This Week in SABR: July 14, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, July 14, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Neal Traven selected as 2023 Bob Davids Award recipient
SABR Defensive Index rankings released through July 9
More highlights, photos from SABR 51
Read articles from The National Pastime: Heart of the Midwest
5 chapters honored for exceptional performance in 2022-23
Call for papers: 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
 |
 |
 |
Neal Traven selected as 2023 Bob Davids Award recipient
Neal Traven was announced as the winner of the Bob Davids Award during the SABR 51 Awards Luncheon on Saturday, July 8 in Chicago. The award — which is the Society’s highest honor — honors SABR members whose contributions to SABR and baseball reflect the ingenuity, integrity, and self-sacrifice of the founder and past president of SABR, L. Robert “Bob” Davids.
Traven served on SABR’s Board of Directors as the organization’s Secretary from 2002 to 2009 and has served on the research presentation selection committee at the Annual Convention since 2002. He joined SABR in 1984 and served as a co-chair for the Statistical Analysis Committee from 1996 to 2013.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
SABR Defensive Index rankings released through July 9
ampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco and Colorado third baseman Ryan McMahon lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through the first half of Major League Baseball’s season.
The SABR Defensive Index is used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Check out highlights and photos from SABR 51
Couldn’t make it to Chicago for SABR 51? Check out more coverage of our 2023 national convention online:
- Listen to highlights from Chase Carpenter’s opening remarks (audio)
- Listen to highlights from AAGPBL panel with Maybelle Blair, Kristie Erickson, Kat Williams (audio)
- Bobby Mathews selected as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend of 2023
- Dan Massey, R.J. Lesch, Stephen Roney, Mark Simon, Cary Smith win SABR 51 Trivia Contest
- View photo galleries from each day of SABR 51
- Travis Sawchik: After five decades in baseball, fun is still supreme for Mike Veeck (The Score)
- Cecilia Tan: Things I Learned at SABR 51 (Why I Like Baseball)
- Jason Schwartz: SABR 51 highlights and a Frank Thomas baseball card mystery solved (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)
- Matt Spiegel: Interview with Dan Evans on the SABR 51 convention (The Score)
- Josh Frydman: White Sox scout who signed Luis Robert Jr. discusses outfielder’s trajectory into All-Star performer (WGN-TV)
- C. Trent Rosecrans: Nostalgic allure of ‘Immaculate Grid’ makes obsessives of MLB players, fans (The Athletic)
- Stay tuned for more highlights and stories!
For more coverage of SABR 51, visit SABR.org/convention.
David Firstman, Chuck Hildebrandt win 2023 convention presentation awards
David Firstman won the 2023 Doug Pappas Award for the best oral research presentation and Chuck Hildebrandt won the SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award for the best poster presentation at SABR 51 in Chicago.
Firstman, a Data Analyst for the city of New York, won the Pappas Award for his presentation, “Dan Uggla: History’s Most Unlikely Hitting Streak?”, which he delivered Thursday, July 6 during SABR 51 at the Palmer House Hilton
Hildebrandt, a two-time Pappas Award winner and founder of SABR’s Baseball and the Media Committee, won the SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award for his poster, “Long-Tenured Teammates on Big League Teams.”
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Read articles from The National Pastime: Heart of the Midwest
All articles from the new 2023 edition of The National Pastime can now be found online in the Research Collection at SABR.org.
All SABR 51 attendees received a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball in Chicago and around the Midwest. The e-book edition was sent out to all members this week.
- Download the e-book: Click here to download a free e-book edition of The National Pastime 2023.
- Buy the magazine: Purchase the print edition of The National Pastime 2023 from Amazon.com.
We hope you enjoy reading The National Pastime!
SABR Local Grants update: Black Baseball exhibit opens in Philadelphia
A League Apart, a new exhibit on Black baseball in Philadelphia that was funded in part through the SABR Local Grants program, is now open to the public at the Cherry Street Pier, a popular local destination on the Delaware River waterfront.
The exhibit focuses on four Barrier Breakers in particular: Octavius Catto, Ed Bolden, Dick Allen, and Mo’ne Davis. The exhibit runs until August 24, 2023. Visit aleagueapart.org to learn more or to donate and help the exhibit expand and travel. SABR’s Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter is planning an event at the exhibit in August; more details will be shared on the SABR Events Calendar soon.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Second course in SABR Analytics Certification program now available
In 2022, we launched the SABR Analytics Certification program, an online, on-demand curriculum offering professional development and learning opportunities for those interested in elevating their skills and knowledge relating to baseball analytics.
The second course in the program, Level Two – Advanced Analytics in Baseball, is now available!
SABR members save $55 on both available courses (and future courses), so we hope you’ll check out these exciting opportunities at sabr.org/analytics/certification.
2023 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference begins next week in Detroit
There’s still time to register for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on July 20-23, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click here to register online for the 2023 Malloy Conference.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more or to register for the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference.
5 chapters honored for exceptional performance in 2022-23
At the SABR 51 Awards Luncheon in Chicago, SABR CEO Scott Bush recognized five regional chapters whose performance in the past year exceeded SABR’s standards in the past year. Under the guidance of SABR Chapter Liaison Pete Cottrell, SABR’s 85 chapters began working to further improve their operations by prescribing guidelines for governance, recruitment, research projects, and more.
Minnesota’s Halsey Hall Chapter was recognized as SABR’s MVP chapter of 2022-23, and they will receive a $500 cash prize for their efforts.
The chapters that were honored as All-Star chapters in the past year were:
- Jack Graney Chapter (Cleveland, OH)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter (Denver, CO)
- Hanlan’s Point Chapter (Toronto, ON)
- Bob Davids Chapter (Washington, DC)
Each of the All-Star chapters will receive a $250 cash prize.
Call for papers: 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 15th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 19-20, 2024.
The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2023. Your abstract must be between 200-400 words for a 20- to 25-minute presentation. Please include name, title, and contact information and send your proposal as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso at peterplus4@earthlink.net.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Baseball fans, tune in this season to SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer. Episode #222 on Monday, July 10 featured Alain Usereau, SABR member, Montreal Expos historian, and acclaimed broadcaster for Réseau des Sports (RDS). 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 BioProject
- DeWayne Buice, by Dan Taylor
- Pete McNabb, by Bill Lamb
- Ron Negray, by Andy McCue
- Marc Newfield, by Tip Wonhoff
- John O’Brien, by Mike Lackey
- William Richardson, by Gary Sarnoff
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
4 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- April 17, 1960: Pirates score 6 in 9th to complete Easter Sunday doubleheader sweep, by Joseph Wancho
- July 11, 1969: Royals come back three times to defeat White Sox, by Paul White
- April 27, 1986: Mets defeat nemesis John Tudor to complete sweep of Cardinals, by Sam Cowan (first-time author)
- June 25, 2004: Manny Ramírez’s 5 RBIs help Red Sox to big win over Phillies, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Willie Mays: Five Tools
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks
Visit SABR.org to download any SABR Digital Library e-book for free or save 50% off the paperback edition.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Read articles from new Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal online
- Download the 2023 SABR Annual Report
- Bobby Mathews selected as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend
- Armour, Levitt, Williams, Evans, Shieber elected to SABR Board of Directors
- 10,000 images from SABR-Rucker Archive added to Research Collection
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR Analytics Conference
- Learn more about the recipients of 2023 SABR Local Grants
- Watch a preview of the Landmarks Committee’s new SABR Baseball Map
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
- All e-books in SABR Digital Library available for free to members
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 Alliegro | Brooklyn, NY | Jenn Keeling-Jenkins | New Market, MD | ||
| Ryan Brisbin | Kerrville, TX | Christa Kieffer | Lexington, KY | ||
| Jared Broadman | Groton, CT | Bryan Kopcik | Royersford, PA | ||
| Cody Damon | Boxford, MA | Cody McCarroll | Camrose, AB | ||
| Jordan Dem | Pullman, WA | Glenn Miller | Orlando, FL | ||
| Jeff Downs | Chesapeake, VA | Chris Mitchell | Chicago, IL | ||
| Timothy Dunbar | Clermont, FL | James Noneman | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | ||
| Aidan Franklin | Houston, TX | Shelby Robertson | Silver Spring, MD | ||
| John Hargrove | Perry, MI | Robby Schwach | Arverne, NY | ||
| Joseph Higgins | Zion, IL | Walker Shuman | Phoenix, AZ | ||
| Kyan Jenkins | Adelaide, AUS | Brandon Smith | Broomfield, CO | ||
| Dai Kato | Longmont, CO | Kevin Snyder | Nashua, NH |
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from author Steve Gietschier (Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years) and the 19th Century Book Club (Spalding’s World Tour). Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- July 15: Talkin’ Baseball: Paul Scimonelli (9:00 a.m. EDT)
- July 17: Northern New England Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- July 17: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- July 19: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Michael Scott Pifer and Michael Marsh (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- July 20: Larry Doby (SC) Chapter meeting with Willie Steele (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- July 22: Schott-Pelican (LA) Chapter meeting (10:00 a.m. CDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- July 15: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- July 15: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Minneapolis, MN)
- July 18: Bob Davids Chapter Maryland Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- July 19: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- July 20-23: Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference (Detroit, MI)
- July 20: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- July 21: The League film screening (Columbus, OH)
- July 22: Bob Davids Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Bowie, MD)
- July 23: Rogers Hornsby Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Round Rock, TX)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Minor Leagues: Sign up now for the new Minor Leagues Box Scores Project email discussion group
- Nineteenth Century: Summer 2023 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: July 2023 newsletter (St. Louis, MO)
- Hanlan’s Point Chapter: Summer 2023 newsletter (Toronto, ON)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: July 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:
- Clinton Yates: Negro League Seattle Steelheads a brief but essential part of the city’s rich baseball history (Andscape)
- Katie Blackley: Pittsburgh-area Negro Leagues baseball player graves marked in special ceremony (WESA.fm)
- Anthony Castrovince: Japanese baseball history exhibit opens at All-Star Game (MLB.com)
- Stephanie Apstein: Immaculate Grid Is The Game Sweeping Through MLB Clubhouses (Sports Illustrated)
- Henry Epp: MLB’s new rules are drawing more fans to ballparks nationwide (Marketplace)
- Shakeia Taylor: Double Duty Classic connects Chicago’s past with future (Chicago Tribune)
- William C. Rhoden: Ken Griffey Jr’s Swingman Classic is shouting out the good news of HBCU baseball (Andscape)
- Tyler Kepner: An Unlikely Hero Emerges to End an All-Star Losing Streak (New York Times)
- Alex Speier: At age 35, this All-Star selection ‘tastes better’ to Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (Boston Globe)
- Derrick Goold: Cardinals at the break: What lessons from disastrous first half can fix flaws for 2024? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Jayson Stark: Vlad Guerrero Jr., already a Home Run Derby legend, was born to hit bombs (The Athletic)
- Russell A. Carleton: The Afterlife of the Shift (Baseball Prospectus)
- Lindsey Adler: MLB Made Dramatic Rule Changes. These All-Stars Adapted. (Wall Street Journal)
- Andy McCullough: How 10-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw continues to set an example for fellow pitchers (The Athletic)
- Jonathan Judge: Statcast and DRx Metrics (Baseball Prospectus)
- Alex Eisert: Minesweeping: Looking for Baseball’s Next Popular Pitch (FanGraphs)
- Will Sammon/Eno Sarris: Fall of the slider: Why are hitters feasting on MLB’s once-deadly breaking ball? (The Athletic)
- Evan Drellich: Senne case goes final; 20,000-plus minor leaguers to receive share of $185 million by late August (The Athletic)
- Scott Miller: Aaron Judge “Never Wanted to Be Just an Offensive Player” (New York Times)
- Dan Epstein: For one Jewish rock ’n’ roll legend, loving Sandy Koufax and R.E.M. is not a contradiction (Forward.com)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Adventures in Official Scoring Decisions (Baseball Prospectus)
- Michael Baumann: What Do You Do With a First-Round Catcher? (FanGraphs)
- David Laurila: Crafty and Diverse, Dane Dunning Plays the Cards He’s Been Dealt (FanGraphs)
- Hannah Keyser: Current and former Atlanta Braves reflect on Ron Washington’s impact (Yahoo! Sports)
- Steven Goldman/Rob Mains: The 101 Most Dominant Teams of All Time (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: Nick Madrigal Is Better When He Moves (FanGraphs)
- Natalie Spears: Baseball For All Nationals creating opportunities for girls in baseball (MLB.com)
- Michael Clair: Meet the only European umpire in the Minor Leagues (MLB.com)
- Frederic J. Frommer: Lou Gehrig left Columbia for the Yankees because of financial pressure (Washington Post)
- Jay Jaffe: Cooperstown Notebook: The 2023 Progress Report (FanGraphs)
- Vince Guerrieri: They Almost Played An All-Star Game At Nuremberg (Defector)
- Michelle Frost: Sweet Home San Diego: Jake Peavy Returns (KeptFaith.com)
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.
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.
Originally published: July 14, 2023. Last Updated: July 14, 2023.