This Week in SABR: May 15, 2015

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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 May 15, 2015:

SABR 45: Last call for early registration rate, all-inclusive discount

Here’s a final reminder that the early registration rate and the all-inclusive discount package for the SABR 45 convention — June 24-28, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago — expire TONIGHT, Friday, May 15. Sign up today at SABR.org/convention to join us at SABR 45.

Our ticket block for the Cubs-Dodgers game on Thursday, June 25 at Wrigley Field is limited and the game is expected to sell out. Game tickets in the SABR block will not be available after early registration ends at 11:59 p.m. MST tonight and will not be sold on-site during the convention.

Click here for complete information on SABR 45 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 45. More details on guest speakers, panelists, and presenters will be announced soon.

All-Star lineup of guest speakers: SABR 45 will include top featured speakers from around the baseball world — front office executives, players, managers, scouts, writers, and analysts — plus innovative panel discussions on the Cubs, White Sox, the Negro Leagues, women in baseball, and more. See below for details on featured panels as we announce them:

  • Broadcasters Panel: Cubs announcers Len Kasper, Jim Deshaies, and Ron Coomer, and moderator Curt Smith. Click here for more details. 
  • Negro Leagues Panel: Panelists include former Negro Leagues pitchers Al Spearman and Ernie Westfield, and moderator Larry Lester. Click here for more details.
  • Women in Baseball Panel: Panelists include Cubs executive Caroline Phillips, White Sox executive and author Martha Jo Black, author and historian John Kovach, and South Bend Blue Sox player Christie Spisak, along with moderator Leslie Heaphy, SABR’s Women in Baseball Committee co-chair. Click here for more details.
  • More panels to be announced soon!

Please note: The SABR 45 all-inclusive package includes 1 full conference registration; 1 ticket to the Cubs game on Thursday, June 25; 1 round-trip ticket on the CTA Red Line train; and 1 ticket to the Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 26. It does NOT include any other optional events such as the Downtown Baseball Walking Tour on Wednesday, June 24, The Baseball Project concert on Thursday, June 25, or the Historical Ballpark Sites Bus Tour on Sunday, June 28. Those tickets must be purchased separately.

All SABR 45 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 Chicago area. All SABR members, whether you attend the convention or not, will receive the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime in their inboxes later this summer. Click here to register for SABR 45.

For more information on SABR 45, visit SABR.org/convention.

SABR 45: Full schedule now available

A detailed schedule of events is now available for SABR 45, which will be held June 24-28, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. Click the link below to find the schedule online:

http://sabr.org/convention/sabr45-schedule

Please note all events are subject to change. Check back at SABR.org/convention for updates.

SABR 45: Cubs tickets, hotel room block no longer available after tonight

Our block of tickets in the Upper Deck Box-Outfield section ($48) for the Cubs-Dodgers game on Thursday afternoon, June 25, at Wrigley Field is now sold out. However, tickets are still available in our Terrace Reserved-Outfield block ($38) until 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, May 15.

This game is expected to sell out and our ticket block is only available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Game tickets in the SABR block will NOT be available for purchase on-site at the convention.

If you haven’t booked your room for SABR 45 this summer in Chicago, our hotel room block at the Palmer House Hilton expires at 11:59 p.m. MST tonight. Please call the hotel at (312) 726-7500 to check if any rooms are still available at the SABR group rate of $189/night (plus tax). See below for overflow hotel information.

The Palmer House Hilton is at 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603, in the heart of the downtown Loop, near two CTA stops — from O’Hare Airport, take the Blue Line to Monroe/Dearborn stop and then walk two blocks east on Monroe; from Midway Airport, take the Orange Line to the Adams/Wabash stop.

For more information on SABR 45, visit SABR.org/convention.

  • Overflow hotel: If the Palmer House Hilton fills up before you’ve booked your room, we’ve reserved a small block of rooms at the nearby ACME Hotel, 15 E. Ohio Street, less than a mile north of the Palmer House Hilton and one block away from a CTA Red Line station (Grand Avenue) that takes you straight to the convention hotel (get off at the Monroe stop). Click here to book a room at the ACME Hotel for a special SABR rate of $189/night (plus tax). Or call the hotel at (312) 894-0800 to book your room; be sure to mention the SABR convention. Standard King rooms and City View Queen rooms are available at the ACME Hotel until our block runs out.

SABR 45: Donate to SABR and go on the field at Wrigley

We are excited to announce a special SABR donation package that will be offered for SABR 45 in Chicago.

Thanks to the generosity of the Chicago Cubs, anyone who makes a donation of $1,500 or more to the SABR General Fund between May 1 and June 15, 2015, will have the opportunity to go on the field before or after the Cubs-Dodgers game on Thursday, June 25 during SABR 45.

This special opportunity is only available to eight SABR donors — four people before the game and four after the game. Donors will be able to go on to the field and take photographs during batting practice before the game or walk the field and take photographs after the game. Each one-time donation is good for one on-field ticket. Choice of before/after the game is first-come, first-serve (please contact Marc Appleman to express preference.)

In addition to the on-field opportunity at Wrigley Field, the SABR 45 donation package also includes four tickets to the SABR 45 Baseball Project concert at the Palmer House Hilton, two tickets to the SABR 45 Donors Breakfast, a special SABR 45 glass commemorative baseball, and a one-year membership to SABR.

SABR is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

  • If you are interested in the SABR 45 donation package, please contact Executive Director Marc Appleman at mappleman@sabr.org.

SABR 45: The Baseball Project concert $25 ticket presale ends on May 15

Attendees at the SABR 45 convention this summer in Chicago will have a special opportunity to see The Baseball Project in concert on Thursday, June 25, 2015, in the Grand Ballroom at the Palmer House Hilton.

Advance presale tickets for The Baseball Project at SABR 45 are available for an early-bird price of $25 members/$40 non-members when you register for the SABR convention online at SABR.org/convention before May 15, 2015. Tickets will be $40 online after May 15 or until the concert venue reaches capacity.

Formed in 2007 by Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, The Minus 5, R.E.M.) and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3, Gutterball), The Baseball Project began as a way for a couple of fans to pay musical tribute to our national pastime. But The Baseball Project has since blossomed into a full-fledged, much-loved band in its own right, one which includes drummer Linda Pitmon (Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3, Zuzu’s Petals), and Peter Buck and Mike Mills, founding members of R.E.M., one of the best-selling alternative rock bands of all time.

To learn more about The Baseball Project, visit their website at thebaseballproject.net or their YouTube channel at youtube.com/thebaseballproject.

(Note: For those interested, The Baseball Project concert will not conflict with the SABR 45 Trivia Contest preliminaries on the schedule.)

Registration for SABR 45 is now available at SABR.org/convention.

SABR 45: Women in Baseball Panel

We are pleased to announce another featured panel at SABR 45 in Chicago. 

The SABR 45 Women in Baseball Panel is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Friday, June 26, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton. Visit SABR.org/convention for complete information on SABR 45 registration rates, all-inclusive packages, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 45. Early registration and the all-inclusive discount package expires on May 15.

The Women in Baseball Panel is expected to include:

  • Martha Jo Black: Chicago White Sox Coordinator of Fan Experiences and co-author of Joe Black: More Than A Dodger
  • John Kovach: Author and historian on women’s baseball; curator of “Diamond Dreams” traveling exhibit
  • Caroline Phillips: Chicago Cubs Manager of Premier Services
  • Christie Spisak: South Bend Blue Sox women’s baseball player; currently a junior at the University of Pittsburgh
  • Moderator: Leslie Heaphy: SABR Director, author, and co-chair of Women in Baseball Research Committee

Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

For more information on SABR 45, visit SABR.org/convention.

Vote now for SABR Overlooked 19th Century Legend of the year

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.

You *MUST* select five candidates — ranking them from first choice to fifth choice — from among the 11 candidates presented. You are only allowed to vote once. You are on the honor system to submit only one ballot. ALL BALLOTS MUST BE CAST PRIOR TO 11:59 p.m. PDT on Monday, May 25, 2015. For bios of the finalists, click here to download an informational PDF. The winner will be announced at the Nineteenth Century Committee’s annual meeting at SABR 45 in Chicago.

For more information on the Overlooked Legends project, click here.

Announcing the relaunch of the SABR Triple Plays Database

Did you know the Pittsburgh Pirates recorded the first 4-5-4 triple play in major-league history last weekend? Were you aware that the next triple play turned by an MLB team will be the 700th known instance of a triple play since 1876?

That information and much more can be found in the newly updated SABR Triple Plays Database, which was relaunched this week at SABR.org/tripleplays.

Click the link below to find a list of all known triple plays in major-league history, sortable by date, team(s), runners on base, play sequence, fielders, pitchers, opposing batter, unassisted, end of game, and other categories.

The SABR Triple Plays Database, initially created by James A. Smith around 1946 and updated over many years since then, was digitized and developed in its current format by Sean Lahman, Frank Hamilton, Chuck Rosciam, Frank Vaccaro, and Jacob Pomrenke, with help from many other volunteer researchers.

SABR members are invited to help fill in any missing or incorrect data. Please contact Sean Lahman or Jacob Pomrenke.

For more information, visit SABR.org/tripleplays.

Early registration ends next week for 2015 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Pittsburgh

The 18th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be held August 6-8, 2015, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference is open to all baseball, history and sports fans of all ages.

  • Register today! Click here to register online at the SABR Store. Or click here to download a registration form (PDF); please mail your check or money order before July 31 to SABR Malloy Conference, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Early registration is available until May 18, 2015.

    Early-bird registration is $155 for an adult rate (includes all activities) or $110 for a student rate. Single-day registration for Friday or Saturday is $90. The rate for the Thursday education forum only is $15. Optional sessions are also available.

The 2015 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will celebrate the rich history of black baseball in Pittsburgh. We welcome proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars. Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, “Baseball’s Best: the Grays and the Crawfords,” or other Negro Leagues issues. Some possibilities include: Josh Gibson, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Gus Greenlee, Cum Posey, Vic Harris, Cool Papa Bell, the Crawford Grill, and many others.

Visit SABR.org/malloy for information on the 2015 Call for Papers, Essay Contest, Art Contest, and Library Grant Program.

SABR Negro Leagues Committee awards $2,500 scholarships in 2015 essay contest

SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee is pleased to award $2,500 scholarships to two high school seniors in its sixth annual national essay contest.

Jeff Boelter, a graduate of St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, and Kari Whiteside, a senior at Granada Hills Charter High School in California, were selected as the 2015 winners.

The contest was open to high school seniors and carrying a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the end of their junior year. Students had to write a 1,000-word essay answering one of the following questions: “Choose one figure from the Negro Leagues and explain why you believe they are significant” or “Explain who Effa Manley was and her significance to the Negro Leagues.”

The students will be recognized at the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on August 6-8, 2015, in Pittsburgh. More than 115 candidates from 38 states and countries applied to the essay contest this year. The selection committee was comprised of educators Leslie Heaphy, Stephanie Liscio, Mel May, and Josh Salvner.

The Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference is the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination of black baseball history.

To learn more about the winners, click here.

SABR Digital Library: ’75: The Red Sox Team that Saved Baseball

On the 40th anniversary of a pennant-winning season, add a new SABR Digital Library e-book to your collection:

’75: The Red Sox Team that Saved Baseball
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Cecilia M. Tan
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-933599-97-7
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-933599-96-0
325 pages, 8.5″ x 11″

In 1975, the Boston Red Sox played in what was the most-watched World Series in history, an epic seven-game battle with Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine that captivated the nation’s attention and revived baseball’s lagging popularity. ’75 tells the life stories of the 37 players who made up the Red Sox roster, from stars like Yaz, Fisk, and El Tiante, to the mop-up men and bench-warmers who were along for the ride.

Some 48 authors, researchers, editors, fact-checkers, and baseball enthusiasts from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) have collaborated to present their work in the volume. Drawing on many exclusive interviews with players and the archives of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, ’75 contains many stories not previously told and offers new details on the lives of these players who inspired so many in their time.

This 2015 edition offers numerous items not contained in the original 2005 publication — full biographies of all of the coaches, the broadcast team, and owner Tom Yawkey — 10 new biographies.

We have also added six game accounts (linking to SABR’s Games Project, these are games written specifically for this book), as well as an essay on the ALCS, an essay on the World Series, and a “By the Numbers” piece.

That makes a total of 19 new items — 10 bios, six game accounts, and three other items — in this edition. ’75 remains a unique treasure for anyone who remembers Carlton Fisk waving his arms in the October night.

Contributors include: Ron Anderson, Mark Armour, Jonathan Arnold, Eric Aron, Ray Birch, Andrew Blume, Maurice Bouchard, Bob Brady, John Cizik, Clem Comly, John Contois, Herb Crehan, Jon Daly, Bob Donaldson, Alex Edelman, Greg Erion, Dan Fields, James Forr, Peter M. Gordon, Tom Harkins, Joanne Hulbert, Bob Hurte, Seamus Kearney, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, R.R. Marshal, Les Masterson, Wayne McElreavy, Chuck McGill, Max Miller, Tom Nahigian, Bill Nowlin, Mark Pattison, Jim Prime, Mike Richard, Carl Riechers, Doug Skipper, Curt Smith, Matthew Silverman, David C. Southwick, Mark S. Sternman, Brian Stevens, Wayne Strumpfer, Cecilia M. Tan, John Vorperian, Nick Waddell, Dave Williams, and Gregory H. Wolf.

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.

11 new biographies published by the SABR BioProject

Eleven new biographies were posted as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 3,189 published biographies. Here are the new bios:

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

You can find the SABR BioProject at SABR.org/BioProject.

Bios on more than just ballplayers: The ambitious goal of the SABR Baseball Biography Project is to publish a full-life biography of every major league player in history. But SABR members write about a lot more than just ballplayers. In addition, we have pages for Ballparks, Broadcasters, Executives, Managers, Scouts, Spouses, Umpires and a lot more on the BioProject website. You can browse all of these categories at http://sabr.org/bioproj/browse. So if you’ve ever thought, “Hey, that person (or ballpark) should get the full BioProject treatment” — write the story and we’ll publish it!

Get involved! If you’d like to help contribute to the SABR BioProject, visit our BioProject Resources page or read the FAQs section to get started. We’re also looking to expand the BioProject to include all “encyclopedic” articles on baseball-related subjects from past SABR publications or committee newsletters. If you come across an article you think should be included in the SABR “baseball repository” at the BioProject, send a copy or link to markarmour04@gmail.com or jpomrenke@sabr.org.

2 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

The SABR Baseball Games Project was launched in January 2014 to research and write articles on major-league and Negro League regular, postseason, and All-Star Games. These game accounts will complement Retrosheet and Baseball-Reference box scores as well as BioProject essays on the players involved.

The articles are not intended to be mere play-by-play summaries, nor should they be first-person narratives. Rather the goal is to put each game in historical context — whether that history is of a particular player, team, season, or something even broader.

Visit the new Games Project website at SABR.org/gamesproject.

Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM

We invite you to listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a new radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro, on Sunday nights on MLB Network Radio.

Baseball SABR Style focuses on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today. It will air 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. (Recent shows are available afterward in the “on-demand” section of the SiriusXM app or website.)

For more information, click here.

SABR members, take 10% off your next order at the MLB.com Shop

The 2015 season has begun, and SABR members have the opportunity to take advantage of some special offers from MLB Advanced Media.

  • 20% discount off MLB.TV Premium Monthly subscriptions: SABR members can get 20% off MLB.TV Premium Monthly subscriptions all season long. Watch every 2015 Regular Season out-of-market game LIVE or on-demand in HD Quality. Choose home or away broadcasts. MLB.TV is on your favorite devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android phones, Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation and more. Watch up to four games at once with Mosaic. DVR functionality lets you pause or rewind live games.
  • 20% discount off MiLB.TV Yearly subscriptions: With MiLB.TV, you can watch more than 5,000 Minor League Baseball games streamed live and on-demand online, including select All-Star and postseason games. Take the action on the go on select Apple devices with the free MiLB First Pitch App. Games involve affiliates of all 30 MLB clubs. Complete game archives are available any time on demand.
  • 10% discount off your next order at the MLB.com Shop: Take 10% off your next order at the MLB.com Shop this season. Offer is valid for one use per e-mail address. Discount does not apply to shipping, handling, gift wrapping, gift cards or taxes, and select items.

Visit SABR.org/offers/MLBTV-2015 to get the discount codes for MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the MLB.com Shop available to SABR members.

In Memoriam

  • James Massey, 59, of Concord, New Hampshire, died unexpectedly on Monday, May 4, 2015. He was a SABR member since 1980 and a lifelong New England sports fan who enjoyed seeing all his teams win championships and had a sports jersey for every occasion. He was known for his quick wit, sense of humor, and unbeatable trivia knowledge. Jim absorbed history and was thrilled to tour battlefields of Europe. He was an avid reader and often volunteered reading to retirement home residents. Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the son of Wiliam and Marion Massey, Jim grew up in Hampton Beach. After graduating from Bridgeton Academy in Maine, he served in the U.S. Army Military Police at Ft. McClellan in Alabama, Camp Casey in Korea, Ft. McNair and Ft. Meyers in the Military District of Washington. His New Hampshire law enforcement years included Hampton Police, Hooksett Police, and New Hampshire State Police Highway Enforcement before his retirement in 2006. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Heidi (Bacon) Massey of Concord; two sons, Tyler and Sean; his sister, Dorothy Stefanik; nieces, nephews, family, and many friends who loved him. A service was held on May 12 at First Congregational Church in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, followed by military honors at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pope Memorial SPCA, 94 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301 or to the American Legion, c/o Michelle Edwards, 7 Perley St., Concord, NH 03301 for a scholarship to be set up in Jim’s name.
  • A memorial service for Dick Clark, longtime co-chair of SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee, will take place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center in Event Room 300. The EMU Student Center is located at 900 Oakwood Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan. All SABR members are welcome to attend to honor, to reminisce, and to remember the life of our departed friend and colleague.

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.

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 New Member 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
Bruce Adams Bethesda, MD     Jesse McNulty Newark, DE
Jeff Bauer Columbus, OH     Stephen Mejias Jersey City, NJ
Richard Chester Pleasant Hill, CA     Madonna Narvaez Poulsbo, WA
Charlie Dent Tacoma, WA     Mike Reischl Chicago, IL
John Effenheim Milwaukee, WI     Grant Sovereign Spring, TX
Bill Harrison Laguna Beach, CA     Robert Stone Gilbert, AZ
Michael Kaley Kansas City, MO        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee updates for this week:

  • Ballparks Committee: May 2015 newsletter
  • Deadball Era Committee: The Deadball Committee is pleased to welcome Dr. Charles Alexander, author of acclaimed biographies on Ty Cobb, John McGraw, and Rogers Hornsby, a Seymour Medal recipient (2003) and Henry Chadwick Award recipient (2011), as a guest speaker at its SABR 45 annual meeting on Friday, June 26 in Chicago. Click here for the full committee meeting schedule.
  • Oral History Committee: Spring 2015 newsletter

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

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates for 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: May 15, 2015. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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