This Week in SABR: November 6, 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 November 6, 2015:

Fall 2015 Baseball Research Journal is on its way

Good news! The Fall 2015 edition of the Baseball Research Journal has been mailed out to all SABR members.

Those of you who receive the print edition should find your BRJ arriving in the next two to four weeks, although we’ve heard reports that some have already arrived. For digital subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered to your inboxes on Wednesday.

To learn more about contributing to a future SABR publication, click here.

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.

We hope you enjoy reading the Fall 2015 Baseball Research Journal!

SABR members, cast your vote in the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards

Once again, SABR members have the opportunity to play a key role in selecting the winners of the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards. The votes from SABR members will be equal to each of the other four categories.

  • SABR members (20%)
  • MLB.com fans (20%)
  • Front office personnel (20%)
  • Retired players (20%)
  • Media (20%)

Please see below for details on casting your SABR vote. Voting will remain open through November 13, 2015.

This year’s Esurance MLB Awards will feature nominees in two dozen categories. Individual awards will go to the Best Major Leaguer, Best Starting Pitcher, Everyday Player, Rookie, Defensive Player, Breakout Player, Bounceback Player, Manager, Executive, Social Media Personality and postseason performer. Winners will also be recognized for the year’s best offensive play, defensive play, Moment, single-game performance, Social Media Post, Celebrity Fan, Fan Catch, Interview, TV call, radio call, Player-Fan Interaction, Video Board Moment and Trending Topic.

To cast your SABR vote in the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards:

  1. Visit https://securea.mlb.com/mlb/awards/y2015/mlb-awards/?voterType=sabr
  2. Log in to your MLB.com account in the upper-right corner or register for a free account at MLB.com using your primary e-mail address on file with SABR. (See this screenshot for details.)
  3. Vote for your top selections in any award category. The deadline to cast your SABR vote is 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, November 13. You can still cast a fan vote without logging in through the end of the public voting period on MLB.com.

Visit mlb.com/awards to learn more. Winners will be announced live on MLB Network and MLB.com on November 20, 2015.

2015 SABR Arizona Fall League Experience gets under way

The Hot Stove is warming up and so are attendees at the seventh annual SABR Arizona Fall League Experience, which kicked off this week and continues through Saturday.

About 40 conference guests took in an AFL game between the Peoria Javelinas at Scottsdale Scorpions on Thursday afternoon, then took part in a special ballpark dinner with guest speakers Clint Fagan and Nicholas Lentz, who umpired Thursday night’s fall league game between the Mesa Solar Sox and Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

Today, AFL conference attendees will take in another game at Camelback Ranch in Glendale before enjoying dinner with members of the Arizona Major League Alumni at the legendary baseball hangout Don and Charlie’s in Scottsdale.

On Saturday morning, attendees will join members of SABR’s Flame Delhi (Arizona) Chapter for their regional fall meeting. Saturday night is always a highlight of the conference as the top prospects from every organization participate in the AFL Fall Stars Game at Salt River Fields.

For more details and a complete schedule, visit SABR.org/AFL.

Watch: 2015 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners announced next Tuesday

The 2015 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® winners will be unveiled during a one-hour, ESPN “Baseball Tonight” primetime special on Tuesday, November 10 beginning at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

For the third consecutive season, the SABR Defensive Index™ will be used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR. The SABR Defensive Index accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process that was added to the votes from the managers and coaches. The latest SDI rankings can be found at SABR.org/SDI. The final SDI results will be released following the conclusion of the 2015 season.

Following the ESPN announcement telecast, voting for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™ presented by SABR will begin at Rawlings.com, allowing the general public to weigh in as to who is “The Finest in the Field®” in both the American League and National League. Fans can only select one player among the 2015 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners from each League. A combination of the international fan vote and the SABR Defensive Index will determine who takes home the honor of each League’s top defensive player.

The SDI is compiled by the SABR Defensive Committee, which includes SABR President Vince Gennaro, Sean Forman of Baseball-Reference.com, Ben Jedlovec of Baseball Info Solutions, SABR Director F.X. Flinn, author and defensive metrics expert Chris Dial, and author Michael Humphreys.

Learn more about the SABR Defensive Index and view updated rankings at SABR.org/SDI.

Early registration now open for 2016 SABR Analytics Conference

SABR has a long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics. While SABR is a multi-faceted organization involved in virtually every aspect of baseball, we continue to build on our legacy by producing and hosting the fifth annual SABR Analytics 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.

The schedule 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.

  • Conference registration is available now at the SABR Store. Click here to register! The conference is open to all baseball fans. The early registration rate is $395 for SABR members and $495 for nonmembers, or $350 for currently enrolled high school or college students (includes one-year membership to SABR).
  • Book your hotel room: The 2016 SABR Analytics Conference will be held Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 12 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N. 2nd St., Phoenix, AZ 85004. Click here to book your hotel room at the special SABR group rate of $179/night (plus tax) for double occupancy. Or call (602) 252-1234 and mention that you’re with the SABR Analytics Conference.

Check back soon at SABR.org/analytics as we announce some of our featured speakers, panels and presentations for the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference!

Related links:

Students: Apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend 2016 SABR Analytics Conference

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the 2016 SABR Analytics Conference on March 10-12, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, air transportation and lodging up to a total value of $1,250.

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

Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Some form of age verification (photocopy of driver’s license, passport, etc.) must be attached to your application. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than December 31, 2015.

Click here for complete details on eligibility requirements and submission details. Or Click here to download the PDF application.

Help us reach our 2015 donation-drive goal

This has been a banner year for SABR, and you can help us bring 2015 to an even more successful close by making a charitable contribution to our year-end donation drive.

SABR depends upon the volunteer work of members to mount our exciting events like the SABR Convention, the Analytics Conference, and the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference; to produce groundbreaking research through the SABR Digital Library e-book program, the Baseball Research Journal, and The National Pastime; and to expand the online resources of the research committees, regional chapters, the BioProject, the Games Project, and much more. SABR continues to offer unparalleled opportunities for involvement and benefits for members around the world.

As a 501(c)3 organization, tax-deductible donations allow SABR to expand member opportunities and to become an even larger voice in the baseball community. Many members have already become donors, and you can join them right now by making your gift online at SABR.org/donate. Please help us reach our donation drive goal!

You can also send your donation by check to: SABR, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

All of us at SABR appreciate your support of our great organization and the game we love.

To learn more, visit SABR.org/donate.

It’s almost time to renew your SABR membership

For those of you whose SABR memberships expire by December 31 — you can check your current membership status here — it’s almost time for you to renew! We’re excited about the upcoming year ahead of us and we hope you’ll take advantage of all the great membership benefits offered to SABR members in 2016. Here’s a short list:

http://sabr.org/member-benefits

You can renew your membership for 1 year or 3 years online at the SABR Store; by phone at (602) 496-1460; or by mailing this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the office at: SABR, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Dues are the same as they have been in recent years: for this, you get two editions of the Baseball Research Journal, the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime; 8-10 free e-books published by the SABR Digital Library; “This Week in SABR” every Friday; access to research resources such as Paper of Record (with complete archives of The Sporting News); discounts to all SABR conferences such as the National Convention (Miami 2016), the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference; discounts to MLB.TV; and much, much more.

We believe SABR has something for everyone, from the active researcher to someone passionate about baseball. We hope you’ll invite your friends, colleagues and family members to join at store.sabr.org.

  • Add a family member for $15: Any SABR member can add a family member in the same household for $15 per year; they will receive all electronic member benefits and access to the website, but no printed publications. To add a new family member, please contact Membership Director Deb Jayne. Note: In order to renew your existing family membership, you must log in to the SABR website under the family member’s username/e-mail address, not your own.

SABR Digital Library: A Pennant for the Twin Cities: The 1965 Minnesota Twins

Add a pennant-winning book to your collection with the newest title from the SABR Digital Library:

A Pennant for the Twin Cities: The 1965 Minnesota Twins
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
Associate Editors: James Forr, Len Levin, and Bill Nowlin
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-943816-08-8, $9.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-09-5, $19.95
404 pages

This volume celebrates the 1965 Minnesota Twins, who captured the American League pennant in just their fifth season in the Twin Cities. Led by an All-Star cast, from Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Zoilo Versalles, and Mudcat Grant to Bob Allison, Jim Kaat, Earl Battey, and Jim Perry, the Twins won 102 games, but bowed to the Los Angeles Dodgers and a herculean performance by Sandy Koufax in Game Seven of the World Series.

Included are the life and baseball stories of all 35 roster players, the coaches, and manager of the 1965 Twins, plus team owner Calvin Griffith; broadcasters Herb Carneal, Halsey Hall, and Ray Scott; and sportswriters Dick Gordon and Max Nichols. A comprehensive summary of the regular season, as well as meticulous essays highlighting important games and the All-Star Game played in Minnesota, an overview of the 1965 Dodgers, and thorough summaries the World Series games are included. Chapters about how the Griffith family built its pennant winner, the fate of the Twins after 1965, Metropolitan Stadium, and the 1965 season “by the numbers” round out the book.

Contributors include Marc Z. Aaron, Mark Armour, Peter C. Bjarkman, Alan Cohen, Tracy J.R. Collins, Rory Costello, Jeff English, Greg Erion, Dan Fields, Jan Finkel, Chip Greene, Kevin Hennessy, Jack Herrman, Jimmy Keenan, Norm King, Ben Klein, Patrick Lethert, Daniel R. Levitt, Bill Nowlin, J.G. Preston, Joel Rippel, Frank Russo, Rick Schabowski, Steve Schmitt, Doug Skipper, John Swol, Stew Thornley, Tom Tomashek, Joseph Wancho, Steve West, and Gregory H. Wolf.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. To download all past releases, visit SABR.org/ebooks.

  • 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.

Two weeks left to submit papers for The National Pastime convention journal

The 46th annual SABR national convention will take place July 27-31, 2016, in Miami, Florida.

To coincide with the convention, the summer 2016 issue of The National Pastime will focus on Florida and particularly Miami-area baseball. Florida has had a long relationship with Major League Baseball as the home of the Grapefruit League spring training, as well as various minor leagues, college baseball powerhouses, and two current major-league expansion franchises.

This issue of The National Pastime will be edited by publications director Cecilia Tan. She will be taking queries and abstracts until November 15, 2015, and will make assignments no later than December 1. First drafts of articles will be due no later than March 1, 2016, and rewrites (if needed) will be due by April 15.

Remember that every article must include proper citation of sources and present a clear thesis, and to be published in a SABR journal, your SABR membership must be current.

Note also that the TNP will have both a print edition (given out to SABR 46 convention attendees) and an expanded e-book version that will be sent to all SABR members. Some, but not all, of the articles will be selected to appear in the print edition, while more will appear in the electronic edition.

Save the date! SABR Day is coming up on January 30, 2016

Just a reminder to all that the seventh annual SABR Day will be held Saturday, January 30, 2016. We’re starting to compile details now on 2016 SABR Day chapter meetings around the country. We’ll post them as soon as we get them at SABR.org/sabrday.

Regional SABR meetings are open to all baseball fans and are usually free to attend, so bring a friend! Guest speakers often include current and former baseball players, managers, umpires, executives, scouts, writers and authors.

Check back soon at SABR.org/sabrday for more information on a SABR Day meeting close to you.

For a complete recap of 2015 SABR Day activities, visit SABR.org/sabrday.

5 new biographies posted at SABR BioProject

Five new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 3,477 published biographies. Here are the new bios:

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

  • Help us write 2016 Hall of Fame biographies: SABR Director Emily Hawks has launched a new BioProject initiative for biographies of players who are likely to be on the 2016 Hall of Fame ballot later this year, and a few players still need biographers. If you are interested in writing a SABR biography for one of these players, please contact Emily Hawks at emilyhawks@gmail.com: Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Jeff Kent, Jason Kendall, Jim Edmonds.

1957 Milwaukee Braves biographies now posted online

In Thar’s Joy in Braveland! The 1957 Milwaukee Braves, edited by Gregory H. Wolf and published by SABR in 2014, we celebrated the Milwaukee Braves’ historic 1957 World Series championship season.

Led by the bats of National League Most Valuable Player Henry Aaron and slugging third baseman Eddie Mathews and the “Big Three” pitching trio (Cy Young Award winner Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, and Bob Buhl) the Braves won 95 games. The team enjoyed standout seasons by shortstop Johnny Logan, outfielder Wes Covington, and catcher Del Crandall. And GM John Quinn pulled off the biggest trade of the summer, acquiring All-Star second baseman Red Schoendienst from the New York Giants. The Braves cemented their place in history by defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series.

The SABR BioProject biographies that appeared in that book can now be read online at:

http://sabr.org/category/completed-book-projects/1957-milwaukee-braves

1 new story published by the SABR Games Project

One new game story was posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here is the new game story:

All new Games Project stories can be found here: http://sabr.org/gamesproject/recent

100 years ago, Kansas City’s first major-league pennant race

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in “Unions to Royals: The Story of Professional Baseball in Kansas City,” the 1996 SABR convention journal. For a multimedia history of SABR conventions, click here.

Long forgotten by most Kansas Citians, the 1915 Federal League gave the city its first real major-league pennant race, and still it was one of the most exciting.

A mid-season replacement team in the league’s inaugural minor-league season of 1913, the Kansas City Packers were a true dark horse for its concluding one. Finishing a distant sixth place (67-84, 20 games out of first) in 1914, the franchise had barely survived the offseason, losing their ballpark to a flash flood in the waning days of the previous campaign, and just staving off the league’s attempt to move them to Newark. In the wake of those maneuverings, the Indianapolis franchise was transferred instead of Kansas City. Expected to finish again in the nether reaches of the standings, the Packers were the surprise team of the 1915 season, leading the league for a large part of the way, contending until the last few weeks. They never let up through the entire season.

This was a team with no stars; only a handful of its players had major-league careers of significant length. The pitching staff and starting lineup were both studded with unknowns and mediocrities, a Cinderella team if ever there was one.

Read the full article here: http://sabr.org/research/1915-kansas-city-packers

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
Carlo Alvarez Chagrin Falls, OH     Larry Moore Lenox, MA
Brendon Baatz Silver Spring, MD     Ian Orr Omaha, NE
Joe Bandini San Diego, CA     Jeff Passel Arlington, VA
Spencer Bard Lumberton, NJ     John Pielli Jackson, NJ
Mark Byrnes Phoenix, AZ     Edward Saroney Camillus, NY
Dale Carey Miami, FL     Barry Shurak Naples, FL
Bill Cornell San Jose, CA     Craig Soderberg Veneta, OR
Stephen Glotfelty Valencia, CA     John Welch Birmingham, AL
Mary Lasher Morgan Hill, CA     Wayne Wilson Los Angeles, CA
Jeff Masten Wausau, WI        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR 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:

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: November 6, 2015. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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