This Week in SABR: January 20, 2017
Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web. Here’s what we’ve been up to as of January 20, 2017:
SABR 47: Early registration now open for 2017 national convention in New York City
We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 47 convention, June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York. Conference and hotel registration is now available. Click here for more information on SABR 47 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 47.
This year’s SABR National Convention will combine some familiar SABR traditions along with a number of new events. For the second year in a row and third time in four years, SABR will present “A Day at the Ballpark” before the New York Mets game on Friday, June 30 at Citi Field. Special thanks to the Mets staff for this great opportunity and for offering us a large block of tickets in the Big Apple Reserved section at an affordable price. A special ballpark session will be held at Citi Field on Friday afternoon, followed by the game that night between the Mets and the Phillies. More details on the guest speakers will be announced soon, but you can be sure we will have an All-Star lineup.
SABR 47 will feature top speakers from Major League Baseball, the Yankees and Mets, as well as from around the baseball community and leading members of the media that call New York home. We will announce the full slate of panels and speakers later this spring.
As always, there will be 32 research presentations by SABR members, research committee meetings — many of which will feature special guest speakers — the annual meetings for committee and chapter leaders, the SABR Trivia Contest, and the Annual Business Meeting. In the early evening on Thursday, June 29, SABR will host a special Awards Reception. The reception will feature the announcement of SABR’s annual awards — including the Bob Davids Award, our highest honor — plus an array of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The reception will be held this year in place of the Awards Luncheon. The Donor Breakfast will be held as usual on Saturday, July 1, and the SABR Trivia Contest finals will be held on Saturday night. The convention will once again offer an excellent opportunity for members and non-members to catch up with friends and talk baseball.
The Grand Hyatt New York, one of the city’s most historic and luxurious hotels, is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan just steps from Grand Central Terminal and within walking distance of many major attractions, including Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the New York Public Library.
Click on a link below for more information about SABR 47.
- Registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 47 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 47! We’re again offering a special all-inclusive rate for the annual SABR convention. For $319, a savings of $39 off the regular rate, SABR members can get:
— Full registration to SABR 47 in New York (regular rate: $269)
— 1 ticket in the Big Apple Reserved section to the Mets vs. Phillies game on Friday, June 30 — includes special “A Day at the Ballpark” pregame session at Citi Field and round-trip subway transportation ($50 value)
— 1 ticket to the Awards Reception on Thursday, June 29 ($69 value)
Non-members can pay $394 for the all-inclusive rate. The deadline to register with the all-inclusive rate is Monday, May 1, 2017. - Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Grand Hyatt New York of $199/night (plus tax) is only available to registered convention attendees. After you register for the SABR 47 convention, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with details on how to book your hotel room at the SABR group rate. There are a limited number of rooms in our group block and it will be virtually impossible to find a comparable rate at a top NYC hotel in the Midtown area, so be sure to register for SABR 47 early!
- Awards Reception: SABR will host a special Awards Reception in the early evening on Thursday, June 29 at the Grand Hyatt New York. The Awards Reception will feature the announcement of SABR’s annual awards — including the Bob Davids Award, our highest honor — plus an array of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The reception will be held this year in place of the Awards Luncheon. One ticket to the Awards Reception is included in the all-inclusive package or guest tickets are available for $69 when you register for SABR 47.
- Research presentations: SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 47. The deadline to submit your abstract is Sunday, February 26, 2017. Click here for complete details and application form.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, click here to learn more about a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 47 in New York City.
We hope you’ll join us this summer in New York City! Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.
For a multimedia look at every SABR convention since 1971, click here.
Early registration ends February 15 for 2017 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is still open for the sixth annual SABR Analytics Conference on March 9-11, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona, but you should register before February 15 to take advantage of the early registration discounted rate. Our special group rate at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix also expires on February 15, 2017.
Our all-star lineup of speakers and panelists is expected to include: sabermetric pioneer Bill James, Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen, ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza and broadcaster Jon “Boog” Sciambi, MLB Network host Brian Kenny and analyst Eric Byrnes, SABR President Vince Gennaro, FanGraphs writer Eno Sarris, Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Mike Ferrin, deCervo co-founder Jordan Muraskin, Dan Migala of PCG & SportsDesk Media, sports ophthalmologist Daniel M. Laby, Brian Murphy of StriVR, and many more. Click here to learn more about our speakers.
We hope you’ll join us this spring in Arizona, where 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. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click a link below for more information:
- Registration: Click here to register for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference; early registration is $395 for SABR members, $495 for non-members, and $350 for students (includes one-year membership). Early registration ends February 15, 2017. The regular rate after February 15 is $595 for SABR members and $695 for non-members, so sign up today!
- Hotel: Click here to book your room at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix at the special SABR rate of $188/night (plus tax). Or call (602) 252-1234 and mention that you’re with the SABR Analytics Conference. The cutoff date to book your room at the SABR rate is February 15, 2017.
- Speakers: Click here to learn more about our featured speakers and panelists.
- Research Presentations: Click here to learn more about presenting your research at the SABR Analytics Conference.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, learn more about the Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference.
- Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Learn more or apply now to participate in the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition.
- Research Awards: Click here to view the finalists for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards.
SABR has a long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics. SABR’s long history in this area of baseball research, coupled with our mission of advancing the understanding and knowledge of baseball, makes us the perfect choice to coordinate and host this ground-breaking event.
The Analytics Conference schedule consists 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 on the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.
Announcing finalists for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards
We’re pleased to announce the finalists for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards, which 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. Here are the finalists for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards:
Contemporary Baseball Analysis
- August Fagerstrom, “The Game Plan: How the Indians Almost Won It All,” FanGraphs, November 4, 2016.
- Ben Lindbergh and Rob Arthur, “Are Juiced Balls the New Steroids?” FiveThirtyEight, July 20, 2016.
- Kate Morrison and Russell A. Carleton, “The Perils of MLB’s Sorting System,” Baseball Prospectus, June 20-23, 2016. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
- Eno Sarris with Bill Petti, “Are Veterans Better at Slump Busting?” FanGraphs, May 25, 2016.
- Jeff Sullivan, “Pitch Framing Was Doomed From the Start,” The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2017.
Contemporary Baseball Commentary
- R.J. Anderson, “MLB Analytics Guru Who Could Be The Next Nate Silver Has A Revolutionary New Stat,” CBS Sports, December 1, 2016.
- Henry Druschel, “There’s no such thing as a small-market team,” Beyond the Box Score, December 13, 2016.
- Rany Jazayerli, “The Curious Have Won,” The Ringer, November 3, 2016.
- Sam Miller, “Cubs win! Cubs won. Now what do we stay alive for?” ESPN.com, November 5, 2016.
- Meg Rowley, “Let Ballparks Get Old,” Baseball Prospectus, May 26, 2016.
Historical Analysis/Commentary
- Patrick Dubuque, “Byron McLaughlin Avoids the Tag,” The Hardball Times, June 22, 2016.
- Tim Healey, “The Doug Mirabelli Trade: An Oral History,” The Hardball Times, April 29, 2016.
- Wade Kapszukiewicz, “Golden Pitches: The Ultimate Last-at-Bat, Game Seven Scenario,” SABR Baseball Research Journal, Spring 2016.
- Mina Kimes, “The Art of Letting Go,” ESPN The Magazine, October 4, 2016.
- Gerald Schifman, “How Much Hope and Faith Is in Major League Baseball?” The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2017.
Details and criteria for each category can be found here. Only one work per author was considered as a finalist.
Voting for the winners will be conducted online beginning next week at SABR.org, BaseballProspectus.com, FanGraphs.com, HardballTimes.com, and BeyondtheBoxScore.com, with results weighted equally at 20%.
Results will be announced and presented at the sixth annual SABR Analytics Conference, March 9-11, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. Learn more or register for the conference at SABR.org/analytics.
Want to participate in the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition at SABR Analytics? Sign up today
The SABR Analytics Conference is pleased to host the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition on Thursday, March 9, 2017. Click here for more details.
In the Diamond Dollars Case Competition, undergraduate, graduate and professional school students from colleges and universities across the country compete against each other by preparing an analysis and presentation of a baseball operations decision — the type of decision a team’s GM and his staff is faced with over the course of a season. The cases are developed by SABR President Vince Gennaro, author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball, and consultant to MLB teams. The Diamond Dollars Case Competition is the first national competition to be based solely on baseball operations issues.
Four- to five-person student teams are asked to evaluate a baseball operations case problem. The student team presents their analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges that includes MLB front office executives. More than a dozen alumni from the first five Diamond Dollars Case Competitions have secured internships or permanent positions within Major League Baseball.
For more information on the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition, please contact SABR President Vince Gennaro or click here for rules and entry requirements.
SABR 47: Call for presentations
SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 47, which will be held June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York in Midtown Manhattan. Early registration rates and hotel information are now available at SABR.org/convention.
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.
- Click here to submit abstracts for SABR 47: http://bit.ly/sabr47-presentations
The submission deadline for SABR 47 abstracts is midnight PST, Sunday, FEBRUARY 26, 2017.
Click here for complete details and criteria. Please note: If your abstract is accepted and you intend to make a research presentation, you must register to attend the SABR 47 convention. Registration details are now available at SABR.org/convention.
Students: Apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 47 in New York City
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 47 on June 28-July 2, 2017, in New York City. 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.
- Download an application form: Click here to download a Yoseloff Scholarship form to attend SABR 47 in New York City
All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than Saturday, April 1, 2017.
Click here for complete details and criteria.
Save the date! SABR Day is coming up on January 28
We hope you’ll join us for the eighth annual SABR Day, scheduled for Saturday, January 28, 2017. Find details on more than 40 SABR Day chapter meetings around the U.S., Canada, and the Dominican Republic at SABR.org/sabrday.
Regional SABR meetings are open to all baseball fans and are usually free to attend, so bring a friend! Guest speakers often include current and former baseball players, managers, umpires, executives, scouts, writers and authors.
SABR Day events are scheduled for Saturday, January 28 in the following cities:
- Austin, TX (Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
- Birmingham, AL (Rickwood Field Chapter)
- Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
- Cooperstown, NY (Cliff Kachline Chapter)
- Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
- Fort Wayne, IN (Kekionga Chapter)
- Indianapolis, IN (Oscar Charleston Chapter)
- Kenosha, WI (joint meeting of Emil Rothe/Chicago and Ken Keltner Badger State Chapters)
- Knoxville, TN (East Tennessee Chapter)
- Las Vegas, NV (Maddux Brothers-Las Vegas Chapter)
- Little Rock, AR (Robinson-Kell Chapter)
- Los Angeles, CA (Allan Roth Chapter)
- Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
- Minneapolis, MN (Halsey Hall Chapter)
- Montreal, QC (Quebec Chapter)
- Nashville, TN (Rice-Russell Nashville Chapter)
- New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
- New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
- Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack Chapter)
- Phoenix, AZ (Flame Delhi Chapter)
- Pittsburgh, PA (Forbes Field Chapter)
- Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
- St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
- San Diego, CA (Ted Williams Chapter)
- San Francisco, CA (Lefty O’Doul Chapter)
- Tallahassee, FL (Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter)
- Toronto, ON (Hanlan’s Point Chapter)
- Victoria, BC (Northwest Chapter)
Click here for complete details on all events on our interactive 2017 SABR Day map (or click here to view details on a spreadsheet).
In addition, SABR Day meetings are also coming up on these dates due to schedule or venue availability. Click on a link below to learn more:
- January 21: Baltimore, MD (Babe Ruth Chapter)
- January 21: Dallas, TX (Banks-Bragan Chapter)
- January 21: Fort Lauderdale, FL (South Florida Chapter)
- January 21: Houston, TX (Larry Dierker Chapter)
- January 21: Kansas City, MO (Monarchs Chapter)
- January 21: Middletown, CT (Smoky Joe Wood Chapter)
- January 21: Stillwater, OK (Oklahoma Chapter)
- January 26: Santo Domingo, DOM (Juan Marichal Chapter)
- January 29: Seattle, WA (Northwest Chapter)
- January 29: Des Moines, IA (Field of Dreams Chapter)
- February 4: Atlanta, GA (Magnolia Chapter)
- February 4: Cleveland, OH (Jack Graney Chapter)
- February 4: Detroit, MI (Detroit Chapter)
- February 4: Washington, DC (Bob Davids Chapter)
Chapter leaders, please be sure to send any details on your SABR Day meeting to Blane Ferguson at bferguson@sabr.org so we can update our interactive map at SABR.org/sabrday.
- Meeting recaps: Check out stories and photos from the Rogers Hornsby Chapter’s Winter Meeting, held January 14 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and the Boston Chapter’s MLK Day meeting, held January 16 at the Baseball Tavern in Boston, Massachusetts.
Check out these SABR chapter events scheduled for tomorrow
On Saturday, January 21, check out these great SABR Day events organized by local SABR chapters:
- Baltimore, MD: The Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter will hold its SABR Day meeting from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. this Saturday at the Towson University campus (Smith Hall, Room 356). Click here for complete details. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Registration on-site is $25 for everyone (SABR members and guests), with optional lunch available at Towson University’s dining halls. Our guest speakers include: former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Larry Sheets; 19th-century baseball historian Richard Hershberger; sports attorney and former Washington Senators PA announcer Phil Hochberg; veteran author Ted Patterson; Baltimore Orioles baseball analyst Kevin Tenenbaum; Bowie Baysox broadcaster Adam Pohl.
- Dallas, TX: The Ernie Banks-Bobby Bragan SABR Chapter of North Texas will have a booth at the Texas Rangers FanFest on Saturday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Stop by to say hello!
- Fort Lauderdale, FL: The South Florida Chapter will hold its SABR Day meeting from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. this Saturday at the Tamarac Public Library (8701 W Commercial Blvd, Tamarac, FL 33351). Click here for complete details. Our featured keynote speaker will be Tim Healey, Miami Marlins beat writer from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He will be sharing interesting insights into the Marlins and baseball in general. In addition, our chapter will be hosting a baseball panel of ex-professional ballplayers sharing stories from their career and answering questions from audience. Our special guest panel will include former major-leaguers Miguel “Mike” de la Hoz, Gonzalo “Cholly” Naranjo, and Oscar Reguera.
- Houston, TX: The Larry Dierker Chapter will have a booth at the Houston Astros FanFest from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. this Saturday at Minute Maid Park. Click here for complete details or to purchase FanFest tickets. Fans can enjoy activities for all ages including autograph sessions with many current and former players, swings in the Astros batting cages, running the bases, bullpen throwing sessions, an interactive kids zone, fan forums with front office staff as well as current and former players, and a vendor expo. Chapter member Bill Brown, the longtime Astros TV broadcaster, will autograph his new book Breathing Orange Fire: Jose Altuve at our table and we will pass out free baseball cards and SABR information.
- Kansas City, MO: The Monarchs Chapter will be hosting its SABR Day gathering from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. this Saturday at the Trailside Center (9901 Holmes Rd. in Kansas City, Missouri). Click here for complete details. Speakers will include former major league outfielder Ken Berry and author Bill Young.
- Middletown, CT: The Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter will host a special Strat-O-Matic Game Day event from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. this Saturday at the Russell Library – Room #3 (123 Broad St., Middletown, CT). Click here for complete details. After gathering over coffee and donuts to watch a quick demonstration of how-to-play Strat-O-Matic Baseball, SABR members and guests will pair off and manage a historical team of their choosing. No experience necessary!
- Stillwater, OK: The Oklahoma Chapter will hold its SABR Day meeting at 1:00 p.m. this Saturday at Oklahoma State University’s Allie Reynolds Stadium (598 N. Duck St., Stillwater, OK 74075). Click here for complete details. The program will feature OSU’s baseball coaches and field maintenance staff. All baseball fans are welcome to attend this free event.
SABR Digital Library: Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award
Add the newest e-book from the SABR Digital Library to your baseball collection:
Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Clayton Trutor
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1643-9, $14.95
ISBN (e-book) 978-1-943816-42-2, $6.99
211 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
The Tony Conigliaro Award is given each year to the MLB player who “overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Tony Conigliaro.” Conigliaro was hit in the face by a pitch in 1967. His injuries were so severe that he did not return to the playing field until 1969, homering on Opening Day. Despite his dramatic return, Conigliaro continued to be plagued with vision problems and was forced to retire at age 30. Instituted in 1990 by the Red Sox to honor Conigliaro after his death, the award has been given to 29 players including Rocco Baldelli, Dickie Thon, Jim Abbott, Curtis Pride, and R.A. Dickey. The life stories of these players have been gathered in this book through the collective efforts of 27 authors and editors who are members of SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research.
Professional athletes perform seemingly superhuman feats at work every day. While they possess extraordinary skills, they, too, must persevere through human struggles, both physical and personal. Many MLB players have overcome significant adversity, obstacles, and disabilities to achieve their dreams on the diamond. The 29 athletes who have been presented with the Tony Conigliaro Award offer inspirational examples of ballplayers who have overcome significant adversity to enable them to pursue their professional careers.
Contributors include: Rich Bogovich, Ryan Brecker, Mark Brunke, Alan Cohen, Rory Costello, Gordon Edes, Greg Erion, Charles F. Faber, Eric Frost, Joy Hackenmueller, Donna L. Halper, Mike Huber, Norm King, Susan Lantz, David Laurila, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Scot Johnson, Skip Nipper, Bill Nowlin, Joel Rippel, David E. Skelton, Mark S. Sternman, Rick Swaine, Clayton Trutor, Saul Wisnia, and Gregory H. Wolf.
SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!
- E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award for FREE from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, Kindle/MOBI and EPUB formats.
- Paperback: Get a 50% discount on Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award paperback edition for $8.95 (plus shipping) from CreateSpace.
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.
SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. If you’re not a member, click here to join SABR.
For past titles from the SABR Digital Library, visit SABR.org/ebooks.
Bagwell, Raines, Rodriguez elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017
Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Ivan Rodriguez were announced as the newest inductees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on January 18, 2017.
Bagwell, the unanimous 1994 NL MVP and star first baseman for the Houston Astros, received 86.2 percent of the 442 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in his seventh year on the ballot. He will join his longtime teammate and friend Craig Biggio, who was elected in 2015, in the Hall of Fame this summer.
Raines, the Montreal Expos speedster with the fifth-highest total of stolen bases in baseball history, received 380 votes (86.0 percent) in his 10th and final year on the writers’ ballot. His campaign surged past the 75-percent threshold required for election after an initial total of 24.3 percent in 2008.
Rodriguez became the second catcher, along with Johnny Bench, to make it to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. He won 13 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and was named American League MVP in 1999. He received 336 votes (76 percent).
- Click here to read Jeff Bagwell’s SABR biography, written by Greg Erion
- Click here to read Tim Raines’s SABR biography, written by Norm King
- Ivan Rodriguez’s SABR biography, written by Steve West, will be published later this summer
The 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend will take place July 28-31 in Cooperstown, New York.
San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman fell five votes shy of the required 332 for election, finishing with 74.0 percent in his second year on the ballot. A record nine players received votes on more than half the ballots cast, including first-timer Vladimir Guerrero (71.7 percent), followed by Edgar Martinez (58.6), Roger Clemens (54.1), Barry Bonds (53.8), Mike Mussina (51.8), and Curt Schilling (52.3).
Find all published SABR biographies for Baseball Hall of Fame inductees — including the Class of 2017 — by clicking here.
6 new SABR biographies published
Six new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which — with the publication of our new SABR e-book Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award — brings us to a total of 3,978 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:
- Jim Busby, by Warren Corbett
- Eli Cates, by Bill Lamb
- Ray Jablonski, by David E. Skelton
- Jim Kennedy, by Bill Lamb
- Alan Nathan, by Dan Raley
- Ken Wood, by Bill Nowlin
All new biographies can be found here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/recent
- Search for any SABR biography: You can now visit sabr.org/bioproj_search to search for any player — or manager, executive, scout, spouse, broadcaster, or umpire — who appears in the SABR BioProject. You can also browse all of these BioProject categories and a lot more, including 300-game winners, Hall of Famers, 1960s All-Stars, or Negro Leaguers, at our Browse page: sabr.org/bioproj/browse.
1975 Reds essays published at SABR.org
More articles from SABR’s The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds (University of Nebraska Press, 2014), edited by Mark Armour, were published this week at SABR.org.
- 1975 Reds: Pete Rose mans the hot corner, by Rory Costello
- 1975 Reds: Looking ahead to the season, by Mark Armour
- 1975 Reds: The postseason, by Mark Armour
- The Big Red Boys of Summer, by Steve Treder
- The Fall of the Big Red Machine, 1976-1981, by Anthony Giacalone
Click here to read all player biographies that appeared in The Great Eight at the SABR BioProject.
To purchase a paperback copy of The Great Eight, visit the University of Nebraska Press website.
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:
- August 16, 1987: Tim Raines hits for the cycle, by Tom Heinlein
- May 2, 1987: Tim Raines makes a grand return to Expos, by Mark Simon
New Games Project stories can be found at http://sabr.org/gamesproject/recent. Find all published Games Project articles at SABR.org/GamesProject.
- Get involved: Writing for the Games Project is an easy way to get involved as a SABR member. Find out how by reading the Games Project FAQs section or checking out the Authors’ Guidelines.
- Still seeking a Chief Editor: For those of you who have reached out offering to edit or fact-check games over the past few weeks: Thank you! Thanks to numerous responses, we are now sufficiently staffed in this area to more quickly process game articles toward publication. However, we are still seeking a Chief Editor to help coordinate the editing for all Games Project stories. This is a crucial role that is necessary to keep the project running smoothly. If you are interested, please contact Greg Erion or Bruce Slutsky for more information.
2017 Larry Ritter Book Award nominees announced
Each year, SABR’s Deadball Era Committee presents the Larry Ritter Book Award to recognize the best new baseball book primarily set in the Deadball Era that was published during the previous calendar year.
The following books were nominated for the 2017 Larry Ritter Book Award:
- Hal Bock, The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty: Before the Curse (Rowman & Littlefield)
- Richard Bressler, The Cubs and the A’s of 1910: One Dynasty Ends, Another Begins (McFarland & Co.)
- Keith Craig, Herb Pennock: Baseball’s Faultless Pitcher (Rowman & Littlefield)
- Tim Hornbaker, Fall from Grace: The Truth and Tragedy of “Shoeless Joe” Jackson (Sports Publishing)
- Roy Kerr, Big Sam Thompson: Baseball’s Greatest Clutch Hitter (McFarland & Co.)
- Maury Klein, Stealing Games: How John McGraw Transformed Baseball with the 1911 New York Giants (Bloomsbury Press)
- Brian Martin, Pud Galvin: Baseball’s First 300-Game Winner (McFarland & Co.).
- Thomas Rathkamp, Happy Felsch: Banished Black Sox Center Fielder (McFarland & Co.)
- Glenn Stout, The Selling Of The Babe: The Deal That Changed Baseball and Created a Legend (Thomas Dunne Books)
- John Darrin Tenney, Baseball in Territorial Arizona: A History, 1863-1912 (McFarland & Co.)
- Ronald T. Waldo, Characters from the Diamond: Wild Events, Crazy Antics, and Unique Tales from Early Baseball (Rowman & Littlefield)
- Stephen Wong, Dave Grob, and Francesco Sapienza, Game Worn: Baseball Treasures from the Game’s Greatest Heroes and Moments (Smithsonian Books)
- John A. Wood, Beyond the Ballpark: The Honorable, Immoral, and Eccentric Lives of Baseball Legends (Rowman & Littlefield)
Stay tuned for the announcement of the Larry Ritter Book Award winner in the spring of 2017.
The members of the Ritter Award selection committee are: Mark Dugo, David Fleitz, Ben Klein, Craig Lammers, John McMurray, Mark Pattison, and Doug Skipper.
Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Sundays
Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro is back for the Hot Stove League offseason, at a new time: 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET on Sundays, on MLB Network Radio.
This week’s guests are major-league player agent Burton Rocks and Keith Law of ESPN.com.
- Video highlights: Eno Sarris of FanGraphs breaks down the best pitchers of 2016 (MLB.com)
You can watch video highlights of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on MLB.com. Click here to watch more video highlights of Baseball SABR Style from MLB.com. You can also listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.
Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM focuses on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today. It airs 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.
Deadlines approaching for SABR award nominations
- SABR Baseball Research Award, due 1/31/2017: The SABR Baseball Research Award (formerly the Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award) honors those whose outstanding research projects completed during the preceding calendar year have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball. To submit a nomination for the 2017 awards, please contact Bill Felber at bfelber@att.net.
- McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, due 2/15/2017: 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 2017 awards, please contact Len Levin at lenlevin5@hotmail.com.
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.
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:
- Early registration discount expires February 15 for 2017 SABR Analytics Conference
- Call for papers: 2017 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- Registration ongoing for 2017 SABR Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
- Interested in baseball cards? Join SABR’s Baseball Cards Research Committee
- Essays from The Year of the Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies books now available at SABR.org
- Delayed but not defeated: Marjorie Adams, Doc Adams, and the Hall of Fame
- Students, submit your entries for 2017 SABR Jack Kavanagh Memorial Youth Baseball Research Award
- Read articles from the Fall 2016 Baseball Research Journal online
- SABR Digital Library celebrates five years of publications
- Entries now accepted for 2017 Women on the Diamond art competition
- Anthony Rizzo, Francisco Lindor win 2016 Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards, presented by SABR
- SABR 46: Check out complete multimedia highlights from our Miami convention
- Download your free e-book copy of The National Pastime: Baseball in the Sunshine State
- SABR Digital Library: Baseball’s Business: The Winter Meetings: 1901-1957
- Roland Hemond: Treasuring my memories of the Winter Meetings
- 2017 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference returning to Harrisburg
- Read all biographies from our 1986 Mets book online at the SABR BioProject
- Learn more about new SABR Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Educators, sign up your class for a discounted SABR Student Group Affiliate Membership
- Help support SABR’s 19th Century Baseball Grave Marker Project
- All e-books in SABR Digital Library available for free to members
All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: http://sabr.org/content/this-week-in-sabr-archives.
For more information, click here.
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 Membership 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 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erez Ben-Akiva | Brookline, MA | Tom Lennon | Eden Prairie, MN | ||
Jeff Berlat | Houston, TX | Shawn Murphy | Potomac, IL | ||
Matthew Bloss | Camillus, NY | Anika Orrock | Berkeley, CA | ||
Andy Broome | Mckinney, TX | Mason Pierce | Maumee, OH | ||
Ethan Coffey | Lynnwood, WA | Susan Powell | Florence, AL | ||
Wayne Coffey | Sleepy Hollow, NY | Jared Ravich | Durham, OR | ||
Everett Corder | San Angelo, TX | Steve Scarpa | Wallingford, CT | ||
David Crine | Fort Collins, CO | Matthew Shirah | Auburn, AL | ||
Ed Epps | Spartanburg, SC | Steven Smith | Vincennes, IN | ||
Daniel Gooley | Hamden, CT | Gerry Tucker | Maple Grove, MN | ||
James Greene | Friendly, WV | Ramon Veloso | Rego Park, NY | ||
Richard Hoffman III | Fairfax Station, VA | Jonathan Wright | Seymour, TN | ||
Steven Kirson | Atlanta, GA | John Zumsteg | Renton, WA | ||
Anthony Kissel | Cortland, NY |
Research Committee news
Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:
- Baseball and the Arts: The Baseball and the Arts Committee has announced plans for a new SABR publication focused on baseball and the arts, including poetry, music, essays, fiction, and visual art. First, we need a couple of motivated, interested souls to join an editorial board to review the deluge expected from SABR members. If you have an interest in serving as an editor or future contributor, please contact Joanne Hulbert at jhulbert@earthlink.net.
- Ballparks: The Ballparks Committee has launched new social media accounts to help promote its work, led by Kevin Johnson. On Twitter, Ballparks updates can now be found at SABR Ballparks and Twitter at @SABRBallparks.
- Business of Baseball: Fall 2016 newsletter
Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research.
Regional Chapter news
Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:
- Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter Winter 2017 newsletter (Hartford, CT)
- Halsey Hall Chapter February 2017 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter Winter Meeting recap (January 14; San Marcos, TX)
- Boston Chapter MLK Day meeting recap (January 16; Boston, MA)
- Houston/Larry Dierker Chapter meeting recap (January 16; Houston, TX)
- Casey Stengel Chapter website: Our Casey Stengel Chapter in New York City has relaunched its website at a new address, thanks to Kevin Carter. Visit sabrnyc.org for more information on the chapter’s SABR Day event on January 28 and the upcoming SABR 47 convention at the Grand Hyatt New York.
- Quebec Chapter website: Our Quebec Chapter has relaunched its website at a new address. Visit sabrquebec.org for more information on baseball in Montreal and upcoming chapter events.
- SABR Day is coming soon! Chapter leaders, please be sure to send any details on your SABR Day meeting to Blane Ferguson at bferguson@sabr.org so we can update our interactive map at SABR.org/sabrday.
- Chapter websites/social media: Chapter leaders, all chapters are encouraged to have a presence online to help raise awareness of SABR and bring extra attention to our research, events, and activities. Click here if your chapter is interested in learning more about creating a new chapter website or social media accounts, and for a complete list of chapter sites and social media accounts.
- Best Practices handbook: Chapter leaders, download the new Chapter Leaders Best Practices Handbook on the Admin Tools page at admin.sabr.org. The handbook offers suggestions and guidelines for meetings, speakers, revitalizing a chapter, and getting publicity for SABR and chapter events.
Visit SABR.org/chapters for more information on SABR regional chapters.
SABR Events Calendar
Here is a list of upcoming SABR events:
- January 20: Yogi Berra Museum: “The Future of the National Pastime” panel (New York, NY)
- January 21: Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter Strat-O-Matic Game Day (Middletown, CT)
- January 21: Monarchs Chapter SABR Day meeting (Kansas City, MO)
- January 21: South Florida Chapter SABR Day meeting (Tamarac, FL)
- January 21: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter SABR Day meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- January 21: Larry Dierker Chapter at Astros FanFest (Houston, TX)
- January 21: Oklahoma Chapter SABR Day meeting (Stillwater, OK)
- January 21: Banks-Bragan SABR Chapter at Texas Rangers FanFest (Arlington, TX)
- January 21: Nozomi Park historical kiosk dedication ceremony (Chandler, AZ)
- January 23: Halsey Hall Chapter Research Committee meeting (Edina, MN)
- January 25: Smithsonian: “Ask Tom Boswell Anything” with Phil Hochberg (Washington, DC)
- January 25: Magnolia Chapter “Fourth Wednesday” meeting (Tucker, GA)
- January 26: Juan Marichal Chapter SABR Day meeting (Santo Domingo, DOM)
- January 28: 2017 SABR Day
- January 29: SABR Board of Directors conference call
- January 29: Northwest Chapter SABR Day meeting (Seattle, WA)
- January 29: Field of Dreams Chapter SABR Day meeting (Des Moines, IA)
- February 1: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter “First Wednesday” meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- February 3: Babe Ruth’s Birthday Bash (Baltimore, MD)
- February 4: Jack Graney Chapter SABR Day meeting (Cleveland, OH)
- February 4: Magnolia Chapter SABR Day meeting (Atlanta, GA)
- February 4: Detroit Chapter SABR Day meeting (Detroit, MI)
- February 4: Bob Davids Chapter SABR Day meeting (Arlington, VA)
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:
- Mark Armour: My favorite common (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)
- Andy McCue: Electronic Checklists (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)
- Rich Klein: So you want to be a full-time sports card dealer? (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)
- Jeff Katz: Organized Baseball (cards) (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)
- David Cycleback: Are CDVs and Cabinet Cards Baseball Cards? Yes, No and Maybe (SABR Baseball Cards Committee)
- Monte Cely: Final field set for 2017 Serie del Caribe (SABR Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
- Adam Kilgore: Raines’ HOF enshrinement is a victory for stats geeks everywhere (Washington Post)
- Mark Simon: What makes Jeff Bagwell a Hall of Famer? (ESPN.com)
- Graham Womack: Who will be the first unanimous Hall of Famer? (The Sporting News)
- Bill Ryczek: War and integration: baseball in the 1940s (The National Pastime Museum)
- Rob Mains: New Year’s resolutions: pitchers’ plate discipline (Baseball Prospectus)
- Julien Assouline: The fall of the swingman (Beyond the Box Score)
- Patrick Dubuque: Why do Hall of Fame voters love relievers? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Tim Wendel: Ted Williams and Minnie Minoso (The National Pastime Museum)
- Russell Carleton: What does batter/pitcher matchup data tell us? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Graham Womack: The rise and fall of Gus Greenlee (The National Pastime Museum)
- John Thorn: On the Polo Grounds: when fans were fans (Our Game)
- Diana Mesesan: The forgotten Romanian national sport that may have inspired baseball (Romanian Insider)
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.
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Originally published: January 20, 2017. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.