listen to new episodes at 4:00-5:00 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. Click here to learn more.
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.
Baseball Digest archives now available for free online
As fans await the return of baseball on the field, Baseball Digest will unlock its archive and make its complete inventory of more than 800 issues from 1942 through 2019 available for free online.
Unlimited access to the archive site at no cost will continue until at least July 15 and fans can take advantage of the free offer by visiting baseballdigest.com/free.
Current paid subscribers to the Baseball Digest Archive will receive three free months added to their subscription as compensation. Click here to learn more about SABR member discounts for Baseball Digest Archive subscriptions.
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:
- SABR Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference rescheduled for 2021
- Sean Forman honored with 2020 SABR Analytics Conference Lifetime Achievement Award
- McDaniel, Waldon, Wills win 2020 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards
- Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Maggie Walker teams win 2020 Diamond Dollars Case Competition
- SABR announces 2020 Henry Chadwick Award recipients
- Jeremy Beer receives 2020 Seymour Medal at NINE Conference banquet
- Check out stories, photos, and highlights from the 11th annual SABR Day
- Michael Aronstein selected as winner of 2020 SABR Jefferson Burdick Award
- The SABR Bookshelf: Winter 2020
- SABR member and Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet elected to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
- 2020 Larry Ritter Book Award nominees announced
- Submit your creative writing for SABR’s Turnstyle baseball arts journal
- SABR Digital Library: The Glorious Beaneaters of the 1890s
- The Sporting News Baseball Player Contract Cards Collection is now online
- SABR to expand Diamond Dollars Case Competition in 2020
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the new SABR Store @ CafePress
- All e-books in SABR Digital Library available for free to members
All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: https://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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Altizer | Essex, MD | Bob Neuman | Annapolis, MD | ||
| Phil Brown | Saranac Lake, NY | John Ogle | Macomb, IL | ||
| Colten Castleberry | Lubbock, TX | Kenn Olson | Oshkosh, WI | ||
| Mike DiPaolo | Wenonah, NJ | Tori Ann Palermo | Madison, WI | ||
| Erikka Durdle | Hamilton, OH | Gregory Puchalski | Metuchen, NJ | ||
| Neal Embry | Birmingham, AL | Patrick Pyle | San Antonio, TX | ||
| Alain Gosselin | Quebec City, QC | Tammy Ramsey | Frankfort, KY | ||
| Paul Hansen | Concord, MA | Justin Roddye | Spencer, IN | ||
| Chris Hicks | Olathe, KS | Carol Sadler | Washington, DC | ||
| Jay Johnson | Old Lyme, CT | Reinaldo Santana | Vega Alta, PRI | ||
| Brady Layman | Kennewick, WA | Thomas Schott | W. Lafayette, IN | ||
| Mary Leuthner | Mount Prospect, IL | Jeff Speer | Santa Barbara, CA | ||
| Richard Levy | Santa Monica, CA | Matthew Weber | Charlotte, NC | ||
| Mark Miller | Kent, WA | Nicholas Zych | Monee, IL |
Research Committee news
Here are the new research committee updates this week:
- Baseball Records: April 2020 newsletter
- Nineteenth Century: Spring 2020 newsletter
Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research.
Regional Chapter news
Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:
- Oklahoma Chapter: March 7 meeting recap (Norman, OK)
- Ted Williams Chapter: April 2020 newsletter (San Diego, CA)
Visit SABR.org/chapters for more information on SABR regional chapters.
SABR Virtual Events Calendar
Here are the upcoming virtual events on the SABR calendar:
- April 4: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: Facebook Live with The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard (3:00 p.m. CDT)
- April 5: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: Facebook Live with author Scott Lindholm (2:00 p.m. CDT)
- April 5: Baseball Cards Committee: Zoom chat with author Brad Balukjian (4:00 p.m. CDT)
- April 6: SABRcast Live with Rob Neyer and special guest Jon “Boog” Sciambi (5:00 p.m. PDT)
- April 11: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: Zoom chat with Negro League Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick (11:00 a.m. CDT)
Find more virtual meetings on our SABR Virtual Events Calendar page.
Note: We strongly recommend that all SABR chapters consider postponing or canceling any large meetings planned through May 31 as a precautionary effort to keep everyone safe and healthy. We encourage chapters and committee to meet “virtually” during this time to talk baseball together using Skype, Zoom, or other online platforms. For more information, visit our SABR Virtual Events Calendar.
Around the Web
Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:
- Nick Faris: The life and astounding historical trove of baseball’s GOAT statistician, Bill Weiss (The Score)
- Gerard Gilberto: Classic Buffalo baseball book gets modern retelling (MiLB.com)
- Bradford Davis: New study says 2019 playoff balls were de-juiced, but MLB still has no answers (New York Daily News)
- Rob Arthur: A season of lost baseball will make everything less certain (Baseball Prospectus)
- Emma Baccellieri: Is it wrong for baseball players to get Tommy John surgery during pandemic? (Sports Illustrated)
- Tony Wolfe: When the game cannot go on (FanGraphs)
- Steven Goldman: Can’t stick to sports: a return to normalcy (Baseball Prospectus)
- Rachael McDaniel: An update on The Hardball Times (The Hardball Times)
- Jay Jaffe: Remembering Jimmy Wynn, the Toy Cannon (FanGraphs)
- Sam Miller: From MLB’s wildest day to the Astros’ scandal: The most meme-worthy moments ever for all 30 teams (ESPN.com)
- Isabelle Pardew: The game of fouls (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jay Cohen: Tech boom, MLB programs helping women find jobs in baseball (Associated Press)
- Dan D’Addona: World needs Opening Day hope again (Holland Sentinel)
- Mark Simon: The tournament of defensive excellence (ACTA Sports)
- Sarah R. Ingber/Davy Andrews/Roger Cormier: Too far from town: Chattanooga Lookouts (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Matt Bowman, Chaz Roe, and Justus Sheffield on crafting their cutters and sliders (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: Are comebacks becoming harder? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Russell Carleton: Re-re-thinking the second spot in the order (Baseball Prospectus)
- David A. Scott: The 1920 Indians, umpires, and gambling (Medium.com)
- Michael Rendos: Baseball world is filled with interesting nicknames (Lock Haven Express)
- Derek Bain: Retro computer baseball game review: Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball (Baseball Analytics)
- Nick Vossbrink: Ultra Pro and the Patent Lifecycle (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)
- Michael Kane: Creating Your Own Cards with the Rookies App (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)
- Jason Schwartz: When there was nothing to do except admire 1957 Topps… (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)
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.
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Originally published: April 3, 2020. Last Updated: June 17, 2020.