This Week in SABR: June 24, 2022

June 24, 2022/in This Week in SABR /by Jacob Pomrenke

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 June 24, 2022:

SABR Defensive Index rankings released through games of June 19

Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and Houston center fielder Jose Siri lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings for the 2022 Major League Baseball season.

Click here to view full SDI rankings by position through games of Sunday, June 19.

For the 10th 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 SDI draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. SDI utilizes MLBAM’s Statcast, Sports Information Solutions data, and STATS, LLC data as well as traditional statistics with advanced analysis.

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.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Last call for papers: 2022 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference

SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center have announced a call for papers for the fourth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, scheduled for September 16-18, 2022, at Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois.

This year’s conference theme is “Title IX and Women’s Baseball: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are and Where We’re Headed.” Topics can focus on anniversaries such as: Title IX (50th), Marie Pepe (50th), umpires (Bernice Gera 50th), A League of Their Own (30th), the Colorado Silver Bullets (25th anniversary of final season); or any other ideas related to women’s baseball are welcome for individual oral and poster presentations.

Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by June 27, 2022, to Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.

For coverage of the 2021 virtual conference, visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference.

SABR 50: Discounted All-Inclusive Package expires soon, so register today!

We’re offering a special All-Inclusive Package for the 2022 SABR convention in Baltimore. SABR members can pay $335 for the All-Inclusive Package; for this discounted price, you will receive:

Full registration to SABR 50 in Baltimore (regular registration: $275 for SABR members or $305 for non-members)
1 seated ticket in the Eutaw Street Bleachers (sections 94-98) to the Orioles vs. Red Sox game on Friday, August 19 at Camden Yards ($27 value)
1 ticket to the Awards Luncheon on Thursday, August 18 ($75 value)
1 ticket to the Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening, August 17
1 exclusive lapel pin with the SABR 50 convention logo

The deadline to register with the All-Inclusive Package is Friday, July 15, 2022. Click here for complete details on the SABR 50 All-Inclusive Package, Regular Registration, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 50.

Learn more about the 2022 SABR convention in Baltimore below:

Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor of $199/night plus tax (single/double occupancy) is only available to registered convention attendees. After you register for the SABR 50 convention, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with details on how to book your hotel room at the SABR group rate. There are a limited number of rooms in our group block, so be sure to register for SABR 50 early!
Schedule: Click here to find the full daily schedule for SABR 50.
Speakers: Click here to learn more about our featured speakers and panelists.
Presentations: Click here for the lineup of SABR 50 research presentations.
Posters: Click here to learn more about SABR 50 poster presentations.
Committee Meetings: Click here to learn more about SABR 50 committee meetings.
Exhibitors Room: Click here to learn more about our SABR 50 Exhibitors Room.

We have an All-Star lineup of featured speakers and exciting events planned for SABR 50, including:

Keynote address by Tim Kurkjian, winner of the BBWAA’s 2022 Career Excellence Award
Opening Remarks by Sig Mejdal, Vice President and Assistant General Manager, Analytics, Baltimore Orioles
One-on-One with Baltimore Orioles legend Boog Powell, interviewed by Dan Connolly of The Athletic
Oriole Park at Camden Yards panel with Bill Stetka (Orioles Team Historian), Greg Bader (Orioles Senior Vice President, Administration & Experience), and Joe Spear (founder of Populous)
Women in Leadership panel with Orioles executives Eve Rosenbaum (Assistant General Manager, Baseball Operations), Nicole Sherry (Director, Field Operations), Jennifer Grondahl (Senior Vice President, Community Development & Communications), and Lisa Tolson (Senior Vice President, Human Resources)
SABR Ballparks panel with former Orioles president Larry Lucchino and acclaimed ballpark design director Janet Marie Smith
Babe Ruth panel with authors Jane Leavy (The Big Fella), Bill Jenkinson (The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs), and Mike Gibbons, Director Emeritus and Historian for the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
Historic Ballparks Bus Tour on Thursday, August 18
Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox game on Friday, August 19

Please note: All speakers are subject to change due to availability.

Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more or to register.

SABR 50: How to Do Baseball Research Q&A sessions

At SABR 50 in Baltimore, stop by the How to Do Baseball Research table at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor hotel in Baltimore to ask questions of SABR researchers.

These informal Q&A sessions will be focused on baseball-oriented techniques and resources that are available to help you improve your research and writing. Whether you are an experienced SABR researcher or a first-time author, you can learn something new about information and tools — both online and off — that can help aid your baseball research.

Here is the schedule for the How to Do Baseball Research table:

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m., Thursday, August 18: SABR Director Bill Nowlin will be available in the Charles Ballroom (3rd floor) to discuss research resources and answer questions on improving your research techniques.
3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Thursday, August 18: SABR Publications Director Cecilia Tan will be available in the Charles Ballroom (3rd floor) to discuss how to publish research in the Baseball Research Journal or get involved in the SABR publications program.
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Saturday, August 20: SABR Vice President Leslie Heaphy will be available in the Lombard/Camden Ballroom (2nd floor) to discuss research resources and answer questions on improving your research techniques.

For more information on SABR research resources, click here.

Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more or to register.

Join us on July 7 for Ballpark Figures with filmmaker Randy Wilkins

Join us each month for SABR’s Ballpark Figures, a new interview series hosted by award-winning writer Shakeia Taylor. The virtual Zoom event is free and open to all active SABR members.

At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 7, we’ll be joined by Randy Wilkins, a three-time Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and editor from the Bronx. His latest effort is directing The Captain, a seven-episode docuseries on New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter that premieres this month on ESPN. He also directed episodes of Dear … featuring Spike Lee and The Me You Can’t See, the Oprah and Prince Harry show on mental health, both for Apple+. His commercial work includes the Jackie Robinson Day spot for Major League Baseball and the Pepsi Holiday Give Back. Outside of directing, Randy has served as Lead Editor on numerous Spike Lee joints, including She’s Gotta Have It and Rodney King for Netflix.

Click here to pre-register for Ballpark Figures with Shakeia Taylor on July 7

Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more or to watch replays of past episodes.

Read all articles from the Spring 2022 Baseball Research Journal online

Good news! The Spring 2022 edition of the Baseball Research Journal has been mailed out to all SABR members. This issue — which celebrates women in baseball and the 50th anniversary of Title IX — includes a special illustrated cover from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by SABR member Gary Cieradkowski.

Those of you who receive the print edition should find your BRJ arriving in the next two to four weeks. For digital subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered to your inbox on Wednesday, May 18.

Buy the magazine: Purchase the print edition of the Spring 2022 Baseball Research Journal from Amazon.com
Download the PDF: Click here to download the PDF file of the Spring 2022 Baseball Research Journal
Read online: Find articles from the Spring 2022 Baseball Research Journal online at SABR.org

We hope you enjoy reading the Spring 2022 Baseball Research Journal!

SABR Digital Library: The First Negro League Champion: The 1920 Chicago American Giants

Add a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:

The First Negro League Champion: The 1920 Chicago American Giants
Edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin
Associate Editors: Carl Riechers and Len Levin
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-970159-79-0, $9.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-970159-80-6, $29.95
8.5″ x 11″, 250 pages

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

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of The 1920 Chicago American Giants for FREE from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, Kindle/MOBI and EPUB formats.
Paperback: Get a 50% discount on The 1920 Chicago American Giants paperback edition from the SABR Store ($17.95 includes shipping/tax; delivery via Kindle Direct Publishing can take up to 4-6 weeks.)

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.

Visit SABR.org/ebooks for more titles from the SABR Digital Library.

3 days left to vote for the 2022 SABR Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend

Each year, SABR’s Nineteenth Century Research Committee selects its Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend — a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

All SABR members are eligible to cast a vote for the winner. The winner will be announced this summer during the Nineteenth Century Committee’s business meeting at SABR 50 in Baltimore.

Bud Fowler, SABR’s 2020 Overlooked Legend, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and will be honored on Induction Day in 2022.

2022 finalists: Earlier this year, project leaders selected the 12 finalists for the 2022 Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend. Click here to view the finalists’ bios, compiled by project co-chairs Adam Darowski and Joe Williams. Voting in the final election will run until June 27, and will be open to all SABR members.
Vote now! Click here to access the 2022 ballot. All SABR members are eligible to vote in the election for this year’s Overlooked 19th Century Legend. You *MUST* select five candidates — ranking them from first choice to fifth choice — from among the candidates presented. You are only allowed to vote once. ALL BALLOTS MUST BE CAST PRIOR TO 11:59 p.m. PDT on Monday, June 27, 2022.

Click here for a list of past winners or to learn more about the project.

Sign up now for SABR Analytics Certification online course

It’s time to get SABR Certified! The first course in the new SABR Analytics Certification program — Conversational Analytics and Critical Thinking in Baseball — is available online now.

The SABR Analytics Certification program is 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 curriculum was developed by current baseball professionals, including employees of Major League Baseball and its clubs.

SABR members get a significant discount on this Analytics Certification course registration, saving $55 off the regular price.

Visit SABR.org/analytics/certification to sign up today or learn more.

Join us for more Stay Home With SABR virtual events

SABR chapters and committees are encouraged to set up virtual meetings to stay engaged with our members throughout the world at SABR.org, as part of our Stay Home With SABR initiative to assist in limiting the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Can’t-Miss Event: SABR’s Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter will hold a virtual Zoom meeting at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 28. All baseball fans are invited to attend. Our guest speaker will be Sean Forman, founder of Baseball Reference and President of Sports Reference, LLC. To RSVP for this meeting, please contact Clayton Trutor.
Video Replays: Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.

Here are some more upcoming virtual events you can attend online; check the Events Calendar for complete details:

June 26: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
June 27: Baseball Think Factory meeting (8:30 p.m. EDT)
June 28: Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter meeting with Sean Forman (7:00 p.m. EDT)
June 29: IBWAA: All-Star Reveal Show (8:00 p.m. EDT)
July 5: Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter meeting with Dale Scott (7:00 p.m. EDT)
July 5: Bud Metheny/Virginia Eastern Shore Chapter meeting with Patrick Montgomery (7:30 p.m. EDT)
July 6: Central Florida Chapter meeting (7:00 px.m. EDT)
July 6: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
July 6: Baseball Landmarks meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
July 6: Ken Keltner (WI) Chapter meeting with Craig Calcaterra (7:00 p.m. CDT)
July 7: Ballpark Figures with Shakeia Taylor and Randy Wilkins (8:00 p.m. EDT)

In addition, the following events will be held in person:

July 6: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
July 6: Kersey Field historical marker dedication ceremony (West Stockbridge, MA)

Find more upcoming SABR meetings on our Events Calendar page.

8 new biographies posted at SABR BioProject

Eight new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project:

Tom Bolton, by David Moore (first-time author)
Chick Brandom, by Bill Lamb
Bill Campbell, by Vincent Cannato (first-time author)
Julio ‘Monchy’ de Arcos, by Rory Costello and José I. Ramírez
Doc Lavan, by John J. Watkins
George Maisel, by Malcolm Allen
Polly McLarry, by Darren Gibson
Steel Arm Johnny Taylor, by Bill Johnson

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

Find any SABR biography: You can visit sabr.org/bioproject to search for any player — or manager, executive, scout, spouse, broadcaster, or umpire — who appears in the SABR BioProject. In addition, we have pages for Ballparks, Broadcasters, Executives, Games, Managers, Scouts, Spouses, Umpires, Writers, people who were Famous Outside Baseball, and a lot more.

8 new stories published at the SABR Games Project

Eight new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project:

August 8, 1903: Lajoie fumes over old ball; Cleveland’s season reaches crossroad after forfeit to Detroit, by Andrew Harner
July 7, 1922: Pirates’ Max Carey reaches base 9 times without being retired, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
September 8, 1952: South Bend wins protest, new Game 2 to get back into AAGPBL championship series, by Gary Belleville
June 29, 1969: Tony Oliva’s 5-for-5 and two home runs lead Twins to doubleheader split, by Tim Odzer
June 24, 1971: Rookie John Caruso’s only pro home run wins Class A Opening Day game, by Kurt Blumenau
July 16, 1985: National League wins 6-1 in drama-free All-Star Game in Minnesota, by Stew Thornley
July 30, 2017: Adrian Beltré doubles for his 3,000th hit, by Douglas Jordan
August 7, 2021: Josiah Gray’s pitching, Riley Adams’s first homer end Nationals’ losing streak, by Laura H. Peebles

New Games Project stories can be found at SABR.org/gamesproject.

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.
Social media: Follow the SABR Games Project on Twitter or Facebook to keep up with new stories and updates.

SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with CEO Scott Bush

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 #167 on Monday, June 20 featured Scott Bush, SABR’s Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure, SABR has set an all-time high in membership, launched the Local Grants and Analytics Certification programs, and organized thousands of local, national, and new virtual events all over the world. Before joining SABR in 2018, Scott served as Senior Vice President for Business Development with the Goldklang Group and worked for five years as Assistant General Manager for the St. Paul Saints, where he played a key role in establishing CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode.

Subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or Stitcher, and listen to each episode as soon as it’s released on Mondays. To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.

Listen to a new episode of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Saturdays

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro, is back at a new time for the regular season. Listen to new episodes at 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays on MLB Network Radio.

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.

ICYMI: Highlights from last week’s 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: SABR.org/this-week-in-sabr-archives.

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.

Name	Hometown	Name	Hometown
Ronald Barrios	Bayamon, PRI	Johnny Palmer	Larkspur, CA
Dave Camburn	Capitola, CA	Jared Pitzer	Merrick, NY
Sam Chertock	Philadelphia, PA	John Quinton	New Smyrna Beach, FL
Dave Crockett	Anacortes, WA	Edward Rodriguez	Tampa, FL
Doug Dalenberg	Missoula, MT	Evan Salvino	Denver, CO
Rachel Harris	Dallas, TX	Andrew Tuetken	Smithfield, RI
Joseph Irwin	Riverside, CA	Larry Waters	New Fairfield, CT
John Moyer	Purcellville, VA

Research Committee news

Here are the new new research committee updates this week.

BioProject: June 2022 newsletter
Black Sox Scandal: June 2022 newsletter

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

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter and chartered community updates this week:

Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: June 8 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)

Click here for more information on SABR regional chapters. Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.

Around the Web

Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:

Richard Silva: Hamtramck Stadium, and those who played in it, celebrated in rededication (Detroit News)
Ryan Whirty: New Orleans Negro Leaguer feted by friends and fans (Negro Leagues Up Close)
Doug Glanville: Tim Anderson’s story and who gets to choose a Black man’s name (Andscape)
Tyler Kepner: Need to Fix a Struggling Pitcher? Put Him in Dodger Blue. (New York Times)
Eno Sarris: Will MLB’s new rules for muddying baseballs be the fix the process needs? (The Athletic)
Emma Baccellieri: ‘They Know They Need It’: MLB Can’t Replace the Mud Man So Easily (Sports Illustrated)
Jay Jaffe: The Yankees Are Keeping Pace With Their 1998 Powerhouse (FanGraphs)
Zach Crizer/Hannah Keyser: MLB teams are quietly snapping up smart pitching machines that can imitate any ace’s arsenal (Yahoo! Sports)
Rob Arthur: Why Is BABIP So Low? (Baseball Prospectus)
Derrick Goold: After 673-day quest, Oviedo’s first Cardinals’ win brings tears of relief, triumph (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Clinton Yates: A side of Omaha you won’t see during the College World Series (Andscape)
Stephanie Apstein: The Rays Need Front Office Creativity Once Again to Make the Playoffs (Sports Illustrated)
Alex Speier: ‘It’s a big league staff in Triple A’: How the WooSox are preparing players to help the Red Sox win games (Boston Globe)
Grant Brisbee: Facts and fictions about the 2022 San Francisco Giants’ offense (The Athletic)
David Laurila: What Is It Like to Work With Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, and Joey Votto? (FanGraphs)
Kevin Baxter: When will a woman pitch in MLB? It might be sooner than you think (Los Angeles Times)
Jayson Stark: Shohei Ohtani’s big back-to-back, Oneil Cruz’s huge debut, and what’s next after mound tic-tac-toe? (The Athletic)
Mark Simon: Guardians of the Defensive Galaxy (ACTA Sports)
Stephen J. Nesbitt: Young Astros fan who tried to ‘steal’ second base recounts his big moment (The Athletic)
David Zimmer: Shoeless Joe Jackson shook up Bergen County 100 years ago (NorthJersey.com)
Chad Plein: Ozarks Life: Baseball Seams to Heal for Local Author (KY3.com)
Patrick McHugh and Matthew Hinkel: Union Activism and the Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Process: Labor-Management Conflict and Media Bias (Labor Studies Journal)
Jeff Cohen: Baseball and BBQ interview with Jim Kaat (Baseball and BBQ)
Russell Streur: The Milwaukee Racing Sausages (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)

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.

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