This Week in SABR: June 7, 2024
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, June 7, 2024.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
1949-50 Negro American League, independent Black teams are major-league caliber
SABR 52: Early registration discounts end today
Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference is under way in Cooperstown
Join us for Live Oral History with Harold Baines
New Team Ownership History: Montreal Royals
 |
 |
 |
SABR special committee: 1949-50 Negro American League, independent Black teams are major-league caliber
Following up on the work of a task force that recommended the recognition of seven Negro Leagues as major leagues, SABR’s Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee has determined that 43 independent Black baseball teams from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were also of major-league caliber.
In addition, the committee re-evaluated the final years of the Negro American League and concluded that their 1949 and 1950 seasons should be acknowledged as major leagues.
The committee, which included 39 leading scholars of Black baseball and the Negro Leagues, was co-chaired by award-winning authors James Brunson III and Todd Peterson, along with SABR Board President Mark Armour and historian Gary Gillette. The group convened three sub-committees to study pre-1920 teams and leagues, independent teams from 1920 to 1948, and the post-1948 Negro American League. Their full reports are available at SABR.org.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Early registration discounts end today for SABR 52 in Minneapolis
Join us in Minneapolis for SABR’s 52nd annual convention! Early-bird registration discounts expire on Friday, June 7 for SABR 52, which will be held on August 7-11, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
- Click here for complete details on SABR 52 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions, including a Minnesota Twins game, St. Paul Saints game, and Target Field ballpark tour.
SABR 52 will be distinct from its predecessors, as it will feature a Hall of Fame speaker lineup we know you’ll love — including Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Bert Blyleven, and Jim Kaat — and will be the most accessible and social experience we’ve ever organized as we emphasize SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. This year’s streamlined registration options will provide for a consistent and accessible experience for all attendees and the lowest registration price since 2018. We hope you’ll join us this summer in Minneapolis!
Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.
Sunday optional event: Minnesota Town Ball
On Sunday, August 11, attendees at SABR 52 have the opportunity to watch a game of Minnesota town ball in Cologne, which is hosting the Region 7C qualifying tournament at Fritz Field. The Minnesota Baseball Association’s state-wide amateur tournament, held each summer since 1924, is a uniquely Minnesota tradition.
Attendees will leave the Hyatt Regency hotel at 9:45 a.m. and return to the hotel by approximately 3:15 p.m. The Cologne ballpark concession stand includes the self-proclaimed best cheese curds and hamburgers in Minnesota. Total cost for the game ticket and roundtrip transportation from the Hyatt Regency hotel will likely be around $30 to $40 per person. If you are interested in attending, please click here to fill out the interest form.
To learn more about town ball, download a PDF edition of Celebrating Minnesota Town Ball: The Early Years, by SABR member Armand Peterson.
Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference is under way in Cooperstown
SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference kicked off this week at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, including panels and presentations on Friday morning from the Grandstand Theater.
Single-day registration for the Malloy Conference is available on-site beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 at the Hall of Fame Library Atrium. New virtual registration is also available for anyone who would like to view the panels and presentations on a livestream online.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more.
Join us on June 18 for a Live Oral History with Harold Baines
Baseball fans, join us for a special virtual event at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, June 18, 2024: a live SABR Oral History interview with Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and Chicago White Sox great Harold Baines.
All fans are invited to attend this interview session on Zoom, which will be conducted by Oral History Committee chair John McMurray. The interview will be recorded and added to SABR’s Oral History Collection archive afterward.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Read articles online from Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal
With an original cover illustration of Birmingham’s Rickwood Field designed by SABR member Gary Cieradkowski, we hope you enjoy the e-book edition of the Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal!
The e-book edition was sent to all SABR members on Monday, May 6. Anyone who has subscribed to the print edition should receive their copy in the mail in the next 2-4 weeks.
- Click here to download the PDF e-book edition of the Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal.
- Click here to order a copy of the print edition of the Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal from Amazon.com.
- Click here to read all articles online from the Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal in the SABR Research Collection.
We hope you enjoy reading the Spring 2024 Baseball Research Journal!
Call for papers: 2024 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center have announced a call for papers for the sixth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, scheduled as a virtual event for September 20-22, 2024.
Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by July 1, 2024, to Leslie Heaphy.
Registration information will be available soon at SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference.
Contribute to SABR’s Four Pillars Fund
Research – Preservation – Scholarship – Future of the Game. These are the four pillars on which SABR stands as an organization.
Each pillar represents one of our organizational values and the support of donors like you makes a significant impact on our ability to fortify our foundation while also fulfilling SABR’s vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball.
This spring, we ask you to contribute to the FOUR PILLARS FUND. Our goal is to raise $65,000 during this campaign to strengthen each of our four pillars by supporting baseball research, committing to preservation, furthering the reach of our scholarship, and building a bridge to the future of the game.
To donate or learn more about SABR’s Four Pillars Fund and the existing efforts and exciting new initiatives that will be funded by a successful campaign, visit SABR.org/donate/four-pillars.
Writing Opportunity: First At-Bat Home Runs
For an upcoming SABR publication on First At-Bat Home Runs, we are seeking authors to write Games Project stories (about 1,500 words) on the following games:
- Cincinnati Reds: Clyde Vollmer’s first home run, May 31, 1942
- Milwaukee Braves: Chuck Tanner’s first home run, April 12, 1955
- Minnesota Twins: Gary Gaetti’s first home run, September 20, 1981
The deadline for these submissions is August 1. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Bill Nowlin.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
New Team Ownership History: Montreal Royals
Steve Rennie’s history of the Montreal Royals is the latest addition to the Team Ownership History Project, a joint effort of the BioProject and the Business of Baseball Committee.
- Montreal Royals Team Ownership History, by Steve Rennie
The project began by chronicling the ownership of the current 30 major-league franchises, but it has been extended to the minor leagues, Negro Leagues, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the Federal League, as well as teams that disappeared in the 19th century. Opportunities are still available for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, all editions of the Athletics, plus the other leagues mentioned above. Interested researchers should contact Andy McCue to get involved.
2 new stories published at the SABR BioProject
- Ralph Head, by Darren Gibson
- Maple City Park (Hornell, NY), by Kurt Blumenau
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
7 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- May 12, 1915: Boston Braves, aiming for miracle repeat, beat Cardinals at Fenway Park, by Kurt Blumenau
- May 5, 1925: Ty Cobb hits 3 home runs, sets total bases record as Tigers pummel Browns, 14-8, by Alan Stowell
- April 29, 1955: Fort Worth edges Dallas after 17 innings of drama, by Tim Castelli (first-time author)
- June 27, 1959: As Cleveland infielders switch positions 16 times, Ted Williams homers over their heads, by Bill Nowlin
- May 7, 1960: Dodgers’ Sherry brothers combine to defeat Phillies in 11 innings, by Richard Cuicchi
- September 18, 1985: Boston’s Rich Gedman drives in career-high 7 runs with cycle performance, by Mike Huber
- May 20, 2015: Joe Mauer clears Clemente Wall in 13th inning, lifts Twins over Pirates, by John Fredland
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
The 1939 Baltimore Elite Giants
Edited by Frederick C. Bush, Thomas Kern, and Bill Nowlin
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:
- Check out highlights, photos, and stories from the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
- 2024 Henry Chadwick Award recipients announced
- Steve Gietschier wins 2024 SABR Seymour Medal
- Gary Belleville wins 2024 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award
- SABR Digital Library: 1939 Baltimore Elite Giants
- In Memoriam: Claudia Perry
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2024
- The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2024
- SABR announces partnership with Alzheimer’s Association
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicole Bryan | Austin, TX | Christian McCord | Cincinnati, OH | ||
| Vincent D’Agostino | Franklin, TN | Terry O’Grady | O’Fallon, IL | ||
| Ryan Feder | New York, NY | Stan Orr | Knoxville, TN | ||
| Arnulfo Gonzalez Cedeno | Methuen, MA | Patrick Peters | Florham Park, NJ | ||
| Charles Jones | Norfolk, VA | Andrew Ploeg | Rockford, MI | ||
| Gregory Koch | Falls Church, VA | James Speaker | Buffalo, NY | ||
| Justin Krebs | Fairfield, CT | Bruce Spiegel | Palmetto, GA | ||
| Kum Kang Lee | St. Louis, MO | Joey Thomalla | Hugo, MN | ||
| Cole Marciniak | Lambertville, MI | Steven Tofte | Carlisle, PA | ||
| Jennifer Martin | Hampton, VA | Taylor Vonville | Highland Heights, OH | ||
| Adam Martin | Silver Spring, MD | You Jing Wu | Pitou, TWN |
Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of May 2024.
| NAME | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Adams | Allison Levin | |
| Tony Adams | Henry Levy | |
| Kirk Arnott | Timothy Liljeberg | |
| John Azevedo | John Lord | |
| Perry Barber | Susan Lundstrom | |
| Edward Barbini | William Macht | |
| Stephen Barnes | Robert Mains | |
| John Bauer | Peter Mancuso | |
| Jake Bell | Peter Marcus | |
| Michael Bender | Richard Masson | |
| Lynn Bevill | Kenneth Mayer | |
| John Blackburn | Bruce McClure | |
| Mark Bonino | Andy McCue | |
| David Boyle | Rodger McKelvey | |
| Thomas Bradley | Noel Milan | |
| Stephen Bratkovich | Stephen Milman | |
| Ryan Brecker | Billy Moore | |
| David Brown | Paulette Morant | |
| Robert Brown | Alan Morris | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Chuck Nan | |
| Scott Bush | David Neft | |
| Ralph Caola | Linda Nichols | |
| Ken Carrano | Bill Nowlin | |
| Jeff Carter | Dwight Oxley | |
| Bo Carter | Eric Peters | |
| Karl Cicitto | Gregory Puchalski | |
| Steve Clar | John Rall | |
| Phil Coffin | Anthony Reid | |
| Vincent Comparato | CJ Remmel | |
| Peter Cottrell | Carl Rhoads | |
| Jim Cox | Michael Rice | |
| Herbert Crehan | Carol Riddle | |
| Tom Crisp | John Rosenfelder | |
| Dennis Degenhardt | Michael Rosenwasser | |
| Chris Dial | Harry Rothgerber | |
| Nevin Duerr | Charles Roussel | |
| Thomas Dunn | Bob Russon | |
| Helen Edwards | Gary Sarnoff | |
| Max Effgen | Edward Scahill | |
| Steven Elsberry | Matthew Schaedler | |
| Ken Finnigan | Jason Scheller | |
| David Firstman | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Robert Fleishman | Jeff Self | |
| Jack Flynn | David Senkow | |
| Adam Foldes | Steve Shaiman | |
| Jeanne Glazer | Andrew Sharp | |
| Robert Godwin | Punch Shaw | |
| Steve Greanias | Rob Sheinkopf | |
| Robert Hagerman | Robert Shelton | |
| Harriet Hamilton | Mark Shepard | |
| Jeff Hauer | Linda Skory | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Richard Smiley | |
| Julir Hedden | Kenneth Snell | |
| Tim Herlich | Paul Sommers | |
| William Hickman | Mark Speicher | |
| Aaron Hill | Thomas Stone | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | Wesley Story | |
| David Hughes | Andrew Strnad | |
| Noel Hynd | Joseph Thompson | |
| Rob Janes | Richard B Tourangeau | |
| Donald Jensen | Wayne Towers | |
| Dave Jerome | Neal Traven | |
| Scott Johnson | Thomas Van Wazer | |
| Christopher Kaempfer | Marlene Vogelsang | |
| Eric Kephart | Robert Wakefield | |
| David Kimball | Greg Wells | |
| Tom Kleinworth | Steve West | |
| Steve Klugman | Robert Whelan | |
| Theodore Knorr | J. R. Wildridge | |
| George Kruse | John Williams | |
| Bill Lamb | Kat Williams | |
| Jan Larson | Beach Wires | |
| Thomas Larwin | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Joe Leisek | Don Zminda | |
| Harry Lesser | Thomas Zocco |
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: This week, we heard from Justin Mckinney (“35 Mystery Men: Obscure 19th Century Players“). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- June 7-8: 2024 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- June 8: Bob Davids Chapter Talkin’ Baseball: Adam Lazarus (9:00 a.m. EDT)
- June 8: Jack Graney (OH) Chapter book club meeting (10:00 a.m. EDT)
- June 10: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting (6:00 p.m. CDT)
- June 10: Clyde Sukeforth (ME/NH) Chapter meeting with Lee Kluck (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 11: Bud Metheny (VA) Chapter meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 11: Deadball Era Book Talk: J.B. Manheim (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 13: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- June 8: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
- June 8: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter lunch meeting (Elmhurst, IL)
- June 9: Field of Dreams Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Des Moines, IA)
- June 15: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- June 15: Bob Davids Chapter Nationals Park ballgame/meet-up (Washington, DC)
- June 15: Pee Wee Reese Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Louisville, KY)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Women in Baseball: Spring 2024 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: June 2024 newsletter (Austin, TX)
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:
- Doug Glanville: The Real Value of the Negro Leagues Can’t Be Captured in Statistics (The Atlantic)
- Tyler Kepner: Nine statistical takeaways as Negro Leagues numbers get added to official MLB record (The Athletic)
- Tad Myre: The Negro Leagues are the Major Leagues (Frazier Museum)
- Anthony Castrovince: Charlie ‘Chino’ Smith joins greats as Negro Leagues enter historical record (MLB.com)
- John Sharp: Goose Tatum: The unexpected link between Harlem Globetrotters and Birmingham Black Barons (AL.com)
- Ryan Whirty: Negro League stats added to official MLB record (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Manny Randhawa: Sarah Langs honors baseball every day. June 2 was a day to honor her. (MLB.com)
- Sam Gazdziak: From the Luckiest Man to a pariah (RIP Baseball)
- Jay Jaffe: Aaron Judge Is Slumping No More (FanGraphs)
- Russell A. Carleton: Doubling Down (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: Ryan McMahon and the Kutina Club of Insistently Unsuccessful Basestealers (FanGraphs)
- Ginny Searle: Inside Jeremiah Estrada’s Record-Breaking Strikeout Streak (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Player’s View: The Best Game of My Life (FanGraphs)
- John Orona: Whittier baseball museum ready to step up after Negro League integration (Whittier Daily News)
- Derrick Goold: Ryan Loutos, alma mater waited weeks for his MLB debut (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Evan Drellich: MLB bans Padres’ Tucupita Marcano permanently for betting on baseball (The Athletic)
- Stephanie Apstein: Gambling on Baseball Remains the Ultimate MLB Crime (Sports Illustrated)
- Jared Diamond/Lindsey Adler: The Baseball Player Who Bet $99—and Cost Himself $740,000 (Wall Street Journal)
- Michael Baumann: This Is How It Has to Work (FanGraphs)
- Derek Rhoads/Rob Mains: Visualizing the Infirmary: The Health Epidemic (Baseball Prospectus)
- Tim Benz: 80 years after D-Day, remembering baseball’s connection to World War II (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
- M. Shawn Hennessy: Paving Two Roads: Ford Smith, the Game and the Army (Chevrons and Diamonds)
- Peter Labuza: “Santana Takes It Himself”: An Absurdly In-Depth Study of First Base Defense (Twins Daily)
- Grant Brisbee: San Francisco Giants pitchers are sinking to new heights (The Athletic)
- Thomas Holmes: Rays and Diamondbacks Always Bonded Together (MLB Report)
- Joe Genovese: GOAT Rookie Programs & Scorecards (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Patrick Bone: The Museum Behind the Door (SABR Baseball Cards)
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: June 7, 2024. Last Updated: June 7, 2024.