This Week in SABR: January 5, 2024
Welcome to “This Week in SABR! on Friday, January 5, 2024.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR Analytics: Baseball Prospectus Founders Panel
2 weeks left to apply for a Local Grant in 2024
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal
Register now for the Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
Call for papers: 2024 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Students, apply for a Spring 2024 internship with SABR
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SABR Analytics: Baseball Prospectus Founders Panel
Join us at the SABR Analytics Conference on March 8-10, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona, for a special panel discussion with founding members of Baseball Prospectus. Panelists are expected to include: Clay Davenport, Gary Huckabay, Rany Jazayerli, Christina Kahrl, Joe Sheehan, and moderator Will Carroll.
Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more:
- Registration: Click here to register for the 2024 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 have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 7. 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 2024 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.
Stay tuned for more information on speakers, panelists, and presenters soon! Learn more at SABR.org/analytics.
2 weeks left to apply for a SABR Local Grant in 2024
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 2024 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until January 19, 2024. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2024.
Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2024
Beginning in 2024, all SABR members will exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically. A majority of SABR members already receive the BRJ electronically and will not be affected by this change.
For any members who are interested in a hard copy of the publication for their personal library, we are rolling out a new subscription option at a significantly discounted rate: $7 per issue for members, compared to $19.95 at retail. (International members will pay $11 per issue.)
- Visit SABR.org/subscribe to receive future printed editions of the BRJ in the mail. Or click here if you’d like a tutorial on how to subscribe.
As with any change, we understand that you may have questions or concerns that you would like to share. Please feel free to reach out to any SABR staff member.
Register now for the 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
Registration is now open for the 15th annual SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which will be held on April 19-20, 2024, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to register for this special event.
The 2024 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from author Michael Haupert, along with a panel discussion on the Knickerbocker club with Bruce Allardice, Thomas Gilbert, Bob Tholkes, and moderator Bill Ryczek; a 19th-century artifact session with Robert Mayer, Gary Passamonte, and Jonathan Popovich; a Member Spotlight interview of Thomas Gilbert by Bob Bailey; plus research presentations.
Visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c to learn more or to register.
Call for papers: 2024 Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Conference
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will host the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on June 6-9, 2024, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In addition to two days of research presentations and player/author panels, attendees will also enjoy special presentations about lesser known Black baseball stories and a chance to see the new Hall of Fame exhibit: “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball.”
This interdisciplinary conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars. The deadline to submit a presentation abstract is February 1, 2024. Click here for more details on how to submit an abstract.
Visit SABR.org/malloy for more information on the 2024 conference, including the Essay Contest and Art Contest.
Save the date: SABR Day is on February 3
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 3, 2024, 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) to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.
Chapter leaders, please email Jacob Pomrenke and Peter Cottrell as you finalize your SABR Day plans so we can update our schedule of events. Visit SABR.org/sabrday for full details on all SABR Day events.
SABR Analytics Certification: Sign up now for new Level 3 course
We’re excited to announce that the newest course in the SABR Analytics Certification program, Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, is now available.
Taught by award-winning baseball writer and analyst Rob Arthur, the Level Three course provides an introduction to programming using a practical approach in its application for baseball and focusing on R (with a dash of SQL) as a programming language, the goal of this online, on-demand course is to give learners a foundational understanding of the technical skills necessary for a career in data science and baseball analytics.
To sign up now, or to learn more about previous courses, visit SABR.org/analytics/certification.
Students, apply for a Spring 2024 internship with SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research is seeking remote interns to work during the Spring 2024 semester. The internship is an educational opportunity that may count toward college credit, covering 15-20 hours per week with a flexible schedule. The internship will be for a fixed period of time and is designed to provide the intern with skills and training that may be applicable to working in a nonprofit research environment or in other research-based organizations.
Please send a resume and cover letter in PDF form to jpomrenke@sabr.org by 5:00 p.m. MST Friday, January 26, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement 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 18th annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting from 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at Old Main on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos.
We have a fun-filled day of baseball chatter including presentations by author Joe Sheehan; Jason Starkovich, umpire development observer for Major League Baseball; and Round Rock Express General Manager Tim Jackson and broadcaster Mike Capps. In addition, chapter members Jan Larson, Bailey Hall, Syd Polk and Peter Myers, along with several others, will talk about a variety of baseball topics.
All SABR members are invited to join us for the virtual presentations. The rest of the meeting will not be available via Zoom. For those who plan to join us via Zoom, use this link to register.
Click here to learn more at SABRhornsby.org.
Volunteer opportunities
SABR is seeking volunteers with professional experience in specific areas to help the organization with several upcoming projects:
- Intellectual Property Law
- Online Retail
- Data Visualization
- Nonprofit Annual Reports
Please contact CEO Scott Bush for more details.
Baseball fans, tune in to SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer. Episode #246 on Tuesday, December 26 featured Melissa Ludtke, author and pioneering sports writer. Episode #247 on Monday, January 3 featured Andy Andres, SABR member and Boston-area professor who developed and taught the first college course in Baseball Analysis and Sabermetrics. Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode or subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
6 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- July 3, 1877: Louisville’s Charley Snyder becomes first major leaguer to wear a catcher’s mask, by Larry DeFillipo
- April 30, 1887: Tip O’Neill homers twice and hits for the cycle as St. Louis Browns bash Cleveland Blues, by Mike Huber
- May 16, 1950: Ted Williams, Vern Stephens combine for 4 homers and all the runs, by Bill Nowlin
- July 25, 1969: Maine gets a glimpse of Mets’ ‘miracle’, by Kurt Blumenau
- June 18, 2010: Chase Utley, Ryan Howard lead charge as Phillies score early and often against Twins, by Steve Ginader
- July 26, 2022: Luis García’s ‘called shot’ home run secures Davey Martinez’s 300th win, by Laura H. Peebles
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1960-2019 (Volume 2)
Edited by Robert K. Fitts, Bill Nowlin, and James Forr
Visit SABR.org/ebooks 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:
- Save the date! SABR 52 will be in Minneapolis in 2024
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- SABR member Joe Castiglione honored with 2024 Ford C. Frick Award
- Giménez, Tatis win 2023 Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards, presented by SABR
- Read articles online from Fall 2023 Baseball Research Journal
- Interviews with Italian American major leaguers added to SABR Oral History Collection
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- SABR forms new Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee
- SABR Landmarks Committee unveils new Baseball Grave Map
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
When Larry McCray, one of the foremost historians of baseball’s early origins, received SABR’s Henry Chadwick Award in 2017, Major League Baseball Official Historian John Thorn wrote that he was the man “most responsible for the new public understanding of baseball’s predecessor games.”
McCray, who died at the age of 81 on December 26, created the vast and invaluable Protoball Project, to help researchers locate and refine primary data on the evolution and spread of ball play from ancient times to up to 1870, just before the first professional baseball league began in the United States. McCray was named to MLB’s Special Origins Committee in 2011 and he also chaired SABR’s Origins Research Committee for many years, attracting new diggers as well as interested readers in the subject of baseball’s earliest days. He was recognized with the Bob Davids Award, SABR’s highest honor, in 2018.
Click here to read more at SABR.org.
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Adams | Dunedin, FL | Rocco Misite | Austin, TX | ||
| Dom Amoroso | West Chester, PA | larry moe | Kirkland, WA | ||
| Jules Aquino | Glenview, IL | Mitchell Morris | Marietta, OH | ||
| Michael Barker | Rio Rancho, NM | Mike Mulhern | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | ||
| Chris Beneke | Reading, MA | Tim O’Neill | Borden-Carleton, PEI | ||
| Griffin Bennett-Nguyen | Midlothian, VA | Cameron O’Rourke | Bow, NH | ||
| Henry Blanchette | Waban, MA | Jennifer Parker | Saint Paul, MN | ||
| Mark Buben | Smithfield, RI | Henry Peyrebrune | Cleveland Heights, OH | ||
| Lynn Burke | Chesapeake, VA | Bryan Pillai | Acton, MA | ||
| Marcus Burkett | Greenville, AL | Cody Poage | Jarrell, TX | ||
| Pat Ciccozzi | Tallmidge, OH | Janet Rasmussen | Midlothian, VA | ||
| Cayman Crisp | Greenville, NC | Kathleen Rasmussen | Washington, DC | ||
| Shanshan Ding | New York, NY | Brian Rogers | Austin, TX | ||
| Mark Fleszar | Atlanta, GA | Katie Roggenbuck | Blaine, MN | ||
| Keita Fogus | Burke, VA | Nick Rotondi | Hoboken, NJ | ||
| Bill Gaulke | Menomonee Falls, WI | Tristan Rude | Harahan, LA | ||
| Jerry Gershenhorn | Durham, NC | Quintin Schroeder | Kennett Square, PA | ||
| Roger Greer | Fishers, IN | Jeff Schwenn | Savage, MN | ||
| Andrew Gregory | Chelmsford, MA | James Shanahan | Bloomington, IN | ||
| Kris Hard | St. Paul, MN | Jarod Smith | Shakopee, MN | ||
| Luke Holman | Arlington, VA | Jack Sobel | Rockville, MD | ||
| Aidan Howker | Port Moody, BC | Diane Strothers | Lynwood, IL | ||
| Ken Jorgensen | Petaluma, CA | Steven Tate | Lehi, UT | ||
| Sheri Laufer | Birmingham, MI | Blake Toedtli | Brighton, CO | ||
| Jeff LeRoux | San Tan Valley, AZ | Dean Way | El Cajon, CA | ||
| Michael Lewis-Wedderburn | Loganville, GA | Alex Weinheimer | Boulder, CO | ||
| Yunyao Li | Jersey City, NJ |
Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of December 2023:
| NAME | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Allardice | Michael Klitsch | |
| Dennis Auger | Sean Lahman | |
| Jack Bales | Todd Lebowitz | |
| Perry Barber | Daniel Levitt | |
| Sandy Barlow | Henry Levy | |
| Keith Barnes | John Lloyd | |
| Robert Barrier | Robert Mains | |
| Coleman Bazelon | Peter Mancuso | |
| James Beck | Peter Marcus | |
| Jeremy Beer | Daniel Massey | |
| Jake Bell | Kenneth Mayer | |
| Michael Bender | Bruce McClure | |
| Paul Bennett | Linda McLeland | |
| Harvey Berger | Barry Mednick | |
| Lynn Bevill | Thomas Merrick | |
| Stephen Bratkovich | Noel Milan | |
| Ron Brown | Matt Mitchell | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Frank Mooney | |
| John Burbridge | Mark Morowczynski | |
| Bernard Campbell | Robert Morris | |
| Ralph Caola | Christopher Moyer | |
| Ken Carrano | Matthew Mullin | |
| A.A. Carrasco | David Nagy | |
| Angel Castillo | Thomas Nester | |
| Karl Cicitto | Linda Nichols | |
| Rodger Coauette | Bill Nowlin | |
| Vincent Comparato | Ralph Olliges Jr | |
| Sue Cooper | Diane Cameron Pascone | |
| Jim Cox | Laura Peebles | |
| Jon Daniels | John Rall | |
| Neal De Vos | C. Paul Rogers III | |
| Helen Edwards | Greg Rosenbaum | |
| Steven Elsberry | Michael Rosenwasser | |
| Daniel Evans | Charles Roussel | |
| James Finke | Bob Russon | |
| David Firstman | Ruth Sadler | |
| Kenneth Fischer | Michael Sass Jr | |
| Robert Fitts | Michael Schell | |
| FX Flinn | Jason Scheller | |
| Adam Foldes | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Edward Fong | John Schwarz | |
| Sean Forman | Jeff Self | |
| Donald Frank | Rob Sheinkopf | |
| Steve Friedman | Ira Siegel | |
| Robert Garratt | David Silverstein | |
| Lisa and Gordon Gattie | Mike Sparks | |
| Vince Gennaro | Paul Spyhalski | |
| Roger Godin | Thomas Stone | |
| John Gottko | Wesley Story | |
| Earnie Granville | David Studenmund | |
| Stephen Greyser | James Tackach | |
| Robert Hagerman | Larry Taylor | |
| Roger Hammond | Joseph Thompson | |
| Frank Hart | Blake Toedtli | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Neal Traven | |
| Tim Herlich | Marlene Vogelsang | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | M J Volkovitsch | |
| David Holtz | Ronald Weaver | |
| Dick Huebner | Mark Wendling | |
| David Hughes | Steve West | |
| Jim Hughes | Beach Wires | |
| Jeff Jaech | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Donald Jensen | Mark Yecies | |
| Lloyd Kepple | Don Zminda | |
| Owen King |
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: Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- January 8: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting with Jeff Jones (6:00 p.m. CST)
- January 8: Central Florida Chapter meeting with Carlis Wright Robinson (7:00 p.m. EST)
- January 9: Northern New England Chapter meeting with Zak Ford (7:00 p.m. EST)
- January 9: 19th Century Speaker Series: Tom Gilbert (8:00 p.m. EST)
- January 10: San Diego Ted Williams Chapter meeting with Zak Ford (6:30 p.m. PST)
- January 11: Games and Simulations Committee meeting with Dave Koch (8:00 p.m. EST)
- January 13: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter book club meeting with Alan Schwarz (9:30 a.m. EST)
- January 13: Talkin’ Baseball: Jay Jaffe (10:00 a.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- January 6: Rogers Hornsby Chapter Winter Meeting (San Marcos, TX)
- January 10: Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting (Tallahassee, FL)
- January 13: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Minneapolis, MN)
- January 13: Maddux Bros.-Las Vegas Chapter meeting (Las Vegas, NV)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Baseball Records: December 2023 newsletter
- Business of Baseball: Fall 2023 newsletter
- Games and Simulations: SABR members are invited to participate in one of our three weekly transaction Rotisserie 5×5 leagues. In addition, the committee is creating a daily transaction league as well. Rules and more information are available at sabrbaseballgaming.
com. - Nineteenth Century: Winter 2024 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Davids Chapter: January 2024 newsletter (Washington, DC)
- Central Illinois Chapter: December 2023 newsletter (Bloomington, IL)
- Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: December 2023 newsletter (Chicago, IL)
- Halsey Hall Chapter: January 2024 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Hanlan’s Point Chapter: Winter 2023 newsletter (Toronto, ON)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: December 2023 newsletter (Denver, CO)
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:
- Registration is now open for the 2024 NINE Spring Training Conference in Arizona
- Richard Sandomir: Zita Carno, concert pianist, Coltrane scholar and SABR member, dies at 88 (New York Times)
- Emma Baccellieri: Dodgers’ Ohtani, Yamamoto Additions Prove Hideo Nomo Signing Is Still Paying Off (Sports Illustrated)
- Ryan Fagan: How Shohei Ohtani’s deferral-heavy $700 million contract could impact baseball industry (Sporting News)
- Sarah Langs: One incredible 2023 stat for every team (MLB.com)
- Russell A. Carleton: Let’s Talk About Lineups (Baseball Prospectus)
- Travis Sawchik: ‘Chasing the dream’: So you want to work in baseball? (The Score)
- Matt Gelb: A stroke took Charlie Manuel’s words away. Baseball is giving them back. (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: My 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot (FanGraphs)
- David Laurila: A Hall of Fame Ballot (With a Notable Omission) Explained (FanGraphs)
- Lindsey Adler/Jared Diamond: The Succession Drama Gripping One of Baseball’s Most Storied Teams (Wall Street Journal)
- Stephanie Apstein: Creating a Pitching Dream Team of MLB Free Agents (Sports Illustrated)
- Jayson Stark: MLB’s wackiest moments and minutia under the new rules in 2023 (The Athletic)
- Michael Baumann: Is 2024 the End of the Astros as We Know Them? (FanGraphs)
- Alex Speier: Some early takeaways on the job Craig Breslow is doing as Red Sox chief baseball officer (Boston Globe)
- Derrick Goold: Before touchdown record, Ernie Nevers made his pitch as a ballplayer in St. Louis, struck out the Babe (twice) (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Michael Clair: How the Czech Republic baseball team became big stars in Japan (MLB.com)
- Rob Mains: Giving Hitters an Upper Hand (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: Dribbler Deep-Dive: The Weakest-Hit Ball of 2023 (FanGraphs)
- Patrick Dubuque: The Quest for the Holy Grail (of Bip Roberts Baseball Cards) (Baseball Prospectus)
- Gary Cieradkowski: Bo and Dean: The Swingin’ Slingers of the 1962 Angels (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Jonathan Mayo (Baseball and BBQ)
- Jason Schwartz: Hank Greenberg, Pirates Legend (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Peter Bogert: Season Ticket Baseball (SABR Baseball Gaming)
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 5, 2024. Last Updated: January 5, 2024.