This Week in SABR: April 7, 2023

April 7, 2023/in This Week in SABR /by sabr

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, April 7, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.

10,000 images from SABR-Rucker Archive added to Research Collection
Jason Benetti, Mike Veeck to speak at SABR 51 in Chicago
Second course in SABR Analytics Certification program now available
Early registration now open for Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Deadlines approaching for SABR Convention, Negro Leagues student scholarships

10,000 images from SABR-Rucker Archive added to Research Collection

We’re excited to introduce a new addition to the SABR Research Collection: The SABR-Rucker Archive is one of the most extensive collections of baseball imagery in North America, with nearly 80,000 unique items from the roots of baseball in the 19th century up to current major league teams and players.

These images — donated by longtime SABR member and photo archivist Mark Rucker — represent more than 150 years of the sport and its growth from homemade fields with players wearing no gloves to the global pastime today played by hundreds of millions of kids and adults, from Little League to the Major Leagues.

The entire Rucker Archive collection has been digitized, and we are now in the process of cataloging in order to make all of the images available as part of the search engine on SABR.org. The first 10,000 images are now available online and searchable at SABR.org/rucker-archive.

SABR 51: Jason Benetti, Mike Veeck to speak at Chicago convention

We’re only three months away from SABR’s 51st annual convention on July 5-9, 2023, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago! Sign up today to hear from two speakers who are sure to be a home run in the Windy City:

White Sox play-by-play and Fox Sports national broadcaster Jason Benetti will deliver the Keynote Address during the convention’s Awards Luncheon.
Legendary team owner, promoter, and publicist Mike Veeck will be featured in “Fun is Good: A Veeck Family Legacy,” a conversation highlighting his family’s storied impact on baseball and its deep Chicago ties.

Early-bird discounts end in a few weeks, so sign up today to take advantage of the absolute best pricing on our registration packages!

Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.

Second course in SABR Analytics Certification program now available

In 2022, we launched the SABR Analytics Certification program, 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 second course in the program, Level Two – Advanced Analytics in Baseball, is now available!

SABR members save $55 on both available courses (and future courses), so we hope you’ll check out these exciting opportunities at sabr.org/analytics/certification.

Early registration now open for Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Detroit

Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on July 20-23, 2023, at the St. Regis Hotel in Detroit, Michigan. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

Registration and hotel information is available below.

Registration: Click here to register online for the 2023 Malloy Conference.
Information Packet: Click here to download a full information packet, including schedule and sponsor information, for the 2023 Malloy Conference.
Contact: For questions, email Leslie Heaphy.

Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more about our annual School Library Grants, High School Essay Contest, and Art Contest.

Deadlines approaching for SABR Convention, Negro Leagues student scholarships

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the SABR 51 convention on July 5-9, 2023, in Chicago. This scholarship will pay for all registration fees and expenses associated with the conference. Deadline to apply: April 21, 2023. Click here to learn more.

SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee awards $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest. 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. Deadline to apply: April 15, 2023. Click here to learn more.

Visit SABR.org/scholarships to learn more about student scholarship opportunities.

Writing opportunity: Dodger Stadium book project

SABR has started a new book project on Dodger Stadium and we are seeking authors for essays about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ home ballpark, along with Games Project articles on selected games. The book is being edited by Glen Sparks and Bill Nowlin and the deadline for first drafts would be in Fall 2023.

For a listing of essay ideas and games for which we are seeking authors, please contact Bill Nowlin.

Baseball 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 #208 on Monday, April 3 featured Edwin Rodríguez, who managed Puerto Rico to the championship game in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics. Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode or subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks.

Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.

9 new stories published at the SABR BioProject

Frank Bowes, by Bill Lamb
Charlie Dorman, by Darren Gibson
Joseph Dorsey, by Paul Winter
Martin Duke, by Paul Proia
Bill Engeln, by Kurt Blumenau
Lee Quillin, by Daniel Dorff (first-time author)
Mike Smithson, by Bill Nowlin
Superdome (New Orleans, LA), by Richard Cuicchi
Yankee Stadium (New York), by Vincent Cannato

Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.

Games Project commemorates 50th anniversary of the DH

In 1973, the American League received permission to use a “designated pinch hitter” to bat in place of pitchers during league games. On Opening Day in Boston, Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the first major-leaguer to bat as a DH. Framed as a three-year “experimental rule,” the designated hitter spread to the World Series in 1976, the All-Star Game in 1989, interleague play in 1997, and games between National League teams in 2020. By the 2022 season, the designated hitter was universal in the major leagues.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first regular-season major-league games involving designated hitters on April 6, 1973, the SABR Research Collection remembers the AL’s first season with the DH. Click here for more at SABR.org.

Here are the new Games Project stories posted this week:

April 8, 1973: First hit by the first Red Sox DH, Orlando Cepeda, is walk-off homer over the Yankees, by Bill Nowlin
May 16, 1973: Despite homer, reigning AL MVP Dick Allen dislikes first DH appearance, by Jake Bell
July 3, 1973: DH Tony Oliva’s three home runs are not enough as Royals beat Twins, by Thomas E. Merrick
September 15, 1973: Gates Brown’s bases-clearing double caps Tigers’ comeback win, by Gary Belleville
September 22, 1973: Al Bumbry’s 3 triples, Tommy Davis’s 4 singles lead Orioles in AL East clincher, by Larry DeFillipo
September 25, 1973: Yankees lose DH in eighth inning, game in 13th, by Kurt Blumenau

Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.

Yankee Stadium 1923-2008: America’s First Modern Ballpark
Edited by Tara Krieger and Bill Nowlin

Visit SABR.org to download any SABR Digital Library e-book for free or save 50% off the paperback edition.

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

Please give a warm welcome to all new SABR members who joined this week! View more Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org or click here to download the Membership Handbook. Find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.

Name	Hometown	Name	Hometown
Jay Abbott	Bradford, PA	Scott Hermansen	Rancho Cordova, CA
Cory Albert	West Bend, WI	Manrique Iriarte	Miami, FL
Matthew Aventuro	White Plains, NY	William Karmin	Highland Park, IL
Chase Batchelor	Tampa, FL	Jake Kenyon	Somonauk, IL
Paul Borelli	Austin, TX	Ernest Knapp	Concord, VT
Steve Brick	Madison, WI	Matthew Lewis	Rexburg, ID
Michelle Brimecombe	Columbia, MO	Jason Maine	Tallahassee, FL
Nathan Carpenter-Holmes	Alexandria, VA	Ryan Martin	Baldwin, NY
Michael Conches	Old Lyme, CT	Craig Metsch	La Grange, IL
Matt Cone	St. Louis, MO	Scott Morissey	Hamilton, ON
Mike Costa	Kensington, MD	Connor Nicometi	Akron, NY
Matthew Cote	Bellingham, MA	Ronnie Ortiz	Granger, IN
Dave Culley	Daytona Beach, FL	Quentin Phillips	Olympia, WA
Doak Ewing	Naperville, IL	Pierce Roberson	Philadelphia, PA
Casey Fenster	Richmond, VA	John Sawicki	Roslyn Harbor, NY
Bill Feser	Denver, CO	Ray Siere	Humboldt, IL
Stephen Forsha	Hillsboro, OH	Dale Tafoya	Walnut Creek, CA
Rodney Gray	Indianapolis, IN	Mike Walsh	Conshohocken, PA
Dedrick Hendrix	South Bend, IN	Bill Wise	Bondi Junction, AUS
Sharon Herman	Dunedin, FL	Irving Zaner	Garland, TX

Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of March 2023.

Name		Name
Jake Bell		Bruce McClure
D. Bruce Brown		Paulette Morant
Ralph Caola		Bill Nowlin
Ken Carrano		John Rall
Karl Cicitto		Michael Rosenwasser
Vincent Comparato		Charles Roussel
Jim Cox		Bob Russon
Reid Duffy		Edward Scahill
Helen Edwards		Jason Scheller
Steven Elsberry		Douglas Schoppert
Barbara Erion		Jeff Self
Daniel Evans		Steve Shaiman
David Firstman		Rob Sheinkopf
Adam Foldes		Mike Sparks
Andrew Freeman		Dave Stevens
Robert Hagerman		Thomas Stone
Timothy Harner		Wesley Story
Emily Hawks		Joseph Thompson
Leslie Heaphy		Neal Traven
Tim Herlich		Marlene Vogelsang
Rockwell Hoffman		Steve West
David Hughes		Beach Wires
Donald Jensen		Jeffrey Wood
Henry Levy		Don Zminda
Peter Mancuso

Click here to make a recurring monthly contribution or click here to learn more about our Giving Circles to make a one-time contribution.

Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
Video Replays: This week, we heard from Bob LeMoine (When the Babe Went Back to Boston) and an AL Central Division preview from SABR chapters in Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, and Minneapolis. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

April 8: Bud Metheny (VA) Chapter meeting (11:30 a.m. EDT)
April 10: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting with Adam Korengold (6:00 p.m. CDT)
April 10: Northern New England Chapter meeting with George Boziwick (7:00 p.m. EDT)
April 10: Northwest (WA) Chapter meeting with Ted Barrett (6:30 p.m. PDT)
April 11: 19th Century Speaker Series: Bob Bailey (8:00 p.m. EDT)
April 12: Ken Keltner (WI) Chapter meeting with Mary Hums (6:00 p.m. CDT)
April 12: New SABR Member Experience Meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
April 13: Casey Stengel (NYC) Chapter meeting (7:30 p.m. EDT)
April 15: Hanlan’s Point (ON) Chapter meeting with Allan Simpson (11:00 a.m. EDT)
April 15: Josh Gibson Foundation: Lisa Alexander (12:00 p.m. EDT)
April 15: Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington (KY) Chapter meeting with Dan Schlossberg (1:00 p.m. EDT)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

April 12: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter get-together (Columbus, OH)
April 15: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
April 15: Halsey Hall Chapter spring meeting (Minneapolis, MN)
April 15: Central Florida Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Daytona Beach, FL)
April 15-16: SABR Board of Directors meeting (Chicago, IL)
April 16: Rogers Hornsby Chapter meeting (Austin, TX)

To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.

Negro Leagues: April 2023 newsletter

Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.

Hanlan’s Point Chapter: Spring 2023 newsletter (Toronto, ON)
Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: April 2023 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
Northern New England Chapter: April 2023 newsletter (New Hampshire/Maine)
Roush-Lopez Gulf Coast Chapter: April 2023 newsletter (St. Petersburg, FL)

Sign up for SABR chapter announcements at SABR.org/chapters.

Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.

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

Michael Clair: SABR’s Baseball Memories program keeps people with memory disorders connected to the game (MLB.com)
Vince Guerrieri: Crowds Roared, a Century Ago, on Opening Day for the Mighty House That Ruth Built (Smithsonian Magazine)
Tyler Kepner: ‘I Felt Like I Was at Warp Speed’: Baseball Adapts to a New Era (New York Times)
Jay Jaffe: The Dodgers’ New-Look Outfield Has Been a Hit So Far (FanGraphs)
Jayson Stark: Top 10 MLB pitch-clock violations of the 2023 season (so far) Top 10 MLB pitch-clock violations of the 2023 season (so far) (The Athletic)
Sarah Langs: 2023 has already given us these 10 mind-blowing stats (MLB.com)
Daniel R. Epstein: The Shift Ban is (Kinda, Sorta) Working (Baseball Prospectus)
Nate Berg: MLB redesigned baseball for 2023. So far, it’s working. (Fast Company)
Hannah Keyser/Zach Crizer: How the not-so-subtle art of chucking it right down the middle is helping MLB pitchers get ahead (Yahoo! Sports)
Russell A. Carleton: Welcome to Nowhere (Baseball Prospectus)
David Laurila: Adam Frazier Looks Back Fondly on Pittsburgh (But Not the Losing) (FanGraphs)
Alex Speier: Why are the Red Sox (and their opponents) launching so many homers to start the season? (Boston Globe)
Dan Connolly: Hitting the wall: How changing Camden Yards’ left field altered a season and beyond (The Athletic)
Rob Mains: How Many More Stolen Bases? (Baseball Prospectus)
Michael Baumann: Lessons From 11 Years of Darin Ruf (FanGraphs)
Evan Webeck: On Giants’ return to New York, meet the people working to rediscover their Polo Grounds past (San Jose Mercury News)
New York Giants Preservation Society: Interview with Rob Garratt (YouTube)
Bill Pearch: Taking In Tokyo: Culture, History, And The WBC (IBWAA.com)
John Metcalfe: The Institute for Baseball Studies and Baseball Reliquary are wonderful troves of sports history (San Jose Mercury News)
Chad Osborne: Marion’s Summer with Larry and Yogi (Substack)
Ryan Woodward: Socially Distanced Field Trips with the Homestead Grays (SABR Landmarks Committee)
John Racanelli: We Love You, But Not That Much: The Puzzling Paucity of Broadcaster Baseball Cards (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)
Russell Streur: Collecting the House That Ruth Built: Baseball Card Sets of Babe Ruth and Yankee Stadium (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)

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. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.

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Originally published: April 7, 2023. Last Updated: April 7, 2023.

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