This Week in SABR: October 20, 2023
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, October 20, 2023.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Present your research at the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists announced
Sign up now for Ballpark Figures with Meg Rowley
Call for papers: 2024 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
SABR Analytics Certification: Sign up now for new Level 3 course
Submit new project proposals to SABR Editorial Board by November 1
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Research presentation abstracts now accepted for 2024 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.
Stay tuned for more information on speakers, panelists, and presenters soon! Learn more at SABR.org/analytics.
2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists announced
For the eleventh consecutive season, the SABR Defensive Index (SDI) will be used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented by SABR.
On Wednesday, Rawlings announced the finalists for the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, honoring the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League and National League. The winners will be unveiled during a one-hour, special-edition ESPN Baseball Tonight broadcast at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 5.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Sign up for Ballpark Figures with Meg Rowley on November 2
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, November 2, our guest will be Meg Rowley, managing editor of FanGraphs and co-host of the Effectively Wild podcast.
Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more about upcoming shows or view past episodes.
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.
Help us Bring it Home in 2023 and build a stronger future for SABR!
Much like circling the baseball diamond, SABR rounds the bases every year through guiding principles of research, participation, and community. At first base is the fundamental component of our mission: research. At second base is participation, through which we produce wonderful baseball research and programming that reaches people everywhere. We round third at community, as we strive towards our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball. Gifts from members like you will now help SABR BRING IT HOME, making 2023 a historic success while building for a bright future.
You can support SABR’s end of year Bring it Home Campaign by making a gift of $150 or more by December 31, 2022. 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 vital as SABR expands research, creates more pathways to participation, and builds a stronger baseball community.
Visit SABR.org/donate/2023 to learn more.
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.
Read SABR biographies of 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot candidates
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced the eight-player ballot that will be considered by its Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Hall of Fame election for the Class of 2024. The Contemporary Era Committee will meet at baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee. The results will be announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” on Sunday, December 3.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Managers/Executives/Umpires ballot includes Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, Lou Piniella, Joe West, and Bill White.
Call for papers: 2024 Frederick 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 2024 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 15th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 19-20, 2024. The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2023.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Submit new project proposals to SABR Editorial Board by November 1
SABR’s Editorial Board welcomes new project proposals from members to be considered for publication through the Digital Library, SABR.org, or any other multimedia formats. We strongly encourage new proposals that involve collaboration between SABR research committees and/or chapters, and web-based projects with an eye toward enhanced multimedia presentation.
- Click here to submit a SABR project proposal
Next deadline: November 1, 2023 (for publication in early 2025 or 2026)
SABR seeks to publish 2-4 web-based multimedia projects and 6-8 books per year. Book projects should be of a scope that can fit in a single volume, typically between 100,000 and 200,000 total words.
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 #236 on Monday, October 16 featured Eddie Frierson, an actor, broadcaster, baseball coach, author, and SABR member. 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.
3 new biographies published at the SABR BioProject
- Duff Cooley, by Doug Wright
- Greg Harts, by Rory Costello
- Watt Powell Park (Charleston, WV), by Abigail Miskowiec
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
10 new stories published at the SABR Games Project
- October 5, 1884: Maroons’ Sweeney, Boyle combine to toss and lose rain-shortened Union Association no-hitter, by Gregory H. Wolf
- June 17, 1889: George Goetz’s only major-league win extends Louisville’s losing streak to 21, by Richard Bogovich
- October 2, 1909: Jack Kull records only major-league win as Athletics beat Walter Johnson, by Jack Morris
- October 5, 1913: Frank Wickware wins barnstorming battle between the Big Train and ‘Black Walter Johnson’, by Francis A. Harte (first-time author)
- July 23, 1933: Seals’ Joe DiMaggio extends hitting streak to 60 games, by Gary Belleville
- September 9, 1939: Dodgers’ Chris Hartje delivers off the bench in major-league debut, by Eric Vickrey
- July 18, 1972: Home sweet home: Elmira ends 28-day flood displacement with win, by Kurt Blumenau
- September 25, 2004: Red Sox beat Yankees with seven-run eighth inning, by Bill Nowlin
- May 12, 2006: Phillies’ Cole Hamels shines in major-league debut, by Steve Ginader
- September 17, 2022: Amed Rosario records eight hits, and a walk-off knock, in doubleheader sweep, by Laura H. Peebles
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Read essays from new Nichibei Yakyu book on Japan baseball tours
All essays from the SABR Digital Library book, Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1907-1958, are now available to read online in the SABR Research Collection.
Over 100 baseball teams from the United States and Hawaii have crossed the Pacific to play baseball in Japan. Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan is the first book written in English that focuses on these international tours. Between 1907 and 1958, many of the sport’s greatest stars—including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson—played in the Land of the Rising Sun. These tours helped spread the game across the globe, spawned thousands of individual friendships, and helped bring nations together through the mutual love of baseball.
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.
The Stars Shone on Philadelphia: The 1934 Negro National League Champions
Edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Save the date! SABR 52 will be in Minneapolis in 2024
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- 40,000 rare images now available in SABR-Rucker Archive
- Maybelle Blair honored with Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award
- In Memoriam: Former SABR Board President Dick Beverage
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- SABR forms new Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee
- Save the date! 2024 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference to be held in Cooperstown
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 13
- Highlights from the 2023 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- SABR Landmarks Committee unveils new Baseball Grave Map
- Read articles from new 2023 The National Pastime online
- Watch video highlights from 2023 SABR Analytics Conference
- Learn more about the recipients of 2023 SABR Local Grants
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Albright | Westerville, OH | Jeff Loesel | Potomac, MD | ||
| Lindsay Berra | Little Falls, NJ | Carlo Macomber | Denver, CO | ||
| Anthony Biats | Willoughby, OH | Toni Martin | New York, NY | ||
| Samantha Boelter | Carnation, WA | Jill McDonald | |||
| Ian Bussieres | Thetford Mines, QC | Brian Moazen | Knoxville, TN | ||
| Jim Caruthers | Grapevine, TX | Philip Nero | Shorewood, WI | ||
| William Cohen | Washington, DC | Richard O’Connor | Chicago, IL | ||
| Kenneth Domonkos | Fountain Inn, SC | Jamison Pack | Morristown, TN | ||
| Dominic Dundee | Mentor, OH | Logan Patalas | Du Quoin, IL | ||
| Jeffrey Engels | Seattle, WA | Alberto Perdomo | Doral, FL | ||
| Anthony Grego | Simpsonville, SC | Jonathan Rice | Greensboro, NC | ||
| Pallas Gutierrez | New York, NY | Spencer Seguin | Kitchener, ON | ||
| Trevor Henry | Maryville, TN | Shawn Smith | Grand Blanc, MI |
- Events Calendar: Find complete details of all SABR events
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Paul Boren (“Baseball & Labor 1965-1975”). Click here to view more video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- October 24: Northern New England Chapter meeting with Steve Gietschier (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- October 24: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- October 24: New SABR Member Experience Meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- October 24: Allan Roth (CA) Chapter meeting with Catalina Lara and Erik Sherman (6:00 p.m. PDT)
- October 26: Games and Simulations meeting with Chris Taylor (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- October 28: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter book club meeting (9:30 a.m. EDT)
- October 28: Schott-Pelican (LA) Chapter meeting (10:00 a.m. CDT)
- October 28: Josh Gibson Foundation: Todd Peterson (12:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- October 21: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- October 24: Central Illinois Chapter luncheon (Normal, IL)
- October 28: Smoky Joe Wood Chapter meeting (Middletown, CT)
- October 28: Ted Williams Chapter meeting (San Diego, CA)
- October 28: Luke Easter Chapter meet-up (Rochester, NY)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Baseball Records: Fall 2023 newsletter
- Minor Leagues: Fall 2023 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: October 4 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: October 2023 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
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:
- Jay Jaffe: Managers, Umpires, and Executives Get Their Hall of Fame Shot (FanGraphs)
- Alex Eisert: The Postseason Pitching/Hitting Divide Might Be Widening (FanGraphs)
- Russell A. Carleton: A Fan’s Guide to Choking (Baseball Prospectus)
- Chad Jennings/Stephen J. Nesbitt: The voices in their heads: With PitchCom, pitchers never sure who they may hear (The Athletic)
- Rob Mains: Why Upsets Happen, Probabilistically (Baseball Prospectus)
- Eno Sarris: Clutch gene? The hot hand? What the numbers say about old-school playoff beliefs (The Athletic)
- Michael Baumann: How to Live the Entire Human Experience in One Inning (FanGraphs)
- Tyler Kepner: Trea Turner makes history as he stars in Phillies’ playoff run to cap turnaround season (The Athletic)
- Richard Justice: An All-Texas MLB Playoff Series 50 Years in the Making (Texas Monthly)
- Sarah Langs: 4,276 wins, four WS titles: An ALCS managerial matchup for the ages (MLB.com)
- Anthony DiComo: Torey Lovullo, Rob Thomson, former Class A teammates, face off in 2023 NLCS (MLB.com)
- Jayson Stark: Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt and Ketel Marte stir the ghosts of postseasons past (The Athletic)
- Derrick Goold: Jordan Montgomery, Mike Maddux unite for awaited October success; just not as Cardinals (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Davy Andrews: Outpitching Peripherals in the Postseason (FanGraphs)
- Steven Goldman: They Can’t All Be Winners (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Five Years and a Rule-5 Later, Ryan Noda Receives a Third Comp (FanGraphs)
- Ryan Fagan: The Steve Bartman Game: What it was like inside Wrigley from a Cubs fan and a rookie announcer (Sporting News)
- Mark Simon: Fielding Bible Awards Preview (ACTA Sports)
- Yoo Jee-ho: KBO announces candidates for inaugural Fielding Award (Yonhap News)
- Nathan Warters: W&M research team to host Japanese baseball symposium (WM.edu)
- Stacy Jackson: D.C. Intersection To Be Renamed After Negro League’s First Female Pitcher (Black Enterprise)
- Amanda Lane: A Brief History of Baseball Games Taking Too Long (NW Baseball History)
- Evan Katz: Alfred University Produces Pro Baseball Players Without a Baseball Team (Baseball By The Sea)
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: October 20, 2023. Last Updated: October 20, 2023.