This Week in SABR: January 17, 2025

January 17, 2025/in This Week in SABR /by Jacob Pomrenke

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, January 17, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.

Check out featured speakers for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Submit your presentation abstracts for SABR 53 convention
Join us on February 10 for a SABR Scholar Session with Dan Evans
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2025
2 weeks left to apply for a Local Grant in 2025
By-Laws change proposed for special election beginning in February

2025 SABR Analytics Conference speakers: Brian Kenny, Glenn Fleisig, Biomechanics Panel

We’re just two months away from the SABR Analytics Conference on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona! Sign up today to hear from Brian Kenny, Glenn Fleisig, and a panel on How MLB Teams Utilize Biomechanics Big Data, presented by the American Baseball Biomechanics Society. Our featured speakers and panelists will include:

Glenn Fleisig, Research Director, American Sports Medicine Institute
Brian Kenny, MLB Network host
Arnel Aguinaldo, Director of the Biomechanics and Pitching Laboratories, Point Loma Nazarene University
Michael Sonne, Pitching Scientist, Chicago Cubs
Megan Stewart, Lead Strategist of Movement Solutions, Milwaukee Brewers
Will Vandenberg, Research Scientist, Los Angeles Dodgers

Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

Registration: Click here to register for the 2025 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 should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive a special link to register at a discounted rate. 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 14 through Sunday, March 16, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 13. 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 2025 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.
Certification Courses: The first three courses in the online, on-demand SABR Analytics Certification program, including the newest offering Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, are available now. Click here to learn more or to sign up.

SABR 53: Call for research presentations

SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 53, the 2025 annual convention in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

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 60 minutes and they will remain on display throughout the convention. SABR 53 will be held June 25-29, 2025, at the Westin DFW Airport Hotel in Irving, Texas.

Click here to submit abstracts for SABR 53

The submission deadline for SABR 53 abstracts is 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 16, 2025.

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 North Texas.) Those volunteers are also requested to apply by sending an email to convention-presentations@sabr.org.

SABR 53 will feature a Texas-sized speaker lineup we know you’ll love, with an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. Early registration rates and hotel information will be available beginning on Tuesday, January 28 at SABR.org/convention.

Join us on February 10 for a SABR Scholar Session with Dan Evans

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 Monday, February 10.

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 Dan Evans, former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager and a member of SABR’s Board of Directors.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2025

In 2025, all SABR members exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically twice a year. The Spring 2025 issue will be sent out in April. However, if you are interested in a paperback copy of BRJ for your personal library, we have rolled out a subscription option at a significantly discounted rate: $7 per issue for members, compared to $19.95 at retail.

To subscribe and receive a printed edition of BRJ, visit SABR.org/subscribe
(If you have any questions about your subscription, please email brjsubscribe@sabr.org.)

Click here for a short video on how to subscribe to printed copies of BRJ.

Register now for 2025 Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference

Registration is now open for the 16th annual SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which will be held on April 25-26, 2025, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to register for this special event.

Registration: Click here to register online.
Schedule: Click here to view the complete schedule for the 2025 Ivor-Campbell Conference.

The 2025 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from author Richard Hershberger, along with a panel discussion on the National Association with Alan Cohen, Bob Tiemann, Bob Tholkes, and moderator Bill Ryczek; a 19th-century artifact session with Robert Mayer, Gary Passamonte, and Jonathan Popovich; a Member Spotlight interview of Andrew North by Dave Newman; plus research presentations.

Visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c for more information.

2 weeks left to apply for a SABR Local Grant in 2025

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 2025 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until January 31, 2025. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2025.

Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.

Find a SABR Day event near you and join us on February 1

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 1, 2025, when we will hold our annual SABR Day celebration! SABR Day is a way for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love. Regional chapters are also encouraged to plan their own SABR Day events (virtually or in person) throughout the months of January or February to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.

Visit SABR.org/sabrday for full details on all SABR Day events — including Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, Harrisburg, Little Rock, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Tampa/St. Petersburg.

Chapter leaders, please email Jacob Pomrenke as you finalize your SABR Day plans so we can update our comprehensive schedule of events, which are posted online at SABR.org/sabrday.

By-Laws change proposed for special election beginning on February 19

The SABR Board of Directors recommends adoption of a new bylaw intended to avoid conflicts of interest in board service in a special election that will begin on February 19, 2025.

More specifically, the change is intended to avoid situations where board members, whether intentionally or not, might have access to information that could be useful to another competing organization, or might be unable to deliberate in the best interests of SABR due to their relationship with another organization.

An online voting ballot will be sent out from tellers@sabr.org to all eligible SABR voters on February 19. The voting period will remain open until March 5.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.

3 new stories published at SABR Biography Project

Bert Inks, by Bill Lamb
Dan Lally, by Terry Bohn
Roy Witherup, by Mark S. Sternman

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

8 new stories published at SABR Games Project

July 15, 1963: Pirates beat Giants in game featuring seven future Hall of Famers in starting lineups, by Steven Bratkovich
September 25, 1974: Cardinals regain first place with wild 11-inning win over Pirates, by John Fredland
October 2, 2016: Vin Scully calls his final game as Giants beat Dodgers to clinch wild card, by Jake Rinloan
June 30, 2024: Rangers’ rookie Wyatt Langford makes history with the first cycle of season, by Mike Huber
July 4, 2024: Jake Irvin’s gem gives Nationals a Fourth of July win over the Mets, by Laura H. Peebles
July 5, 2024: Trailing by two runs in the ninth, visiting Red Sox beat the Yankees in New York, by Bill Nowlin
August 27, 2024: Dylan Crews’ first hit, Patrick Corbin’s pitching spark Nationals 4-2 win over Yankees, by Steven C. Weiner
September 29, 2024: Red Sox beat Rays in the battle for .500 to end the season, by Bill Nowlin

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

When Minor League Baseball Almost Went Bust: 1946-1963
Edited by George Pawlush

Visit SABR.org 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:

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
Ilana Blumsack	Arlington, VA	Katie Nepil	DeKalb, IL
Jeff Brabble	Cataula, GA	Nicholas Newby	Greeley, CO
Lance Brady	New Haven, CT	Michael Nichols	State College, PA
Tyler Darr	Tucson, AZ	Kento Okuyama	Ammerbuch, GER
Kathleen Duffy	West Seneca, NY	Luke Ortolani	Philadelphia, PA
David Fields	Houston, TX	Matthew Oves	Ocean City, NJ
Marshall Garvey	Citrus Heights, CA	Johnny Perkins	Leawood, KS
Nikita Gilmore	Tallahassee, FL	Alex Reffner	Ellensburg, WA
Sarah Gonzalez	Philadelphia, PA	Andrew Ropiak	Staten Island, NY
Lee Grant	Hilton, NY	James Saklas	Davidsonville, MD
Aaron Henkelman	Bloomington, IL	Sid Strosberg	Chicago, IL
Doug Hodell	Davis, CA	Tyler Sundsted	Natick, MA
Ethan Kozden	Philadelphia, PA	Michael Taiano	Massapequa, NY
Hunter Lawrence-Carr	Cold Lake, AB	Mike Trovato	Fishers, IN
Alex Martin	Waco, TX	Bob Wells	Chantilly, VA
Andrew Matzke	Painesville, OH	Gavin Winkler	Columbia, MO
Timothy Neary	Little Elm, TX	Chris Young	Bloomington, IL

Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
Video Replays: This week, we heard from John Racanelli and Brian Kappel (“1949 Leaf Baseball Cards”); Jack Bales (“How William Hulbert Abused His Power”); and Dan Evans (“Scouting Ichiro”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

January 20: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Joe Marren (7:00 p.m. EST)
January 20: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CST)
January 20: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Mike Acosta (7:00 p.m. CST)
January 21: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EST)
January 21: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EST)
January 22: Joint SABR chapter meeting with John Husman (7:00 p.m. EST)
January 22: Rocky Mountain (CO) Chapter meeting with Denny McLain (7:00 p.m. MST)
January 23: Larry Doby (SC) Chapter meeting with Joey Elledge (7:00 p.m. EST)
January 25: Schott-Pelican Chapter SABR Day meeting (10:00 a.m. CST)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

January 18: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
January 21: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
January 21: Fred Worth: In Search of Legends: A Baseball Grave Hunter’s Journey (Bartlesville, OK)
January 25: Elysian Fields Chapter meeting (Paterson, NJ)
January 25: Pee Wee Reese Chapter SABR Day meeting (Louisville, KY)
January 25: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter SABR Day event (Worthington, OH)
January 25: Ted Williams Chapter meeting (San Diego, CA)
January 25: Monarchs Chapter SABR Day meeting (Kansas City, MO)
January 25: Luke Easter Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Rochester, NY)

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

Business of Baseball: Fall 2024 newsletter

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

Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: January 8 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: January 2025 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)

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:

Stephen J. Nesbitt: How Roki Sasaki’s life, career and outlook were shaped by disaster (The Athletic)
Matt Monagan: The legend of Harry Doyle: ‘Major League’ director talks Bob Uecker’s classic character (MLB.com)
Tyler Kepner: Milwaukee’s best: A tribute to the humor and humanity of Bob Uecker (The Athletic)
Sarah Langs: Soto has sights set on Cooperstown — and the numbers say he’ll get there (MLB.com)
Jonathan Judge: Deserved Exit Velocity: A Look at Hitters and Pitchers (Baseball Prospectus)
Jay Jaffe: JAWS and the 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot: Curtis Granderson (FanGraphs)
Hannah Keyser: Can a Professional Women’s Baseball League Launch in Softball’s Shadow? (Front Office Sports)
Elizabeth Muratore: Melissa Ludtke court case paved way for women baseball reporters (MLB.com)
Russell A. Carleton: When We Were Young and Foolish (Baseball Prospectus)
David Laurila: Ever Introspective, Charlie Morton Isn’t Quite Ready To Go Home (FanGraphs)
Rob Mains: Bill James and Moneyball Were Right. But Something’s Changed. (Baseball Prospectus)
Mike Petriello: Is the 6-man rotation a trend or a phase? (MLB.com)
Davy Andrews: Meet the New Mookie Betts, Same as the Old Mookie Betts (FanGraphs)
Derrick Goold: Two former rivals watch sons begin pro careers as part of Cardinals’ athletic international class (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Kyle Lobner: No Baseball for (Relatively) Old Men (Shepherd Express)
Daniel R. Epstein: Goodbye Options, Hello Opportunities: Pitchers (Baseball Prospectus)
Thomas VanHyning: Félix Mantilla, a Long Life, and Fine Amateur and Professional Baseball Career (Beisbol 101)
Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Bob Veale (1935-2025) (RIP Baseball)
Richard Goldstein: Tommy Brown, a Teenage Talent for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Dies at 97 (New York Times)
Amanda Lane Cumming: The Pioneer Base Ball Club and the Beginning of Northwest Baseball in the 1860s (NW Baseball History)
Bob D’Angelo: Mystery Of 1904 Anonymous Cabinet Cards May Be Solved (Sports Collectors Daily)
Paul Dietrich: Bus Clarkson: A little-known star from an alternate Milwaukee Brewers history (Brew Crew Ball)
Jacob Kauffman: Fort Smith’s Big Indie Baseball Dream (AMP News)
Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Kevin Graber (Baseball and BBQ)
Brian Kopycinski: My Favorite Set: 2006 Topps (SABR Baseball Cards)

Please note: Some articles may require a separate subscription to view online. SABR does not endorse, and is not responsible or liable for, any content that appears on a third-party website.

This Week in SABR is compiled by Jacob Pomrenke. If you would like us to include an upcoming event, article, or any other information in “This Week in SABR,” e-mail jpomrenke@sabr.org. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.

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

Originally published: January 17, 2025. Last Updated: January 22, 2025.

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