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This Week in SABR: October 21, 2022

This Week in SABR: October 21, 2022

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 21, 2022:


2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists announced

SABR Defensive IndexFor the tenth 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 Thursday, Rawlings announced the finalists for the 2022 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 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 1. The show will air on-field prior to Game Four of the World Series from the National League host ballpark.

Following the show, voting will begin online for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented by SABR. A combination of the SABR Defensive Index and the national fan vote will determine who takes home the honor in each League. The final SABR Defensive Index rankings will be released at SABR.org/SDI on November 1, immediately following the ESPN broadcast.

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


Join us on Sunday for Kelly Field historical marker dedication ceremony in Daytona Beach

Jackie Robinson rounding third base during spring training, April 20, 1946. (Ronny Jacques/Library and Archives Canada)With the support of the City of Daytona Beach and the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Branch of the NAACP, SABR’s Central Florida Chapter will install a commemorative marker at the site of Kelly Field, where Jackie Robinson and John Wright integrated spring training with the Montreal Royals in 1946, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Thanks to a Local Grant from SABR, the plaque will be unveiled for the first time as part of a ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 23 at the Midtown Cultural Center, 925 George W. Engram Blvd. in Daytona Beach.

All baseball fans are invited to attend. There will be some great presentations and SABR CEO Scott Bush will join us.

For more information about the historical marker, contact Jim Bard.


SABR Digital Library: From Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium

From Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium: Great Games in Philadelphia’s Lost Ballpark, edited by Gregory H. WolfAdd a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:

From Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium: Great Games in Philadelphia’s Lost Ballpark
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
Associate Editors: Len Levin, Bill Nowlin, and Carl Riechers
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-970159-85-1, $9.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-970159-86-8 paperback, $39.95
8.5″ x 11″, 398 pages

From Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium: Great Games in Philadelphia’s Lost Ballpark evokes memories and the exciting history of the celebrated ballpark through stories of 100 games played there and several feature essays. The games included in this volume reflect every decade in the ballpark’s history, from the inaugural game on April 12, 1909, to the last, on October 1, 1970.

Shibe Park was the home of the Philadelphia A’s from 1909 until their relocation to Kansas City after the 1954 season, as well as the Philadelphia Phillies from 1938 until the ballpark’s closure at the end of the 1970 season. In 1953 Shibe Park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in honor of the baseball icon who had managed the Athletics for their first 50 seasons. Baseball’s first steel-and-concrete ballpark, it hosted big-league baseball for 62 seasons and more than 6,000 games, including in excess of 3,500 games by the A’s and 2,500 by the Phillies.

This volume is a collaborative effort of 41 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and one of SABR’s many books showcasing historic ballparks.

Contributors include: Matt Albertson, John Bauer, Josh Berk, Nathan Bierma, John J. Burbridge Jr., Thomas J. Brown Jr., Ken Carrano, Alan Cohen, Richard Cuicchi, Rich D’Ambrosio, Paul E. Doutrich, Greg Erion, Doug Feldmann, Scott Ferkovich, Dan Fields, James Forr, Brian Frank, Gordon J. Gattie, Mike Huber, Lawrence Knorr, Kevin Larkin, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Mike Lynch, Andrew Milner, Bill Nowlin, J.G. Preston, Carl Riechers, C. Paul Rogers III, Harry Schoger, David E. Skelton, Courtney Michelle Smith, Lyle Spatz, Mark S. Sternman, Jim Sweetman, Joseph Wancho, Rich Westcott, Gregory H. Wolf, Jack Zerby, John Zinn, and Don Zminda.

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

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.


Register now for 2022 SABR Southern New England 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium

1882 Providence Grays. Back: Paul Hines, Jerry Denny, Hoss Radbourn, Jack Farrell. Middle: Tom York, Joe Start, Harry Wright, George Wright, John Ward. Front: Charlie Reilley, Sandy Nava, Barney Gilligan.SABR’s Nineteenth Century Committee, Lajoie-Start Chapter, and the Rhode Island College’s Department of History present the Southern New England 19cBB Interdisciplinary Symposium, which will take place from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 12, 2022, in Providence, Rhode Island.

The event will be held at Rhode Island College’s John Lincoln Alger Hall, 600 Library Road, Providence, RI 02908.

The symposium will be highlighted by a welcome address from author Ed Achorn (Fifty-Nine in ’84), a keynote address from Morgan Grefe, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society, an interdisciplinary talk by Elizabeth Williams of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, plus research presentations by Robert Cvornyek, Howard Chudacoff, Lauren Tuiskula, and Rick Harris.

The 2022 Southern New England 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium will be the sixth in our city-specific series. Previous symposiums were held in New York City (2014), Philadelphia (2016), Cleveland (2018), Minneapolis (2019), and Brooklyn (2021).


Early registration open for 2023 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix

2023 SABR Analytics ConferenceEarly registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from March 10-12, 2023, 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!

General sessions will be held in person on Friday, March 10 through Sunday, March 12 at the Beus Center for Law and Society in downtown Phoenix. General Session registration includes access to all programming held at the Beus Center for Law and Society, including research presentations, panel discussions, Friday evening networking reception, a boxed lunch on Friday and Saturday afternoon, and coffee talks on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Students will have two registration options, virtual or in-person, with both including access to the General Session on Friday, March 10 through Sunday, March 12, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 9.

  • Registration: Click here to register for the 2023 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.
  • 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. All student registrations also include a complimentary one-year SABR membership, which will be fulfilled after event sign-up.

Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more.


Submit your presentation abstract for 2023 SABR Analytics Conference

SABR and Sports Info Solutions are excited to announce the call for presentations for the SABR Analytics Conference on March 10-12, 2023, 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@sportsinfosolutions.com and clearly indicate whether you are submitting for the general track or for the student track of presentations.

The submission deadline for all 2023 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts is 11:59 p.m. MST on November 23, 2022.

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


Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2023 SABR Analytics Conference

With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the SABR Analytics Conference on March 10-12, 2023, 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.

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 the SABR 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.

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


Help us Bring it Home and make 2022 a historic success for SABR!

Bring it Home for SABR in 2022!As SABR continues toward our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball, it is gifts from members like you who sustain our organization, allowing us to produce wonderful baseball research and programming that reaches people everywhere.

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 in helping SABR maintain core mission programming, develop new initiatives, and ensure affordable membership access:

  • Support for Core Programming: Your donations help make SABR events possible and accessible, while fueling the productivity and development of our publishing efforts.
  • Support for New Initiatives: Your donations allow SABR to maintain its relevance and respectability in an ever-changing environment.
  • Support for Affordable Membership Access: Your donations are crucial to keeping SABR membership affordable for all, a critical aspect of fulfilling our vision to become the essential community for the world of baseball.

Visit SABR.org/donate/2022 to learn more.


The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2022

The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2022Periodically throughout the year, SABR.org publishes The SABR Bookshelf, a listing of new books that are received at the SABR office.

Click on the link above for more detailed information on each of these books:

  • From Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium: Great Games in Philadelphia’s Lost Ballpark, edited by Gregory H. Wolf
  • ¡Arriba! The Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente, edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks
  • We Are, We Can, We Will: The 1992 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays, edited by Adrian Fung and Bill Nowlin
  • Our Game, Too: Influential Figures and Milestones in Canadian Baseball, edited by Andrew North
  • The First Negro League Champion: The 1920 Chicago American Giants, edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin
  • The 1883 Philadelphia Athletics: American Association Champions, edited by Paul Hofmann and Bill Nowlin
  • Not an Easy Tale to Tell: Jackie Robinson on the Page, Stage, and Screen, edited by Ralph Carhart
  • Metropolitan Stadium: Memorable Games at Minnesota’s Diamond on the Prairie, edited by Stew Thornley
  • Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession That Changed Baseball Forever, by Dan Good
  • The Dean of Clinton County: A Baseball Novel, by Doug Feldmann
  • Once Upon a Time in Baseball: My Pastime Summers, by Jan Sumner
  • Go The Distance: The Inspirational Story of Tom Tunison, Thurman Munson and a Lifelong Quest for Baseball Immortality, by Gary Kaschak
  • Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation and Cheating, by Daniel R. Levitt and Mark Armour
  • Weird Moments in Cleveland Sports: Bottlegate, Bedbugs, and Burying the Pennant, by Vince Guerrieri
  • Beauty at Short: Dave Bancroft, the Most Unlikely Hall of Famer and His Wild Times in Baseball’s First Century, by Tom Alesia
  • Bush League Blues, by G. Mike Floyd
  • Last Time Out, by John Nogowski
  • Major League Baseball Players of the 1970s: A Biographical Dictionary from Aase to Zisk, by Bill Ballew
  • Canadian Minor League Baseball: A History Since World War II, by Jon C. Stott
  • Pee Wee Reese: The Life of a Brooklyn Dodger, by Glen Sparks
  • Frank Grant: The Life of a Black Baseball Pioneer, by Richard Bogovich
  • Johnny Mize: A Biography of Baseball’s “Big Cat”, by Lew Freedman
  • Farewell to Flatbush: The 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers, by Ronnie Joyner
  • Dodgers! An Informal History from Flatbush to Chavez Ravine, by Jim Alexander
  • The Lineup: Ten Books That Changed Baseball, by Paul Aron
  • The Mustache Gang Battles the Big Red Machine: The 1972 World Series, by John G. Robertson and Carl T. Madden
  • There’s a Bulldozer on Home Plate: A 50-Year Journey in Minor League Baseball, by Miles Wolff
  • Saving Buffalo Baseball: 1956 Buffalo Bisons, by Howard W. Henry
  • The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series, by Tyler Kepner
  • Long Way Home, by Dwayne Brenna
  • Hardball Architects, Volume 2 (National League Teams), by Derek Bain
  • The Gamekeepers: Whitewash, Blackmail, and Baseball’s Darkest Secrets, by J.B. Manheim
  • Doubleday Doubletake: One Ball, Three Strikes, One Man Out, by J.B. Manheim
  • “The Kid” Blasts a Winner: Ted Williams’ 110 Game-Winning Home Runs, by Bill Nowlin
  • Covey: A Stone’s Throw from a Coal Mine to the Hall of Fame, by Harry J. Deitz Jr.
  • Baseball Under the Palms: The History of Miami Minor League Baseball Volume Two: 1962 – 1991, by Sam Zygner
  • Deadball Trailblazers: Single-Season Records of the Modern Era, by Ronald T. Waldo
  • Just Like Me, Volume 2: When the Pros Played on the Sandlot, by Kelly G. Park
  • Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta — and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports, by Clayton Trutor
  • Passion Plays: How Religion Shaped Sports in North America, by Randall Balmer
  • Baseball and Cultural Heritage, by Gregory Ramshaw and Sean Gammon
  • Candy Cummings: The Life and Career of the Inventor of the Curveball, by Stephen Robert Katz
  • Cooperstown at the Crossroads: The Checkered History (and Uncertain Future) of Baseball’s Hall of Fame, by G. Scott Thomas

To view previous listings in The SABR Bookshelf, click here.


Sign up now for Ballpark Figures with Shakeia Taylor and Erin Santana on November 3

Ballpark Figures with Erin SantanaJoin us each month for SABR’s Ballpark Figures, a new interview series hosted by award-winning writer Shakeia Taylor. The virtual Zoom event is free and open to all active SABR members.

On Thursday, November 3, we will hear from Erin Santana, Education Coordinator for the Chicago White Sox. In her role, she helps international players adjust to life in the United States through English classes, culture classes, cultural experiences, and general support. She is a member of the advisory board for the Alliance for Gender Equality in Baseball and co-chair of the Winter Meetings Educational Committee. She was born and raised in Maine, where she played soccer, basketball, and softball throughout school. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Seton Hall University.

Visit SABR.org/ballpark-figures to learn more or to watch replays of past episodes.


Sign up now for SABR Analytics Certification online course

Watch on YouTube: SABR Analytics Certification previewIt’s time to get SABR Certified! The first course in the new SABR Analytics Certification program — Conversational Analytics and Critical Thinking in Baseball — is available online now.

The SABR Analytics Certification program is an online, on-demand curriculum offering professional development and learning opportunities for those interested in elevating their skills and knowledge relating to baseball analytics. The curriculum was developed by current baseball professionals, including employees of Major League Baseball and its clubs.

SABR members get a significant discount on this Analytics Certification course registration, saving $55 off the regular price.

Visit SABR.org/analytics/certification to sign up today or learn more.


Join us for more Stay Home With SABR virtual events

Cassidy LentSABR chapters and committees are encouraged to set up virtual meetings to stay engaged with our members throughout the world at SABR.org.

  • Can’t-Miss Event: SABR’s Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington Chapter will hold a virtual Zoom meeting at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, October 22. All baseball fans are invited to attend. Our guest speaker is Cassidy Lent, Manager of Reference Services at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, New York. Please contact Cindy Baker for the Zoom link if you wish to attend.
  • Video Replays: This week, we heard from Maxwell Kates (“Time for Expansion Baseball”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.

Here are some more upcoming virtual events you can attend online; check the Events Calendar for complete details:

  • October 22: Schott-Pelican (LA) Chapter meeting (10:00 a.m. CDT)
  • October 22: Quebec Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (1:00 p.m. EDT)
  • October 22: Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington (KY) Chapter meeting with Cassidy Lent (1:00 p.m. EDT)
  • October 25: Goose Goslin (NJ) Chapter meeting with James Overmyer (7:30 p.m. EDT)
  • October 27: Games and Simulations Committee meeting with Mark Cohen (8:00 p.m. EDT)
  • October 29: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter book club meeting (9:30 a.m. EDT)
  • October 29: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (2:00 p.m. EDT)
  • October 30: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (7:00 p.m. EDT)

In addition, the following events will be held in person:

  • October 23: Kelly Field dedication ceremony (Daytona Beach, FL)
  • October 25: History on Trial: Black Sox Scandal (Springfield, IL)
  • October 29: Smoky Joe Wood Chapter fall meeting (Middletown, CT)
  • October 29: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting (LaGrange, IL)

Find more upcoming SABR meetings on our Events Calendar page.


2 new biographies posted at SABR BioProject

Ann Cindric (Trading Card DB)Two new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project:

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


8 new stories published at the SABR Games Project

Hank Greenberg (SABR-Rucker Archive)Eight new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project:

In addition, the following stories from SABR’s Baseball’s Greatest Comeback Games (2021), edited by Bill Nowlin, have also been posted online:

New Games Project stories can be found at SABR.org/gamesproject.

  • Get involved: Have memories of a game you attended? Or a game you watched that caught your interest? Write about it! Writing for the Games Project is an easy way to get involved as a SABR member. Find out how by reading the Games Project FAQs section or checking out the Authors’ Guidelines. We have editors and fact checkers who are willing to help you write your first article.
  • Social media: Follow the SABR Games Project on Twitter or Facebook to keep up with new stories and updates.

SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with author Paul Aron

SABRcast #184: Paul AronBaseball 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 #184 on Monday, October 17 featured Paul Aron, author of The Lineup: Ten Books That Changed Baseball. He is an editor and writer for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Previously, he was a reporter at The Virginia Gazette and executive editor at Simon and Schuster. His other books include Founding Feuds: The Rivalries, Clashes, and Conflicts That Forged a Nation and American Stories. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to the full episode.

Subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or Stitcher, and listen to each episode as soon as it’s released on Mondays. To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.


Listen to a new episode of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Saturdays

Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM with Vince GennaroBehind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro, is back at a new time. Listen to new episodes at 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays on MLB Network Radio.

You can also listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio app.

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.


ICYMI: Highlights from last week’s 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: SABR.org/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.

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Michelle Barrie Lexington, MA     Robert Leach Destin, FL
Vincent Bertrand West Roxbury, MA     Jason Lewis Pen Argyl, PA
Steven Cahn Piscataway, NJ     Bradley Myers Crownsville, MD
Thomas Christensen Azusa, CA     Jack Newman Lawrence Twp, NJ
Oliver Christy Olathe, KS     Kenneth Pokrowski Lincoln Park, NJ
Tony Forray Hummelstown, PA     Owen Stanton Minneola, FL
Roger Groening Winnipeg, MB     Peter Tyson Perth Amboy, NJ
David Johnson Kingwood, TX        

Research Committee news

Here are the new research committee updates this week:

Find all SABR research committee newsletters at SABR.org/research/committees.


Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter and chartered community updates this week:

Click here for more information on SABR regional chapters. Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.


Around the Web

Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:

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.

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Originally published: October 21, 2022. Last Updated: October 21, 2022.