This Week in SABR: October 19, 2018

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 October 19, 2018:


2019 SABR Analytics Conference early registration is now open

Join us for the eighth annual SABR Analytics Conference on Friday, March 8 to Sunday, March 10, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, where 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. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. The early-bird registration discount ends on Monday, January 14, 2019, so register today to join us!

SABR’s long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics, coupled with our mission of advancing the understanding and knowledge of baseball, makes us the perfect choice to coordinate and host this ground-breaking event.

The Analytics Conference schedule consists 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.

Programming will begin early Friday afternoon on March 8 and will run through Sunday afternoon on March 10. Click here for highlights of the high-quality content from the 2018 conference. A large block of rooms for SABR Analytics Conference attendees is available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

In addition, the Diamond Dollars Case Competition will start at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening and the networking reception will be held on Saturday evening, March 9 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Lunch, which is included in your conference registration, will be served at noon on Friday — before the regular programming begins — and also on Saturday between the morning and afternoon sessions.

For more information on the 2019 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.


A message from the CEO

SABR members,

I am writing you today with great enthusiasm and excitement as SABR’s new Chief Executive Officer. It is a thrill and an honor to have been chosen to steward such a prestigious community of baseball fans and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to meet many of you in the coming years.  

Chapters and membership are what make SABR tick. For that reason, I am hopeful you will reach out to me as you see fit with feedback on how we can create more value in membership and assist in making this organization even stronger. In my time working in Minor League Baseball, we often said our best ideas came from fans; there is no question the best ideas for SABR will come from chapters and members, so please do not be shy about sharing your thoughts.

We launched our annual membership renewal initiative this week and are hopeful to have a fruitful renewal period as we transition from postseason baseball into Hot Stove season. Please let me and the staff know how we can assist in your membership efforts.

Finally, we have precious few baseball games left in 2018 so I hope you are able to take the time to enjoy every inning that remains!

— Scott Bush


2018 SABR Arizona Fall League Experience guest speakers announced

We have an All-Star lineup of speakers at the 10th annual SABR Arizona Fall League Experience, which will be held Thursday, November 1 to Saturday, November 3, 2018. Sign up now to join us!

The event will feature four AFL games showcasing baseball’s top prospects. On Friday night, we’ll come together for a special  taco bar dinner at our host hotel, The Saguaro, just steps away from Scottsdale Stadium and many Old Town Scottsdale attractions.

On Saturday morning after our conference breakfast, attendees will join members of SABR’s Hemond-Delhi Arizona Chapter for their regional fall meeting with research presentations and these guest speakers:

  • Scott Bush, SABR Chief Executive Officer
  • Bernie Pleskoff, baseball scout and analyst at Clubhouse Corner, with a 2018 AFL prospect breakdown
  • A panel discussion on MLB rule changes with Forbes MLB columnist Barry Bloom, San Francisco Giants radio broadcaster Marty Lurie, former major-league pitcher John D’Acquisto, and former Chicago Cubs general manager Ed Lynch

We’ll conclude the conference with the nationally televised Fall Stars Game on Saturday evening at Surprise Stadium. All of this is included in one low registration price.

  • Register now by clicking here! Registration is $239 for all SABR members and guests. (Note: The early-bird registration discount has now expired.)
  • Host hotel: SABR’s recommended hotel is The Saguaro (4000 North Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251) in Old Town Scottsdale. Click here to book your room online or call the hotel at (480) 470-8247 and mention “SABR” to book your room at our special group rate of $129/night (plus tax).
  • Schedule: Visit SABR.org/AFL for the detailed schedule

Your registration fee includes four game tickets; an AFL Media Guide; the poolside taco bar dinner on Friday; and the conference breakfast on Saturday.

Note: Local or visiting SABR members can purchase extra or optional tickets to the Friday evening taco bar dinner ($45) at The Saguaro, the Saturday morning breakfast at The Saguaro ($25), or any of the ballgames, including the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium ($7 apiece). Extra AFL Media Guides ($12) are also available for purchase while supplies last. Please contact Deb Jayne at djayne@sabr.org for details.


It’s time to renew your membership for 2019

For those of you whose SABR memberships expire by December 31 — you can check your current membership status here — it’s time for you to renew!

From the Baseball Research Journal and the SABR Digital Library to “This Week in SABR” and our extensive list of research resources — and, of course, all the memorable conferences, chapter meetings, and events — we hope you enjoyed the many benefits of SABR membership this past year.

We hope you please continue your support by renewing your SABR membership today.

  • Pay online: Click here to renew your SABR membership for 2019!
  • Renew by mail: To pay by check or money order, mail this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the office at SABR, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
  • Pay by phone: To process your credit-card payment over the phone, please call the SABR office at (602) 496-1463 during regular business hours. (We accept Visa, Mastercard, or Discover Card.)

Dues are the same as they have been in recent years: $65 for one year or $175 for three years, with discounts available to anyone under 30 or over the age of 65.

Here are some of the membership benefits that SABR members enjoyed in the past year:

  • Two issues of the Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime convention journal
  • The SABR 48 convention in Pittsburgh, where we enjoyed a spectacular trip to PNC Park, along with entertaining panels focusing on Roberto Clemente, Branch Rickey, Wendell Smith, the 1979 Pirates, and more.
  • The SABR Analytics Conference during spring training in Phoenix, where we heard from MLB Network’s Brian Kenny, ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Eduardo Perez, Seattle Mariners executives Dr. Lorena Martin and Andy McKay, Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagné, and more.
  • 8-10 new e-books published by the SABR Digital Library — all FREE to members — including From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors, Major League Baseball A Mile High: The First Quarter Century of the Colorado Rockies, and The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant: The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies
  • Discounted registration to SABR’s national events and conferences, like the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
  • Hundreds of new articles published through the SABR BioProject and the SABR Games Project
  • The work of our 30+ research committees and 70+ regional chapters
  • Free access to The Sporting News archives through Paper of Record

Want to learn more? Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about getting the most out of your SABR membership.

Please note: If you have had trouble logging in to the SABR website, please try resetting your password using this reset link. Then try logging in to renew at the link above.

Thank you for your support of SABR as we continue to strive to make SABR membership a great experience and a great value!


From the archives: SABR interviews with heroes of Octobers past

As the Major League Baseball postseason continues today, let’s take a whirl through the SABR archives for interviews with heroes of Octobers past conducted by members of our Oral History Research Committee.

Over the last four decades, the SABR Oral History Committee has compiled hundreds of interviews of former players in the majors, minors, Negro Leagues and All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, along with executives, scouts, authors and writers, broadcasters and fans.

  • Click here to listen to excerpts from our Oral History Collection, including clips from Lew Burdette, Hank Bauer, Dusty Rhodes, Al Gionfriddo, and Marty Marion.

For more information on the SABR Oral History interview collection, visit SABR.org/research/oral-history-research-committee.


Seeking nominations for the 2019 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards

What are the best baseball analytics articles you’ve read in 2018?

The 2019 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year. Click here to learn more or to submit a nomination.

Voting for the winners will be conducted online in January-February 2019 at SABR.org, BaseballProspectus.com, FanGraphs.com, HardballTimes.com and BeyondtheBoxScore.com, with results weighted equally at 20%. Results will be announced and presented at the eighth annual SABR Analytics Conference, March 8-10, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Arizona.


Registration now open for SABR Rocky Mountain Chapter banquet

The SABR Rocky Mountain Chapter is pleased to announce that our 21st Annual Chapter Banquet will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2018. For the fourth consecutive year it will be held at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. The banquet is open to all SABR members and baseball fans.

Rocky Mountain SABR welcomes several special guests to this year’s event, including Keynote Speaker Jamey Wright, former Rockies pitcher and the franchise’s first No. 1 draft pick; Featured Speaker Doug Marino of AT&T Sportsnet; SABR Director Emily Hawks; and our Master of Ceremonies for the evening, former Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh.

As usual, we will conduct our Silent Auction of baseball memorabilia and artifacts. We will reprise last year’s popular book sale and feature a special sale of Rockies baseball cards. Tickets for the banquet are $65 per person and can be purchased online by visiting RMSABR.org and clicking on the “Banquet” tab. You may also mail a check to RMSABR Banquet, 5803 Orchard Creek Lane, Boulder, CO 80301. Please make checks payable to “Rocky Mountain SABR.”

For more information, visit RMSABR.org.


Save the date! SABR 49 will be in San Diego in 2019

Save the date! SABR will be returning to San Diego for our 49th national convention on June 26-30, 2019, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego, California. Registration information and our special hotel room block will be available at SABR.org/convention in early 2019. The Padres are scheduled to play at home against the St. Louis Cardinals that weekend.

The Manchester Grand Hyatt is conveniently located within walking distance from Petco Park; our host hotel, a frequent host of baseball’s Winter Meetings, features a spectacular waterfront resort-like setting with shopping, dining, and entertainment venues in abundance at the nearby Gaslamp Quarter. The San Diego Central Library’s Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center, just a few blocks away, is home to the spectacular SABR Collection curated by our host chapter, the San Diego Ted Williams Chapter.

SABR 49 will be our second convention held in San Diego and first since 1993. Our 23rd annual convention that year featured a keynote address from former Padres manager Dick Williams and a panel celebrating the 1984 National League champions. Learn more about SABR’s convention history by clicking here.

SABR’s 2019 national convention will be our 49th annual gathering; the organization’s founding in Cooperstown in 1971 is counted as the first.

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


SABR Digital Library: Met-rospectives: A Collection of the Greatest Games in New York Mets History

New York Mets fans can soak in some Amazin’ memories with the newest book from the SABR Digital Library:

Met-rospectives: A Collection of the Greatest Games in New York Mets History
Edited by Brian Wright and Bill Nowlin

Associate Editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-87-3, $14.95

ISBN (e-book): 978-1-943816-86-6, $9.99

139 pages, 8.5″ x 11″

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

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. Find all past titles in our collection at 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 abstracts for 2019 SABR Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference

All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2019 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 11th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 26-27, 2019.

The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2018. Your abstract must be between 200-400 words for a 20- to 25-minute presentation. Please include name, title, and contact information and send your proposal as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso at peterplus4@earthlink.net.

Click here for complete details and submission criteria at SABR.org.

To learn more about the Ivor-Campbell Conference, visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c.


Join us for the 2018 SABR Cleveland 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium

Join us for the SABR Cleveland 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium, which will take place on Saturday, November 10, 2018, from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at the majestic Main Branch of the Cleveland Public Library in the heart of downtown Cleveland.

The day-long Saturday symposium will be devoted to 19th-century baseball as it was played and evolved in Cleveland and its greater region of northeastern Ohio. A keynote luncheon address of interdisciplinary history by David Goldberg, Professor of History at Cleveland State University, will provide a look at late 19th-century Cleveland with a particular understanding of one of that city’s most important and powerful forces, its transportation system. In addition to the on-site luncheon, there will be both an early morning and mid-afternoon coffee and refreshments service.

Other speakers are expected to include John Thorn, MLB’s Official Historian; John Skrtic, Director of Public Services, CPL; Jeremy Feador, Cleveland Indians, Historian & Curator; and four SABR researchers and authors with specific focus on elements of 19th-century Cleveland area baseball: David Fleitz, Joseph Wancho, Ken Krsolovic, and Bryan Fritz. Click here to download a complete schedule (PDF).

We hope to see you there!


Protoball.org seeking new website developer/advisor

Our friends at Protoball.org are looking to hire a website developer/advisor with experience and expertise in the MediaWiki software to help out with general maintenance, organization of resources, helping to integrate new data that comes in (such as SABR member Bob Tholkes’ repository of 5,000 pre-Civil War ballgames), and resolving any other technical issues or questions that pop up with their site from time to time.

The Protoball Project was established to help researchers and writers locate and refine primary data on the evolution and spread of ball play from ancient times to up to 1870, just before the first professional baseball league began.

This is a part-time remote position. If you are interested in applying, please contact Larry McCray at lmccray@mit.edu.


6 new SABR biographies published

Six new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 4,650 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week: 

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


Read all biographies from 20-Game Losers online at the SABR BioProject

In 20-Game Losers (SABR, 2017), edited by Bill Nowlin and Emmet R. Nowlin, we told the stories of the pitchers who reached the ignomious milestone of 20 losses in a season — from Hall of Famers like Steve Carlton, Phil Niekro, and Old Hoss Radbourn to lesser-known hurlers like Mike Maroth, Brian Kingman, and Kaiser Wilhelm. You have to be a very good pitcher to lose 20 games in one season. Why would a manager keep putting you out there to pitch, time after time, if you didn’t have a chance to win the game?

All of the biographies that appeared in 20-Game Losers are now available to read online at the SABR BioProject.

Click here to read them online at SABR.org.

To download the e-book edition of 20-Game Losers for free or get a 50% discount off the paperback edition, click here.


5 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

In addition, these game stories from No-Hitters (SABR, 2017), edited by Bill Nowlin, were also posted online at the SABR Games Project:

Click here to read more stories from the No-Hitters book online at the SABR Games Project.

New Games Project stories can be found at SABR.org/gamesproject/recent. Find all published Games Project articles at SABR.org/GamesProject.

If you have any questions about the Games Project, please contact Mike Huber. To request an assignment, please contact Steven C. Weiner. After the article has been completed in accordance with our Authors’ Guidelines, please submit it to Len Levin, who will initiate the editing process and get your story started toward publication.


Listen to archives of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro, will be on hiatus during the MLB postseason. After the World Series ends, the show will air again at its regular time, 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET on Sundays, on MLB Network Radio.

You can still listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App. Click here to learn more.

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM focuses on examining and interpreting the statistical analysis that plays a critical role in baseball today. It airs 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.


Seamheads.com updates Negro Leagues Database with 1948 stats

We are pleased to pass along this update from SABR member Gary Ashwill at Seamheads.com on October 17:

The latest addition to the Seamheads Negro Leagues DB encompasses the 1948 Negro American League, Negro National League, and World Series.

This was the last season for the NNL, which ceased operations in 1949 as the Homestead Grays and Black Yankees dropped out, and the four remaining teams joined the Negro American League. It was thus also the last season for the Black World Series.

In the NAL the Kansas City Monarchs won the first half behind the efforts of Jim LaMarque (8-1, 2.74), Hank Thompson (.368/.460/.613), and Willard Brown (.387/.460/.622), but were upset in the league championship series by the second-half champion Birmingham Black Barons, led by a 17-year-old rookie named Willie Mays. The Black Barons had plenty of other good players, though, not the least of which was shortstop and batting champ Artie Wilson, who became the last player in a U.S. professional league to bat .400 in the 20th century (.402 according to official statistics, and a whopping .462 in the subset of games with box scores).

The Barons met their match in the World Series in the form of the veteran Homestead Grays, who cut them down in five games despite being exiled from both of their home parks due to scheduling conflicts with the Pirates and Senators, their major league landlords. This marked the third time in six years that the Grays defeated Birmingham in the black fall classic.

To view the award-winning Seamheads Negro Leagues Database, visit Seamheads.com/NegroLgs/index.php

To read SABR biographies from Bittersweet Goodbye: The Black Barons, the Grays, and the 1948 Negro League World Series, click here.


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: https://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 Membership 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
Karen Bent Lakewood, CO     Scott Oppenheimer Venice, CA
Russell Eassom London, ENG     Michael Pompili Pawtucket, RI
Drew Heiderscheidt Aurora, CO     Trifin Roule Silver Spring, MD
Ryan Johnston Golden, CO     Robert Saunders Windermere, FL
Richard Kocemba Reminderville, OH     Evelyn Skoumbourdis Philadelphia, PA
Sam Nalli Cleveland, OH     Matt Whelan Southborough, MA
Tony Oliver Folsom, CA     Daniel Winkler Pearl River, LA

 


Research Committee news

Here are the new 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 events on the SABR calendar:

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: October 19, 2018. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.