This Week in SABR: February 16, 2024
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, February 16, 2024.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Early registration ends tonight for SABR Analytics Conference
Steve Gietschier wins 2024 SABR Seymour Medal
SABR 52 registration is now open
Join us next week for SABR Scholar Sessions with Travis Apple
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal
Call for nominations: Board of Directors election
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More featured speakers at 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
All baseball fans are invited to join us at the SABR Analytics Conference on March 8-10, 2024, in Phoenix. Early registration discounts expire on February 16, so register today to join us!
We’re excited to announce more featured speakers and panelists:
- Jason Bernard, Senior Manager, Baseball Research & Development, MLB
- Graham Goldbeck, Product Manager, Baseball Data Platform, MLB
- Clay Nunnally, Baseball Scientist, MLB
- Mike Petriello, Stats Analyst, MLB
- James Buffi, CEO, Reboot Motion
To learn more about the SABR Analytics Conference, or to register, visit SABR.org/analytics.
Early registration ends tonight for 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration ends at 11:59 p.m. MST tonight 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.
- Reminder: Early registration discounts end on Friday, February 16. Registration increases $150 after the early discount ends, so register today to join us!
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).
Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more or to register.
Steve Gietschier wins 2024 SABR Seymour Medal
Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years, written by Steven P. Gietschier and published by University of Nebraska Press, is the winner of the 2024 Dr. Harold and Dorothy Seymour Medal, which honors the best book of baseball history or biography published during the preceding calendar year.
Gietschier will receive his award during the 31st annual NINE Spring Training Conference on Saturday, March 9 in Tempe, Arizona. To learn more about the NINE conference, visit nineconference.com.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Early registration is now open for SABR 52 in Minneapolis
Join us in Minneapolis for SABR’s 52nd annual convention! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 52 on August 7-11, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, is now available at SABR.org/convention.
- Click here for complete details on SABR 52 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions, including a Minnesota Twins game, St. Paul Saints game, and Target Field ballpark tour.
SABR 52 will be distinct from its predecessors, as it will feature a Hall of Fame speaker lineup we know you’ll love — including Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Bert Blyleven, and Jim Kaat — and will be the most accessible and social experience we’ve ever organized as we emphasize SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. This year’s streamlined registration options will provide for a consistent and accessible experience for all attendees and the lowest registration price since 2018. We hope you’ll join us this summer in Minneapolis!
Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.
SABR 52: Call for presentations
SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 52, the 2024 annual convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Click here to submit presentation abstracts for SABR 52. The submission deadline for SABR 52 abstracts is Sunday, March 10, 2024.
In addition, we seek volunteers who wish to participate in the blind review process (beginning in March) and/or on-site judging (at the convention in Minneapolis.) Those volunteers can apply by sending an email to sabr2024presentations@gmail.com.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 52
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to 4 scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 52 on August 7-11, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250.
The objective of this scholarship fund is to encourage high school and college-level student engagement with baseball research and to engender an active interest in baseball and SABR. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Scott Carter at scarter@sabr.org no later than May 17, 2024.
Click here to download an application form at SABR.org.
Join us next week for SABR Scholar Session with Travis Apple
All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to our next SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 8:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 20.
Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for our free quarterly virtual series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members. This session’s guest will be Travis Apple, Chief Revenue Officer at Logitix. A veteran of MLB, NBA, WNBA, and NHL front offices, Travis wrote the book, Hustle Your Way to $ucce$$ in Sports Sales, and hosts the 52 Weeks of Hustle podcast.
To learn more or to pre-register for the SABR Scholar Session on Zoom, please contact Jessica Smyth.
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2024
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.
Call for nominations: 2024 SABR Board of Directors election
The SABR Nominating Committee is now seeking nominations for candidates for the 2024 Board of Directors elections. To be eligible for the Board of Directors, candidates must have been members of the Society for at least the preceding four years. Any candidate for an officer position must have at least one year of prior service on the Board during the preceding five-year period. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2024. The offices to be filled are:
- Vice President (2-year term)
- Secretary (3-year term)
- Director (3-year term)
- Director (3-year term)
Self-nominations are welcome. If you would like to nominate yourself or another candidate or suggest a question for the candidates, contact Nominating Committee chair Stew Thornley.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Register now for the 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
Registration is now open for the 15th annual SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which will be held on April 19-20, 2024, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to register for this special event.
The 2024 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from author Michael Haupert, along with a panel discussion on the Knickerbocker club with Bruce Allardice, Thomas Gilbert, Bob Tholkes, and moderator Bill Ryczek; a 19th-century artifact session with Robert Mayer, Gary Passamonte, and Jonathan Popovich; a Member Spotlight interview of Thomas Gilbert by Bob Bailey; plus research presentations.
Visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c to learn more or to register.
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 volunteers: Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires
SABR seeks volunteers to help transcribe the Bill Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires, a collection of self-completed surveys of professional baseball players from 1945-2005, which will soon be made available at SABR.org. Since we began this project in October 2023, more than 50,000 questionnaires have already been transcribed; we are more than halfway done to meet our goal of finishing before SABR 52 this summer.
No experience is needed, just a love for baseball, data, and history. We are looking for any volunteers who can spare a few hours a week (or more!) with help reading these questionnaires and writing down the player’s ambitions, background, and signing scout. Please contact Jason Sigler if you would like to be a part of our team.
Writing opportunities for SABR members
We are still seeking contributing authors for several of SABR’s upcoming projects, including new books on the 2005 Chicago White Sox and First At-Bat Home Runs.
If you are interested in seeing which player biographies, game recaps, or other essay ideas are available, please contact Bill Nowlin. All SABR members are eligible to contribute to any upcoming SABR projects.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
New Oral History interview: Jon Matlack
- Jon Matlack, former New York Mets All-Star pitcher
Recorded February 6, 2024, by John McMurray
Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.
3 new stories published at the SABR Biography Project
- John Hatfield, by Bill Lamb
- Al Javery, by Chris Betsch
- Luis Rivera, by Tony S. Oliver
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
7 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- June 27, 1922: Bill Force tosses no-hitter for Detroit Stars, by Gregory H. Wolf
- September 22, 1935: Yankees sweep doubleheader in front of record crowd at Fenway Park, by Bill Nowlin
- May 19, 1969: White Sox hold off Class A Appleton in spirited exhibition, by Kurt Blumenau
- September 19, 1972: César Tovar’s walk-off home run completes the cycle, by Mike Huber
- September 20, 2000: Rockies’ Ben Petrick sets record by going hitless, driving in four runs, by Gary Belleville
- October 4, 2017: Archie Bradley’s unlikely triple helps Diamondbacks win wild-card slugfest, by Ben Blotner
- July 23, 2023: Lane Thomas does everything as Nationals complete sweep of Giants, by Steven C. Weiner
In addition, more stories from SABR’s Willie Mays: Five Tools (2023), edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks, were posted online this week:
- September 11, 1948: Willie Mays singles home the Game 1 winner for Black Barons in extra innings, by Jeb Stewart
- May 28, 1951: Willie Mays’s first National League hit is a towering homer, by Rich Bogovich
- May 27, 1952: Willie Mays leads Giants over Dodgers as Army induction approaches, by John Fredland
- April 26, 1958: Willie Mays ‘seals’ Giants’ win with first homer in San Francisco, by Daniel Winkler
- October 1, 1962: Mays, Pierce lead Giants to win in Game 1 of NL tiebreaker series, by Brian Frank
- September 8, 1965: Willie Mays swats two home runs to close in on number 500, as Giants take first place, by Mike Huber
- October 3, 1965: Willie Mays breaks Giants’ record with 52nd homer, calls it a day, by Jake Bell
- August 17, 1966: ‘The one that kind of sang itself out of the park’: Mays passes Foxx with 535th career homer, by Creg Stephenson
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
One-Win Wonders
Edited by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/ebooks 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:
- Check out SABR Day highlights, photos, and videos
- SABR’s Ballpark Figures to feature Stories of the Negro Leagues in 2024
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- SABR member Joe Castiglione honored with 2024 Ford C. Frick Award
- Read articles online from Fall 2023 Baseball Research Journal
- Interviews with Italian American major leaguers added to SABR Oral History Collection
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- SABR forms new Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee
- SABR Landmarks Committee unveils new Baseball Grave Map
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Anderson | Hobart, WI | Chuck McGuire | Pittsburgh, PA | ||
| Cleodaldo Bastidas | Charlotte, NC | Dylan Meek | Collinsville, IL | ||
| Kelly Bennett | Westhampton Beach, NY | Rachel Miller | Fayetteville, AR | ||
| Christian Bourdo | Woodbury, MN | Ian Milstein | Claremont, CA | ||
| Renee Brown | Nogales, AZ | John Nunez | Nogales, AZ | ||
| Loren Campbell | Dallas, TX | Anthony Paolillo | Ann Arbor, MI | ||
| Pamela Carbajal | Nogales, AZ | Sohum Rajdev | New York City, NY | ||
| Maribel Cardenas | Flagstaff, AZ | Benjamin Reinhard | Northfield, MN | ||
| Joseph Cordova | Los Angeles, CA | Leonard Reinsfelder | New Holland, PA | ||
| Andrew Crooks | Buffalo, NY | Timothy Rifanburg | Syracuse, NY | ||
| John Dowling | Lakewood, CA | Joshua Salguero | Long Beach, CA | ||
| Clark Eder | New Rochelle, NY | Jacob Seabolt | Akron, OH | ||
| Charlie Estabrook | Warwick, RI | Kevin Singer | Harrisonburg, VA | ||
| Erick Figueroa | Nogales, AZ | Bradley Smith | Lincoln, NE | ||
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | Dallas, TX | Casey Stanford | Irvine, CA | ||
| Mackenzie Fulk | East Bend, NC | Vince Taylor | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Keishiro Hoshi | Sumida-ku, JPN | Amrit Vignesh | Sanford, FL | ||
| Hunter Howery | Wichita, KS | David Williams | Vista, CA | ||
| Andrew Linares | Scottsdale, AZ | Mac Wilson | |||
| Daniel Magnuson | Dallas, TX | Donald Woodworth | Jonesboro, AR | ||
| Pearse McDade | Alexandria, VA |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from former New York Mets All-Star pitcher Jon Matlack; Matt Graifer of the Savannah Bananas; Brian McTaggart of MLB.com; Jason Schwartz (SABR Baseball Cards) and author Keith O’Brien (Charlie Hustle); Matt Albertson (“A Fan’s View of the 1895 Philadelphia Phillies”); and a New Member Experience meeting. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- February 18: Baseball Landmarks Committee meeting (11:00 a.m. CST)
- February 18: Lou Criger (IN) Chapter meeting with Keith O’Brien (8:00 p.m. EST)
- February 19: Northern New England Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 19: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CST)
- February 19: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Phil Boudreaux (7:00 p.m. CST)
- February 19: Central Illinois Chapter meeting with Keith O’Brien (7:00 p.m. CST)
- February 20: Elysian Fields (NJ) Chapter meeting with Mitchell Nathanson (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 20: SABR Scholars: Travis Apple (8:00 p.m. EST)
- February 21: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EST)
- February 22: Ken Keltner (WI) Chapter meeting with Keith O’Brien (7:00 p.m. CST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- February 17: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- February 20: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- February 21: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- February 24: Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter SABR Day meeting (Philadelphia, PA)
- February 24: Hoyt-Allen Chapter SABR Day meeting (Cincinnati, OH)
- February 24: Rocky Mountain Chapter baseball card meeting (Aurora, CO)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- SABR Day: Check out more highlights from 2024 SABR Day meetings
- Pee Wee Reese Chapter: Sign up for the chapter’s new email discussion forum at SABRgroups.org (Louisville, KY)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: February 2024 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
- Bill Ladson: ‘She could play’: How Connie Morgan proved herself as a pro (MLB.com)
- Jason Jones: Mike Norris’ ‘magical’ 1980 season the highlight of an up-and-down MLB career (The Athletic)
- Patrick Dubuque: Is Baseball a Renewable Resource? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jayson Stark: Explaining MLB’s new push to enforce obstruction rule and curb base-blocking (The Athletic)
- Lindsey Adler: He’s One of Baseball’s Best Pitchers. How Come No One Wants Him? (Wall Street Journal)
- Jay Jaffe: The Retiring Corey Kluber and the Rolling WAR Revue (FanGraphs)
- A Pitcher’s View on the Tommy John “Epidemic” (Baseball Prospectus)
- Eno Sarris: MLB breakout candidates: The young hitters who could make a leap in 2024 (The Athletic)
- Alex Speier: For Alex Cora, baseball — and whatever comes after it — is a family matter (Boston Globe)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt: MLB players dressing down Nike, Fanatics over new uniforms that look ‘like a replica’ (The Athletic)
- Derrick Goold: First look at Cardinals’ new 2024 jerseys: What details they kept, what MLB changed (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Evan Drellich: Twins president Dave St. Peter on new one-year deal with Bally Sports North (The Athletic)
- David Laurila: Cubs VP of Scouting Dan Kantrovitz on the Draft and His Evolving Role (FanGraphs)
- Russell A. Carleton: Is Defense Getting Worse? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Ryan Divish: Mariners open spring training determined to not miss the playoffs again this season (Seattle Times)
- Mark Simon: 2023’s Overperforming Pitchers (ACTA Sports)
- Michael Baumann: The Seven College Baseball Teams You Need to Know (FanGraphs)
- Davy Andrews: Which Ballparks Make It Easiest to See the Pitch? (FanGraphs)
- Andrew C. Sharp: Was Stephen Strasburg’s First Game the Greatest Debut Ever? (IBWAA)
- Jameson McCurdy: The first African American to play for the Cardinals (Redbird Rants)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: John Pregenzer (1932-2024) (RIP Baseball)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Todd Zeile (Baseball and BBQ)
- Tom Naylor: Leaping Into Photo Research (SABR Pictorial History)
- Dana Berry: That (Expletive) Tony Gwynn (SABR Statistical Analysis Blog)
- Derek Bain: Retro Computer Baseball Game Review: Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball (SABR Baseball Gaming)
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: February 16, 2024. Last Updated: February 16, 2024.