This Week in SABR: March 9, 2018

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Live from the seventh annual SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, 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 March 9, 2018:

Check out early highlights from the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference

Can’t make it to Arizona for the SABR Analytics Conference? Visit SABR.org/analytics for full coverage of this exciting event that brings together the top minds in the baseball analytics community in 2018. You’ll feel like you’re wandering through the Hyatt Regency Phoenix with stories and multimedia clips from the great panel discussions and research presentations on our schedule, photo galleries, and much more.

Complete coverage of the SABR Analytics Conference, including a full schedule, can be found at SABR.org/analytics. We’ll be posting stories, photos, and multimedia clips online today and throughout the weekend. You can also follow along live on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #SABRanalytics during the conference.

Once again, we’re bringing together the top minds of the baseball analytic community under one roof to discuss, debate and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball. Representatives from more than 25 Major League Baseball front offices are expected to attend this year’s SABR Analytics Conference.

The SABR Analytics Conference will consist 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.

Our featured speakers are expected to include Brian Kenny of MLB Network, ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Eduardo Perez, Arizona Diamondbacks Sr. Vice President/Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye, Seattle Mariners Director of High Performance Dr. Lorena Martin, MLB Advanced Media’s Tom Tango, Mike Petriello, and Daren Willman, former National League Cy Young Award winner and Texas Rangers coach Eric Gagné, Los Angeles Dodgers executives Ehsan Bokhari, Philip Cho, and Emilee Fragapane, Chicago White Sox executive Chris Getz, Seattle Mariners executive Andy McKay, Monsterful VR CEO/founder Jarett Sims, baseball writer Eno Sarris, SABR President Vince Gennaro, New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series CEO Jeremy Booth, Genius Sports Special Counsel Bill Squadron, Power Alley Analytics operator Matt Reiland, and more as featured speakers and panelists at the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference.

Find more information on the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference below:

Visit SABR.org/analytics for more information or to register.

2018 SABR Analytics Conference: Networking Reception

SABR is once again teaming up with the Baseball Industry Network for the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference Networking Reception, which will feature food, drinks and great opportunities to network with baseball professionals and other attendees from the conference.

The reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N. 2nd St., Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Admission to the welcome reception is included in your 2018 SABR Analytics Conference registration.

Members of the Baseball Industry Network can attend the reception separately for $32. To sign up for the Networking Reception at EventBrite, click here.

The Baseball Industry Network now features more than 33,000 members and you can join us on LinkedIn.com. You can also follow the Baseball Industry Network on Twitter at @tbrooksBIN. 

SABR Analytics Conference registration is available now at the SABR Store. Click here to register! The conference is open to all baseball fans.

For more details on the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.

Diamond Dollars Case Competition presentation schedule

The SABR Analytics Conference is pleased to host the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition beginning at 5:00 p.m. tonight, Friday, March 9, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Arizona.

Here is a list of participating schools for the 2018 Diamond Dollars Case Competition at the SABR Analytics Conference:

  • Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)
  • California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo, CA)
  • Elon University (Elon, NC)
  • Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
  • Kenyon College (Gambier, OH)
  • Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (Richmond, VA)
  • NYU-Tisch Institute for Global Sport (New York, NY)
  • Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
  • Ryerson University-Ted Rogers School of Management (Toronto, ON)
  • St. John Fisher College (Rochester, NY)
  • Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)
  • University of Alabama-Manderson School of Business (Tuscaloosa, AL)
  • University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)
  • University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Isenberg School of Management (Amherst, MA)
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
  • University of West Florida (Pensacola, FL)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

The full presentation schedule can be found online at SABR.org/analytics/case.

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.

More than 70 alumni from the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Diamond Dollars Case Competitions have secured internships or permanent positions within Major League Baseball.

Visit SABR.org/analytics/case to learn more.

Jerald Podair receives 2018 Seymour Medal at NINE Conference banquet

2018 Seymour Medal winner Jerald Podair, author of City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the Birth of Modern Los Angeles, accepted his award at the banquet of the 25th annual NINE Spring Training Conference on Saturday, March 3 in Tempe, Arizona.

The Seymour Medal honors the best book of baseball history or biography published during the preceding calendar year. Podair’s book was published by Princeton University Press. The Seymour Medal, named in honor of Dr. Harold Seymour and Mrs. Dorothy (Seymour) Mills, was first awarded by SABR in 1996. Podair was presented with his medal at Saturday evening’s banquet by Dorothy Seymour Mills and SABR’s Jacob Pomrenke.

“Dorothy and Harold Seymour’s work changed the study of history, something very few historians can say they were able to do,” Podair said. “They changed me, too — and made it possible for me to be standing here with you tonight. And I’ll always be grateful to you for that. I’m also grateful to SABR, a truly welcoming community, where everyone who loves the greatest game in the world, has a home.”

Click here to read more about the Seymour Medal banquet and to view a photo gallery at SABR.org.

To view a list of past Seymour Medal winners, click here.

SABR Digital Library: From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors

Did you watch the Academy Awards last weekend? Now add this new book on baseball’s “matinee stars” from the SABR Digital Library to your collection:

From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors
Edited by Rob Edelman and Bill Nowlin 
Associate Editors: Greg Erion, Len Levin, Emmet R. Nowlin
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-71-2, $19.95
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-943816-70-5, $9.99
410 pages, 8.5″ x 11″

For well over a century, stars and supporting players on baseball diamonds have become stars and supporting players in the movies, on Broadway, in vaudeville and, eventually, on television and in concert halls. After all, ballplayers are celebrities. Whether on the field or the stage, they are in the business of entertaining the masses. Not surprisingly, many showbiz luminaries have become baseball enthusiasts. They have invested their time, money, and expertise to be part of the baseball world as team owners and fans.  

From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors includes essays by 43 SABR members that connect baseball and show biz. Not every ballplayer who ever made an appearance on screen or stage is included; to do so would result in a mini-encyclopedia. The purpose here is to offer a representative selection of those who crossed the lines between professional sports and popular entertainment. Included are biographies of selected individuals from the famous (Gene Autry, Joe DiMaggio, Jim Thorpe, Bernie Williams…) to the forgotten (Al Gettel, Lou Stringer, Wally Hebert, Wally Hood…) There are other select topics, from baseball on television shows and in Coca-Cola commercials to Jim Bouton’s casting as “Jim Barton” in his Ball Four TV series and Don Drysdale playing “Don Drysdale” on The Donna Reed Show, Leave It To Beaver, and The Brady Bunch. Those who will relish the privileged peeks at the off-the-field life and times of Mike Donlin and Edward G. Robinson playing Hans Lobert on the big screen in Big Leaguer will surely savor From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors.

Contributors include: Audrey Levi Apfel, Eric Aron, Lawrence Baldassaro, Russell A. Bergtold, Jay Berman, Michael Betzold, Charlie Bevis, Ron Briley, Bruce Bumbalough, Frederick C. “Rick” Bush, Alan Cohen, Warren Corbett, Rory Costello, Rob Edelman, Greg Erion, Eddie Frierson, John Gabcik, Eric Hanauer, Bill Hickman, Paul Hofmann, Jay Hurd, Don Jensen, Maxwell Kates, Seamus Kearney, Adam Klinker, Ted Leavengood, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Bill Nowlin, Emmet Nowlin, Dan O’Brien, Will Osgood, Mark V. Perkins, Richard J. Puerzer, Gary A. Sarnoff, Mark Souder, Jon Springer, Andy Strasberg, Clayton Trutor, Joseph Wancho, Phil Williams, Gregory H. Wolf, and Allan Wood.

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 all e-book editions for free. Visit SABR.org/ebooks for a full list of titles.

SABR 48: Early registration now open for 2018 national convention in Pittsburgh

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a spectacular SABR 48 convention on June 20-24, 2018, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Early registration is now available at SABR.org/convention; all baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click here for more information on SABR 48 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 48.

The Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh 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.

Click on a link below for more information about SABR 48.

  • Registration: We’re again offering a special all-inclusive rate for the annual SABR convention. For $319, a savings of $30 off the regular rate, SABR members can get:
    — Full registration to SABR 48 in Pittsburgh (early-bird: $249; regular rate: $279)
    — 1 ticket in the Corner Box (LF) section to the Pirates vs. Diamondbacks game on Friday, June 22 — includes special “A Day at the Ballpark” pregame session at PNC Park ($40 value)
    — 1 ticket to the Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 22 ($60 value)
    Non-members can pay $394 for the all-inclusive rate. The deadline to register with the all-inclusive rate is Friday, May 18, 2018. Click here for complete information on SABR 48 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 48!
  • Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh of $149/night (plus tax) is only available to registered convention attendees for the nights of Wednesday, June 20 through Saturday, June 23. After you register for the SABR 48 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 48 early! The Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh is located at 600 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
  • Awards Luncheon: SABR will host a special Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 22 at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh. The Awards Luncheon, which includes a full meal, will feature the announcement of SABR’s annual awards — including the Bob Davids Award, our highest honor. One ticket to the Awards Luncheon is included in the all-inclusive package or guest tickets are available for $60 when you register for SABR 48.
  • A Day at the Ballpark: For the third year in a row and fourth time in five years, SABR will present “A Day at the Ballpark” before the Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, June 22 at PNC Park. Special thanks to the Pirates for this great opportunity and for offering us a large block of tickets in the Corner Box (LF) section at an affordable price of $40 for SABR members ($45 for non-members). Purchase of SABR 48 conference registration AND a game ticket will be required to attend this special session. Guests and spouses can get in the ballpark early with purchase of a special SABR 48 Ballpark Session pass ($25) and a Pirates game ticket. Click here for more details.
  • Roberto Clemente Museum tours: The Roberto Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh has a special offer for SABR 48 attendees: The museum will host four tours (maximum of 20 people per tour) at $20 per person on Wednesday, June 20. Space is extremely limited, and reservations will only be made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please call the museum at (412) 621-1268, Ext. 2, to reserve your space. No reservations can be made online; payment is due on-site when you arrive for the tour. Tours last about 1.5 hours and the start times on Wednesday, June 20 are as follows (subject to availability): 10:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. Click here for more details.
  • Research presentations: SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 48. The deadline to submit your abstract was Sunday, February 25, 2018. Click here for complete details and application form.
  • Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, click here to learn more about a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 48 in Pittsburgh. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 30, 2018.

All SABR 48 attendees will also receive a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball teams, players and events in the Pittsburgh area. All SABR members, whether you attend the convention or not, will receive the e-book edition of The National Pastime in their inboxes later this summer.

Stay tuned for more featured speakers and the complete schedule to be announced in the coming months. Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.

We hope to see you this summer in Pittsburgh!

Students, a few weeks left to apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 48 in Pittsburgh

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 48 on June 20-24, 2018, in Pittsburgh. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250.

The objective of this scholarship fund is to encourage high school and college-level student engagement with baseball research and to engender an active interest in baseball and SABR. The Yoseloff scholarship is to assist young researchers who want to attend SABR’s annual convention and to introduce them to fellow SABR members. Through this fund, SABR hopes to inspire future baseball research, expose students to high-quality research and build the research capability of interested students.

All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2018.

Click here for complete details and criteria.

3 new SABR biographies published

Three new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which — along with the publication of our new book on baseball and the movies, From Spring Training to Screen Test — brings us to a total of 4,450 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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

Biographies from SABR’s No-Hitters book now posted online

In SABR’s No-Hitters, edited by Bill Nowlin and published in 2017, we focused on pitchers who threw no-hitters and the no-hitters they threw. Naturally, we couldn’t present biographies of everyone who ever threw a no-hitter nor could we present Games Project accounts of all of them. From around 300 no-hitters thrown in the majors (out of over 213,000 games), we have selected 59 no-hitters to include, along with the biographies of the men who threw them.

All of the biographies — from Hall of Famers such as Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, and Randy Johnson to more obscure pitchers such as Larry Corcoran, Charlie Robertson, and Dallas Braden — that appeared in No-Hitters can now be read online at the SABR BioProject.

More game summaries from the No-Hitters book will be posted at the SABR Games Project soon.

You can also download the No-Hitters e-book for free or purchase the paperback edition at 50% off by clicking here.

7 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Seven 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 Mike Huber. To request an assignment, please contact Steven C. Weiner. 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.
  • Read stories from Tiger Stadium greatest games book: In SABR’s Tigers by the Tale: Great Games at Michigan and Trumbull, edited by Scott Ferkovich and published in 2016, we told the stories of memorable moments at one of baseball’s most famous corners: Detroit’s Tiger Stadium. All of the stories that appeared in this book are now available to be read online at the SABR Games Project by clicking here.
  • Make a donation in memory of Greg Erion: On December 29, 2017, SABR member Greg Erion, 70, who had taken on the brunt of necessary reorganization of the SABR Games Project, died of cancer diagnosed just a few weeks earlier. Despite treatments, Greg worked tirelessly to assure a smooth transition for everyone involved with the Games Project. Some members closely involved with the Games Project have already made donations to SABR honoring Greg’s memory as a friend and colleague. We ask that others who knew and worked with Greg consider doing the same to honor his leadership, sense of easy cooperation, and tireless work for the advancement of an important SABR initiative. Not only will a donation in Greg’s name honor him, but it will advance SABR’s continuing work on all fronts and serve the collaborative spirit of the organization. You can give a memorial tribute by visiting SABR.org/donate and adding Greg Erion’s name in the “Tribute Information” section when you make your contribution.

Help contribute to SABR Baseball Cards Committee encyclopedia project

In addition to all of the fun we have talking about or trading baseball cards, I thought it would also be fun to leave a more permanent mark upon this world, to organize all of the great work we have been doing.

Since we are a SABR Research Committee, I asked Jacob Pomrenke — SABR’s Director of Editorial Content — how we could best have and use permanent web space that is more easily found, organized, and updated. He urged me to use the SABR/Baseball-Reference Encyclopedia, otherwise known as the B-R Bullpen, for this purpose. It is a wiki, which is perfect for us in my view.

So I wrote up a very simple skeleton. (There was some baseball card material already there, which we will build on or around.)

Click here to view the Baseball Cards category page at the SABR/Baseball-Reference Encyclopedia.

Besides the front page, I already wrote up several subset pages (All-Star cards, Season Highlights, Historical Highlights, and Group Cards), and several place holders. I especially encourage any interested committee member to help, but it is a public wiki which anyone can update. My thought is that this would grow organically based on whatever it is people want to see here. Do you want to add a list of Police Sets? Let’s add it. A list of cards with people doing whimsical things (carrying snake, etc.)? Let’s add it. Cards of players signing autographs? Cards that show the wrong player? All ideas are welcome.

Click here to learn more about this project at the SABR Baseball Cards blog.

— Mark Armour

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

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 show will include highlights from the SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix.

You can 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: https://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
David Bator Toronto, ON     Tru Harrow Spring Hill, KS
James Carmody Stratford, CT     John Irwin Zionsville, IN
Jonah Chalem Chicago, IL     Denise Lauron San Bruno, CA
Jim Costello Camillus, NY     Kara McDonnell Martinez, CA
Harrison Covert Highlands Ranch, CO     Mike Moore Hazelhurst, GA
Emily De Falla Danville, CA     Richard S. Moore Hillsboro, OR
Josh DeFamio Phoenix, AZ     Albert Perry New Canaan, CT
Daniel Fortier Sandwich, MA     Roberto Saletti Pisa, ITA
Jimmy Goldberger Albuquerque, NM     Barry Trutor Burlington, VT
Michael S. Harris Dallas, TX     Steven Turpin Muncie, IN

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new 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:

  • Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter: Winter 2018 newsletter (Baltimore, MD)
  • Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter: March 5 meeting recap (Burlington, VT)
  • Hemond-Delhi Arizona Chapter: March 2018 newsletter (Phoenix, AZ)
  • Best Practices handbook: Chapter leaders, you can download the updated 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 events on the SABR calendar:

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.)

 

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Originally published: March 9, 2018. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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