This Week in SABR: January 31, 2025
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Bruce Bochy, Chris Young added to SABR 53 speakers lineup
Early registration now open for SABR 53
Join us this weekend for a SABR Day event near you
SABR Scholar Session with Dan Evans on February 10
Deadline extended for 2025 Local Grant applications
By-Laws change proposed for special election beginning in February
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SABR 53: Bruce Bochy, Chris Young added to speaker lineup
This summer, we’ll head to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, on June 25-29, 2025, for the 53rd SABR convention. SABR 53 will feature a Texas-sized speaker lineup we know you’ll love, alongside an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship.
Here are some of our featured speakers and panelists:
- Iván Rodríguez, Texas Rangers great and 2017 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
- Bruce Bochy, Texas Rangers manager and four-time World Series champion
- Chris Young, Texas Rangers President of Baseball Operations
- Tom Schieffer, former Texas Rangers president
- Rob Matwick, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Texas Rangers
- Jack Hill, former Senior Vice President, Project Development, Texas Rangers
- James Beckett, founder and CEO of Beckett Media
- Stay tuned for more speakers and panelists to be announced!
Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.
If you’ve never attended a SABR convention, this is the perfect year to join us and make new baseball friendships. If you’re a veteran attendee, we can’t wait for you to experience our spectacular convention experience. It will be an incredible week of baseball fellowship in the heart of Texas and we hope you’ll make plans to be part of it!
SABR 53: Early registration now open
Conference and hotel registration for SABR 53 is now available. Click here for complete details on SABR 53 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions.
With the most affordable convention hotel rate in years, our host hotel at the Westin DFW Airport is conveniently located three miles away from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with a free 24/7 hotel shuttle, and a short drive from Globe Life Field and many other area attractions. The Texas Rangers will host a weekend series against the Seattle Mariners during SABR 53.
- Registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 53 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 53! Registration includes access to all panel discussions, research presentations, and committee meetings at the Westin DFW Airport, plus the Welcome Reception on Wednesday, Coffee Talks on Thursday/Friday, and Closing Ceremonies on Saturday. Please note: ALL registrations are a la carte in 2025. Attendees will need to select tickets for all optional events or merchandise they would like when they register.
- SABR members: $285 before April 25; $315 regular rate
- Non-members: $335 before April 25; $365 regular rate
- SABR members: $285 before April 25; $315 regular rate
- Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Westin DFW Airport of $169/night plus tax (single/double occupancy) is only available to registered convention attendees. Please note: The cut-off date to book your room at the SABR group rate is May 30, 2025. The hotel offers a free 24/7 hotel shuttle to and from Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport; call 972-929-4500 to request the shuttle. Click here for more details on shuttle pickup locations. After you register for the SABR 53 convention, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with details on how to book your hotel room at the SABR group rate.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, click here to learn more about a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 53 in Texas. The deadline to apply is April 11, 2025.
SABR 53: Call for research presentations
SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 53, the annual convention on June 25-29, 2025, 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more or to register.
Analytics Conference Research Award finalists announced
We’re pleased to announce the finalists for the 2025 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 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and Sports Info Solutions.
Voting for the winners will be conducted online beginning next week at SABR.org, BaseballProspectus.com, FanGraphs.com, and IBWAA.com. Results will be announced and presented at the SABR Analytics Conference, March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Student Programming at SABR Analytics Conference
We’re excited to announce student programming for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Available to currently enrolled high school or college students, this schedule of student-specific presentations is geared toward those looking to gain an edge in breaking into the ultra-competitive baseball industry. The virtual student-only programming — which will be held on Zoom from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. MST on Thursday, March 13 — will include:
- SLICED with SABR: Nick Wan, Director of Analytics, Cincinnati Reds
- Working with Baseball Savant and R: Shanna Shi, Associate Data Quality Analyst, MLB
- Presenting Baseball Data in Tableau: Nick Riccardi, Syracuse University
- The Relationship Between Batting Metrics and Runs Scored: David Hyland, Xavier University
- Introduction to Baseball Databases: Sean Lahman, SABR
- Working with Baseball-Reference Data: Jonah Gardner and Zoe Surma, Sports Reference
- Virtual networking session for student attendees
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Find a SABR Day event near you this weekend and join us!
Join us on Saturday, February 1 for 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.
SABR Day events will include an All-Star lineup of guest speakers, including Andrew Golden of the Washington Post; FanGraphs founder Dave Appelman; Daniel Piazza of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum; Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Matt Underwood and Guardians Director of Amateur Scouting Ethan Purser; MLB team social media managers Remle Herzberg and Aaron Peralta; filmmaker Jon Leonoudakis; and many award-winning authors and presenters elsewhere.
In Florida, the Roush-Lopez Gulf Coast Chapter has organized a special trolley tour of spring training baseball locations, in coordination with the St. Petersburg Museum of History. In addition, this tour will be going on weekly (Saturdays) for the month of March during spring training and is open to all baseball fans. Over in Vero Beach, the Central Florida Chapter will host a meeting during the all-day Andre Dawson Classic, a college baseball tournament at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. We’ll hear from Carlis Robinson, daughter of Johnny Wright, Jackie Robinson’s Dodgers teammate in re-integrating baseball with the Montreal Royals in 1946. We hope to have remarks from Hall of Famer Andre Dawson as well.
Many SABR Day meetings are also available for all baseball fans to attend virtually on Zoom. Visit SABR.org/sabrday to view full meeting details for each SABR Day meeting.
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.
Deadline extended for 2025 Local Grant applications
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.
The deadline to apply has been extended and applications are now open until February 14, 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.
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.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Updating Your Profile and Accessing the Directory
As a SABR member, you have vast resources and benefits at your disposal. With so much information at your fingertips, we realize it can be overwhelming to absorb it all! To highlight key benefits, read on for this month’s SABR Member Benefit Spotlight, an email series that identifies and explains some of the most valuable features of your membership. We hope this allows you to take full advantage of all SABR has to offer. Today’s issue shows you how to update your membership profile to help make the best use of the SABR membership directory.
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.
7 new stories published at SABR BioProject
- Carlos Beltrán, by Ralph Caola
- Buzz Boyle, by David E. Boyle
- Terry Collins, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
- Phil Plantier, by Bill Nowlin
- Tomás Quiñones, by Tony Oliver
- John Ritchey, by Eric Vickrey
- Charlie Zink, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
7 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- October 6, 1886: Days after strikeout record, rookie Matt Kilroy pitches Orioles’ first no-hitter in American Association, by Mike Huber
- May 23, 1911: Tigers prevail after manager’s ejection, Washington’s eighth-inning collapse, by Andrew Jett (first-time author)
- July 30, 1961: Trailblazer Pumpsie Green helps Red Sox come back with pinch-hit home run, by Kurt Blumenau
- July 3, 1965: Teammates Dick Allen, Frank Thomas trade blows before Phillies’ loss to Reds, by Gary Belleville
- October 5, 1985: Poetic justice: Yankee castoff Doyle Alexander leads Blue Jays to first AL East crown, by Larry DeFillipo
- September 6, 1998: Benito Santiago doubles for Blue Jays in first start since offseason car accident, by Andrew Harner
- May 12, 2000: Pedro Martinez throws second consecutive ‘pitcher’s cycle’ for Red Sox, 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:
- Larry Gerlach’s Lion of the League wins 2025 SABR Seymour Medal
- Read SABR biographies of 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- Register now for 2025 Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tryg Aanenson | Dallas, TX | Roy Krishnan | Rochester, NY | ||
| Sawyer Asaro | Los Angeles, CA | Matthew Kurkemelis | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Samuel Barrett | Phenix City, AL | John Mancini | Apex, NC | ||
| Alex Barrios | Anaheim, CA | Timothy Meggitt | Columbiana, OH | ||
| Luis Berges | Miami Lakes, FL | Benjamin Menke | King of Prussia, PA | ||
| Matthew Bressler | Buffalo Grove, IL | Richard Miller | Manassas, VA | ||
| Diane Bryan | Shreveport, LA | Adam Morrison | Westfield, NJ | ||
| Ryan Chavez | Philadelphia, PA | Evan Negi | Santa Ana, CA | ||
| Sean Chua | Toronto, ON | Matt Nicholson | Boulder, CO | ||
| Wilson Cogan | Houston, TX | Diego Osborn | Indio, CA | ||
| Marilyn Dergham | Bethlehem, PA | Jason Rancadore | Elk Grove, CA | ||
| Christopher Drahozal | Lawrence, KS | Will Slade | Brooklyn, NY | ||
| John Fairfield | Cincinnati, OH | Hagen Snell | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
| Brian Hoffman | Arnold, MD | Sam Thilman | Wake Forest, NC | ||
| Brenton Johnson | Colleyville, TX | Alice Vadney | Vienna, VA | ||
| Greg Kimble | Wayne, NJ | Karl Weidler | Meqon, WI | ||
| Hannah Kolonoski | Hamburg, NJ | Lachlan Winter | Hawthorn, AUS | ||
| Sajan Komanduri | Hinsdale, IL | Matt Witmer | Indianapolis, IN |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Dan Levitt (“John McGraw’s Florida Land Investment Fiasco”); the 19th Century Book Club (Baseball in Blue and Gray); and the Schott-Pelican Chapter SABR Day meeting. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- February 1: SABR Day!
- February 3: SABR Board of Directors conference call (5:30 p.m. EST)
- February 3: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Don Slavik (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 3: Hanlan’s Point (ON) Chapter SABR Day meeting with Jeff Francis (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 5: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting with Thomas VanHyning (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 5: Joint SABR Chapter meeting with JB Manheim and Lawrence Knorr (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 8: Talkin’ Baseball: Jerry Grillo (9:00 a.m. EST)
- February 10: Elysian Fields (NJ) Chapter meeting with Jason Schwartz (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 10: Ordinary Effort livestream: Chris Baker (8:00 p.m. EST)
- February 10: SABR Scholar Session: Dan Evans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- February 5: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- February 8: Rocky Mountain SABR Day meeting (Denver, CO)
- February 8: Elysian Fields Chapter SABR Day meeting (Paterson, NJ)
- February 9: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Games and Simulations: All SABR members are invited to participate in a Games and Simulations Committee daily or weekly transaction Rotisserie 5×5 league in 2025. Click here to learn more, including league rules and additional information.
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Jack Graney Chapter: January 2025 newsletter (Cleveland, OH)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: January 2025 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
- Schott-Pelican Chapter: Winter 2025 newsletter (New Orleans, LA)
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:
- Troy Fedderson: University of Nebraska Press’ baseball lineup plates another win (UNL.edu)
- Brie Ginnaty: The Woman Behind the Graphs: Ellee Mortensen’s statistical success (The Simpsonian)
- Eno Sarris: What exactly is the level of parity in Major League Baseball compared to other top sports? (The Athletic)
- Mike Petriello: MLB’s most extreme ballpark isn’t in Colorado (MLB.com)
- Ryan Divish: Rainiers hire first woman lead broadcaster in Triple-A (Seattle Times)
- Alex Speier: Driveline Baseball is changing the MLB offseason (Boston Globe)
- Leander Schaerlaeckens: How the quick high of ‘fast-food gambling’ ensnared young men (The Guardian)
- Evan Drellich: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred reflects on decade spent putting ‘my mark on the game’ (The Athletic)
- Kiri Oler: Home/Road Splits as Absurdist Comedy (FanGraphs)
- Daniel R. Epstein: The Yankees Love One Weird Trick (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: Ha-Seong Kim Gets a Raise With the Rays (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Top 10 Defensive Players in MLB (Sports Info Solutions)
- Ben Clemens: Let’s Imagine Some Asymmetric Contract Structures (FanGraphs)
- Russell A. Carleton: Should We Overthrow? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jay Jaffe: Slimming Down: The Next Five Years of BBWAA Hall of Fame Elections (FanGraphs)
- Mario Delgado Genzor: An Ode to King Félix and the Way to Cooperstown (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Garrett Cleavinger Emerged With a Five-Pitch Mix (Or Was It Four?) (FanGraphs)
- David Kronheim: 2024 Minor League Baseball Attendance Analysis (NumberTamer.com)
- Gary Mintz: Interview with sculpter William Behrends (New York Giants Preservation Society)
- Joe Costa: World Series Time Machine: 1923 (SABR Games and Simulations)
- John Racanelli: Topps’ Women in Baseball: Cubs Coach Rachel Folden (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Glenn Renick: The Confectionery Keystone (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 31, 2025. Last Updated: January 31, 2025.