This Week in SABR: November 15, 2024
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, November 15, 2024.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
2024 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners announced
1 week left to submit presentation abstracts for SABR Analytics Conference
Playoff Pitch: Encourage new members to sign up for $1!
Call for papers: 2025 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Apply now for a Local Grant in 2025
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2024 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners announced
Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners and Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers were announced as the winners of the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). In addition, the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers were named as this year’s recipients of the Team Defense Award.
The winners were announced on Friday, November 8 at the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Early registration is now open for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from March 14-16, 2025, at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona.
We’ll bring together the top minds in the baseball analytics community to discuss, debate, and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball. Register today to join us!
- Registration: Click here to register for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Early-bird registration is $395 for SABR members, $495 for non-members, and $150 for currently enrolled high school or college students. Student-only virtual registration is $50. Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive the discounted registration link.
- Student Registration: Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive a special link to register at a discounted rate. Students have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 13. All student registrations also include a one-year SABR membership ($25 value) and a complimentary Rapsodo certification course ($395 value). SABR membership will be fulfilled after event sign-up and access to Rapsodo course will be delivered after the conference.
- Research Presentations: Present your baseball research at the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline to submit an abstract: November 20, 2024.
- Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Click here to register your team for the 2025 Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Registration is $1,750 per team, which includes admission to all SABR Analytics Conference sessions and a one-year SABR membership for each participant.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
- Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship: Applications are now open for the 2025 Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
- Research Awards: We’re seeking nominations for the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
- Certification Courses: The first three courses in the online, on-demand SABR Analytics Certification program, including the newest offering Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, are available now. Click here to learn more or to sign up.
1 week left to submit SABR Analytics presentation abstracts
SABR is excited to announce the call for presentations for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Abstracts of proposed research presentations should be no more than 500 words in length, and must include the abstract’s title, review of previous work on the subject, a summary of the research methodology and preliminary and/or final results, and the expected contribution to the field of baseball analytics offered by this work. Please send all abstracts to this e-mail address: analytics-presentations@sabr.org. Please clearly indicate whether you are submitting for the general track or for the student track of presentations. The submission deadline for all 2025 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts is 11:59 p.m. MST on November 20, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship or Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four Yoseloff Scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the SABR Analytics Conference on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging fees associated with the conference up to a total value of $1,250.
Awarded annually to four recipients, the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship will provide meaningful professional development and networking opportunities for female identifying students or young professionals pursuing a career in baseball analytics and data science. This scholarship will pay for all registration fees and expenses associated with the 2025 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona; plus registration for all courses in the online SABR Analytics Certification program. Click here to learn more or to apply.
Click here to learn more about SABR Scholarships.
Playoff Pitch: Encourage new members to sign up for $1!
As we enjoy the World Series, SABR is rolling out its own Playoff Pitch to encourage new monthly membership sign-ups. This limited-time offer will introduce new potential members to all that SABR has to offer by giving them their first month of monthly membership for just $1.
If you have friends or family members that would enjoy SABR, please encourage them to check out SABR.org/playoff-pitch for more details. It’s a fantastic way to dive into the rich history, research, stories, and stats that celebrate our beloved game, so please share our community with anyone you’ve ever thought “would love SABR!” This promotion is only valid for new monthly memberships and expires November 25, 2024.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: 2025 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will host the 25th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on August 7-9, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky. This interdisciplinary conference welcomes 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, or other Black baseball topics. Some possibilities include Louisville Black Caps, Louisville Unions, Louisville Black Colonels, Felton Snow, Sammy Hughes, barnstorming, future research, Malloy history, and much more. Proposals should include a 250-word abstract, plus a brief biographical note with contact information. For poster presentations, please indicate the number and size of posters you wish to display.
Please email your proposals to Leslie Heaphy before March 3, 2025.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Apply now for a SABR Local Grant in 2025
The SABR Local Grants program provides an opportunity for chapters, research committees, and chartered communities to apply for funding for their projects under SABR’s Four Pillars: Research, Scholarship, Preservation, and Future of the Game.
Applications are now open for a 2025 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until January 31, 2025. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2025.
Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.
The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2024
Periodically throughout the year, SABR.org publishes The SABR Bookshelf, a listing of new books that are received at the SABR office.
- Click here for more detailed information on dozens of new baseball books published in Fall 2024.
To view previous listings in The SABR Bookshelf, click here.
Help us Bring It Home in 2024 and invest in SABR’s future
SABR has made great progress toward our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball, but there is still work to be done to fulfill that goal. By investing in mission-focused initiatives and outreach, SABR will be well positioned to sustain and grow into the future. Key areas of focus to achieve that growth include the continual addition of research resources, expansion and amplification of programming, and an emphasis on connection for our members and the wider baseball community. Gifts from members like you will help us BRING IT HOME, ensuring we achieve a successful 2024 while making investments in our collective future.
You can support SABR’s annual Bring it Home Campaign by making a gift of $150 or more by December 31, 2024. We will use your best gift of $150, $300, $500, or $1,000 to boost SABR’s general operations. Contributions from generous donors like you are critical in supporting SABR as we add to our research resources, expand programming, and strengthen the connection of our baseball community.
Visit SABR.org/donate/2024 to learn more.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Renewing Your Membership
As a SABR member, you have vast resources and benefits at your disposal. With so much information at your fingertips, we realize it can be overwhelming to absorb it all! To highlight key benefits, read on for a SABR Member Benefit Spotlight, an email series that identifies and explains some of the most valuable features of your membership. We hope this allows you to take full advantage of all SABR has to offer.
This month’s issue shows you how to renew your membership and update your profile information.
Click here to read the full article at SABR.org.
Call for volunteers: Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires
Thanks to the hard work of a fantastic team of volunteers, more than 100,000 Bill Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires of players from 1945-2005 have now been transcribed. These questionnaires will give baseball researchers tremendous first-hand knowledge from the pens of 18-year-old minor-leaguers.
We’re now seeking volunteers to help match the players to their Baseball-Reference IDs, making it easier for everyone to find their favorite player. We have finished more than one-third of the players so far, and we are seeking more help to finish by the end of 2024. No experience or time commitment is needed, just a love for baseball, data, and history. You can jump right into volunteering at tinyurl.com/WeissPage, or reach out to Jason Sigler to get an informational video and more instructions.
Seeking submissions for Found Poetry of Baseball Announcers book
This is the last call for submissions for an upcoming SABR book project, Here Comes The Pizzer: The Found Poetry of Baseball Announcers, scheduled for publication in the spring of 2025.
SABR members are asked to take play-by-play calls from throughout history and fashion them into “found” poems. Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. Examples can be found in the most recent edition of Turnstyle.
To send in a submission, fill out the following form by December 15 or contact editor Eric Poulin with questions.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
2 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- Jimmy O’Connell, by Gary Sarnoff
- Tim Van Egmond, by Michael Trzinski
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
7 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- July 3, 1911: Frank Baker, ‘Philadelphia’s batting Hercules,’ hits for the cycle, by Mike Huber
- June 5, 1970: Twins’ Bert Blyleven stymies Senators in major-league debut, by Steve Ginader
- August 3, 1987: Twins’ Joe Niekro ejected for allegedly scuffing ball, by Harrison Golden
- October 16, 2007: Red Sox hit three consecutive homers, but lose Game 4 to Cleveland, by Bill Nowlin
- October 18, 2007: Beckett, Red Sox stave off elimination and send ALCS back to Boston, by Bill Nowlin
- October 20, 2007: J.D. Drew’s grand slam helps Red Sox send ALCS to Game 7, by Bill Nowlin
- August 20, 2022: Giancarlo Stanton goes down swinging in minor-league rehab game, by Kurt Blumenau
In addition, the following stories from Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth (2024) were also posted online this week:
- September 2, 1969: Willie Davis sets Dodgers record with a hit in 31st consecutive game, by Warren Campbell
- June 4, 1990: Dodgers phenom Ramón Martínez realizes potential with 18-strikeout game, by Thomas Baird
- October 2, 2004: Steve Finley’s grand slam ends Dodgers’ playoff drought, by Carter Cromwell
- June 28, 2008: Dodgers defeat Angels, 1-0, despite getting no hits, by Mike Huber
- October 8, 2009: Mark Loretta’s hit completes Dodgers’ ninth-inning rally in Game 2, by Kevin Snyder (first-time author)
- October 24, 2017: Kershaw, Turner, Mother Nature bring the heat for Dodgers in World Series opener, by John Bauer
- June 23, 2019: Dodgers win third straight game with a walk-off home run by a rookie, by Joseph Elledge
- July 10, 2021: Dodgers hit 8 home runs and score 22 runs in blowout of Diamondbacks, by Paul Hofmann
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Dazzling Debuts: First At-Bat Home Runs
Edited by Giselle Stancic, Bill Nowlin, and Jacob Pomrenke
Visit SABR.org/dazzling-debuts for exclusive highlights online or to download the free e-book edition.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Read articles from Fall 2024 Baseball Research Journal online
- Read SABR biographies for 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
- Check out highlights, photos, and recordings from the SABR 52 convention in Minneapolis
- Browse the new, searchable SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Sean Lahman donates Lahman Baseball Database to SABR
- Watch highlights from 2024 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- D. Bruce Brown selected as 2024 Bob Davids Award winner
- Save the date! SABR 53 will be in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2025
- SABR special committee: 1949-50 Negro American League, independent Black teams are major-league caliber
- Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2024
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jabari Barnett | Heartland, TX | Devin Marton | Northridge, CA | ||
| Brooks Bilton | Lee’s Summit, MO | Laurel McCurrie | Russellville, AR | ||
| Joe Broster | Jacksonville, NC | Henry Montz | Urbandale, IA | ||
| William Bruner | Ambler, PA | Jeffrey Moore | Camarillo, CA | ||
| Christina Childress | Rockford, IL | Liza Osterdock | Alamo, CA | ||
| Michael Dahlroth | Los Angeles, CA | Tyler Petrie | Maywood, NJ | ||
| Nikolay Dudaev | Krakow, POL | Jon Putnam | Cary, NC | ||
| John Enyeart | Lewisberg, PA | David Rader | Chicago, IL | ||
| Gregory Gay | Watertown, NY | Jake Rauer | Tarrytown, NY | ||
| Geoffrey Gray | Apollo Beach, FL | Robert Salta | Gulfport, FL | ||
| Wilson Griffith | Burien, WA | Alexander Sciarra | Chicago, IL | ||
| Isaac Groffman | Montclair, NJ | Chris Selig | Calgary, AB | ||
| Carlos Hernandez | Oklahoma City, OK | Lance Wheelock | Scottsdale, AZ | ||
| Marc Leger | Lower Sackville, NS | Mark Williams | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Michael Mallamaci | Philadelphia, PA |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Danny Spewak (Cardinal Dreams); Keith O’Brien (Charlie Hustle); Eric Gray (Bases to Bleachers); David W. Smith (“Where Did the 24 Minutes Go?”); Bill Humber (“Baseball Goes International”); the 19th Century Book Club (Baseball in the Garden of Eden); and a joint AL Central Chapter meeting recapping the 2024 season. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- November 17: Oklahoma Chapter meeting with Dan Evans (2:00 p.m. CST)
- November 17: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter meeting with Joe Caracciolo (7:00 p.m. EST)
- November 18: Clyde Sukeforth Chapter meeting with Anthony Salazar (7:00 p.m. EST)
- November 18: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CST)
- November 18: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with David Krell (7:00 p.m. CST)
- November 19: Games and Simulations Committee meeting with Glen Wolfram (8:00 p.m. EST)
- November 20: Joint SABR chapter meeting with John Nogowski (7:00 p.m. EST)
- November 20: Boston Chapter social meeting (8:00 p.m. EST)
- November 21: Baseball Landmarks Committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CST)
- November 21: Bay Area/Sacramento Chapter joint meeting with Yuriko Gamo Romer (7:00 p.m. PST)
- November 24: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- November 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- November 16: Dayton Chapter meeting (Dayton, OH)
- November 16: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Minneapolis, MN)
- November 16: Roush-Lopez Tampa Bay Chapter meeting (St. Petersburg, FL)
- November 16: Bob Davids Chapter: National Postal Museum exhibit tour (Washington, DC)
- November 16: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter game night (St. Louis, MO)
- November 16: Ted Williams Chapter lunch meeting (San Diego, CA)
- November 19: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- November 19: Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter meeting (Arlington, TX)
- November 20: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly lunch (Denver, CO)
- November 21: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- November 22: Juan Marichal Chapter meeting (Santo Domingo, DOM)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Biographical Research: October 2024 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: Fall 2024 newsletter (St. Louis, MO)
- Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter: Fall 2024 newsletter (Chicago, IL)
- Lajoie-Start Southern New England Chapter: November 2024 newsletter (Providence, RI)
- Larry Dierker Chapter: Fall 2024 newsletter (Houston, 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:
- Call for papers: 2025 NINE Spring Training Conference
- Molly Burkhardt: Stats guru, shining light Sarah Langs receives ovation at All-MLB Show (MLB.com)
- Ryan Divish: Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh makes baseball history with Platinum Glove award (Seattle Times)
- Rob Mains: Now Do You Believe Me About the Dodgers? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Keith Murphy: Why is the culture still missing out on Mookie Betts? (Andscape)
- Tyler Kepner: The case for — and against — each of the Classic Baseball Era Hall of Fame candidates (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: 2025 Classic Baseball Era Committee Candidate: Tommy John (FanGraphs)
- Howard Bryant: Pete Rose’s posthumous Baseball Hall of Fame argument (ESPN.com)
- Roger Cormier: The (Un)Intentional Consequences of 2024 (Baseball Prospectus)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt: Roki Sasaki’s contract situation, signing process and suitors, explained (The Athletic)
- Esteban Rivera: Let’s Talk About Why Aaron Judge Slumps (Rarely) (FanGraphs)
- Russell A. Carleton: The Age of Volatility (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: General Managers on Hitting Coaches Vis-A-Vis Swing Coaches (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Several Key Free Agents Don’t Have Great Defensive Stats (Sports Info Solutions)
- Jason Schwartz: Luis Tiant, Dick Allen Top Hobby Hopefuls for Hall of Fame (SI Collectibles)
- J.R. Radcliffe: James Beckum, architect of Milwaukee youth baseball, dies at 95 (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
- Amanda Lane Cumming: Babe Ruth Barnstorms Through the Northwest in 1924 (NW Baseball History)
- Ryan Whirty: Satch freelances in New Orleans (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Scott Crawford (Baseball and BBQ)
- Michael Kane: The Road to Completing a Vintage Set is Filled with Choices and Compromises (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Adam Darowski: Ángel Scull and My Road Back to Collecting (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Brian Kopycinski: My Personal Collection So Far (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.
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Originally published: November 15, 2024. Last Updated: November 15, 2024.