This Week in SABR: November 22, 2023

November 22, 2023/in This Week in SABR /by Jacob Pomrenke

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. Please note: The SABR office will be closed for Thanksgiving on November 23-24. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.

Last call: Submit presentation abstracts for 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
Double your donation’s impact on Giving Tuesday
New Oral History interviews with Italian American ballplayers
Apply now for a Local Grant in 2024
Join us on December 7 for Ballpark Figures with Vanessa Ivy Rose
Call for papers: 2024 The National Pastime

Last call: Submit presentation abstracts for SABR Analytics Conference

SABR and Sports Info Solutions are excited to announce the call for presentations for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held on March 8-10, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona.

The submission deadline for all 2024 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts is 11:59 p.m. MST on November 22, 2023. Click here to learn more or to submit a presentation abstract.

Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more:

Registration: Click here to register for the 2024 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 have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 7. 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 2024 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline to submit an abstract: November 22, 2023.
Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Click here to register your team for the 2024 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 2024 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship: Apply now for a Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Stay tuned for more information on speakers, panelists, and presenters soon! Learn more at SABR.org/analytics.

Double your donation’s impact on Giving Tuesday on November 28

With the holiday season upon us and another year coming to a close, we want to thank you for your continuing support of SABR. Donations from members like you are vital as SABR expands research, creates more pathways to participation, and builds a stronger baseball community.

Thanks to one generous member, you have the opportunity to double the impact of your donation on Giving Tuesday next week on November 28. SABR Director Bill Nowlin will match all donations made on November 28 up to a grand total of $10,000.

Visit SABR.org/donate/2023 to learn more.

Interviews with Italian American major leaguers added to SABR Oral History Collection

SABR is pleased to add more than 40 interviews with baseball figures of Italian descent to the Oral History Collection. The interviews were conducted by SABR member Lawrence Baldassaro, author of Beyond DiMaggio; Baseball Italian Style; and Tony Lazzeri, the latter of which was honored with a 2022 SABR Baseball Research Award.

Baldassaro’s interviews were recorded between 1993 and 2017, and they include eight Hall of Famers: Yogi Berra, Craig Biggio, Tony La Russa, Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Phil Rizzuto, Ron Santo, and Joe Torre. The rest of the lineup includes MVP award winners (Ken Caminiti) and All-Stars (Anthony Rizzo, Joey Votto, Barry Zito), as well as coaches, managers, umpires, and front-office executives.

Listen: Click here to find the full collection at the SABR Oral History Collection

Apply now for a SABR Local Grant in 2024

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 2024 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until January 19, 2024. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2024.

Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.

Join us on December 7 for Ballpark Figures with Vanessa Ivy Rose

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, December 7, our guest will be Vanessa Ivy Rose, the granddaughter of Baseball Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues great Turkey Stearnes; author of Hall of Fame DNA: The Legacy of Norman “Turkey” Stearnes; and host of the ABC News podcast Reclaimed: The Forgotten League.

Click here to pre-register for Ballpark Figures on December 7 with Vanessa Ivy Rose

Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more about upcoming shows or view past episodes.

Last call for papers: 2024 The National Pastime

The next SABR convention will be held on August 7-11, 2024, in Minneapolis, and we are seeking articles for our annual convention journal, The National Pastime, on teams, figures, and events around Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

Prospective writers/contributors may now pitch ideas for articles to co-editors Michael Haupert and Cecilia M. Tan. To submit an article idea or abstract, click here to fill out this form by November 30, 2023. Only submissions sent using the online portal will be considered. Authors will be notified of assignments no later than December 15, with first drafts due by April 15, 2024.

A story pitch should include a paragraph about the topic, why it’s important or relevant to the region, what drew your interest, and what resources or sources you’ll pursue to research the topic. (Topics should not duplicate the 2012 journal, The National Pastime: Short But Wondrous Summers, from the most recent Minneapolis convention.)

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

SABR Analytics Certification: Sign up now for new Level 3 course

We’re excited to announce that the newest course in the SABR Analytics Certification program, Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, is now available.

Taught by award-winning baseball writer and analyst Rob Arthur, the Level Three course provides an introduction to programming using a practical approach in its application for baseball and focusing on R (with a dash of SQL) as a programming language, the goal of this online, on-demand course is to give learners a foundational understanding of the technical skills necessary for a career in data science and baseball analytics.

To sign up now, or to learn more about previous courses, visit SABR.org/analytics/certification.

Call for papers: 2024 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

SABR’s Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields for the upcoming conference on June 6-9, 2024, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

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. Proposals should include a 250-word abstract, plus a brief biographical note with contact information. Deadline to apply: February 1, 2024.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Call for volunteers: Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires

SABR seeks volunteers to help transcribe the Bill Weiss Baseball Player Questionnaires, a collection of self-completed surveys of professional baseball players from 1945-2005, which will soon be made available at SABR.org.

No experience is needed, just a love for baseball, data, and history. We are looking for any volunteers who can spare a few hours a week (or more!) with help reading these questionnaires and writing down the player’s ambitions, background, and signing scout. Please contact Jason Sigler if you would like to be a part of our team.

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 #241 on Monday, November 20 featured a roundtable discussion on how to define a “major” league as Rob interviews authors Warren Corbett, Dan Levitt, and Justin Mckinney on the Federal League, Union Association, Continental League, and more. 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 bios published at the SABR Biography Project

Eddie Eayrs, by Bill Lamb
Charlie Fisher, by Vincent T. Ciaramella
Fred Kuhaulua, by Rory Costello
Ebbets Field (Brooklyn, NY), by John G. Zinn

Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.

9 new stories published at the SABR Games Project

June 14, 1884: Old Hoss Radbourn and Providence Grays prevail in 15 innings at Boston, by Stephen V. Rice
June 13, 1910: White Sox end three-game scoreless skid by beating Senators, Walter Johnson, by Andrew Harner
August 20, 1928: Art Shires raps out 4 hits in big-league debut with White Sox, by Mike Lynch
May 19, 1946: Mickey Vernon hits for cycle on his way to AL batting title, by Mike Huber
August 3, 1958: Ted Williams ‘promises’ home run to Pete Runnels and delivers, by Bill Nowlin
July 4, 1969: Fergie Jenkins tosses extra-inning gem to beat Bob Gibson, Cardinals, by Victoria Monte and Gregory H. Wolf
July 17, 1972: Newark Co-Pilots feel their oats on Pony Night with 26-3 whipping of Batavia, by Kurt Blumenau
April 20, 1990: Mariners’ Brian Holman hurls near-perfect heartbreaker in Oakland, by Tim Herlich
September 28, 2008: Mets lose to Marlins in final game at Shea Stadium, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.

Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.

Ebbets Field: Great, Historic, and Memorable Games in Brooklyn’s Lost Ballpark
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf

Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.

All SABR members are encouraged to submit nominations for our annual research awards, for works published or completed in 2023. The deadline to nominate is December 31:

Seymour Medal (history/biography books)
SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards (baseball analytics research)
Larry Ritter Book Award (Deadball Era books)
Russell Gabay Award (New Jersey baseball)
SABR Baseball Research Award (outstanding research articles/projects)
McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award (best history/biography articles)

Please note: Only ONE entry per nomination will be considered (do not submit multiple nominations for the same award). For more information on SABR Awards, click here.

Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:

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
Anderson Bareford	Pittsburgh, PA	Peter Olson	Nashua, NH
Hsuan Chen Chen	Spokane, WA	Ty Platow	Harleysville, PA
Connor Doyle	Coram, NY	Matt Shepardson	Romeoville, IL
Charles Dukes	Davie, FL	Nigel Sheppard	Milton Keynes, ENG
jim fitzgerald	Mechanicville, NY	Tyson Stolte	Las Cruces, NM
Jimmy Fursman	Seattle, WA	Keith Thursby	Irvine, CA
Tyler Graham	Ankeny, IA	Mike Tolomei	Farmington Hills, MI
Andre Lanoue	South St. Paul, MN	Thomas White	Cathedral City, CA
Ryan Moralejo	Boston, MA	Brad Williams	Maumelle, AR
Mateo Nissou	El Cajon, CA

Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
Video Replays: This week, we heard from Montreal Expos historian and author Danny Gallagher. Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

November 26: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting with Jamison Pack (7:00 p.m. EST)
November 28: Field of Dreams (IA) Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. CST)
November 29: Ken Keltner (WI) Badger State Chapter meeting with Donna Muscarella (7:00 p.m. CST)
November 30: Games and Simulations Committee meeting with Jason Leonard (8:00 p.m. EST)
December 3: Southern Michigan Chapter book club meeting (7:30 p.m. EST)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

November 25: Lajoie-Start Chapter fall meeting (Smithfield, RI)
December 2: Williamsport Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)

To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.

Games and Simulations: Learn more about participating in a new Baseball Sim Auction league during the offseason

Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.

Larry Dierker Chapter: November 2023 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:

2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot announced (BaseballHall.org)
Jay Jaffe: The Big Questions About the 2024 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot (FanGraphs)
Mark Simon: Premier Defenders on Hall of Fame Ballot (ACTA Sports)
Patrick Dubuque: Baseball Never Belonged to You (Baseball Prospectus)
Alex Speier: There will still be big demand for the short elite starting pitchers available in free agency (Boston Globe)
Rob Mains: What Does the Padres’ $50 Million Loan Tell Us? (Baseball Prospectus)
Ryan Divish: What to expect from Mariners star Julio Rodriguez in 2024 (Seattle Times)
Zack Meisel/Andy McCullough: What does Shohei Ohtani want? In MLB’s most mysterious free agency, everyone is in the dark (The Athletic)
Ryan Fagan: Yoshinobu Yamamoto free agency: 13 potential destinations for ace starter from Japan (Sporting News)
David Laurila: Mike Chernoff Addresses Cleveland’s Philosophy (FanGraphs)
Jayson Stark: Talking ball with new Angels manager Ron Washington, ‘a baseball generational giant’ (The Athletic)
Alex Chamberlain: A Visual Primer on Horizontal Approach Angle (FanGraphs)
Gary Cieradkowski: Mahlon Higbee: From the Bushes to the Majors in a Single Bound (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
Matt Long: Zak Ford writes inspirational book about players making it to the big leagues (Gold Country Media)
Rodney Page: The last Negro World Series: a son’s perspective (Negro Leagues Up Close)
Jason Schwartz: The (T206) Monster Comes to Life (Hobby News Daily)

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 22, 2023. Last Updated: November 22, 2023.

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