This Week in SABR: December 8, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, December 8, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR member Joe Castiglione honored with 2024 Ford C. Frick Award
Students, apply for scholarships to attend 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal print edition
The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2023
Help us Bring It Home for SABR
Apply now for a Local Grant in 2024
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SABR member Joe Castiglione honored with 2024 Ford C. Frick Award
Boston Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione, a SABR member since 1984 and the longest-tenured broadcaster in franchise history, was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Castiglione is the fourth SABR member to receive the Frick Award, following Detroit Tigers icon Ernie Harwell (1981), Joe Garagiola (1991), and Kansas City Royals voice Denny Matthews (2007).
Castiglione has called Red Sox games on radio or TV for more than four decades since 1983, including four World Series championships with the franchise. Click here to read his SABR biography, written by Curt Smith. Jacques Doucet, a SABR member since 2005 and the original voice of the Montreal Expos, was one of 10 finalists for the 2024 Frick Award.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Students, apply now 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.
Subscribe to future print editions of 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.
The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2023
Periodically throughout the year, SABR.org publishes The SABR Bookshelf, a listing of new books that are received at the SABR office.
Click here for more detailed information on dozens of new baseball books published in Fall 2023.
To view previous listings in The SABR Bookshelf, click here.
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.
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.
Retrosheet announces Fall 2023 updates
Retrosheet is pleased to announce its semi-annual update for Fall 2023 at Retrosheet.org.
New and Updated Data includes event files for the 2023 season; the 1912, 1917, and 1918 AL and NL seasons; ballpark firsts and lasts; noteworthy events and achievements, and more.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
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.
Writing opportunity: First At Bat Home Runs project
The editors of an upcoming SABR web project on First At Bat Home Runs are seeking authors to write BioProject biographies and Games Project recaps on select players.
We are looking to include at least one biography of a player from each current major-league franchise, including the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, and Chicago White Sox. We are also looking for any documented stories of players who hit a home run in their first career at-bat in the Negro Leagues, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Japan, Korea, or Cuba, or other significant professional leagues.
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 #243 on Monday, December 4 featured Noah Gittell, a writer and film critic whose newest book is Baseball: The Movie. 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 Oral History interview: Jim Sundberg
- Jim Sundberg, All-Star catcher, broadcaster, executive, and Texas Rangers Team Hall of Famer
Recorded November 16, 2023, by John McMurray
Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.
3 new bios published at the SABR Biography Project
- Jack Ferry, by Bill Lamb
- Roy “Hardrock” Johnson, by Rory Costello
- Marvin Williams, by Mark Shirk
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
3 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- May 15, 1991: Paul Molitor hits for the cycle and ignites Brewers’ win over Twins, by Mike Huber
- October 21, 2007: Red Sox win Game 7 of ALCS, rally from 3-1 comeback vs. Cleveland, by Bill Nowlin
- August 2, 2023: Red Sox start late-season fade with loss to Mariners, by Kurt Blumenau
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:
- 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
- SABR Digital Library: Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1960-2019 (Volume 2)
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Carey Sr. | Virginia Beach, VA | Isaac Lambert | San Diego, CA | ||
| Wayne Chan | Oakland, CA | Hannah Levy | Denver, CO | ||
| Dean Ciriaco | East Williston, NY | Derek Maldonado | Brooklyn, NY | ||
| James Clark | Indianapolis, IN | Jack Minnis | Laurel, MD | ||
| Mckayla Hendrick | Saint Jacob, IL | Alec Nunes | Ellensburg, WA | ||
| Allen Holdsworth | Aledo, IL | David Simmons | Thousand Oaks, CA | ||
| Nobby Ito | Iruma, JPN | Ken Weber | Portage, MI | ||
| Mark Kahn | San Francisco, CA | Michael Winterrose | Palmdale, CA | ||
| Richard Kaufman | Mohnton, PA | Zihao Wu | New York, NY |
Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of November 2023.
| NAME | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Armour | Harry Lesser | |
| Rich Arpi | Len Levin | |
| Robert Axelrod | Allison Levin | |
| Patricia Aylsworth | Henry Levy | |
| John Azevedo | Timothy Liljeberg | |
| Louis Bartoshesky | Annie Lindsay | |
| Jake Bell | Andrea Long | |
| Michael Bender | Linda Luca | |
| Michael Berry | Joseph Luchok | |
| John Blackburn | Peter Mancuso | |
| Andrew Blume | Peter Marcus | |
| Robert Bluthardt | Bill Marston | |
| Mark Bonino | Christopher Mason | |
| David Boyle | Anthony McCarron | |
| Jack Braun | Bruce McClure | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Lawrence McCray | |
| Paul Browne | Andy McCue | |
| Scott Bush | Dave McHugh | |
| Wilfred Bussing | Geoff Mills | |
| Richard Butler | Jeremy Mills | |
| JC Camp | Alan Molin | |
| Ralph Caola | Chad Moody | |
| Ken Carrano | Alan Mooneyham | |
| John Carter | Mark Morowczynski | |
| Jeff Carter | Christopher Moyer | |
| William Christensen | John Munns | |
| Ralph Christian | Alan Nathan | |
| Bill Chuck | Arthur Neff | |
| Karl Cicitto | David Neft | |
| Frank Collins | Rob Neyer | |
| Vincent Comparato | Linda Nichols | |
| Peter Coolbaugh | Monty Nielsen | |
| Jim Cox | Bill Nowlin | |
| Harrington Crissey | James Odenkirk | |
| Richard Cuicchi | Gary Olson | |
| Carlos de Armas-Kendall | Melyssa Paulson | |
| Tom DiGiandomenico | Bill Pearch | |
| Peter Donhauser | David Pearson | |
| Bob Dorrill | Laura Peebles | |
| Gordon Edes | David Peng | |
| Ed Edmonds | Peter Pepper | |
| Helen Edwards | William Pruden | |
| Steven Elsberry | John Rall | |
| Bernard Enright | Stephen Roney | |
| Jonathan Epstein | James Rook | |
| Daniel Evans | Steven Roscoe | |
| John Fain | Michael Rosenwasser | |
| Alexander Feng | Charles Roussel | |
| Rebecca Fields | Bob Russon | |
| Jeff Findley | Robert Ruzzo | |
| Jan Finkel | Edward Scahill | |
| David Firstman | Jason Scheller | |
| Kenneth Fischer | Louis Schiff | |
| Scott Fischthal | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Jack Fitzpatrick | Alexander Schuhart | |
| Adam Foldes | Jeff Self | |
| Ralph Foss | Rob Sheinkopf | |
| Kent Fredrickson | Blake Sherry | |
| Paul Gardner | Kenneth Snell | |
| Michael Gibbons | Rick Solomon | |
| Fred Grandchamp | Mike Sparks | |
| David Guslani | Alec Stais | |
| Robert Hagerman | Steve Steinberg | |
| John Hancock | Karen Stephens | |
| Andrew Harner | Thomas Stone | |
| Mike Haupert | Wesley Story | |
| Roger Hawks | Dennis Strobel | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Joseph Thompson | |
| Robert Hebden | Steuart Thomsen | |
| Peter Henrici | Thomas Tomsick | |
| Paul Hensler | Dixie Tourangeau | |
| Tim Herlich | Wayne Towers | |
| John Hill | Neal Traven | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | Sam Treynor | |
| David Hughes | Paul Vastola | |
| Joanne Hulbert | John Wells | |
| Rob Janes | Steve West | |
| Donald Jensen | Susan White | |
| Douglas Jordan | J. R. Wildridge | |
| Christopher Kaempfer | Phil Williams | |
| Jim Kaplan | Neal Wilson | |
| Joe Keaney | Beach Wires | |
| Thomas Kern | Michael Wolff | |
| Steve Klugman | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Robert Komoroski | Don Zminda | |
| Thomas Larwin | Joe Zureick | |
| Bob LeMoine | David Zweifel |
Want to become a Friend of SABR? Click here to make a recurring monthly contribution or click here to learn more about our Giving Circles to make a one-time contribution.
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from sportswriter Dave Kindred; video game developer Jason Leonard; author Ronald T. Waldo (Days of Reckoning); and the Southern Michigan Chapter book club. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- December 9: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter Book Club (10:00 a.m. EST)
- December 9: Josh Gibson Foundation: Negro Leagues Family Alliance (12:00 p.m. EST)
- December 11: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting (6:00 p.m. CST)
- December 11: Central Florida Chapter meeting with David Mickey Evans (7:00 p.m. EST)
- December 11: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CST)
- December 12: Northern New England Chapter meeting with Jeff Cohen and Leonard Aberman (7:00 p.m. EST)
- December 12: 19th Century Speaker Series: Gregory H. Wolf (8:00 p.m. EST)
- December 12: New SABR Member Experience Meeting (8:00 p.m. EST)
- December 13: Ken Keltner Badger State (WI) Chapter meeting with Zak Ford (7:00 p.m. CST)
- 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)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- 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)
- December 12: Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter meeting (Arlington, TX)
- December 12: Rocky Mountain Chapter holiday party (Denver, CO)
- December 13: Roush-Lopez Gulf Coast Chapter meeting (Clearwater, FL)
- December 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- December 16: Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter holiday party (Rocky Hill, CT)
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.
- Halsey Hall Chapter: December 2023 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: December 2023 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
- Ted Williams Chapter: 2023 Padres Season Report (San Diego, CA)
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
- Jay Jaffe: The Hall of Fame Calls for Jim Leyland (FanGraphs)
- Jayson Stark: Jim Leyland, Hall of Fame manager: 4 things we learned from the Contemporary Era election (The Athletic)
- Emma Baccellieri: Ranking Every Potential Shohei Ohtani Destination, From Boring to Hilarious (Sports Illustrated)
- Clinton Yates: MLB winter meetings cap a strong 2023 season for Black baseball (Andscape)
- Robert Arthur: Handsomeness Used To Matter More (Baseball Prospectus)
- Tyler Kepner: Revisiting the 11 biggest offseason MLB trades of the past 10 years (The Athletic)
- Hannah Keyser: How the collapse of the regional sports network is affecting MLB economics now and in the future (Yahoo! Sports)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt: From free agent whispers to riverboat rides: A day at the MLB Winter Meetings (The Athletic)
- Ryan Fagan: Why would Shohei Ohtani return to Angels? MLB’s worst nightmare is still a scary possibility (Sporting News)
- Rob Mains: The 2023 Season in Inequality (Baseball Prospectus)
- Stephanie Apstein: Juan Soto May Need the Yankees Just As Much As They Need Him (Sports Illustrated)
- David Laurila: Lucas Giolito Knows What He Needs To Do To Get Back on Track (FanGraphs)
- Grant Brisbee: The Giants had a dull Winter Meetings, like everyone else. Here’s why that’s OK. (The Athletic)
- Russell A. Carleton: The Era of Streaming (Baseball Prospectus)
- Derrick Goold: Now that he has a title, Yadier Molina’s role takes shape for second act with Cardinals (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Davy Andrews: The Doomed Search for a Perfect Way To Interpret Exit Velocity Data (FanGraphs)
- Ryan Divish: Why the Mariners might need to wait to make more moves (Seattle Times)
- Mark Simon: The Availability Of The Yankees’ Outfield Additions (ACTA Sports)
- Daniel R. Epstein: The Padres are Not Trusting the Process (Baseball Prospectus)
- Baseball Hall of Fame Will Celebrate Black Baseball with East-West Classic Game (BaseballHall.org)
- Gabriela Carroll: Miles Wolff an unsung pioneer with an outsized impact on baseball (MiLB.com)
- M. Shawn Hennessy: Dick Ward: ‘Colonel’ to Seaman, Diamond Star to Hero (Chevrons and Diamonds)
- Amanda Lane Cumming: Desperation and Euphoria: The Mariners and the Signing of Robinson Canó (NW Baseball History)
- Mike Reuther: Babe Ruth: The Sultan of Swat and his Williamsport legacy (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)
- Jeff Cohen: Baseball and BBQ interview with Rick Cerrone (Baseball and BBQ)
- Jason Schwartz: The second coming of Claude Bernard (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Chris Kamka: Les is More … (The Hardball Voyager)
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 8, 2023. Last Updated: December 14, 2023.