This Week in SABR: May 26, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, May 26, 2023. Please note: The SABR office will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 29. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal is on its way
SABR 51: Deadline for all-inclusive registration is June 5; full schedule now online
Jason Cannon wins 2023 SABR Larry Ritter Book Award
Sign up now for Ballpark Figures on June 8 with Dave Stewart
All Campaign for Baseball Research donations matched, this week only
Call for papers: 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
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Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal is on its way!
Good news! The Spring 2023 edition of the Baseball Research Journal has been mailed out to all SABR members. This issue includes a special illustrated cover of Harvey Haddix 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 on Thursday, May 25.
- Click here to download the PDF e-book edition of the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal.
- Click here to order a copy of the print edition of the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal from Amazon.com.
- All articles from the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal will be available to read online soon at SABR.org.
We hope you enjoy reading the Spring 2023 Baseball Research Journal!
SABR 51: Deadline for all-inclusive registration is June 5; full schedule now online
The full schedule for SABR’s 51st annual convention is now online! Click here to view the schedule and join us in Chicago on July 5-9, 2023, at the Palmer House Hilton. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Reminder: The deadline to take advantage of our special all-inclusive registration discounts is coming up soon on June 5. Learn more or register for SABR 51 at SABR.org/convention.
All baseball fans are welcome to attend SABR 51 on July 5-9, 2023, at the Palmer House Hilton. Click here to register for SABR 51.
Visit SABR.org/convention for more details.
- Celebrating 20K Raffle: Learn how you can win FREE registration to the next 5 SABR conventions!
Jason Cannon’s Charlie Murphy biography wins 2023 SABR Larry Ritter Book Award
Charlie Murphy: The Iconoclastic Showman Behind the Chicago Cubs, written by Jason Cannon and published by University of Nebraska Press, a meticulously researched and splendidly written biography of the mercurial magnate who constructed the Cubs dynasty in the early years of the 20th century, is the winner of the 2023 Larry Ritter Book Award.
The award is granted annually by SABR’s Deadball Era Committee to the author of the best book about baseball between 1901 and 1919 published during the previous calendar year. The other finalists for the 2023 Larry Ritter Award were:
- Harry Dietz Jr., Covey: A Stone’s Throw from a Coal Mine to the Hall of Fame (Sunbury Press)
- Ronald T. Waldo, Deadball Trailblazers: Single-Season Records of the Modern Era (Sunbury Press)
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Sign up now for Ballpark Figures on June 8 with Dave Stewart
Join us each month for SABR’s Ballpark Figures, a new interview series hosted by Shakeia Taylor. The virtual Zoom event is free and open to all active SABR members.
On Thursday, June 8, we’ll be joined by Dave Stewart, a former star pitcher and MLB executive, and current television analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area.
Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more or to view past episodes online.
All donations MATCHED, this week only
We are currently in the midst of our Campaign for Baseball Research, a collective effort to expand, maintain, and preserve SABR’s Research Collection and Research Resources for current and future generations of baseball enthusiasts.
Thanks to one generous member, you now have the opportunity to DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR DONATION, this week only. Former SABR Board President, Seymour Medal winner, and Bob Davids Award recipient Andy McCue will match all donations made through Tuesday, May 30, up to a grand total of $5,000.
By joining our Campaign for Baseball Research today, you will help us better serve our growing membership base, attract more attention for our research, and offer new research tools to all corners of the worldwide baseball community.
Visit SABR.org/donate/research-campaign to learn more.
Second course in SABR Analytics Certification program now available
In 2022, we launched the SABR Analytics Certification program, 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 second course in the program, Level Two – Advanced Analytics in Baseball, is now available!
SABR members save $55 on both available courses (and future courses), so we hope you’ll check out these exciting opportunities at sabr.org/analytics/certification.
View the full schedule for the 2023 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on July 20-23, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click here to register online for the 2023 Malloy Conference.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more or to register for the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference.
Call for papers: 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center have announced a call for papers for the fifth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, scheduled for September 29-October 1, 2023, at Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois.
The 2023 conference will be a hybrid event, with panels and presentations on Zoom and a dinner banquet and golf outing in Rockford, Illinois. Registration information will be available soon. Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by June 30, 2023, to Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Voting now open for 2023 Overlooked 19th Century 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 51 in Chicago.
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 12, and will be open to all SABR members.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org or to cast your vote.
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 #215 on Monday, May 22 featured Phil S. Dixon, an award-winning historian of Black baseball and a SABR member since 1987. He is the author of 10 books about the Negro Leagues, including most recently John “Buck” O’Neil: The Rookie, His Words, His Voice. Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode or subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
4 new stories published at the SABR BioProject
- Don Bessent, by Andy McCue
- Jack Fee, by Bill Lamb
- Mark Scott, by Dan Taylor
- Baker Bowl (Philadelphia), by Seamus Kearney
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
19 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- July 19, 1886: Washington’s plucky ‘Pony’ Madigan is a phenom at 17, out of the majors at 18, by Richard Riis
- October 16, 1911: Home Run Baker’s bash knots World Series in Game 2, by Matt Albertson
- October 24, 1911: ‘What’s the matter with Baker? He’s all right’ as A’s take Game 4, by Bob LeMoine
- October 26, 1911: Bender tosses 4-hitter as A’s crush Giants to capture second straight championship, by Gregory H. Wolf
- September 27, 1912: Hall of Fame pitchers’ duel as Senators beat A’s in 19-inning marathon, by J.G. Preston
- September 23, 1913: A’s clinch AL pennant, then put on offensive clinic, by Lawrence Knorr
- October 8, 1913: Mathewson outduels Plank in extra-inning classic, by Gregory H. Wolf
- October 10, 1913: A’s rejoice in ‘the mighty shout of victory’ after Game 4, by John G. Zinn
- August 16, 1914: Ed McCreery becomes a dubious ‘one-win wonder’ in bizarre debut, by Chad Moody
- August 26, 1916: Bullet Joe Bush fires no-hitter for A’s, by Gregory H. Wolf
- September 28, 1916: Jack Nabors finishes season with a 1-20 record, by J.G. Preston
- May 20, 1918: Four late-game comebacks result in dizzying victory for A’s, by Paul E. Doutrich
- September 27, 1919: Bob Shawkey fans 15 and wins 20th for Yankees, by Kevin Larkin
- September 19, 1958: Dodgers rookies take center stage, by Alan Cohen
- July 23, 1964: Bert Campaneris homers twice, steals a base, and shines on defense in winning debut, by Larry DeFillipo
- August 17, 1971: Expos, Padres brawl after Ron Hunt gets plunked in consecutive plate appearances, by Gary Belleville
- April 26, 1983: Sloppy play dooms Phillies in loss to Braves, by Steve Ginader
- September 29, 1993: From Greer to Eternity, by Rory Costello
- July 29, 2014: Cubs backup catcher John Baker records a win in Colorado, by Sean Kolodziej
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
New Team Ownership History: Richmond Virginias
Bruce Allardice has produced the first American Association entry for the SABR Team Ownership History Project, a joint effort of BioProject and the Business of Baseball Committee. His new history of the 1884 Richmond Virginias adds to stories of teams from Troy, Worcester, and other early cities.
While the project began to chronicle ownership of the current 30 major league franchises, it has been extended to the Negro Leagues, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Leagues, and Federal League, as well as teams that disappeared in the 19th century. Opportunities are still available for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, all editions of the Athletics, plus the other leagues mentioned above. Interested authors should contact Andy McCue to get involved.
Willie Mays: Five Tools
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks
Visit SABR.org to download any SABR Digital Library e-book for free or save 50% off the paperback edition.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Armour, Levitt, Williams, Evans, Shieber elected to SABR Board of Directors
- 10,000 images from SABR-Rucker Archive added to Research Collection
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR Analytics Conference
- 2023 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award winners announced
- Check out highlights, photos from Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
- Watch a replay of SABR’s Ballpark Figures with Louis Moore
- Louisiana students receive 2023 scholarships through SABR Local Grants
- Boyd, Harris selected as winners of 2023 SABR Jefferson Burdick Award
- The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2023
- Submissions open for fourth edition of Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- Learn more about the recipients of 2023 SABR Local Grants
- Watch a preview of the Landmarks Committee’s new SABR Baseball Map
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
- All e-books in SABR Digital Library available for free to members
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Brown | Downingtown, PA | Michael Mola | Oak Brook, IL | ||
| Kyle DeCicco-Carey | Mattapoisett, MA | Noah Mullens | Rogers, AR | ||
| Jake DeFrancesco | Palo Alto, CA | Robin Reyes | Los Angeles, CA | ||
| Rob Elder | Atlanta, GA | Patrick Riley | Hoover, AL | ||
| Jocelyn Garland | Palatine, IL | Evan Scherr | Henderson, NV | ||
| Marcus Gilmer | Cleveland Heights, OH | Xavier smith | san Diego, CA | ||
| Duncan Gilpatric | Knoxville, TN | Griffin Snyder | Knoxville, TN | ||
| Mike Harrell | Austin, TX | Eric Soderstrom | Novato, CA | ||
| Lance Levine | Mamaroneck, NY | Dawn Tepper | Arlington, VA |
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Milwaukee Brewers executive Matt Klentak. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- May 27: Scouts Committee meeting with Paul Scimonelli (12:00 p.m. EDT)
- May 28: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- May 30: “The Barrier Breaking Byline of Wendell Smith” with Michael Scott Pifer and Michael Marsh (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- May 31: Emil Rothe Chicago (IL) Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- June 1: Games and Simulations meeting with Brian Haferkamp (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- June 3: Adam Darowski: “Beyond the Negro Leagues” (12:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- May 28: Hanlan’s Point Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Toronto, ON)
- June 4: Central Florida/Roush-Lopez Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Lakeland, FL)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Ballparks: May 2023 newsletter
- Deadball Era: May 2023 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Halsey Hall Chapter: June 2023 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
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:
- Justice B. Hill: Black baseball getting an upgrade at the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Andscape)
- Dan Cichalski: History, and homers, on display as Jackals debut at Hinchliffe Stadium (MLB.com)
- Tyler Kepner: M.L.B.’s New Rules Have Baseball in Overdrive (New York Times)
- Lindsey Adler: The Retro Pitching Strategy That’s Making a Comeback: Throwing Strikes (Wall Street Journal)
- Emma Baccellieri: The Rays Are MLB’s Best Team—But They Have One Glaring Weakness (Sports Illustrated)
- Charlie Vascellaro: Sig Mejdal, the Baltimore Orioles’ number one numbers-cruncher, brings the franchise to the new frontier (Baltimore Fishbowl)
- Sarah Langs: From 300th HR to 104 mph, a wild 7 days in baseball (MLB.com)
- Jay Jaffe: Carlos Correa’s Rebound From a Slow Start Has Stopped in its Tracks (FanGraphs)
- Alex Speier: An innovative training technique gets Red Sox minor leaguers to speed up their bats (Boston Globe)
- Hannah Keyser: Zac Gallen returned home to Philly a great pitcher — and learned there’s still room to grow (Yahoo! Sports)
- Ryan Fagan: How did James Outman, Dodgers rookie slugger, fly under the radar heading into 2023? (The Sporting News)
- Derrick Goold: Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick ‘The Commish’ Hummel dies at 77 (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Jayson Stark: Which active players are on track for Cooperstown? (The Athletic)
- Russell A. Carleton: Did the Cubs Break Baseball? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Justice delos Santos: Pirates prospect Liover Peguero learned English from hip-hop (MLB.com)
- Joon Lee: How Olivia Pichardo defied doubters to make baseball history (ESPN.com)
- Michael Baumann: Save Our Precious Endangered Triple (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Best Teams At Defensing Grounders & Bunts (ACTA Sports)
- Daniel R. Epstein: DRP’s Biggest Risers and Fallers So Far (Baseball Prospectus)
- Rob Mains: The Man Who Got the Disabled List Changed to the Injured List (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Logan Gilbert Details His Switch From a Change to a Split (FanGraphs)
- Gary Cieradkowski: ‘Hurricane’ Larry MacPhail (Studio Gary C)
- Baseball Researchers Meet At Bottomley-Ruffing-Schalk Museum (Hillsboro Journal-News)
- Dan Schlossberg: Early Labor Leader John Montgomery Ward Earned His Niche in the Baseball Hall of Fame (IBWAA)
- Jeff Cohen: Baseball and BBQ interview with author Erik Sherman (Baseball and BBQ)
- Skip Nipper: Larry Schmittou, father of modern day Nashville baseball (Buzzsprout)
- G. Scott Thomas: Going Continental (Substack)
- John Racanelli: How to Create a Top Ten Set (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. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.
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Originally published: May 26, 2023. Last Updated: May 28, 2023.