This Week in SABR: August 9, 2019

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 August 9, 2019:


Call for papers: 2019 SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience

Arizona Fall LeagueAll SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a research presentation proposal abstract on any topic related to women in baseball for the SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience on Thursday, October 10 to Saturday, October 12, 2019, in Phoenix, Arizona.

This conference is focused on women in baseball, co-hosted by the International Women’s Baseball Center, and held in conjunction with the Arizona Fall League (MLB.com/AFL), baseball’s premier player development league. In past years, attendees have been treated to sneak peeks at MLB stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Buster Posey, Stephen Strasburg, Nolan Arenado, Gerrit Cole, Gary Sanchez, Peter Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Ronald Acuña Jr. before they hit the big leagues.

To apply: Please send a 150-200 word abstract to Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu by September 2, 2019. Please include full contact information and a short bio. Please note: You must be registered for the conference in order to give a presentation.

All baseball fans are welcome to attend the SABR Arizona Fall League Experience.

  • Registration: Click here to register online. Registration is $199 for all SABR members and guests; $219 for non-members. Single-day rates are available for $90 on Friday (includes breakfast and game ticket) or $110 on Saturday (including breakfast, lunch, and game ticket).
  • Hotel: SABR’s recommended hotel is The Saguaro (4000 North Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251) in Old Town Scottsdale. Click here to book your room online or call the hotel at (480) 470-8247 and mention “SABR” to book your room at our special group rate of $189/night (plus tax).

Visit SABR.org/AFL for registration information and complete details.


Save the date! Join us for the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference

SABR is pleased to announce that the ninth annual SABR Analytics Conference will be held Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 15, 2020 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Renaissance Phoenix Downtown is at 100 N. 1st St., Phoenix, AZ 85004. Conference registration and hotel information for the 2020 conference will be available beginning in October 2019 at SABR.org/analytics.

The SABR Analytics Conference brings together industry insiders from the baseball community, data innovators, thought leaders, members of the media and college students who will participate in the popular Diamond Dollars Case Competition.

Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more.


Read all stories from The National Pastime: Pacific Ghosts online

The National Pastime serves as SABR’s convention-focused publication. Published annually, this research journal provides in-depth articles focused on the respective geographic region where the national convention is taking place in a given year.

The SABR 49 convention took place this summer in San Diego, and we have dedicated the theme of The National Pastime to baseball on the Pacific Coast. All SABR members receive a free e-book copy of The National Pastime as part of their membership benefits, while attendees of the national convention also received a souvenir print edition in their goody bags.

All articles from the 2019 convention journal, The National Pastime: Pacific Ghosts, can now be read online at SABR.org:

https://sabr.org/research/2019-national-pastime

Click a link below to download the e-book edition or purchase a paperback edition of the 2019 convention journal, The National Pastime: Pacific Ghosts.

If you weren’t able to attend the convention in San Diego, please enjoy this issue of The National Pastime as your virtual trip to SABR 49. Happy reading!


SABR Digital Library: The Newark Eagles Take Flight: The Story of the 1946 Negro League Champions

Add a soaring baseball book to your collection with our newest title from the SABR Digital Library:

The Newark Eagles Take Flight: The Story of the 1946 Negro League Champions 
Edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin 
Associate Editors: Rich Applegate and Len Levin 

ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9701-5906-6, $9.99 
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9701-5907-3, $29.99
8.5″ x 11″, 230 pages

Click here to read the full description at SABR.org.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!


SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with Joe Lemire of SportTechie

Joe LemireListen to a new episode of SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a new weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer — which is now available on your favorite podcast streaming services! 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.

Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to Episode #19 — our guest this week is Joe Lemire, Senior Writer at SportTechie, where he often covers the intersection of baseball and cutting-edge technologies, including recent stories on swing biomechanics, Motus sensors, “robot umpires,” Pocket Radar, Edgertonic cameras, and more.

Every week, SABRcast will feature insights and analysis of what’s happening in modern baseball on and off the field, plus compelling interviews with figures from around the game — and music from The Baseball Project.

To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.


Apply now for SABR Member Engagement Associate positions

Member Engagement Associates — a part-time seasonal position based at the SABR office in Phoenix, Arizona — will assist SABR’s membership efforts while reporting to and partnering with the Chief Executive Officer.

A new position in the organization, Associates will be tasked with outreach to members who need to renew their membership and members who have allowed their membership to lapse. As an Associate you will be responsible for logging member and lapsed member feedback which will allow us to better serve our baseball community.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


Students: Apply for a Fall 2019 internship with SABR

SABR is seeking Fall 2019 interns to work in our office in Phoenix, Arizona.

An internship with SABR will involve responsibilities across a variety of disciplines, possibly including:

  • Working on-site at a local SABR conference, such as the SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience
  • Working with our Membership Director or Director of Operations on organizational duties, membership renewal drives, customer service
  • Working with our Director of Editorial Content to help publish and/or produce content for our website at SABR.org

The internship is an educational opportunity that may count toward college credit, covering 15-20 hours per week (flexible schedule), at the SABR office in Phoenix, Arizona.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


Become a Friend of SABR by joining our On-Deck Circle with monthly giving

SABR’s mission is to foster the study, discussion, and understanding of all aspects of baseball. In order to fulfill this mission, we rely not only on member dues but also gifts from our generous supporters. You can become a Friend of SABR by giving as little as $10 per month. When you do so, you will be inducted into a community of passionate baseball fans dedicated to supporting SABR’s work.

Get in the SABR On-Deck Circle, and help SABR become the essential community for the world of baseball. Your support will build capacity around all things SABR, including publications, website content, podcast development, and community growth.

A monthly gift is deducted from your bank account or charged to a credit card until you tell us to stop. No more email, mail, or phone reminders.

Visit SABR.org/donate or contact Ben Rose at brose@sabr.org to learn more.


SABR members, get a discount when you subscribe to Baseball Digest Archive

Baseball DigestBaseball Digest is pleased to announce the launch of the Baseball Digest Archive.

Every regular print issue of Baseball Digest from 1942 through March/April 2019 is viewable and searchable online at BaseballDigestArchive.com.

Interested SABR members can subscribe using a special Discount Coupon Code to receive 36% off a one-year rate. Click here to view the discount code at SABR.org.


Seeking volunteers for MLB Team Employee Directory project

Bill VeeckSABR’s Business of Baseball Committee is seeking volunteers to help with a new project: building a historical database of Major League Baseball team employees. This is an exciting initiative that should give us a new lens into major-league front and back offices, from team owners to ticket sales.

To accomplish this project, we need volunteers to enter data from information sources, principally team media guides, into a spreadsheet. We are also looking for a volunteer to help oversee this project and coordinate the process. If you are interested in this position, please let us know.

Please contact Dan Levitt at dan@daniel-levitt.com with any questions.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


Register now for the 2019 SABR Minnesota 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium

The SABR Minnesota 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at the Minneapolis Public Library, 300 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The day-long Saturday symposium will be devoted to 19th-century baseball as it was played and evolved in Minnesota and the greater Midwest region. The event is a joint project of the SABR Nineteenth Century Committee, SABR’s Halsey Hall Chapter, and the Hennepin County Library.

Guest speakers are expected to include John Thorn, MLB’s Official Historian; Larry Millett, longtime St. Paul Pioneer Press architecture critic and author of more than 10 books, including The Curve of the Arch and Lost Twin Cities; Stew Thornley, author of Baseball in Minnesota: A Definitive History and other books; Dan Levitt, author of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way and other books; Mike Haupert, Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; Kristin Anderson, art and architecture professor and author of an upcoming book on the history of sports facilities in the Twin Cities; and more.

For more information, contact event organizers at sabrMN19c@gmail.com.


Students, one week left to apply for the 2019 SABR Women in Baseball Scholarship

SABR’s Women in Baseball Committee will award one $500 scholarship to a high school senior in its inaugural Women in Baseball Essay Contest in 2019.

Students must write an essay of 1,500 words or less addressing the following question: “Choose one person or event in women’s baseball history that you believe has made a significant impact on the game and explain the importance.”

All applications must be e-mailed or postmarked by August 16, 2019, and sent to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


White Sox ticket block ends in one week for SABR Black Sox Scandal Centennial Symposium

Register now to join us for the SABR Black Sox Scandal Centennial Symposium on September 27-29, 2019, in Chicago. The SABR Black Sox Scandal Research Committee will host this once-in-a-century event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1919 World Series.

The event — which is open to all baseball fans — will be highlighted by a research symposium on Saturday, September 28 at the Chicago History Museum.

Please note: Our White Sox ticket block for the games on Friday, September 27 will close in just one week. Register now at SABR.org to purchase your tickets no later than Wednesday, August 14 if you want to join us.

There are also only a handful of rooms left in our courtesy room block at the Palmer House Hilton. If you want to take advantage of our special discounted rate of $179/night there, register for the Black Sox symposium now to receive the booking link.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center honored with 2019 SABR Russell Gabay Award

Yogi Berra Museum & Learning CenterThe Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is the inaugural recipient of the 2019 SABR Russell Gabay Award, which honors entities or persons who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to baseball in New Jersey.  

Opened in 1998 on the campus of Montclair State University, the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center has become a New Jersey institution highlighting the career of its namesake, the Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees, World War II veteran, and American cultural icon.

“The staff at the Yogi Berra Museum creates an abundance of educational events for children including the science, history, and social importance of baseball,” said David Krell, chair of SABR’s Elysian Fields Chapter in New Jersey. “It is focused on inspiring the next generation of players, journalists, and executives in the National Pastime. We are proud to honor their efforts with the 2019 Russell Gabay Award.”

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


TCU’s Jake Guenther honored by SABR Dallas-Fort Worth chapter

Jake GuentherTexas Christian University’s Jake Guenther has been selected as the 27th annual Howard Green SABR Metroplex Collegiate Player of the Year Award recipient, while East Texas Baptist’s Casey Combs was named the eighth annual SABR Metroplex Carroll Beringer Award College Division Player of the Year by SABR’s Ernie Banks-Bobby Bragan DFW Chapter in 2019.

The prestigious collegiate baseball awards honor the memory of longtime DFW SABR president Howard Green and former big league pitching coach Carroll Beringer, who was a great supporter of college baseball in the area.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


New SABR Oral History Collection interview: Norman Macht

Norman MachtOne new interview was posted this week at the SABR Oral History Collection website. Here is the new interview:

  • Norman Macht, author of acclaimed three-volume Connie Mack biography, former SABR Director and committee chairman
    Recorded July 2, 2019, by John McMurray

The SABR Oral History Collection, which launched in 2018 at oralhistory.sabr.org, includes hundreds of interviews conducted with ballplayers (Major Leagues, Minor Leagues, Negro Leagues, AAGBBL), executives, scouts, authors, writers, broadcasters, and other figures of historical baseball significance. These interviews, some of which date back more than 50 years, were conducted by members of SABR’s Oral History Research Committee and were digitized through a collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library.

To listen to more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection, visit oralhistory.sabr.org.


6 new SABR biographies published

Betty CaywoodSix new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which — along with the publication of our new SABR Digital Library book on the 1946 Newark Eagles — brings us to a total of 4,976 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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


3 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

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 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, will air this season at a new time. Listen in from 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays on MLB Network Radio.

This week’s guest is SABR member Jacob Pomrenke, chair of the Black Sox Scandal Research Committee and editor of Scandal on the South Side: The 1919 Chicago White Sox.

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.


Seeking book designers for SABR Publications Program

Are you a SABR member with book design experience? As our Publications Program grows, so does our need for folks who can handle book layout and ebook creation duties. QuarkXPress or InDesign preferred.

If you’d like more information or to throw your hat into the ring, please email your resume and book design samples to Cecilia Tan at PubDir@sabr.org.


In Memoriam: Harvey Frommer

  • Harvey FrommerLongtime SABR member Harvey Frommer, 83, died on August 1, 2019, of complications from lung cancer at his home in Lyme, New Hampshire. Frommer joined SABR in 1992 and was a prolific historian of baseball and other sports, authoring New York City Baseball: The Last Golden Age, 1947-1957; Rickey and Robinson: The Men Who Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier; Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball; The New York Yankee Encyclopedia; and dozens of other books. He was the co-author of autobiographies by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, basketball legends Red Holzman and Nancy Lieberman, and football player Tony Dorsett. He also collaborated with his wife, Myrna Katz Frommer, on oral histories focusing on New York history. He was born on October 10, 1935, in Brooklyn. After graduating from New York University, where he eventually earned a doctorate in media and communication, he taught high school English in New York. He spent nearly 25 years as a professor at the City University of New York and more recently taught courses on sports journalism and oral history at Dartmouth College. In addition to his wife, survivors include sons Frederic J. and Ian Frommer; daughter Jennifer Frommer; and six grandchildren. Click here to read the full obituary in the New York Times.

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: 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
James Apple Ingleside, MD     Rich Halverson Madison, WI
Chad Baker Peoria, AZ     Preston Madkour Rochester, MN
Jacob Corcoran West Chester, PA     James Rowe Seaside Park, NJ
Bill Crawford Hilton Head Island, SC     Joseph Runnels Chicago, IL
Brad Custis Van Wert, OH     Ryan Schuring Elgin, IL
Dale DeRosa Oceanside, NY     John Smirch Burbank, CA
Anthony DeToro Los Angeles, CA     Theo Tobel Santa Monica, CA
Phil Dixon Belton, MO     Bill Valeff Park Ridge, IL
Sally Marie Futch Statesboro, GA     John Van Winkle Chicago, IL
Andres Garcia Martino Caguas, PRI     Lyle Wilson Mill Creek, WA
Jake Glassey Northfield, NJ     Jake Zimmerman Gurnee, IL
David Gurowsky Chevy Chase, MD        

 


Research Committee news

Here are the new research committee updates this week:

  • Minor Leagues: The SABR Guide to Minor League Statistics, first published in 1994 and most recently updated in 2007, is now available as a free PDF download for all SABR members on our Research Resources page. An invaluable guidebook that covers minor-league seasons from 1887 to 2006, the guide includes specific date and page numbers to help researchers locate with precision where that year’s minor-league statistics can be found, primarily in the annual guidebooks published by The Sporting News, Baseball America, Spalding, Reach, Sporting Life, and others. Click here to learn more about the Minor Leagues Committee.

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


Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:

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


SABR Events Calendar

Here is a list of upcoming events on the SABR calendar:

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.

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Originally published: August 9, 2019. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.