This Week in SABR: December 15, 2023

December 15, 2023/in This Week in SABR /by Jacob Pomrenke

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.

Students, apply for scholarships to attend 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
Member Benefit Spotlight: Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal
Give the gift of SABR this holiday season
Help us Bring It Home for SABR
Watch a replay of Ballpark Figures with Vanessa Ivy Rose
Apply now for a Local Grant in 2024

Students, 2 weeks left to apply for a scholarship 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.

Students and young professionals have until December 31, 2023, to apply for the Yoseloff Scholarship or the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship and attend the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference.

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.

Member Benefit Spotlight: Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal

Beginning in 2024, all SABR members will exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically. A majority of SABR members already receive the BRJ electronically and will not be affected by this change.

For any members who are interested in a hard copy of the publication for their personal library, we are rolling out a new subscription option at a significantly discounted rate: $7 per issue for members, compared to $19.95 at retail. (International members will pay $11 per issue.)

Visit SABR.org/subscribe to receive future printed editions of the BRJ in the mail. Or click here if you’d like a tutorial on how to subscribe.

As with any change, we understand that you may have questions or concerns that you would like to share. Please feel free to reach out to any SABR staff member.

Give the gift of SABR this holiday season!

This holiday season, it’s easy to share that passion for the game with friends and family. If you’re looking for a great gift for the baseball fan in your life, how about a SABR Gift Membership? All baseball fans are welcome to join SABR.

Click here to learn more about how to sign up a family member or friend with a SABR Gift Membership.

Visit SABR.org/gift-membership to learn more.

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.

Students, apply now for a SABR Negro Leagues Committee scholarship in 2024

SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee will award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its 16th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2024. 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.

Click here to learn more about each scholarship or to download an application. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2024.

The 2024 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will take place on June 6-9 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Visit SABR.org/malloy for more information on the 2024 conference, including the Call for Papers and Art Contest.

Watch a replay of 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 was Vanessa Ivy Rose, author, podcast host, and granddaughter of Negro Leagues great Turkey Stearnes.

Click here to watch a replay of Ballpark Figures with Vanessa Ivy Rose

Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more about upcoming shows or view past episodes.

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.

Save the date: SABR Day is on February 3

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 3, 2024, when we will hold our annual SABR Day celebration! SABR Day is a way for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love. Regional chapters are also encouraged to plan their own SABR Day events (virtually or in person) to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.

Chapter leaders, please email Jacob Pomrenke and Peter Cottrell as you finalize your SABR Day plans so we can update our schedule of events. Visit SABR.org/sabrday for full details on all SABR Day events.

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.

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.

Writing opportunity: 2005 Chicago White Sox

In 2005, the Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917 — an 88-year gap between world championships. SABR’s Editorial Board has given the green light to a book for the 20th anniversary of this special season in 2025. The book’s editors are Eric Conrad, Mark Morowczynski, Bill Nowlin, and Don Zminda. They are seeking ideas for essays about the 2005 team and also seeking biographers for many of the players and coaches on the team.

Any SABR member who is interested in contributing to this project should contact Bill Nowlin. Click here to learn more about SABR writing opportunities.

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 #244 on Monday, December 11 featured Craig Brown, SABR member and founder of the Threads of Our Game website on 19th-century baseball uniforms. 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.

2 new Oral History interviews published

Pete O’Brien, 12-year career as first baseman with Rangers and Mariners
Recorded November 30, 2023, by John McMurray
Steve Busby, Kansas City Royals pitcher who threw two no-hitters
Recorded November 20, 2023, by John McMurray

Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.

6 new bios published at the SABR Biography Project

Carl East, by Stephen V. Rice
Otis Johnson, by Bill Lamb
Jim Marshall, by Steve Dunn
William Parson, by Terry Bohn
John Sterling, by Tim Hagerty
Pete Suder, by Mel Marmer and Tom Bowen

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

5 new stories published at the SABR Games Project

September 6, 1912: Official scorer reverses decision, giving Giants rookie Jeff Tesreau a no-hitter, by Andrew Harner
August 2, 1950: Philadelphia’s Elmer Valo hits for the cycle, by Mike Huber
May 20, 1959: Mild-mannered Wally Moses gets only ejection of 34-year major-league career, by Kurt Blumenau
July 4, 1977: Barrage of 8 home runs rallies Red Sox to win over Blue Jays, by Bill Nowlin
May 10, 2008: Washington’s Joel Hanrahan allows four inherited runners to score in one inning, by Gary Belleville

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

Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1960-2019 (Volume 2)
Edited by Robert K. Fitts, Bill Nowlin, and James Forr

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:

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
Len Aberman		Jacob Michels	Chicago, IL
Justin Anderson	New Freedom, PA	Jeffrey Mudrick	Pittsburgh, PA
Dustin Berliner	Powdersville, SC	Mark Murray	Glendale, AZ
Henry Brzezinski	Placerville, CA	Kimberly Phillips-Groneck	Chesterfield, MO
Tim Castelli	Plano, TX	Bernard Schaper	St Louis, MO
Andrew Cossu	Melville, NY	Chad Smith	Alto, GA
Chris Crombar	Jonestown, TX	Michael Stanger	Kirkland, WA
Anthony Garvin	Cooma, AUS	Adam Tredeau	Waukesha, WI
David Go	Menomonee Falls, WI	Deborah Unser Cahill	Springville, CA
Barry Gogel	Baltimore, MD	Jeff Valentine	Springfield, OH
Cameron Hyder	Laurel, MD	Josh Wigotow	Lancaster, PA
Julian Keifetz	New York, NY

Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
Video Replays: This week, we heard from authors Vanessa Ivy Rose (Hall of Fame DNA); Zak Ford (Called Up); and Lincoln Mitchell (The One Hundred Most Important Players in Baseball History); Gregory H. Wolf (“Bill Hutchison”); and the 19th Century Book Club (Fifty-nine in ’84). Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

December 16: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter meeting (9:30 a.m. EST)
December 17: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Committee meeting (12:00 p.m. EST)
December 17: Baseball Cards Committee meeting (1:00 p.m. EST)
December 18: Elysian Fields (NJ) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EST)
December 18: Northern New England Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EST)
December 18: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Greg Lucas (7:00 p.m. CST)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

December 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
December 16: Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter holiday party (Rocky Hill, CT)
December 19: Bob Davids Chapter Maryland Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
December 21: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)

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

Origins: December 2023 newsletter

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

Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: Fall 2023 newsletter (St. Louis, MO)
Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: December 6 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
Rogers Hornsby Chapter: December 2023 newsletter (Austin, TX)

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
Tiffany Oshinsky: ‘It’s Just Magical’: The Surprising Power Of Baseball Memories (The Lead)
Ben Weinrib: MLB’s new Advancing Bases event aims to add diversity around baseball (MLB.com)
Ben Lindbergh: 17 Questions About Shohei Ohtani’s Extremely Large, Extremely Strange Contract (The Ringer)
Daniel R. Epstein: 700 Million is a Very Big Number (Baseball Prospectus)
Lindsey Adler: Who’s a Lucky Dog? (Hint: His Owner Just Signed a $700-Million Contract) (Wall Street Journal)
Emma Baccellieri: What’s It Like to Be Mistaken for Shohei Ohtani? Robert Herjavec Knows (Sports Illustrated)
Sam Blum/Cody Stavenhagen: How Shohei Ohtani’s signing inspired Ruthian tales of a brush with greatness (The Athletic)
Stephanie Apstein: Shohei Ohtani Keeps the Curtain Up in His Grand Dodgers Unveiling (Sports Illustrated)
Ryan Fagan: How does the Dodgers trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman stack up historically? (Sporting News)
Jayson Stark: Juan Soto by the numbers: What Yankees are (and aren’t) getting (The Athletic)
Grant Brisbee: Jung Hoo Lee and the Giants: How he fits and your other questions answered (The Athletic)
Ryan Divish: Why Mariners, John Stanton need to be more transparent (Seattle Times)
Eno Sarris: Scouting Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Who are his closest MLB comps? (The Athletic)
Jay Jaffe: JAWS and the 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot: Chase Utley (FanGraphs)
Russell A. Carleton: The Kinky Slinky Zone (Baseball Prospectus)
David Laurila: Dispatches From the Winter Meetings in Nashville (FanGraphs)
Evan Lang: Would Dante Bichette have thrived in the modern National League? (Purple Row)
Sam Gazdziak: Vic Davalillo (1939-2023) (RIP Baseball)
Gary Cieradkowski: “Babe” Yajima: The Babe Ruth of Shinshu (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
Ralph E. Moore Jr.: A memorial park for the Baltimore Black Sox (Afro.com)
Michael Clair: Alex Hugo becomes first two-time USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year winner (MLB.com)
Jake Brown: Baseball royalty: Hairston lineage on the diamond remains strong, generation after generation (Cronkite News)
John Thorn: The Base Ball Boy: Studying the game’s patents (Our Game)
Tom Schad: Baseball’s first cheater? ‘Pud’ Galvin used testicular fluid as PED (USA Today)

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.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox.

Originally published: December 15, 2023. Last Updated: December 15, 2023.

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