This Week in SABR: December 20, 2013

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Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Please note that the SABR office will be closed on Wednesday, December 25. The next “This Week in SABR” will be sent on January 3, 2014.

Here’s what we’ve been up to as of December 20, 2013:

Renew your SABR membership for 2014!

This has been an exciting year for SABR. SABR 43, the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference continue to grow and showcase the research of SABR members. We formed a partnership with Rawlings where SABR has created a defensive metric that was utilized by Gold Glove voters. And, of course, we continue to produce and publish excellent research journals and other quality publications.

For those of you whose memberships are expiring soon, we hope you’ll re-join us and be a part of the SABR community again in 2014. If you’ve already renewed, we thank you for your support and look forward to another exciting year ahead.

  • You can renew your membership for 1 year or 3 years online at the SABR Store; by phone at (602) 343-6450; or by mailing this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the SABR office at 4455 E. Camelback Road, Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018.

Special offer for 5-year renewal: SABR is now offering a special opportunity for renewing members in 2014: By opting to receive the digital Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime, you can renew your SABR membership for 5 years at a special rate of $249, a discount of nearly 25% off a 1-year annual membership rate of $65.

Choosing this new 5-year, digital-only membership plan — which is only available to current SABR members who renew — means you will receive two e-book editions of the BRJ, one e-book edition of TNP, “This Week in SABR” every Friday, all SABR Digital Library e-books, committee newsletters, and lots of other member benefits. 

To renew your SABR membership for 5 years at the digital-only rate: Click here to visit the SABR Store and select the “DIGITAL-ONLY BRJ/TNP – 5-yr renewal — $249.00” option when you renew.

We’re excited about the upcoming year ahead of us and we hope you’ll take advantage of all the great membership benefits offered to SABR members in 2014 and beyond.

http://sabr.org/member-benefits

We believe SABR has something for everyone, from the active researcher to someone passionate about baseball. We hope you’ll invite your friends, colleagues and family members to join at http://store.sabr.org.

Make a year-end donation to SABR in 2013

Unlike many nonprofit organizations that hold monthly donation pledge drives and continually solicit donations, SABR has never been proactive about asking for donations. However, like all other nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations, SABR relies heavily on generous donations to supplement its membership dues and help the organization survive and prosper. We appreciate those members who have given in the past and continue to donate to SABR. As SABR continues to serve its members and move forward with exciting new member opportunities, we are going to become more proactive by asking our passionate and knowledgeable members to support their very special organization.

All donations to SABR are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We thank you for supporting SABR and baseball research in all its forms.

To make a donation to support SABR, visit SABR.org/donate.

— Marc Appleman, SABR Executive Director

Give the gift of SABR this holiday season

A SABR membership makes a great gift for the baseball fan in your life! All baseball fans are welcome to join SABR. Gift memberships start at $45/year and members receive all the benefits of a standard membership.

Here are some benefits of membership:

  • Two issues of the Baseball Research Journal, which includes articles on history, biography, statistics, personalities, book reviews, and other aspects of the game.
  • Expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime, our convention journal which focuses on baseball in the region where that year’s national convention is held (in 2014, it’s Houston)
  • “This Week in SABR” e-newsletters every Fridays, with the latest goings-on in SABR and highlighting SABR members’ research
  • New e-books we publish through the SABR Digital Library — free to all SABR members
  • Regional chapter meetings, which can include guest speakers, presentations and trips to ballgames
  • Online access to back issues of The Sporting News and other periodicals through Paper of Record
  • Access to SABR’s lending library and other research resources
  • Online member directory to connect you with an international network of passionate baseball experts and fans
  • Discount on registration to our annual conferences and National Convention
  • Access to SABR-L, an e-mail discussion list of baseball questions and answers that many feel is worth the cost of membership itself
  • The opportunity to be part of a passionate international community of baseball fans

Click here for a complete list of Member Benefits and what you receive for your annual dues. Want more details? Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about getting the most out of your SABR membership.

SABR membership is on a “rolling” calendar system; that means your membership lasts 365 days no matter when you sign up!

Please note: If you are an active SABR member and wish to purchase a gift membership for someone else, you must log out of the website first before you can proceed with your order. If you have any questions, please call (602) 343-6450 for details.

Register now to join us for the 2014 SABR Analytics Conference

SABR has a long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics. While SABR is a multi-faceted organization involved in virtually every aspect of baseball, we have taken a major step to re-connect with our beginnings by producing and hosting the third annual:

SABR Analytics Conference
March 13-15, 2014
Hyatt Regency Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona

Once again, we’re bringing together the top minds of the baseball analytic community under one roof to discuss, debate and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball.

The schedule will consist of a combination of Guest Speakers, Panels and Research Presentations — plus the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition, in which undergraduate, graduate and law school students from across the country analyze and present a real baseball operations decision.

  • Early registration rates:
      — SABR members: $395 early rate; $595 full rate.
      — Non-SABR members: $495 early rate; $695 full rate. If you are not a SABR member, click here to join.
      — Students: $350; includes one-year membership to SABR. Must be a currently enrolled high school or college student. Please e-mail Deb Jayne with a photocopy of your student ID to receive the registration promo code.
     
    Please note: Lunch is included with your registration on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15. The mixer/welcome reception is included with your registration on Thursday, March 13. Specify any special dietary needs when you register.
        
  • Hotel: The 2014 SABR Analytics Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N. 2nd St., Phoenix, AZ 85004. Click here to book your hotel room at the special SABR group rate of $169/night (plus tax.) Or call (602) 252-1234 and mention that you’re with the SABR Analytics Conference.

    Complimentary wireless Internet is available in all rooms booked under the SABR block. The cutoff date to book your room is February 18, 2014. The SABR group rate is only available for the nights of March 10 to March 18, 2014, based on availability. Book your room today! 

Featured speakers and panelists are expected to include: Jack Zduriencik, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Seattle Mariners; Brian Kenny of MLB Network; Aaron Boone, Buster Olney and Jon Sciambi of ESPN;  SABR President Vince Gennaro; Rob Neyer of Baseball Nation; Dave Cameron of FanGraphs; Ben Lindbergh of Baseball Prospectus; Dr. Glenn Fleisig of the American Sports Medicine Institute; Jonathan Mayo, Bernie Pleskoff and Jim Callis of MLB.com; and more to be announced soon! We hope you’ll join us in March for this spectacular event.

Some of the topics we are planning to cover include:

  • General Managers Panel on how analytics shapes front-office decisions
  • Player Panel – how major league players take advantage of analytics
  • Clubhouse Confidential Panel – with panelists from MLB Network’s signature sabermetrics program
  • Prospect Analysis Panel – on using analytics to evaluate prospects  NEW!
  • Biometrics/Injury Prevention Panel  NEW!
  • International Baseball Panel  NEW!
  • Baseball Scouting Panel  NEW!

Check back soon at SABR.org/analytics as we announce more featured speakers, panels and presentations!

For complete coverage of the 2013 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics/2013.

Deadline to apply for 2014 SABR Analytics Yoseloff Scholarship is December 31

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to college students who wish to attend the 2014 SABR Analytics Conference on March 13-15, 2014, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, air transportation and lodging up to a total value of $1,250.

The objective of this scholarship fund is to encourage student engagement with baseball analytics, and to engender an active interest in baseball research and SABR. The Yoseloff scholarship is to assist young researchers who want to attend SABR’s Analytics Conference and to introduce them to fellow SABR members and professionals within the baseball community. Through this fund, SABR hopes to inspire future baseball research, expose students to high-quality research and build the research capability of interested students.

To apply, submit an essay of 750 words or less answering the following questions: “How does attending this conference help you in analytics and/or baseball research? Why would this conference be beneficial for you to attend?” Style guidelines are available on the application form.

Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Some form of age verification (photocopy of driver’s license, passport, etc.) must be attached to your application.

Submissions must include a brief letter of recommendation from a current high school/college teacher, guidance counselor or a school administrator. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than December 31, 2013.

For full details on how to apply, click here.

SABR 44: Call for research presentations

SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 44, the 2014 annual convention in Houston, Texas. Oral presentations are expected to last 20 minutes, followed by a five minute question-and-answer period. Posters will be presented, with the author on-hand to discuss the work, during a poster session of 90 or so minutes, and will probably remain on display throughout the convention.

Through on-site judging, the most highly-regarded presentations will receive the Doug Pappas Award for best oral presentation and the USA Today Sports Weekly Award for best poster presentation. 

SABR 44 will be held at the Royal Sonesta in Houston, Texas, from July 30-August 3, 2014. (Registration and hotel information will be available soon at SABR.org/convention.)

2014 represents an anniversary of local Houston baseball-related events that could provide inspiration for topics. For example, it has been:

  • 5 years since Aaron Boone returned from heart surgery to play in the major leagues, Ivan Rodriguez set the all-time record for games caught, and original Colt .45 Hal Woodeshick died in Houston
  • 10 years since Roger Clemens won the last of his 7 Cy Young Awards as an Astro
  • 15 years since the Astros featured two 20-game winners, Craig Biggio’s last 50-double season, Nolan Ryan was elected to the HOF, manager Larry Dierker suffered an on-field seizure, and the Astrodome hosted its last game
  • 20 years since Jeff Bagwell’s MVP Award, Biggio’s first Gold Glove, and the trade of Steve Finley and Ken Caminiti
  • 25 years since Mike Scott’s only 20-win season
  • 35 years since J.R. Richard’s last full season and ERA championship, Dierker’s first season as a broadcaster, and the disappearance of the rainbow uniform
  • 40 years since Doug Rader’s 5th consecutive Gold Glove, Cesar Cedeno’s 3rd of five Gold Gloves, the acquisition of Jose Cruz, and Mike Schmidt’s “single” off the loudspeaker
  • 45 years since Rusty Staub was dealt to Montreal, Dierker recorded the club’s first 20-win season, and the Astros first reached .500.
  • 50 years since Ken Johnson lost his no-hitter, and the final season of both Colt Stadium and the Colt .45s

In general, we will follow the procedures used in recent years for reviewing and selecting research abstracts. For more details on the submission criteria, click here. 

The submission deadline for SABR 44 abstracts is midnight PST, Sunday, FEBRUARY 16, 2014.

Submit abstracts to sabr2014-presentations@comcast.net, the research presentations address for SABR 44.

Questions regarding the submission, review, and evaluation procedures should also be sent to the sabr2014-presentations@comcast.net address.

SABR Digital Library: New Century, New Team: The 1901 Boston Americans

Add a fantastic baseball book to your collection with the newest title in the SABR Digital Library:

New Century, New Team: The 1901 Boston Americans
Edited by Bill Nowlin
Associate editors: Maurice Bouchard and Len Levin
Photo editor: Dan Desrochers
268 pages, 125+ photos
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-933599-58-8
E-book ISBN: 978-1-933599-59-5

The team now known as the Boston Red Sox played its first season in 1901. The city of Boston had a well-established National League team, known at the time as the Beaneaters, but the founders of the American League knew that Boston was a strong baseball market and when they launched the league as a new major league in 1901, they went head-to-head with the N.L. in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. Chicago won the American League pennant and Boston finished second, just four games behind.

The Boston Americans played in a new ballpark — the Huntington Avenue Grounds — literally on the other side of the railroad tracks from the Beaneaters and they out-drew the Beaneaters by more than 2-1, in part because they had enticed some of the more popular players — player/manager Jimmy Collins, pitcher Cy Young, and slugger Buck Freeman.

This volume represents the collective work of more than 25 members of SABR—the Society for American Baseball Research. It offers individual biographies of the players, team owner Charles Somers, league founder Ban Johnson, and two of the team’s most noted fans: Hi Hi Dixwell and Nuf Ced McGreevy. There is also a “biography” of the Huntington Avenue Grounds ballpark and a study of media coverage of Boston baseball in 1901, and a timeline running from the first spring training through that year’s postseason games.

Includes written contributions by the following SABR members: Bill Nowlin, Fred Schuld, Joe Santry and Cindy Thomson, Ron Selter, Donna L. Halper, Charlie Bevis, Steve Krah, Charles Faber, Dennis Auger, Jim Elfers, Eric Enders, Jack Morris, Paul Wendt, Frank Vaccaro, Rory Costello, Mike Lackey, Dan Desrochers, David Forrester, Tom Simon, David Southwick, Joanne Hulbert, Pete Nash, Dan Fields.

To view a list of all biographies included in the book, click here.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

SABR BioProject publishes 2,600th baseball biography

Four new biographies were posted as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, and with the release of our new e-book New Century, New Team: The 1901 Boston Americans, that brings us to a total of 2,612 published biographies. Here are the new bios:

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

You can find the SABR BioProject at SABR.org/BioProject.

New All-Star categories added! You can now browse for published SABR bios of All-Stars from each decade. For example, click here to find 1940s All-Stars, from Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio to Boo Ferriss and Danny Litwhiler. This page has links for every player who was selected to one or more of the All-Star games played between 1940 and 1949 for whom we have a biography.

Bios on more than just ballplayers: The ambitious goal of the SABR Baseball Biography Project is to publish a full-life biography of every major league player in history. But SABR members write about a lot more than just ballplayers. In addition, we have pages for Ballparks, Broadcasters, Executives, Managers, Scouts, Spouses, Umpires and a lot more on the BioProject website. You can browse all of these categories at http://sabr.org/bioproj/browse. So if you’ve ever thought, “Hey, that person (or ballpark) should get the full BioProject treatment” — write the story and we’ll publish it!

Get involved! If you’d like to help contribute to the SABR BioProject, visit our BioProject Resources page or read the FAQs section to get started. We’re also looking to expand the BioProject to include all “encyclopedic” articles on baseball-related subjects from past SABR publications or committee newsletters. If you come across an article you think should be included in the SABR “baseball repository” at the BioProject, send a copy or link to markarmour04@gmail.com or jpomrenke@sabr.org.

Save the date: SABR Day is January 25, 2014

The fifth annual SABR Day is right around the corner: Saturday, January 25, 2014.

We’re starting to compile details now on 2014 SABR Day chapter meetings around the country. We’ll post them as soon as we get them at SABR.org/sabrday. Chapter leaders, please send your SABR Day plans to Jacob Pomrenke at jpomrenke@sabr.org.

Here are 2014 SABR Day meetings we have listed so far on Saturday, January 25:

  • Charlotte, NC
  • Columbus, OH
  • Houston, TX
  • Kenosha, WI (joint meeting of Chicago/Milwaukee chapters)
  • Knoxville, TN
  • Little Rock, AR
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Louisville, KY
  • Middletown, CT
  • Nashville, TN
  • New Orleans, LA
  • New York, NY
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • Washington, DC

In addition, some chapters are holding their SABR Day meetings on other days because of conflicts with team FanFests or preferred venues.

  • San Marcos, TX (Saturday, January 11)
  • St. Louis, MO (Saturday, January 18)
  • San Francisco, CA (Sunday, January 26)
  • Cleveland, OH (Saturday, February 1)
  • San Diego, CA (Saturday, February 15)

Click here to view all SABR Day 2014 events on our Google map.

Or visit http://bit.ly/SABR-Day-2014-spreadsheet to view all SABR Day 2014 events in spreadsheet format.

Regional SABR meetings are open to all baseball fans and are usually free to attend, so bring a friend! Guest speakers often include current and former baseball players, managers, umpires, executives, scouts, writers and authors.

Check back soon at SABR.org/sabrday for more information on a SABR Day meeting close to you.

Retrospective All-Star Game Project: Vote for the 1924 All-Stars

Cast Your Vote For The 1924 All-Stars!
The Voice of the Fan Will Be Heard!

Back in days of olde—to wit, in nineteen hundred and sixteen, way back when the college men of today were barely adolescents, and elderly men merely in the last throes of middle age—the best and most important baseball tradition taking place between Opening Day and the World’s Series was birthed. We speak, of course, of the All-Star Game. 

This year’s Game will provide no less the thrill, excitement and memories of past games. No baseball man can forget when the Big Train and the Big Babe teamed up to flummox the Nationals in ’16; when renowned no-hit dueler Fred Toney stranded runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth inning to preserve a 4-3 senior circuit victory in ’19; or when the heroes of the diamond offered their stirring tribute to the fallen Ray Chapman before the 10-8 slugfest in Cleveland in ’21.

These memories will live forever in the annals of ball, but YOU can help author the next chapter with YOUR selection of the All-Star starters and best three pitchers for each squad to play for YOU in this year’s game, taking place on Tuesday, July 8 in Chicago at the majestic new Wrigley Field, home of the perennial powerhouse Chicago Cubs.

The games will be played using Out of the Park 14, and the game account and box score will be posted over at Seamheads.com.

Vote for the 1924 All-Star starters and pitchers here:

Voting will be open until 3:00 a.m. EDT on January 3, 2014. At that time, we will count up the votes, put together the rosters, and sim the game.

To learn more about the Retroactive All-Star Project, visit SABR.org/retroactive-all-star-project/about.

— Chuck Hildebrandt

In Memoriam: James Rygelski

We are saddened to learn of the death of SABR member James Rygelski, 64, of St. Louis, Missouri, who passed away December 18, 2013, after a brief illness. He joined SABR in 1986 and was the longtime secretary and former president of the Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter, faithfully submitting chapter meeting recaps each month.

Jim was a prolific writer, authoring many papers and books on his beloved St. Louis Cardinals, including 10 Rings: Stories of the St. Louis Cardinals World Championships with Bob Tiemann; and The I-55 Series: Cubs vs. Cardinals with George Castle. His last article, “A proposal to improve baseball’s pace” with Mark Antonacci, was published on SABR.org last month. He also contributed to SABR publications such as the Baseball Research Journal, The National Pastime, Nineteenth Century Stars, Mound City Memories and Inventing Baseball: The 100 Greatest Games of the 19th Century.

Jim was a writer and editor for many years with the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Suburban Journals and St. Louis Review, the weekly newspaper of the St. Louis Archdiocese. He also contributed regularly to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s online religion blog.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Call for SABR award nominations

  • Larry Ritter Award, due 12/31/2013: Each year, SABR’s Deadball Era Committee presents the Larry Ritter Book Award to recognize the best new book primarily set in the Deadball Era that was published during the previous calendar year. The award is presented during the committee’s meeting at the annual SABR convention. If you have a book to nominate with a 2013 publication date, contact Gail Rowe at growes36@comcast.net by December 31, 2013.
  • SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards, due 1/15/2014: The SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards recognizes baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Contemporary Baseball Analysis, Contemporary Baseball Commentary, or Historical Baseball Analysis/Commentary. Results are announced and presented at the annual SABR Analytics Conference. Please send all nominations via e-mail to this address: 2014-analytics-awards@sabr.org. Include author, title, date of publication and a URL link (if applicable).
  • SABR Baseball Research Award, due 1/31/2014: The SABR Baseball Research Award (formerly the Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award) honors those whose outstanding research projects completed during the preceding calendar year have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball. To submit a nomination for the 2013 awards, please contact Bill Felber at bfelber@att.net.
  • McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, due 2/15/2014: The McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award honors the authors of the best articles on baseball history or biography completed or published during the preceding calendar year. To submit a nomination for the 2013 awards, please contact Len Levin at lenlevin5@hotmail.com.

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: http://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 New Member 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.

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Craig Albin West Plains, MO     Chuck Jacot Seattle, WA
Molly Anderson Indianapolis, IN     Justin Kettel Henderson, NV
Michael Augustine St. Charles, MO     Stokely Klasovsky Raleigh, NC
Conrad Ballance Melbourne, FL     Dave Klasovsky Warren, OH
Rick Bogaert Cambridge, MA     David W. Klasovsky Warren, OH
Dennis Bretz Olathe, KS     Mark Mier Redmond, WA
Brandon Browder Peru, IL     Chris Niemann Belleville, IL
Brenna Burghardt Middleville, MI     Riccardo Pellegrini New York, NY
Justin Connell Bellevue, WA     Kevin Perkins Oxnard, CA
Thomas Crist Ottawa, ON     Tanner Smith Roanoke, VA
Louis Fusaro Needham, MA     Christopher Snyder Lemont, IL
David Fusaro Needham, MA     James Wisenberg Sebring, FL
Christian Hainds Chicago, IL     Adam Young Pittsburgh, PA
Jim Howard Bennett, CO        

 

Research committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee newsletters published this week:

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

Chapter meeting news

Here are the new chapter meeting recaps published this week:

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

SABR Events Calendar

Here is a list of upcoming SABR events:

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, and sent out to all SABR members on Fridays. All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: http://sabr.org/content/this-week-in-sabr-archives. 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.

Find exclusive Members’ Only resources and information here: http://members.sabr.org

Did you know you can renew your membership at any time? 1- and 3-year SABR memberships are available by clicking “Renew” at http://members.sabr.org. Please also consider a donation to SABR to support baseball research at SABR.org/donate.

Are you following us on Twitter or Facebook? Get SABR updates every day at @SABR or by searching “SABR” on Facebook.

Replying to this e-mail goes to an undeliverable address. If you would like to contact the SABR office, please visit: http://sabr.org/about/contact-sabr


Originally published: December 20, 2013. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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