This Week in SABR: December 1, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, December 1, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Register now for the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
Help us Bring It Home for SABR in 2023
SABR Digital Library: Nichibei Yakyu, Volume 2
Apply now for a Local Grant in 2024
Join us on December 7 for Ballpark Figures with Vanessa Ivy Rose
Read SABR bios of Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
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Register now to attend 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from March 8-10, 2024, at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona.
We’ll bring together the top minds in the baseball analytics community to discuss, debate, and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball. Register today to join us!
Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more:
- Registration: Click here to register for the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference. Early-bird registration is $395 for SABR members, $495 for non-members, and $150 for currently enrolled high school or college students. Student-only virtual registration is $50. Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive the discounted registration link.
- Student Registration: Students have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 7. All student registrations also include a one-year SABR membership ($25 value) and a complimentary Rapsodo certification course ($395 value). SABR membership will be fulfilled after event sign-up and access to Rapsodo course will be delivered after the conference.
- Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Click here to register your team for the 2024 Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Registration is $1,750 per team, which includes admission to all SABR Analytics Conference sessions and a one-year SABR membership for each participant.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
- Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship: Apply now for a Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Stay tuned for more information on speakers, panelists, and presenters soon! Learn more at SABR.org/analytics.
Help us Bring it Home in 2023 and build a stronger future for SABR!
Much like circling the baseball diamond, SABR rounds the bases every year through guiding principles of research, participation, and community. At first base is the fundamental component of our mission: research. At second base is participation, through which we produce wonderful baseball research and programming that reaches people everywhere. We round third at community, as we strive towards our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball. Gifts from members like you will now help SABR BRING IT HOME, making 2023 a historic success while building for a bright future.
You can support SABR’s end of year Bring it Home Campaign by making a gift of $150 or more by December 31, 2023. We will use your best gift of $150, $300, $500, or $1,000 to boost SABR’s general operations. Contributions from generous donors like you are vital as SABR expands research, creates more pathways to participation, and builds a stronger baseball community.
Visit SABR.org/donate/2023 to learn more.
SABR Digital Library: Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1960-2019 (Volume 2)
Add a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library: Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1960-2019 (Volume 2), edited by Robert K. Fitts, Bill Nowlin, and James Forr, celebrates the 150th anniversary of Japanese baseball.
Over 100 baseball teams from the United States and Hawaii have crossed the Pacific to play baseball in Japan since 1906. Nichibei Yakyu, Volumes 1 and 2, are the first works in English that focus on these international tours. Volume 1 focused on early tours until 1958. Volume 2 focuses on the latter portion of the 20th century and the 21st.
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the e-book for free or save 50% off the purchase of a paperback edition.
Apply now for a SABR Local Grant in 2024
The SABR Local Grants program provides an opportunity for chapters, research committees, and chartered communities to apply for funding for their projects under SABR’s Four Pillars: Research, Scholarship, Preservation, and Future of the Game.
Applications are now open for a 2024 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until January 19, 2024. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2024.
Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.
Join us on December 7 for Ballpark Figures with Vanessa Ivy Rose
Join us each month for SABR’s Ballpark Figures, a new interview series hosted by Shakeia Taylor. The virtual Zoom event is free and open to all active SABR members.
On Thursday, December 7, our guest will be Vanessa Ivy Rose, the granddaughter of Baseball Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues great Turkey Stearnes; author of Hall of Fame DNA: The Legacy of Norman “Turkey” Stearnes; and host of the ABC News podcast Reclaimed: The Forgotten League.
Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more about upcoming shows or view past episodes.
Read SABR bios of 2024 Hall of Fame candidates
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced the eight-player ballot that will be considered by its Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Hall of Fame election for the Class of 2024. The Contemporary Era Committee, which includes SABR member Sean Forman, will meet on Sunday, December 3 at baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Managers/Executives/Umpires ballot includes Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, Lou Piniella, Joe West, and Bill White.
The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 3. Click on a link above to read the candidates’ SABR biographies.
SABR Analytics Certification: Sign up now for new Level 3 course
We’re excited to announce that the newest course in the SABR Analytics Certification program, Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, is now available.
Taught by award-winning baseball writer and analyst Rob Arthur, the Level Three course provides an introduction to programming using a practical approach in its application for baseball and focusing on R (with a dash of SQL) as a programming language, the goal of this online, on-demand course is to give learners a foundational understanding of the technical skills necessary for a career in data science and baseball analytics.
To sign up now, or to learn more about previous courses, visit SABR.org/analytics/certification.
Call for papers: 2024 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
SABR’s Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields for the upcoming conference on June 6-9, 2024, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars. Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, or other Black baseball topics. Proposals should include a 250-word abstract, plus a brief biographical note with contact information. Deadline to apply: February 1, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Students, apply for a Spring 2024 internship with SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research is seeking remote interns to work during the Spring 2024 semester. The 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 Friday, January 26, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
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 #242 on Monday, November 27 featured Jon Weisman, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Vice President of Communications and author of The Catch: A Novel. 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.
New Team Ownership History: Tampa Bay Rays
The ownership history of the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays, successful on the field and tumultuous in the owners box, is the latest addition to the Team Ownership History Project, a joint effort of BioProject and the Business of Baseball Committee.
- Tampa Bay Rays team ownership history, by Steve Rennie
While the project began to chronicle ownership of the current 30 major league franchises, it has been extended to the Negro Leagues, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Leagues, and Federal League, as well as teams that disappeared in the 19th century. Opportunities are still available for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, all editions of the Athletics, plus the other leagues mentioned above. Interested authors should contact Andy McCue to get involved.
7 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- August 5, 1893: Washington’s Cub Stricker arrested while Phillies shellac Senators, by Matt Albertson
- July 14, 1909: Rocky Mount pitcher Jim Thorpe defeats Wilmington in Eastern Carolina League, by Stephen V. Rice
- July 15, 1942: Rookie Early Wynn overcomes 15 hits, 4 walks to beat Tigers in 11 innings, by Thomas E. Merrick
- July 11, 1973: Willie Stargell sets Pirates’ franchise home run record in win over Padres, by John Fredland
- July 1, 1982: Big bopper, fleet feet carry Rochester over Syracuse, by Kurt Blumenau
- September 15, 2013: Red Sox cap sweep of Yankees as Buchholz improves to 11-0, by Bill Nowlin
- April 5, 2022: Arkansas’ Dylan Leach hits for the cycle, homers from each side of the plate, by Madison McEntire
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Ebbets Field: Great, Historic, and Memorable Games in Brooklyn’s Lost Ballpark
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.
All SABR members are encouraged to submit nominations for our annual research awards, for works published or completed in 2023. The deadline to nominate is December 31:
- Seymour Medal (history/biography books)
- SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards (baseball analytics research)
- Larry Ritter Book Award (Deadball Era books)
- Russell Gabay Award (New Jersey baseball)
- SABR Baseball Research Award (outstanding research articles/projects)
- McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award (best history/biography articles)
Please note: Only ONE entry per nomination will be considered (do not submit multiple nominations for the same award). For more information on SABR Awards, click here.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Save the date! SABR 52 will be in Minneapolis in 2024
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Giménez, Tatis win 2023 Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards, presented by SABR
- Read articles online from Fall 2023 Baseball Research Journal
- Interviews with Italian American major leaguers added to SABR Oral History Collection
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- Maybelle Blair honored with Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- SABR forms new Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee
- Save the date! 2024 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference to be held in Cooperstown
- SABR Landmarks Committee unveils new Baseball Grave Map
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR Analytics Conference
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Browning | Elmira, NY | Jonathan Klinger | Humble, Texas | ||
| Luke Cady | Seattle, WA | Gregg Nelson | Maple Grove, MN | ||
| Joseph Callahan | portland, OR | Mark Neuman | Haddonfield, NJ | ||
| Robin Cowherd | Norfolk, VA | James Ray | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| David Curreri | Beach Lake, PA | Nigel Sheppard | Milton Keynes, ENG | ||
| John Davenport | Bowie, MD | Ethen Sims | Austin, TX | ||
| Ben Fairly | Agoura Hills, CA | Patrick Stewart | Mount Dora, FL | ||
| Faith Fehrman | De Pere, WI | Scott Teehan | Santa Clarita, CA | ||
| John Francia | Tokorozawa, JPN | Christopher Thomas | Hainesport, NJ | ||
| Steve Hild | Oswego, IL | Mark Uyehara | Derwood, MD | ||
| Joel Horn | Phoenix, AZ | Burt Warren | The Villages, FL | ||
| Max Horn | Phoenix, AZ | Christopher Wilson | Emeryville, CA | ||
| Earl Kalenith | Burnaby, BC |
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Zak Ford (Called Up); Steve Gietschier (Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years); Donna Muscarella (“Hinchliffe Stadium); and Jamison Pack of the GroveWood Baseball Museum. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- December 3: Southern Michigan Chapter book club meeting (7:30 p.m. EST)
- December 4: Elysian Fields (NJ) Chapter meeting with Steve Gietschier (7:00 p.m. EST)
- December 4: Central Illinois Chapter Meeting with Dave Kindred (7:00 p.m. CST)
- December 4: Quarterly Chapter Leaders meeting (8:00 p.m. EST)
- December 5: Northern New England Chapter meeting with Donna Muscarella (7:00 p.m. EST)
- December 5: Deadball Era Book Talk: Ronald T. Waldo (8:00 p.m. EST)
- December 6: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EST)
- December 7: Ballpark Figures with Shakeia Taylor and Vanessa Ivy Rose (8:00 p.m. EST)
- December 7: Ken Keltner (WI) Chapter meeting with Lincoln Mitchell (7:00 p.m. CST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- December 2: Williamsport Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)
- December 6: Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting (Tallahassee, FL)
- December 6: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- December 9: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
- December 9: Dusty Baker-Sacramento Chapter meeting (Folsom, CA)
- December 9: Ken Keltner Chapter meeting (Milwaukee, WI)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Deadball Era: November 2023 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Lajoie-Start Chapter: November 25 meeting recap (Smithfield, RI)
- Larry Dierker Chapter: November 20 meeting recap (Houston, TX)
- Quebec Chapter: November 18 meeting recap (Montreal, QC)
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:
- Registration is now open for the 2024 NINE Spring Training Conference in Arizona
- Zack Meisel: From garage sale to Cooperstown: The saga of Cleveland’s John Adams and his Hall of Fame drum (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: JAWS and the 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot: Joe Mauer (FanGraphs)
- Alex Speier: Adrián Beltré’s season with Red Sox transformed career that should culminate with Hall of Fame induction (Boston Globe)
- Lindsey Adler: Ichiro Suzuki Retired Four Years Ago. But He Can’t Quit Baseball. (Wall Street Journal)
- Jayson Stark: One-and-done? No! Why David Wright deserves a long look on the Hall ballot (The Athletic)
- Grant Brisbee: The ultimate glossary of Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper’s greatest sayings (The Athletic)
- Emma Baccellieri: How an Astros Minor Leaguer Balances Baseball and Music Careers (Sports Illustrated)
- Derek Rhoads/Rob Mains: Who’s Killing the Pitchers? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Dan Cichalski: 3 years on, no slowing Mancini’s advocacy for cancer awareness (MLB.com)
- Brittany Ghiroli: Behind the curtain of one of MLB’s mysteries: How are managers hired? (The Athletic)
- Eno Sarris: Baseball names on the rise: 12 potential future stars in management and coaching (The Athletic)
- Stephanie Apstein: Blending in the Crowd: Why All MLB Execs Have the Same Wardrobes (Sports Illustrated)
- Russell A. Carleton: The Parable of the Skinner Box (Baseball Prospectus)
- Derrick Goold: Sonny Gray welcomes leading role in Cardinals’ rotation (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- David Laurila: Fast-Rising Tigers Prospect Justice Bigbie Talks Hitting (FanGraphs)
- Steven Goldman: The Most Perfect of Games? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Mark Simon: 2023’s Most Improved Defensive Players (ACTA Sports)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Finding a Free-Agent Fit for Yankee Stadium (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: José Ramírez Was Totally Different and Exactly the Same in 2023 (FanGraphs)
- Larry Brunt: Carlos Paula, the man who integrated the Washington Senators (BaseballHall.org)
- Sam Gazdziak: Guillermo “Willie” Hernandez (1954-2023) (RIP Baseball)
- Gary Cieradkowski: (re)Designing Negro League Logos (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Michael Elizondo: Foul balls: Reuben’s Rule and the Ballad of Robert Cotter (True Blue LA)
- Jason Schwartz: Cardboard Crosswalk: Descent into Darkness (SABR Baseball Cards)
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: December 1, 2023. Last Updated: December 3, 2023.