This Week in SABR: January 6, 2017

/in /by

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 6, 2017:

Dipoto, Hazen, Byrnes to speak at 2017 SABR Analytics Conference

We are pleased to announce more featured speakers and panelists at the sixth annual SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The SABR Analytics Conference will be held Thursday, March 9 to Saturday, March 11, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. The conference is open to all baseball fans, and early registration is now available online. Click here to register!

  • Jerry Dipoto, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Seattle Mariners
  • Mike Hazen, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Eric Byrnes, MLB Network analyst, former MLB outfielder
  • Mike Ferrin, Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster, SiriusXM MLB Network Radio host
  • Jordan Muraskin, Ph.D., co-founder, deCervo

They will join ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza, MLB Network host Brian Kenny, FanGraphs writer Eno Sarris, and SABR President Vince Gennaro among the featured speakers and panelists at the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference. Click here to learn more about our speakers.

Stay tuned as we announce more featured speakers and panelists at the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference! Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

For more information, visit SABR.org/analytics.

Early registration still open for 2017 SABR Analytics Conference

Early registration is still open for the sixth annual SABR Analytics Conference on March 9-11, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. We hope you’ll join us next 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:

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.

Last call: 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards nominations

What are the best baseball analytics articles you read in 2016?

We’re seeking nominations for the 2017 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards, which recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year in the following categories:

  • Contemporary Baseball Analysis: Honoring the best analysis focusing on a subject related to the modern game(s), team(s) or player(s).
  • Contemporary Baseball Commentary: Honoring the best commentary focusing on a subject related to the modern game(s), team(s) or player(s). 
  • Historical Baseball Analysis/Commentary: Honoring the best original analysis or commentary focusing on a subject related to a game(s), team(s) or player(s) throughout baseball history.

Please send all nominations via e-mail to this address: 2017-analytics-awards@sabr.org no later than January 9, 2017. Include author, title, date of publication and a URL link (if applicable). Click here for complete details and category criteria.

Voting for the winners will be conducted online in January-February 2017 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 at SABR.org/analytics.

To view past award winners and finalists, click here.

Register now for the 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competition at SABR Analytics

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.

Thank you for your support in our 2016 donation drive

Thanks to your generous support, SABR’s 2016 year-end donation drive was a big success! We were able to raise $66,619 to help fulfill our mission. By making a contribution, you help SABR increase the impact of our baseball analysis and historical study.

The Society for American Baseball Research is an organization driven by individuals with a passion for baseball. Our organization wouldn’t exist without all the time, effort, and financial support provided to SABR by our members and nonmembers alike.

SABR depends upon the volunteer work of members to mount our exciting events like the SABR Convention, the Analytics Conference, and the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference; to produce groundbreaking research through the SABR Digital Library e-book program, the Baseball Research Journal, and The National Pastime; and to expand the online resources of the research committees, regional chapters, the BioProject, the Games Project, and much more. SABR continues to offer unparalleled opportunities for involvement and benefits for members around the world.

As a 501(c)3 organization, tax-deductible donations allow SABR to expand member opportunities and to become an even larger voice in the baseball community. Many members have already become donors, and you can join them at any time throughout the year by making your gift online at SABR.org/donate.

All of us at SABR appreciate your support of our great organization and the game we love.

To learn more, visit SABR.org/donate.

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. We’re compiling details now on 2017 SABR Day chapter meetings around the country. We’ll post them as soon as we get them 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:

  • Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
  • Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
  • Fort Wayne, IN (Kekionga 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)
  • Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
  • Minneapolis, MN (Halsey Hall Chapter)
  • New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
  • New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
  • Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack 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)
  • More meetings TBA soon!

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 will also be held on these dates due to schedule or venue availability. Click on a link below to learn more:

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.

Rogers Hornsby Chapter’s Winter Meeting to include Dr. Bobby Brown, Gene Watson

SABR’s Rogers Hornsby Chapter will hold its 11th annual Winter Meeting from 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., on Saturday, January 14. The meeting will be held on the third floor of the Old Main Building at Texas State University-San Marcos (601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666).

Our guest speakers are expected to include Dr. Bobby Brown, former New York Yankees infielder and American League president; Gene Watson, Director of Professional Scouting, Kansas City Royals; Mike Acosta, Authentication Manager, Houston Astros; Mike Capps, Director of Broadcasting, Round Rock Express; and Mark Saccomanno, former Houston Astros first baseman. We’ll also feature a trivia contest, memorabilia, mock Hall-of-Fame voting, and much more.

The meeting is open to all baseball fans and is free to attend. Lunch is optional ($10; cash only); you can register upon arrival and sign up for your lunch choices before 10 a.m. to have them delivered to us.

For more information, please contact Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com or visit the chapter website at sabrhornsby.org.

Save the date: SABR 47 will be in New York City in 2017

SABR will be returning to the Big Apple for our 47th national convention on June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York. Registration information will be available at SABR.org/convention in mid-January. The New York Mets are scheduled to play the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series at Citi Field during SABR 47.

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. The Grand Hyatt is also easily accessible to all forms of transportation: planes, trains, automobiles (including car services), and more.

SABR 47, which is open to all baseball fans, will include top featured speakers from around the baseball world — front office executives, players, managers, scouts, writers and analysts. More details will be announced in early 2017 at SABR.org/convention.

SABR’s 2017 national convention will be our 47th annual gathering; the organization’s founding in Cooperstown in 1971 is counted as the first. Learn more about SABR’s convention history by clicking here.

For more information on the SABR convention, visit SABR.org/convention.

Registration now open for 2017 SABR Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference

The ninth annual Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference will be held April 21-22, 2017, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to attend, but space is limited so RSVP today!

The 2017 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from baseball historian Bill Lamb, along with a panel discussion on SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legends Project with Adam Darowski, Michael Haupert, Joe Williams, and moderator John Thorn; a special presentation of the documentary film “Town Teams: Bigger Than Baseball” by Dorothy Seymour Mills and Mark Honer; a Member Spotlight interview of Joanne Hulbert by Tom Simon; plus book signings, research presentations, and a welcome dinner.

For more information, or to register, visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c.

Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference 2017 scholarship, art contest, library grant applications now available

Each year, SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee raises money to donate books to schools or libraries; for the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project; and award scholarships to high school seniors in a nationwide essay contest and a nationwide art contest through the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference.

Click a link below for more information on the 2017 scholarships, art contest, and library grants.

  • High School Essay Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee will award $1,000 scholarships to two high school seniors in its ninth annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2017. Students must write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships. Click here to download the Jimmie Crutchfield Memorial Scholarship application or click here to download the Normal “Tweed” Webb Scholarship application. The deadline to apply is March 27, 2017.
  • Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2016-17. School and community libraries from across the country are invited to submit grant proposals centering on educating students and the community about black baseball and American history. Click here to download the PDF application for eligibility requirements, submission criteria, and style guidelines. The deadline is May 8, 2017.
  • Art Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee’s will hold its eighth annual Art Contest in 2017. The theme is “Black Baseball History.” For professionals and amateurs: Click here to download the PDF application for eligibility requirements, submission criteria, and style guidelines. The entry fee is $30 and the deadline for submission is May 29, 2017. For the youth contest: Click here to download the youth art contest PDF application. The entry fee is $10 (per three entries) and the deadline for submission is May 22, 2017.

The 20th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be returning to its roots on July 27-30, 2017, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, site of the first Negro League conference in 1998. A registration packet and more information will be available in early 2017 at SABR.org/malloy.

6 new SABR biographies published

Six new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 3,966 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

All new biographies can be found here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/recent

1964 Phillies essays published at SABR.org

More articles from The Year of the Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies (SABR, 2013), edited by Mel Marmer and Bill Nowlin, were published this week at SABR.org.

Click here to read all player biographies that appeared in The Year of the Blue Snow at the SABR BioProject.

Get your free copy of the 1964 Phillies e-book, or 50% off the paperback edition, at SABR.org.

Visit SABR.org/ebooks for free downloads of all SABR Digital Library e-books or 50% off the paperback editions.

4 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Four new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:

In addition, more articles from our SABR Digital Library book The 1986 New York Mets: There Was More Than Game Six, edited by Leslie Heaphy and Bill Nowlin, can now be found at the SABR Games Project website:

Read more game stories from the 1986 Mets book at the SABR Games Project by clicking here.

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.

Interested in baseball cards? Join SABR’s Baseball Cards Research Committee

Want to learn more about the history and evolution of baseball cards? SABR’s newly revived Baseball Cards Research Committee, co-chaired by Mark Armour and Chris Dial, is seeking new members.

The committee has launched a new website at https://sabrbaseballcards.blog; check out all the great content that has been posted this week:

Any SABR member can sign up for announcements or contribute to future committee newsletters. Click here to learn more.

For more information on all 30 SABR research committees, click here.

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 SABR member Rob Mains of Baseball Prospectus and Simon Ferrer, Director of Operations for EON Sports VR.

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:

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
Dominic Armato Scottsdale, AZ     Robert Koors Forest Park, IL
Anthony Arot Marlton, NJ     Kyle Kumbier Neenah, WI
John Barrow Maryland Hts, MO     Elliot Lee Fitchburg, WI
Nathan Bierma Grand Rapids, MI     Anthony Manuzzi Indianapolis, IN
John Blackburn Sacramento, CA     Mark Mayes Eaton Rapids, MI
Stephen Borelli McLean, VA     Bob and Anne Marshall Bridgehampton, NY
Michael Boyd Victoria, TX     Brendan McCann Toronto, ON
Edward Caiazzo Staten Island, NY     Steven Mendelsohn San Leandro, CA
Shane Carlson Shoreview, MN     Tino Merianos Woodbridge, ON
Kevin Chan Altadena, CA     John C. Mettler Niagara Falls, NY
Jason Constantine Winston Salem, NC     Brian Mitchell Castle Pines, CO
Craig Patterson Edinburgh, SCT     Leo Norton West Roxbury, MA
Kevin Cuddihy Fairfax, VA     Tom O’Loughlin Northfield, OH
David Cycleback Seattle, WA     Joseph O’Brien Easton, PA
David Doeling Los Angeles, CA     Eric Peterson Richmond, TX
Joe Farnham Salisbury, MA     Joey Prebynski Grand Prairie, TX
Marc Finlayson Trent Woods, NC     John Price Clearwater, FL
Josh Flowerman Flanders, NJ     Dan Rivkin Hudson, OH
Edward Fong San Pedro, CA     Joshua Roth Tualatin, OR
Eric McKInley St. Paul, MN     Todd Rudis Penacook, NH
Jon Giles Charlotte, NC     Quentin Sallat Cesson-Sevigne, FRA
Steve Gold Brockton, MA     Andrew Salmon Jr. Ewing, NJ
Phil Gregory Cleveland Hts, OH     Andrew Sarazen Saunderstown, RI
Tod Gross Burlington, VT     Jeff Scott San Francisco, CA
Murray Guttman Columbus, OH     Richard Sloan Evansville, IN
J. Donald Irwin Peterborough, ON     Larry Thompson Denver, CO
Eliot Karambelas St. Louis, MO     Jack Werner Golden Valley, MN
Thomas Knosby Lee’s Summit, MO        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:

  • Baseball Cards: The newly revived Baseball Cards Research Committee has launched a new website. Check out more articles and updates at https://sabrbaseballcards.blog.
  • BioProject: Founding director Mark Armour has announced a changing of the guard at the SABR Baseball Biography Project as he steps down after nearly 15 years at the helm. Formed in 2002, the BioProject has been SABR’s most ambitious and, perhaps, most productive research project yet. The BioProject is an ongoing effort to produce comprehensive, peer-reviewed biographical articles on every person who ever played or managed in the major leagues, as well as other subjects significant to baseball history. Nearly 4,000 biographies have been published, along with more than three dozen books, through the SABR BioProject. The new BioProject co-chairs are Rory Costello and Gregory H. Wolf, who are both longtime contributing editors to the project. We want to thank Mark for his generous service and his invaluable efforts over the years. To learn more about the BioProject or to get involved, visit SABR.org/BioProject.
  • Nineteenth Century: Winter 2017 newsletter
  • Official Scoring: January 2017 newsletter

Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research.

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:

  • 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:

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:

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.

Have trouble reading this e-mail? Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web.

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

 

Follow us:
Contact us:
More info:

 


Originally published: January 6, 2017. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

Support SABR today!

Donate Join

Cronkite School at ASU
555 N. Central Ave. #406-C
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: 602-496-1460

About

History

Meet the Staff

Board of Directors

Annual Reports

Diversity Statement

Contact SABR

DONATE

© SABR. All Rights Reserved