This Week in SABR: July 21, 2017

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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 July 21, 2017:

SABR Defensive Index rankings released through first half of 2017 season

Boston right fielder Mookie Betts leads a quartet of star outfielders in the AL and Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado has taken the NL’s top spot in the SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through the first half of the 2017 MLB season.

For the fifth consecutive season, the SABR Defensive Index will be used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR. The SABR Defensive Index accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process that will be added to the votes from the managers and coaches.

Betts’s SDI of 15.3 is the highest in the game among all qualified defenders, ahead of Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton (12.7). Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon (8.8), Detroit left fielder Justin Upton (8.7) and Los Angeles catcher Martin Maldonado (8.6) round out the top five in the AL.

Arenado’s SDI of 10.7 leads all fielders in the NL, followed by his teammate, Colorado second baseman D.J. LeMahieu (9.1), Atlanta center fielder Ender Inciarte (8.4) and San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt (7.9). Chicago right fielder Jason Heyward and Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera are tied for fifth place at 7.7.

The updated SDI results were released this week by the Society for American Baseball Research. Click here to view full SDI rankings by position, through games of July 9, 2017.

SABR 47 sets attendance record with 806 members and guests in New York City

Couldn’t make it to New York City for SABR 47? Check out more coverage of our 2017 national convention from the Big Apple online at SABR.org/convention.

The Society for American Baseball Research held its 47th annual national convention on June 28-July 2, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt New York. A record attendance of 806 SABR members and guests joined us in New York City, surpassing the old high mark of 726 from SABR 37 in St. Louis in 2007.

You can find stories, photos, and multimedia clips from SABR 47 at the Grand Hyatt New York below:

Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.

Listen to highlights and view slides from SABR 47 research presentations

From Los Angeles Dodgers architect Janet Marie Smith to Chuck Hildebrandt’s Doug Pappas Award-winning talk on player performance after they change leagues, we had an all-star lineup of research presentations at SABR 47 in New York City.

We learned about the integration of baseball cards and Chicano pop art from Anthony Salazar, how to determine winners in sports memorabilia from Leila Dunbar, the life of a baseball founding father, Doc Adams, from his granddaughter Marjorie Adams, and insight from Tom Tippett on the Boston Red Sox’s tumultuous 2011 season.

You can listen to audio highlights from these SABR 47 research presentations and view PowerPoint slides (where available) by clicking on the link below:

https://sabr.org/convention/sabr47-presentations

For complete coverage of SABR 47, click here. 

Coming up: 2017 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference begins next week in Harrisburg

The 20th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, hosted by SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee, will be returning to its roots on July 27-30, 2017, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, site of the first Negro League conference in 1998.

  • Registration: All baseball fans are welcome to attend and if you haven’t registered in advance, you can still sign up on-site at the Hilton Harrisburg beginning on Thursday, July 27. Regular registration for SABR members is $190, which includes all presentations and sessions. Non-SABR members: $200. Students: $135 for SABR members, $150 for non-members. Single-day rate for Friday or Saturday: $90 for SABR members, $100 for non-members. The Education Forum on Thursday is $20. Guest tickets for friends and family can also be ordered. Click here for an information packet (PDF) with complete details on registration rates.
  • Hotel: The 2017 Malloy Conference will be held at the Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. The special SABR rate of $129/night (plus tax) is no longer available, but you can call (717) 233-6000 and mention you’re with the “SABR Malloy Conference” to see if any rooms are left.
  • Schedule and information: Click here for the 2017 Malloy Conference information packet (PDF).
  • Contact: E-mail Ted Knorr with any questions about the conference.

The Malloy Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. For the past 19 years, the event has been the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination and promotion of black baseball history. The conference is open to baseball and history fans of all ages. Each year, monies are targeted to donate books to schools or libraries; raise funds 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.

Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more about the 2017 Malloy Conference essay contest and scholarships, art competition, and school library grants.

Save the date! Join us for 2017 SABR Arizona Fall League Experience

Save the date! Join us for the ninth annual SABR Arizona Fall League Experience on Thursday, November 2 to Saturday, November 4, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. Registration information will be available at SABR.org/AFL after the AFL schedule is released later this summer.

The annual conference, hosted by SABR’s Arizona Hemond-Delhi Chapter, is held in conjunction with the Arizona Fall League (mlbfallball.com), baseball’s premier player development league. In the first eight years of the conference, attendees have been treated to sneak peeks at MLB stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Buster Posey, Stephen Strasburg, Nolan Arenado, Gerrit Cole, Billy Hamilton, and Gary Sanchez before they hit the big leagues.

All baseball fans are welcome to attend the SABR Arizona Fall League Experience. Visit SABR.org/AFL for photos and highlights from past conferences.

Watch SABR panels from 2017 All-Star FanFest in Miami

SABR was in Miami for the 2017 MLB All-Star FanFest! SABR members and friends participated in several panels during All-Star Weekend at the MLB.com stage. Click on a link below to watch the SABR FanFest panels from Miami:

To view a photo gallery from 2017 All-Star FanFest, click here.

Click here to watch SABR panels from other recent All-Star FanFests.

Download your free e-book copy of The National Pastime: New York, New York

Since 2009, The National Pastime has served as SABR’s convention-focused publication. Published annually, this research journal provides in-depth articles focused on the respective geographic region where the national convention is taking place in a given year. All SABR members receive a free e-book copy of The National Pastime as part of their membership benefits, while attendees of the national convention also receive a souvenir print edition in their goody bags.

Click a link below to download the e-book edition of the 2017 convention journal, The National Pastime: New York, New York: Baseball in the Big Apple.

To purchase a copy of the print edition from the SABR Bookstore, click here.

Please note: All articles from The National Pastime: New York, New York will be available to read online at SABR.org soon.

If you weren’t able to attend the convention in New York, please enjoy this issue of The National Pastime as your virtual trip to the Big Apple. Happy reading!

To learn more about contributing to a future SABR publication, click here.

— Cecilia M. Tan, Publications Director

Save the date! SABR 48 will be held in Pittsburgh in 2018

Save the date! SABR will be returning to the Steel City for our 48th national convention on June 20-24, 2018, at the Wyndham Grand in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Registration information will be available at SABR.org/convention in early 2018. The convention location is contingent on a Pirates’ homestand that weekend.

The Wyndham Grand is conveniently located within walking distance from PNC Park and a light rail station, many downtown cultural amenities, and right across the street from the picturesque 36-acre Point State Park where the three rivers converge.

SABR 48 will be our second convention held in Pittsburgh and first since 1995. Our 25th annual convention that year featured a keynote speech from former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner and panel discussions commemorating the 1960 and 1971 World Series champions. Learn more about SABR’s convention history by clicking here.

SABR’s 2018 national convention will be our 48th annual gathering; the organization’s founding in Cooperstown in 1971 is counted as the first.

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

SABR Digital Library: Puerto Rico and Baseball

Celebrate la vida béisbol, and add this new baseball book from the SABR Digital Library to your collection:

Puerto Rico and Baseball: 60 Biographies
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Edwin Fernández
Associate Editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-53-8, $21.95
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-943816-52-1, $9.99
8.5 x 11″, 430 pages

Click here to read the full description of this book at SABR.org.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

Having trouble downloading our e-books? To view PDF files on your computer, click here to download the free Adobe Reader software. Having trouble downloading e-books to your Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or iPad? Click here for additional help.

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download your free copy of dozens of SABR e-books.

SABR Digital Library: The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox

It’s the 50th anniversary of the Impossible Dream, so add this new baseball book from the SABR Digital Library to your collection:

The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox: Pandemonium on the Field
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Dan Desrochers
Associate Editors: Mark Armour, Len Levin, and Wayne McElreavy
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-49-1, $21.95
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-943816-48-4, $9.99
8.5 x 11″, 521 pages

Click here to read a full description of this book at SABR.org.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

Having trouble downloading our e-books? To view PDF files on your computer, click here to download the free Adobe Reader software. Having trouble downloading e-books to your Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or iPad? Click here for additional help.

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download your free copy of dozens of SABR e-books.

Deadline extended: Apply now for the 2017 SABR Women in Baseball Scholarship

SABR’s Women in Baseball Committee will award one $500 scholarship to a high school senior in its inaugural Women in Baseball Essay Contest in 2017.

Students must write an essay of 1,500 words or less addressing the following question: “Choose one person or event in women’s baseball history that you believe has made a significant impact on the game and explain the importance.”

Click here to download the 2017 SABR Women in Baseball Scholarship application and style guidelines (PDF)

All applications must be e-mailed or postmarked by August 14, 2017, and sent to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu or Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Rd., North Canton, OH 44720. The winner will be notified by July 1.

Click here for more details and eligibility requirements.

10 new SABR biographies published

Ten new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 4,101 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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

6 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

New Games Project stories can be found at SABR.org/gamesproject/recent. Find all published Games Project articles at SABR.org/GamesProject.

If you have any questions about the Games Project, please contact Greg Erion. If you want to know if a game is available to write about, please contact Bruce Slutsky. After the article has been completed in accordance with our Authors’ Guidelines, please submit it to Len Levin, who will initiate the editing process and get your story started toward publication.

  • Get involved: Have memories of a game you attended? Or a game you watched that caught your interest? Write about it! 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. We have editors and fact checkers who are willing to help you write your first article.
  • Contributor Release Form: As of January 1, 2017, all writers publishing articles (biographies, essays, game pieces, etc.) are being asked to sign a Contributor Release Form which can be sent via email to jpomrenke@sabr.org or hard copy to SABR, 555 N. Central Ave., Suite #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004. The form only needs to be filed once for all future SABR publications. Click here to download the form.
  • Seeking volunteers to help enhance Games Project articles on website: Any volunteer who is willing to assist with linking player biographies in previously published Games Project stories on the SABR website, please contact Jacob Pomrenke. No experience necessary. Must be comfortable working in Drupal, WordPress or other standard content management systems.

Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Sunday night

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro will air at its regular time from 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET this Sunday on MLB Network Radio.

This week’s guests are SABR member Mark Simon of ESPN and Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

You can also listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App, and 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.

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.

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
Derek Blair Mechanicsburg, PA     Paul Mitchell Danville, CA
David Borden Ithaca, NY     Sonny Mukhopadhyay Brooklyn, NY
Kevin Buckley San Francisco, CA     Ed Opper Denver, CO
Steven Carter Lombard, IL     Luis Otaola Coral Gables, FL
Norman Davis San Rafael, CA     Cordero Perea N. Richland Hills, TX
Eric Doennig Springfield, MO     Livia Polise Arlington, VA
Franz Douskey Hamden, CT     Marcus Robyns Marquette, MI
Edward Dowling Syosset, NY     Jason Themanson Mahomet, IL
Jonatan Fabbri Karlstad, SWE     D.K. Willardson Katy, TX
Avi Fields Clarksville, MD        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee updates this week:

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

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:

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.

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Originally published: July 21, 2017. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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