This Week in SABR: February 6, 2015

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Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Here’s what we’ve been up to as of February 6, 2015:

Announcing the 2015 Henry Chadwick Award recipients

The Society for American Baseball Research is pleased to announce the 2015 recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award, established to honor the game’s great researchers—historians, statisticians, annalists, and archivists—for their invaluable contributions to making baseball the game that links America’s present with its past.

  • David Block (1944 – ), the author of Baseball Before We Knew It whose research on the early origins of the game has transformed our knowledge of baseball’s early days.
  • Dick Cramer (1942 – ), a sabermetrics pioneer, author, editor, and co-founder of STATS Inc. whose research on clutch hitting and other subjects remains a touchstone 40 years later.
  • Bill Deane (1957 – ), an author and historian who served as the Senior Research Associate at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library from 1986 to 1994, where he helped earn the library in Cooperstown an international reputation for timely and accurate service to baseball fans, scholars, and media personnel.
  • Jerry Malloy (1946-2000), a pioneer researcher who has been honored by the creation of an annual Negro League Conference named for him, as well as a book prize.
  • David Nemec (1938 –  ), a past recipient of the SABR Baseball Research Award, he is best known for his work in the field of 19th-century baseball history.

For more information on the 2015 Henry Chadwick Award winners, click here.

By honoring individuals for the length and breadth of their contribution to the study and enjoyment of baseball, the Chadwick Award will educate the baseball community about sometimes little known but vastly important contributions from the game’s past and thus encourage the next generation of researchers.

The criteria for the award reads in part: The contributions of nominees must have had public impact. This may be demonstrated by publication of research in any of a variety of formats: books, magazine articles, websites, etc. The compilation of a significant database or archive that has facilitated the published research of others will also be considered in the realm of public impact.

SiriusXM and SABR team up for new show on MLB Network Radio

SiriusXM will team up with the Society for American Baseball Research to launch a new show focused on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today.

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM will debut on Sunday, February 15 (7:00-8:00 pm ET) and air weekly throughout the year on MLB Network Radio, available to subscribers nationwide on XM channel 89, Sirius channel 209 and on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

SABR serves as a premier resource for baseball information around the world. Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM will study the statistics that drive today’s baseball conversation and discuss how baseball insiders interpret those numbers. Host Vince Gennaro, SABR’s President, is recognized as one of today’s thought leaders in baseball analytics. As a consultant to MLB teams, he is at the forefront of integrating baseball’s big data with innovative technology.

“Through the lens of baseball insiders and independent analysts, we will examine how baseball’s decision-makers use those analytics to identify trends, evaluate talent, and make informed decisions from both the front office and the dugout,” Gennaro said.

“SABR has been at the forefront of researching and recording the game’s statistics and history for decades and we’re excited to work with them to give our subscribers special access to their remarkable insight into the sport,” said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM’s SVP of Sports Programming. “Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM is a great addition to MLB Network Radio, where fans will find a level of baseball talk and analysis that is second to none.”

For more information, click here.

Early registration, hotel block expire February 17 for 2015 SABR Analytics Conference

We’re just over a month away from the fourth annual SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held March 12-14, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Please note that the early registration rate of $395 for SABR members and $495 for non-members will be available until 4:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 17. After February 17, the rate will go up to $595 for SABR members and $695 for non-members. Click here to register today at the SABR Store. The conference is open to all baseball fans.

Hotel block deadline approaching! Click here to book your hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix at the special SABR group rate of $174/night (plus tax) for double occupancy. 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 4:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 17. The SABR group rate is only available for the nights of March 11 to March 14, 2015, based on availability.

For more information or to register for the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.

Announcing new featured speakers for the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference

We’re pleased to welcome ESPN’s John Walsh and Doug Glanville as featured speakers at the fourth annual SABR Analytics Conference will be held March 12-14, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Walsh is ESPN’s Executive Vice President and Executive Editor. Since joining ESPN in 1988, John’s fingerprints are on many of the network’s largest initiatives and launches. An executive vice president, Walsh has served as executive editor since December 1990 and oversaw the launch of ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Radio; been instrumental in developing the many news and information elements within ESPN, including networks and new shows; and led the editorial direction of ESPN.com and its properties. Currently he also serves as chairman of ESPN’s editorial board.

Glanville spent nine years in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers from 1996-2004 before joining ESPN as an analyst on “Baseball Tonight.” A first-round selection by the Cubs in 1991, he maintained a 293-game errorless streak in center field over three seasons and finished his career with exactly 1,100 hits. He is the author of The Game From Where I Stand, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in engineering and serves on the board of the MLB Players Alumni Association.

John and Doug join an All-Star lineup of featured speakers, including: Larry Baer, President and CEO of the San Francisco Giants; Tony La Russa, Chief Baseball Officer, Arizona Diamondbacks; Dave Stewart, Senior VP/General Manager, Arizona Diamondbacks; Jeff Bridich, Senior VP/General Manager, Colorado Rockies; Brian Kenny, MLB Network host; Curt Schilling, ESPN analyst and former major league pitcher; John Kruk, ESPN analyst and former major league first baseman; Laurel Prieb, Vice President of Western Operations, Major League Baseball; Ken Rosenthal, MLB Network/FoxSports.com; Zack Rosenthal, Assistant General Manager/Baseball Operations, Colorado Rockies; T.J. Barra, Manager of Baseball Research and Development, New York Mets; Jim Callis, MLBPipeline.com senior writer; John Thorn, MLB Official Historian; Vince Gennaro, SABR President; Dick Cramer and Pete Palmer, sabermetrics pioneers; and many, many more. Visit SABR.org/analytics/speakers for full biographies of our featured speakers. (Please note: All speakers are subject to change based on availability.)

Once again, we’re bringing together the top minds of the baseball analytic community under one roof at the SABR Analytics Conference 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.

For more information, visit SABR.org/analytics.

SABR Digital Library: Winning on the North Side: The 1929 Chicago Cubs

As we get ready for SABR 45 this summer in Chicago, add a Windy City baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:

Winning on the North Side: The 1929 Chicago Cubs
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
$9.99 e-book, $19.95 paperback
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-933599-88-5
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-933599-89-2
314 pages

“The best team I ever played on was McCarthy’s twenty-niners. It was strictly power all the way. No tricky baseball.” — Cubs first baseman Charlie Grimm

SABR’s newest e-book celebrates the 1929 Chicago Cubs, one of the most exciting teams in baseball history. Bashing their way to the pennant by crushing their opponents in a high-scoring era, skipper Joe McCarthy’s North Siders were an offensive juggernaut, leading the majors with 982 runs scored. Future Hall of Famers Hack Wilson, ’29 NL MVP Rogers Hornsby, and Kiki Cuyler, along with Riggs Stephenson formed one of the most potent quartets in baseball history, collectively scoring 493 runs and knocking in 520. As awe-inspiring as the Cubs offense was, their pitching was almost as good. Charlie Root, Guy Bush, and Pat Malone anchored a staff that finished second in team ERA and led the league in shutouts.

The Cubs’ magical season came to an ignominious conclusion when they faced Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. Long before the “lovable loser” moniker was attached to the Cubs, Chicago’s crushing defeat in five games helped craft the narrative of fateful losses.

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) invites you to read the life and baseball stories of all the roster players and the coaching staff and relive an important part of baseball history. Also included are biographies of club owner William Wrigley, visionary executive Bill Veeck Sr., and Margaret Donahue, the first female executive in baseball history. A summary of the regular season and World Series, as well as essays on the 1929 Athletics, Wrigley Field, Catalina Island, and fate of the Cubs after 1929 round out this volume. With contributions from 26 members of the SABR BioProject, this book is a riveting account of one of the most memorable teams in Chicago sports history.

Contributors include: Bob Buege, George Castle, Greg Erion, Scott Ferkovich, Dan Fields, David Fletcher, Ernie Fuhr, Joseph Gerard, Chip Greene, Nancy Snell Griffith, Zachary Michael Jack, William H. Johnson, Norm King, Russ Lake, Len Levin, Gary Livacari, John McMurray, Paul Mittermeyer, Jack Morris, Peter Morris, Bill Nowlin, James L. Ray, Paul Rogers, Tom Schott, Fred Taylor, and Gregory H. Wolf.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. To download our past publications, visit SABR.org/ebooks.

Having trouble downloading our e-books? To view PDF files on your computer, click here to download the free Adobe Reader software. Having trouble downloading e-books to your Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or iPad? Click here for additional help.

Sean Lahman to serve as SABR’s Data Manager

SABR member Sean Lahman will serve as SABR’s Data Manager, taking over a post previously held by Ted Turocy.

Lahman will oversee SABR’s database projects, working with the volunteer community on new research, helping them to organize data collections and get new content integrated into SABR databases. He’ll also be responsible for maintaining existing collections and setting data standards. He had served as SABR’s Data Project Coordinator since 2011.

Lahman is a data watchdog reporter for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. He has served as an editor for a dozen sports reference books, including Total Baseball: The Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball and The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia. He also created the popular Lahman Baseball Database, an open source collection of baseball statistics. Lahman attended the University of Cincinnati and lives in Rochester, New York.

Early registration now open for SABR 45 in Chicago

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 45 convention, June 24-28, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois.

Hotel and conference registration for the 2015 convention is now available. Click here for complete information on SABR 45 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 45. More details on guest speakers, panelists, and presenters will be announced soon.

  • Hotel: Click here to book your room at the Palmer House Hilton online. The deadline to book your room at the SABR group rate of $189/night (plus tax) is 11:59 p.m. MST Friday, May 15, 2015. The Palmer House Hilton is at 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603, in the heart of the downtown Loop, right next to two CTA stops (Blue Line at Adams/Wabash or Red Line at Monroe.) If you have any questions about your reservation, please call the hotel at (312) 726-7500.
  • Conference registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 45 registration rates. Once again, we’re offering a discounted all-inclusive package for the annual SABR convention. For a savings of $44 off the regular rate, SABR members can get:
         — 1 full conference registration (regular rate: $199)
         — Choose: 1 Upper Deck Box ticket to the Cubs game on Thursday, June 25 (regular: $48) OR 1 Terrace Reserved ticket (regular: $38)
         — 1 round-trip ticket on the CTA Red Line train to and from Wrigley Field (regular: $6)
         — 1 ticket to the Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 26 (regular: $50)
    The all-inclusive package is available to SABR members for $259 with an Upper Deck Box ticket or $249 with a Terrace Reserved ticket to the Cubs game instead, plus all of the above amenities. Please note: The all-inclusive packages are only available until May 15, 2015. Click here to register for SABR 45.
  • Cubs ballgame: At SABR 45, we’ll be attending the Cubs-Dodgers game on Thursday afternoon, June 25, at Wrigley Field. The SABR block of tickets is available in two sections when you register: Upper Deck Box-Outfield ($48) or Terrace Reserved-Outfield ($38). This game is expected to sell out and our ticket block is only available on a first-come, first-serve basis through Friday, May 15, 2015. Game tickets in the SABR block will NOT be available for purchase on-site at the convention.

    Please note: Your purchase of a SABR 45 all-inclusive package includes round-trip transportation to and from Wrigley Field on the CTA Red Line train. (Purchasing a game ticket as part of regular/a la carte registration does NOT include transportation.) Click here for more details on SABR 45 registration.

  • The Baseball Project concert: On Thursday evening, June 25, SABR 45 attendees will have a special opportunity to see The Baseball Project in concert in the Grand Ballroom at the Palmer House Hilton. Advance presale tickets are available for $25 members/$40 non-members when you register for SABR 45 before May 15, 2015. Tickets will be $40 online after May 15 or until the concert venue reaches capacity. Click here for more details.
  • Call for presentations: SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 45, the 2015 annual convention in Chicago. 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. Click here for details on submitting your presentation abstract. Please note: If your abstract is accepted and you intend to make a research presentation, you must register to attend the SABR 45 convention. Deadline to apply: Sunday, February 15, 2015.

Please note: The SABR 45 all-inclusive package includes 1 full conference registration; 1 ticket to the Cubs game on Thursday, June 25; 1 round-trip ticket on the CTA Red Line train; and 1 ticket to the Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 26. It does NOT include any other optional events such as the Downtown Baseball Walking Tour on Wednesday, June 24, The Baseball Project concert on Thursday, June 25, or the Historical Ballpark Sites Bus Tour on Sunday, June 28. Those tickets must be purchased separately.

All SABR 45 attendees will also receive a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball teams, players and events in the Chicago area. All SABR members, whether you attend the convention or not, will receive the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime in their inboxes later this summer. Click here to register for SABR 45.

For more information on SABR 45, visit SABR.org/convention.

SABR 45: Join us for a special concert with The Baseball Project

Attendees at the SABR 45 convention this summer in Chicago will have a special opportunity to see The Baseball Project in concert on Thursday, June 25, 2015, in the Grand Ballroom at the Palmer House Hilton.

Advance presale tickets for The Baseball Project at SABR 45 are available for an early-bird price of $25 members/$40 non-members when you register for the SABR convention online at SABR.org/convention before May 15, 2015. Tickets will be $40 online after May 15 or until the concert venue reaches capacity.

Formed in 2007 by Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, The Minus 5, R.E.M.) and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3, Gutterball), The Baseball Project began as a way for a couple of fans to pay musical tribute to our national pastime. But The Baseball Project has since blossomed into a full-fledged, much-loved band in its own right, one which includes drummer Linda Pitmon (Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3, Zuzu’s Petals), and Peter Buck and Mike Mills, founding members of R.E.M., one of the best-selling alternative rock bands of all time.

Their mutual love of baseball inspired them to record their first album, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails, in 2008. It includes baseball-themed songs such as “Gratitude (For Curt Flood),” “The Yankee Flipper,” and “The Death of Big Ed Delahanty.” They followed up with Volume 2: High and Inside in 2011, which features the San Francisco Giants World Series-themed hit “Panda and the Freak” along with “Tony (Boston’s Chosen Son)” and “The Straw that Stirs the Drink.” Their third album, 3rd, was released in 2014.

To learn more about The Baseball Project, visit their website at thebaseballproject.net or their YouTube channel at youtube.com/thebaseballproject.

Details and registration for SABR 45 are now available at SABR.org/convention.

SABR 45: Call for research presentations

SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 45, the 2015 annual convention in Chicago.

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 45 will be held June 24-28, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.

Click here for complete details on submission requirements.

Please note: If your abstract is accepted and you intend to make a research presentation, you must register to attend the SABR 45 convention. Registration details are available at SABR.org/convention.

Students: Apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 45 in Chicago

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 45 on June 24-28, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois. 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. The Yoseloff scholarship is to assist young researchers who want to attend SABR’s annual convention and to introduce them to fellow SABR members. Through this fund, SABR hopes to inspire future baseball research, expose students to high-quality research and build the research capability of interested students.

All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015.

For complete details and criteria, click here.

Vote now for 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award winners

Here’s your chance to vote for the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference Research Award winners.

The SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards will recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year. Nominations were solicited by representatives from SABR, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, The Hardball Times, and Beyond the Box Score.

To read any of the finalists or cast your vote, click here:

http://sabr.org/latest/vote-now-2015-sabr-analytics-conference-research-award-winners

Voting will be open through 11:59 p.m. MST on Monday, February 16, 2015.

Renew your SABR membership by February 28 to receive the new Baseball Research Journal

For those of you whose memberships expired recently, there’s still a little time left to renew and be a part of the SABR community again in 2015. If you’ve already renewed, we thank you for your support and look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Renew now to receive the Spring 2015 edition of the Baseball Research Journal, plus discounts on registration to the 2015 SABR Analytics Conference and SABR 45 in Chicago, and a lot more! Please note: We MUST receive your dues by February 28, 2015, in order for you to receive the upcoming BRJ.

  • Here’s how to renew: 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.

Dues are the same as they have been in recent years: for this, you get two editions of the Baseball Research Journal, the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime; 8-10 free e-books published by the SABR Digital Library; “This Week in SABR” every Friday; access to research resources such as Paper of Record (with complete archives of The Sporting News); discounts to all SABR conferences such as the National Convention (Chicago 2015), the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference; discounts to MLB.TV; and much, much more.

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 store.sabr.org.

Call for nominations: 2015 SABR Board of Directors election

The SABR Nominating Committee seeks nominations for candidates for the Spring 2015 elections. All candidates for the Board of Directors must have been members of the Society for at least the preceding four years to be eligible for election. Deadline for nominations is February 28, 2015. Nominees must prepare a Candidate Statement Form following guidelines that will be available from any Nominating Committee member.

The Candidate Statement Form must be received by the Nominating Committee chair no later than March 15, 2015.

The offices to be filled:

  • President (2-year term; currently Vince Gennaro)
  • Secretary (3-year term; currently Todd Lebowitz)
  • Director (3-year term; currently Ty Waterman)

The Nominating Committee also seeks your input. Members are asked to submit office-specific questions for each of the offices open in this election. We also seek input on general questions for every nominee. Candidates will answer selected questions on the Candidate Statement Form. Regional Chapter leaders and Research Committee Chairs are especially encouraged to pass on this request to their respective members to better address member needs.

Self-nominations are welcome. If you would like to nominate yourself or another candidate or suggest a question for the candidates, contact a member of the Nominating Committee: chair R.J. Lesch (rjlofiowa@gmail.com), Rick Schabowski (rickiu76@aol.com), or Barry Deutsch (barryid@pobox.com).

SABR member Bob Elliott selected for Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

From Mike Koreen at the Toronto Sun on February 4:

Toronto Sun columnist Bob Elliott is about to enter the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The St. Marys hall announced Wednesday that Elliott will be one of five inductees at the 2015 ceremony on June 13.

It’s just the latest honour for Elliott, who received the Canadian hall’s Jack Graney Award in 2010 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award in 2012 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“I’ve had some very wonderful honours the previous few years,” said Elliott. “As a writer, I don’t think my uniform from the Kingscourt Little League Pirates in Kingston or myself belong with these guys – these guys could play. I saw all four play. I’m humbled. I feel like that one thing on Sesame Street that doesn’t belong with the others.”

Elliott will join a star-studded induction class this year, featuring ex-Blue Jays Carlos Delgado, Corey Koskie and Matt Stairs and former Montreal Expos manager Felipe Alou.

9 new biographies published by the SABR BioProject

Nine new biographies were posted as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which — in addition to the biographies published in our new 1929 Chicago Cubs book this week — brings us to a total of 3,059 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.

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.

2 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Two new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:

The SABR Baseball Games Project was launched in January 2014 to research and write articles on major-league and Negro League regular, postseason, and All-Star Games. These game accounts will complement Retrosheet and Baseball-Reference box scores as well as BioProject essays on the players involved.

The articles are not intended to be mere play-by-play summaries, nor should they be first-person narratives. Rather the goal is to put each game in historical context — whether that history is of a particular player, team, season, or something even broader.

Visit the new Games Project website at SABR.org/gamesproject.

Armour and Levitt: The best 25 GMs in baseball history

From SABR members Mark Armour and Dan Levitt, authors of the upcoming In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball (University of Nebraska Press), continue their countdown of the best 25 general managers in baseball history:

Armour and Levitt write, “Because of the disparity in resources and opportunities available among the various front offices over the years, and the evolving nature of the job itself, evaluating general managers is largely a subjective exercise. … Comparing their performances is not easy. How should we apportion credit (or blame) for teams that have the stamp of previous GMs? Gene Michael collected most of the players Brian Cashman built around—how much credit should he receive for the New York Yankees success after he was no longer in charge?”

Read the introduction to their series here, along with all posted entries: https://pursuitofpennants.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/intro-the-best-25-gms-in-baseball-history/

Call for SABR award nominations

  • McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, due 2/15/2015: 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 2015 awards, please contact Len Levin at lenlevin5@hotmail.com.
  • Ron Gabriel Award, due 3/1/2015: The Ron Gabriel Award annually honors the author(s) of the best research, published or unpublished, on the subject of the Brooklyn Dodgers completed during the preceding calendar year. Eligible works include but are not limited to magazine and journal articles, previously unpublished chapters or articles in anthologies or other books with multiple authors, unpublished research papers, written versions of oral presentations, books, databases and websites. To submit a nomination for the 2015 awards, please contact Craig Murden at hncsports@optonline.net.

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.

In Memoriam: Marvin Feinstein

We’re saddened to note the passing of SABR member Marvin Feinstein, 78, of East Northport, New York, who died January 22, 2015, after a long illness.

He was a devoted and loving husband for 51 years, and a revered father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Miriam, his brother Donald, his sons Allen and David, and two grandsons. He was born in the Bronx and received degrees from New York University. He worked in public relations, serving as a Vice President of Long Island Trust after many years at CitiBank. He was an avid book collector, and started M & M Books with his wife in retirement. A devoted sports fan, he followed the Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Rangers. He was overjoyed with each Yankees’ championship and Giants Super Bowl victory, and was thrilled when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. A funeral was held January 25 with interment at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York. Donations can be made to Special Olympics, Inc.

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.

You can find contact information for any SABR member in the online membership directory (SABR.org/directory).

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Scott Allen Binghamton, NY     Jim Klopfenstein Hypoluxo, FL
Dan Basco Columbus, OH     David M. Larson Seattle, WA
Gary Beresid Las Vegas, NV     Matt Leach Bloomfield, CT
Dylan Billings Edmond, OK     Mike Messick Kansas City, MO
Adam Blacker Glendale, AZ     William Michuda Jenkintown, PA
Gil Brown Hollywood, FL     Wade Nichols Danvers, IL
Jeffrey Campbell McKinney, TX     Mark Noon Conyngham, PA
Ken Carlson Fairfax Station, VA     Chip Norris Leonardtown, MD
Ray Cotrufo South Hadley, MA     Genine Perschbacher Red Bud, IL
Chris Creamer Port Perry, ON     Adam Peterson Los Angeles, CA
Mark Docken Webster, MN     Michael Rosenwasser Skokie, IL
Sergio Fragoso Obregon, MEX     Steve Ruddock Half Moon Bay, CA
Jeffrey Gampinsky Carmel, NY     Steven Shumansky Durham, NC
Brian Gomez Seven Hills, OH     Mark Skatzes Sugar Grove, OH
Robert Gross Sparks, NV     Richard Smith Holland, MI
Adam Hughes Greencastle, IN     Richard Turner Boca Raton, FL
Chris Jones N. Richland Hills, TX     R. Daniel Welte Santa Monica, CA
Yvonne Kemp Glendale, WI        

 

Research Committee news

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

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

Regional Chapter news

There were no new regional chapter updates 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. 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.

Have trouble reading this e-mail? Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web.

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 (and not the spam folder.)

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Originally published: February 6, 2015. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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