This Week in SABR: January 3, 2025
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, January 3, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Last call: Apply for scholarships to attend 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2025
Registration now open for 2025 Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
Apply for a Local Grant in 2025
In Memoriam: Rickey Henderson
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Last call: Apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship or Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship
Today is the deadline for students to apply for our 2025 SABR Analytics Conference scholarships.
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four Yoseloff Scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the SABR Analytics Conference on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging fees associated with the conference up to a total value of $1,250.
Awarded annually to four recipients, the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship will provide meaningful professional development and networking opportunities for female identifying students or young professionals pursuing a career in baseball analytics and data science. This scholarship will pay for all registration fees and expenses associated with the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona; plus registration for all courses in the online SABR Analytics Certification program. Click here to learn more or to apply.
Click here to learn more about SABR Scholarships.
Early registration is now open for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from March 14-16, 2025, at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona.
We’ll bring together the top minds in the baseball analytics community to discuss, debate, and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball. Register today to join us!
- 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.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
- Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship: Applications are now open for the 2025 Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
- Research Awards: We’re seeking nominations for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
- 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.
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.
Registration now open 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.
Apply now 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.
Save the date! SABR Day is February 1, 2025
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.
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.
In Memoriam: Rickey Henderson
About Rickey Henderson, author Bill James once wrote, “If you could split him in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers. The greatest base stealer of all time, the greatest power/speed combination of all time (except maybe Barry Bonds), the greatest leadoff man of all time. … Without exaggerating one inch, you could find fifty Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don’t own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson.”
Henderson set the single-season mark for stolen bases when he was 23 years old, he broke the career steals record in his early 30s, and he was still reaching base — and then stealing more of them — in nearly half of his plate appearances in his mid-40s, toiling in independent professional leagues with teammates who weren’t born yet by the time he made his major-league debut with his hometown Oakland Athletics in 1979.
Henderson — who died at the age of 65 on December 20, 2024 — spent 25 seasons in the big leagues, earning admirers and winning over critics with his flashy play and generous personality.
Click here to read the full article at SABR.org.
Join us for Rogers Hornsby Chapter annual winter meeting on Saturday
SABR’s Rogers Hornsby Chapter in Central Texas will hold its 19th annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting from 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Old Main on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos.
We have a fun-filled day of baseball chatter with former MLB pitcher Ross Ohlendorf, Round Rock Express GM Tim Jackson, and broadcaster Mike Capps. In addition, we’ll hear a variety of presentations from chapter members, including a successful 47-year trek to all 30 MLB ballparks, a pandemic-inspired quest to fully document 65 years of attending games, a new way to evaluate catchers, and more.
All SABR members are invited to join us, either in-person or virtually. For those who plan to join us via Zoom, use this link to register.
Click here to learn more at SABRhornsby.org.
Writing Opportunities: Upcoming SABR book projects
- A new SABR book project about Korean baseball seeks authors for a few articles, including KBO game stories and biographies on former Dodgers All-Star Hyun-jin Ryu and Jong-beom Lee. If you are interested, please contact Zac Petrillo.
- A new SABR book project is seeking authors for articles about the role baseball and softball played in the lives of Japanese-Americans who were detained during World War II at the Manzanar internment camp between 1942-1945. We are looking for historical narratives, baseball/softball game summaries, and human-interest profiles of the men and women who played ball behind barbed wire. Please contact Russ Speiller if you are interested in contributing to this important historical work.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
7 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- July 11, 1886: The Cincinnati Beer Glass Riot, by Larry DeFillipo
- June 2, 1908: Down by three runs in 9th, Red Sox rally to beat New York, by Bill Nowlin
- August 23, 1938: Jimmie Foxx hits walk-off grand slam to complete doubleheader sweep for Red Sox, by Bill Nowlin
- May 1, 1952: Cubs defeat Dodgers, flirt with first place for three days, by Jeff Allan Howard
- April 12, 1969: Fun while it lasted: Seattle Pilots stake brief claim to first place, by Kurt Blumenau
- September 17, 1979: Rickey Henderson hits first major-league home run, by Ray Danner
- September 1, 1998: Yankees’ David Wells flirts with second perfect game of the season, by Harrison Golden
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Dazzling Debuts: First At-Bat Home Runs
Edited by Giselle Stancic, Bill Nowlin, and Jacob Pomrenke
Visit SABR.org/dazzling-debuts for exclusive highlights online or to download the free e-book edition.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Read articles from Fall 2024 Baseball Research Journal online
- In Memoriam: John Holway
- 2024 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners announced
- Call for papers: 2025 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- Browse the new, searchable SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Save the date! SABR 53 will be in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2025
- Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
Please give a warm welcome to all new SABR members who joined this week! View more Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org or click here to download the Membership Handbook. Find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.
| NAME | HOMETOWN | NAME | HOMETOWN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Adcock | Roselle, IL | Eric Luckwald | Porter Ranch, CA | ||
| Nick Arnett | Leesburg, FL | Jeff Luzadder | Lafayette, IN | ||
| Anna Calkins | East Longmeadow, MA | Cade McDonald | Abilene, TX | ||
| Daniel Camp | Garland, TX | John Mena | Ellisville, MO | ||
| Marc Catapano | Brooklyn, NY | Soren O’Connell | Berkeley, CA | ||
| Ed DeGhroony | Brentwood, MO | Ben Orlando | Arlington, VA | ||
| John DeRose | Sicklerville, NJ | Tony Raia | Niles, IL | ||
| Matt Faltas | Basking Ridge, NJ | John Reid | Ellicott City, MD | ||
| Raina Gengo | Henderson, NV | Paul Richardson | Cleveland, OH | ||
| Jayme Gerring | Cleveland, OH | Fred Rule | Sioux Falls, SD | ||
| Mike Ginocchio | Chicago, IL | Todd Schramke | Hermitage, TN | ||
| Dan Gleason | Williston, VT | Don Shaw | Reston, VA | ||
| Owen Hillman | Marietta, GA | Maxwell Slinden | New London, MN | ||
| Charlie Hudson | South Berwick, ME | Jeff Smith | Cleveland, OH | ||
| Parker Jayasundera | New York, NY | Colton Sopher | Denton, TX | ||
| George Jensen | Arlington, TX | Jennifer Spade | Reno, NV | ||
| Kenny Kendrena | Chino Hills, CA | Jack Taulman | Noblesville, IN | ||
| Howard Klein | Millstone Township, NJ | Jackson Tenor | Madison, WI | ||
| Andrew Knobel | Columbia, MD | Chris Torres | Seattle, WA | ||
| Paul Krigsmann | Chandler, AZ | John Wickline | Clarksburg, WV | ||
| Daniel Kuksa | Hawthorn Woods, IL | Alex Williamson | Henlow, ENG | ||
| Jacob LaDuca | Clarence, NY | Daniel Winston | Las Vegas, NV | ||
| Thomas Liguori | Wappingers Falls, NY | Samuel Young | Marion, IN |
Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of December 2024.
| NAME | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Dean Abelon | Peter Kushar | |
| Ed Baranoski | Todd Lebowitz | |
| Perry Barber | Thomas Lee | |
| Sandy Barlow | Joe Leisek | |
| Jeremy Beer | Bob LeMoine | |
| Jake Bell | Daniel Levitt | |
| Paul Bennett | Henry Levy | |
| John Blackburn | Annie Lindsay | |
| Phillip Bolda | Tom Lippman | |
| Jack Braun | Linda Luca | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Mark Macrae | |
| Patrick Brown | Robert Mains | |
| Karen Brown | Peter Mancuso | |
| Bruce Bumbalough | Peter Marcus | |
| John Burbridge | Daniel Massey | |
| Scott Bush | Richard Masson | |
| Richard Butler | Bruce McClure | |
| Arthur Cantu | Barry Mednick | |
| Ralph Caola | Sheldon Miller | |
| Ken Carrano | Jeremy Mills | |
| John Carter | Alan Mooneyham | |
| Angel Castillo | Billy Moore | |
| William Christensen | Mark Morowczynski | |
| Ralph Christian | Christopher Moyer | |
| Irwin Chusid | Matthew Mullin | |
| Karl Cicitto | Jim Myers | |
| Vincent Comparato | Tad Myre | |
| Jim Cox | Rod Nelson | |
| Richard Cramer | Roberta J Newman | |
| Keith Crook | Linda Nichols | |
| Richard Cuicchi | Andrew North | |
| E. Stephen Cunerd | Bill Nowlin | |
| James Currie | Jon Ohman | |
| Robert Dean | Melyssa Paulson | |
| Chris Dial | Bill Pearch | |
| Mark Drucker | David Pearson | |
| Mark Dugo | Richard Perez | |
| Stanley Dziurgot | David Polich | |
| Ed Edmonds | William Pruden | |
| Helen Edwards | John Rall | |
| Ron Elliott | Al Riess | |
| Vernona Elms | C. Paul Rogers III | |
| Jonathan Epstein | Greg Rosenbaum | |
| Daniel Evans | Michael Rosenwasser | |
| Rebecca Fields | Charles Roussel | |
| Jan Finkel | Bob Russon | |
| David Firstman | Michael Sass Jr | |
| Kenneth Fischer | Jason Scheller | |
| F. X. Flinn | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Adam Foldes | John Schwarz | |
| Sean Forman | Anthony Segreti | |
| Andrew Freeman | David Senkow | |
| Steve Friedman | Mary Shea | |
| Vince Gennaro | Rob Sheinkopf | |
| Michael Gibbons | Blake Sherry | |
| Steven Glassman | Lynda Singer | |
| Judy Gordon | Thomas Slater | |
| John Gottko | Mikel Smith | |
| Gerard Goulet | Steve Steinberg | |
| Frederick Grandchamp | Karen Stephens | |
| Robert Hagerman | Joel Sternberg | |
| Barry Halpern | Thomas Stone | |
| Steve Hamburg | Wesley Story | |
| Roger Hammond | Andrew Strnad | |
| David Harris | David Studenmund | |
| Jeff Hauer | Henry Summer | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Marc Summerfield | |
| Joseph Helyar | Larry Taylor | |
| Tim Herlich | Joseph Thompson | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | Neal Traven | |
| Perry Huang | Debbie Vargas | |
| Dick Huebner | Paul Vastola | |
| David Hughes | M J Volkovitsch | |
| Jim Hughes | Ronald Weaver | |
| Rick Huhn | Steven Weiner | |
| Joanne Hulbert | Steve West | |
| Jeff Jaech | J. R. Wildridge | |
| Rob Janes | Chris Wilkins | |
| Donald Jensen | Fraser Wilkinson | |
| Christopher Kaempfer | Beach Wires | |
| Joseph Keaney | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Lloyd Kepple | Don Zminda | |
| Gregory King | Rick Zucker | |
| Michael Klitsch | David Zweifel |
Want to become a Friend of SABR? Click here to make a recurring monthly contribution or click here to learn more about our Giving Circles to make a one-time contribution.
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Chuck Hildebrandt (“Peak Minors: 1949”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- January 6: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with John Burbridge Jr. (7:00 p.m. EST)
- January 7: Games and Simulations Committee meeting with Derek Bain and John Racanelli (8:00 p.m. EST)
- January 8: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting with David Krell (7:00 p.m. EST)
- January 8: Joint SABR Chapter meeting with Dan Cichalski (7:00 p.m. EST)
- January 11: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter: Talkin’ Baseball: Jay Jaffe (10:00 a.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- January 11: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Minneapolis, MN)
- January 11: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter lunch meeting (Arlington Heights, IL)
- January 11: Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter meeting (Milwaukee, WI)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Baseball Records: Winter 2024 newsletter
- Black Sox Scandal: December 2024 newsletter
- Nineteenth Century: Winter 2025 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Casey Stengel Chapter: December 2024 newsletter (New York, NY)
- Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: Winter 2025 newsletter (Chicago, IL)
- Larry Dierker Chapter: December 16 meeting recap (Houston, TX)
- Rickwood Field Chapter: December 2024 newsletter (Birmingham, AL)
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:
- Jay Jaffe: Rickey Henderson (1958-2024): Split Him in Two, You’d Have Two Hall of Famers (FanGraphs)
- Tyler Kepner: Always on the move, Rickey Henderson leaves legacy as one of baseball’s greatest showmen (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: One stat for every team to marvel at from 2024 season (MLB.com)
- Rob Mains: The Soto Signing Pours Salt on the Wound (Baseball Prospectus)
- Mark Simon: Chase Utley and the Hall of Fame (Sports Info Solutions)
- David Laurila: Pondering Pedroia, Wright, and a HoF Ballot Dilemma (FanGraphs)
- Steven Goldman: The More Things Change (Baseball Prospectus)
- Adam Darowski: Hall of Fame still failing with Negro Leagues inductees (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Jayson Stark: MLB’s Strange But True 2024: The team, game, inning and homer of the year — plus The Ohtani Game (The Athletic)
- Alex Speier: How to keep your starters healthy? MLB teams are shifting to six-man rotations, because more arms means more rest (Boston Globe)
- Davy Andrews: Unfuzzing the Strike Zone (FanGraphs)
- Eno Sarris: A healthy and skilled Corbin Burnes is a major coup for the Diamondbacks (The Athletic)
- Derrick Goold: Prospects? Playing time? Staff size? If not wins, what measures success for 2025 Cardinals? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Paul D. White: Christmas, Baseball, and the Civil War (Lost in Left Field)
- Anne R. Keene: Striking It Big: Frank Saucier (Texas Co-op Power)
- Sue Kern-Fleischer: Statistician Frank Williams’s rare finds to be auctioned (Foothills Focus)
- Michelle Frost: Ted Williams’ childhood home (Blogspot)
- Derek Bain: Retro Computer Baseball Game Review: APBA Baseball (SABR Games and Simulations)
- Joe Costa: World Series Time Machine: 1956 (SABR Games and Simulations)
- Jason Schwartz: Cardboard Crosswalk: 1985 Donruss and Leaf (SABR Baseball Cards)
- John Racanelli: 1992 Cubs Old Style Nostalgia Baseball Cards and a Sweet Sartorial Surprise (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Brian Kopycinski: MLB and NFL Cardboard Crossovers (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.
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Originally published: January 3, 2025. Last Updated: January 3, 2025.