This Week in SABR: August 9, 2024
Live from SABR 52 in Minneapolis, welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, August 9, 2024. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Early highlights from SABR 52 in Minneapolis
Bill Smith honored with 2024 Roland Hemond Award
Save the date: 2025 convention will be in Dallas/Fort Worth
Chris Von der Ahe selected as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Legend
Students, apply for a Fall 2024 internship with SABR
Get involved: SABR BioProject seeks more reviewers, editors
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View photo galleries from SABR 52
Can’t make it to Minneapolis for SABR 52? Check out more coverage of our 2024 convention from the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis online:
For more coverage of SABR 52, visit SABR.org/convention.
Single-day registration available on-site in Minneapolis
Single-day registration for SABR 52 can still be purchased on-site during convention registration hours. The single-day rate is:
- Saturday, August 10: $125 for SABR members; $155 for non-members
The single-day registration includes admission to all convention panels, research presentations, and committee meetings at the Hyatt Regency hotel on Saturday. It can be purchased on-site via cash, check, or credit card (sorry, no American Express accepted.) Please note: Admission to the Friends of SABR Breakfast is not included.
SABR 52: Tickets still available for Town Ball Game
On Sunday, August 11, attendees at SABR 52 have the opportunity to watch a game of Minnesota town ball in Cologne, which is hosting the Region 7C qualifying tournament at Fritz Field. The ballpark is located off US Highway 212, just 35 miles from the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Minneapolis.
One (1) game ticket plus roundtrip bus transportation is $40 per person. The SABR bus will depart the Hyatt Regency hotel at 9:45 a.m. and return to the hotel at approximately 3:30 p.m. Please note: This optional event is limited to 30 attendees.
Bill Smith honored with 2024 Roland Hemond Award
Longtime Minnesota Twins executive Bill Smith was honored at SABR 52 on Friday, August 9 with the Roland Hemond Award, which recognizes a baseball executive who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to professional baseball scouts and scouting, and player development history.
Smith spent more than 30 years with the Twins organization, including a stint as general manager from 2007 to 2011, a period when the Twins won two American League Central Division titles.
“Roland Hemond was a critical mentor to me in my career and this award is very special,” Smith said. “He was a forward thinker and he would be very proud to see so many of the changes in the game today.”
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Save the date! SABR 53 will be in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2025
Save the date! SABR will be heading to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex for our 53rd annual convention on June 25-29, 2025, at the Westin DFW Airport hotel in Irving, Texas. Registration information for SABR 53 and our special hotel room block will be available at SABR.org/convention in early 2025.
The SABR 53 convention logo, which pays homage to the scoreboard at Arlington Stadium, was created by acclaimed sports graphic designer Todd Radom.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Tyrone Brooks appointed to SABR Board of Directors
The SABR Board of Directors has appointed Tyrone Brooks to fill the vacant Director’s seat following Allison Levin’s election as Board Vice President this spring.
The SABR By-Laws provide that an open Director’s seat may be filled by the remaining Board members within 60 days by a 2/3 majority vote or the Board must call a special election. Brooks’s term expires at the end of the Annual Business Meeting at the 2025 SABR convention.
Brooks, who previously served on the SABR Board from 2019 to 2021, is the Senior Director of MLB’s Front Office & Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Chris Von der Ahe selected as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend
Chris Von der Ahe, pioneering owner and “Boss President” of the St. Louis Browns championship teams for nearly two decades, has been selected as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend for 2024. The announcement was made on Thursday, August 8 at SABR 52 in Minneapolis.
This summer, 228 SABR members submitted their votes for the 2024 Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend — a 19th-century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Negro Leagues Committee awards scholarships in 2024 essay contest
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee was pleased to award scholarships to two high school seniors in its 16th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2024.
- Leguejou Awunganyi, of Warrenton, Virginia, is the recipient of the Tweed Webb Scholarship.
- Marlon Cheatham, of West Chester, Ohio, is the recipient of the Rube Foster Scholarship.
The contest was open to high school seniors and carrying a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the end of their junior year. Students had to write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Students, apply for a Fall 2024 internship with SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research is seeking student interns to work during the Fall 2024 semester. The remote internship is an educational opportunity that may count toward college credit, covering 15-20 hours per week with a flexible schedule. The internship will be for a fixed period of time and is designed to provide the intern with skills and training that may be applicable to working in a nonprofit research environment or in other research-based organizations.
Please send a resume and cover letter in PDF form to jpomrenke@sabr.org by 5:00 p.m. MST on August 23, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Registration open for 2024 Saberseminar in Chicago
Sabermetrics, Scouting, and the Science of Baseball, which donates 100% of ticket proceeds for the benefit of the Angioma Alliance, puts you up close with some of baseball’s top coaches, statisticians, scouts, doctors, and scientists. All SABR members are invited to attend on August 24-25 at Illinois Tech in Chicago.
Come listen to over twenty baseball research presentations from researchers, MLB insiders, and leading technology companies on statistics, roster building, and the science behind the game. Visit saberseminar.com for details.
Call for papers: 2025 SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2025 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 16th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 25-26, 2025. The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Get involved: SABR BioProject seeks reviewers, editors
The SABR Biography Project needs your help! All baseball biographies submitted to the BioProject undergo rigorous editing, which includes initial vetting and editing, fact-checking, and copy editing. We are looking for volunteers for each of these stages.
These editors play an important role in the development of the bios and help ensure the high quality and critical acclaim of our research. While experience in editing and fact checking is helpful, it is not necessary. We encourage anyone interested to contact Rory Costello or Gregory H. Wolf for more details.
May and June Board minutes posted
Minutes from the Board of Directors conference calls on May 28 and June 14, 2024 have now been posted on the SABR website.
Click here to view all past minutes of SABR Board meetings.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
7 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- June 15, 1959: Minneapolis Millers win exhibition against Giants despite Willie Mays’ home run, by Mike Worley
- June 23, 1967: Roger Maris’s late home run powers Cardinals’ 3-2 win over Phillies, by Steve Ginader
- April 17, 1968: Jerry Koosman registers a pair of Mets’ firsts in home opener shutout, by Larry DeFillipo
- September 18, 1980: Twins call-up Gary Ward hits for the cycle in loss to Brewers, by Mike Huber
- September 25, 1985: Bert Blyleven wins Twins’ 2,000th victory, 13 seasons after winning No. 1,000 for team, by Kurt Blumenau
- August 29, 1995: Brad Radke’s first career shutout provides glimmer of hope for Twins, by Andrew Harner
- April 15, 2006: Justin Morneau’s clutch single off Mariano Rivera earns Twins a walk-off win, by Gary Belleville
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts, Volume 4
Edited by Joanne Hulbert and Jay Hurd
Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Download the 2024 SABR Annual Report
- SABR special committee: 1949-50 Negro American League, independent Black teams are major-league caliber
- Check out highlights from the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- Mohawk Giants honored with historical marker ceremony in Schenectady
- Announcing finalists for 2024 Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through July 14
- SABR member Joe Castiglione honored with 2024 Ford C. Frick Award
- Read articles online from Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal
- Check out highlights, photos, and stories from the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
- SABR Digital Library: 1939 Baltimore Elite Giants
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2024
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Bednar | Minneapolis, MN | Tom Goldstein | St. Paul, MN | ||
| Jacob Benge | Fairborn, OH | John Plevka | Morton, IS | ||
| Bradley Best | Storm Lake, IA | Thomas Quinn | Glenville, NY | ||
| Patrick Diamond | Norwalk, CT | John Sherk | Langhorne, PA |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from the Mathewson-Plank Chapter book club with Keith O’Brien (Charlie Hustle) and Maxwell Kates (Time For Expansion Baseball). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- August 10: Rogers Hornsby (TX) Chapter meeting with Aaron Fischman (1:00 p.m. CDT)
- August 13: Bud Metheny (VA) Chapter meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- August 13: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- August 14: Casey Stengel (NYC) Chapter meeting with Paul Allen (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- August 15: Mathewson-Plank (Central PA) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- August 15: Bay Area/Sacramento Chapter joint meeting with Melissa Ludtke (6:30 p.m. PDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- August 9-11: SABR 52 Annual Convention (Minneapolis, MN)
- August 14: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- August 15: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- August 17: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- August 17: Kekionga Chapter of Fort Wayne meeting (Fort Wayne, IN)
- August 17: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
- August 17: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter: Book Series (Baltimore, MD)
- August 17: Dusty Baker-Sacramento Chapter meeting (Placerville, CA)
- August 17: Central Florida Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Port St. Lucie, FL)
- August 18: Field of Dreams Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Des Moines, IA)
- August 18: Quebec Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Trois-Rivières, QC)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- SABR 52: Check out the schedule of committee meetings at SABR 52 in Minneapolis
- Ballparks: August 2024 newsletter
- Origins: August 2024 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Halsey Hall Chapter: August 2024 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Larry Dierker Chapter: Summer 2024 newsletter (Houston, TX)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: August 2024 newsletter (Denver, CO)
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:
- Patrick Reusse: For baseball information and great stories, SABR conventions are the place to be (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
- John Thorn: Baseball Pioneers: Dick Perez (Our Game)
- Grant Brisbee: Blake Snell’s no-hitter: The unlikeliness and the timing make it extra sweet (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: With Another Lost Season for Mike Trout, a Sobering Parallel Emerges (FanGraphs)
- Clinton Yates: As Jackie Robinson statue returns to Wichita, so do lessons learned (Andscape)
- Sam Blum: ‘Baseball PTSD’: How Gavin and Larry Sheets have navigated record losing streaks (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: Historic HRs, a no-no, and a no-no that almost was (MLB.com)
- Ryan Fagan: Which MLB Trade Deadline Moves Have Had an Immediate Impact? (Opta Analyst)
- Derrick Goold: To make a run in the 50-game dash for October, Cardinals need to solve lefties. And fast. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Russell A. Carleton: The Singles Fantasy (Baseball Prospectus)
- Mark Simon: Most Improved Defensive Players (Sports Info Solutions)
- Rob Mains: Have We Passed Peak Position Player Pitching? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Michael Clair: Brooks Lee was always meant to be a ballplayer (MLB.com)
- David Laurila: Hot-Hitting Austin Wells is Catching On in New York (FanGraphs)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Billy Bean (1964-2024) (RIP Baseball)
- Davy Andrews: Edouard Julien Again (FanGraphs)
- ‘It Ain’t Over’: Hot Springs Baseball Weekend to focus on Yogi Berra (Hot Springs Sentinel Record)
- Julia Kreuz: Japan defeats US for 7th straight Women’s World Cup title (MLB.com)
- Paul Sullivan: Bill Veeck boycotted both Chicago ballparks — but you shouldn’t do the same (Chicago Tribune)
- Brandon Harris: Pete Rose and the Complicated Legacy of Cincinnati Baseball (The New Yorker)
- Clayton Freeman: John Henry Lloyd and Dick Lundy, pioneers of Jacksonville baseball (Florida Times-Union)
- Craig Brown: One beautiful (and enigmatic) baseball image from 1878 (Threads of Our Game)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Lance Parrish (Baseball and BBQ)
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: August 9, 2024. Last Updated: August 9, 2024.