This Week in SABR: October 24, 2014

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Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Here’s what we’ve been up to as of October 24, 2014:

2014 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists announced

For the second 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 30 total “votes” — or approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process — which are 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 2014 season at SABR.org.

The 2014 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® winners will be unveiled during a one-hour, ESPN2 “Baseball Tonight” primetime special on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

Following the ESPN2 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 2014 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.

The SABR Defensive Index draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. The three metrics representing batted ball data include Defensive Runs Saved from Baseball Info Solutions, Ultimate Zone Rating developed by noted sabermetrician Mitchel Lichtman, and Runs Effectively Defended based on STATS Zone Rating and built by SABR Defensive Committee member Chris Dial. The two metrics included in the SDI originating from play-by-play data are Defensive Regression Analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and Total Zone Rating.

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

Early registration open for 2015 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 have taken a major step to re-connect with our beginnings by producing and hosting the fourth annual:

SABR Analytics Conference
March 12-14, 2015
Hyatt Regency Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona

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).

The 2015 SABR Analytics Conference will be held Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14 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 $174/night (plus tax) for double occupancy. Or call (602) 252-1234 and mention that you’re with the SABR Analytics Conference.

Check back soon as we announce some of our featured speakers, panels and presentations!

SABR’s long history in this area of baseball research, 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.

For complete details and information, visit SABR.org/analytics.

The third annual SABR Analytics Conference was held March 13-15, 2014, in Phoenix, Arizona. Check out highlights at SABR.org/analytics/2014.

Related links:

Last call: Register for 2014 SABR Arizona Fall League Conference

Can’t make it to the entire 2014 SABR Arizona Fall League Conference next week? You can still register for individual sessions during the sixth annual AFL Conference, which will be held October 30-November 1, 2014, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Single-event rates are available for the following sessions:

  • Thursday, October 30: AFL game ticket/ballpark dinner at Salt River, $30 per person
  • Friday, October 31: Dinner at Don and Charlie’s with AZ Major League Alumni, $40 per person
  • Saturday, November 1: Game ticket to AFL Fall Stars Game at Salt River, $7 per person

To register online, click here.

The full registration fee of $195 includes all game tickets; an AFL Media Guide; dinner at Don and Charlie’s; a special evening with Arizona Major League Alumni; and transportation to and from all events. Hotel registration includes breakfast and complimentary happy hour each day.

  • Host hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Old Town Scottsdale, 3131 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Visit www.hiescottsdalehotel.com or call (480) 675-7665. The deadline to book your room at the SABR group rate of $99/night (plus tax) was Monday, September 29. You can still book your room at the regular rate by visiting the hotel website or making a reservation by phone.
  • Questions: Contact Rodney Johnson at sabrrodney@aol.com.

The conference will feature four AFL games. On Thursday afternoon, we’ll take a special tour of new Cubs Park in Mesa and see a game there, then in the evening we’ll have a ballpark dinner and guest speaker at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick before the Salt River Rafters-Surprise Saguaros game. In addition, we’ll also have dinner at Don and Charlie’s in Scottsdale, home to one of the great sports memorabilia collections you will ever see, and a special evening with members of the Arizona Major League Alumni.

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 at Talking Stick. All of this, including transportation, is included in one low registration price.

The full conference schedule is now available at SABR.org/AFL.

Almost time to renew your SABR membership

For those of you whose SABR memberships expire on 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 2015. 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) 343-6450; or by mailing this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the SABR office at 4455 E. Camelback Road, Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018.

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 (Chicago 2015), 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 http://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.

Donate to SABR and support the future of baseball research

In my 31 years as a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, I have seen SABR evolve greatly as an organization, offering unparalleled opportunities and benefits for members and commanding respect throughout the baseball community. And I have seen that first-hand: In 1983, I attended my first SABR Convention in my hometown of Milwaukee, where I was thrilled to meet some of the organization’s founders. This past year, I attended both the 2014 Analytics Conference and the 44th annual convention in Houston — and I’m equally thrilled for SABR’s future after getting to know the staff and volunteer leadership now in place.

To continue to grow as an organization, and to seize the great opportunities now within reach, SABR is in need of charitable gifts. Many members have already become donors, and you can join them right now by making your gift online at SABR.org/donate.

SABR is a 501(c)3 organization, which means your donation is tax deductible in the U.S. to the fullest extent of the law.

While the incentives are attractive, the real benefit is the satisfaction received from contributing to the continuing knowledge and appreciation of our national pastime.

Please join me in supporting SABR and send your donation by check to SABR Donor Program, 4455 E. Camelback Road, Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018 — or by visiting SABR.org and pressing the convenient DONATE button at the top of the page. By doing so you help SABR fulfill its mission and increase the impact of our baseball analysis and historical study.

Many companies offer matching gift programs to encourage employees to contribute to charitable organizations. Please check with your company to see if it offers a matching gift program that will match your gift or volunteer hours to the Society for American Baseball Research. If you have questions regarding your gift, e-mail me at pbolda@sabr.org.

— Phillip Bolda, Chair, SABR Fundraising and Development Committee

Save the date! SABR Day is coming up on January 24, 2015

Just a reminder to all that the sixth annual SABR Day will be held Saturday, January 24, 2015. We’re starting to compile details now on 2015 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 2014 SABR Day activities, visit SABR.org/sabrday.

Register now for 2014 NYC 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium

Both baseball and non-baseball historians of the 19th century will present a day-long NYC 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2014, at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (524 W. 59th Street in New York). This interdisciplinary symposium, co-hosted by SABR’s Nineteenth Century and Origins Committees, is intended to illuminate New York City’s indelible contributions to the origins, growth, spread, and institutionalization of the game as we know it today, and how, in turn New York baseball of the era, impacted the lives of 19th-century New Yorkers and Americans beyond.

To help derive a greater understanding of what is known and what is not known about 19th-century baseball in and around New York City, SABR’s Nineteenth Century and Origins Committees have established the inaugural NYC 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium on Saturday, November 15, 2014, to bring together a rare assembly of both leading baseball historians and experts on 19th-century New York City and 19th-century life.

The all-day program of panel discussions and research presentations will cover the last six decades of the 19th century, which will be divided between baseball’s Pre-Professional Era (1840s-1870) in the morning and its Professional Era (1871-1900) in the afternoon. The $95.00 registration fee ($45.00 for students with currently valid College IDs) will include a comprehensive packet of symposium handout materials, a continental breakfast service, and a full hot buffet luncheon with a keynote address by NYC historian, author, and curator, Steven H. Jaffe (see below).

There will also be an optional post-symposium gathering immediately following the day’s program at a nearby restaurant (food and beverage are individual pay).

The interdisciplinary program will feature baseball historians, authors and researchers, including: Major League Baseball Official Historian John Thorn; William Ryczek; Tom Gilbert; George Thompson; Robert Bailey; David Dyte; William Lamb; David Nemec; Donald Jensen; Ralph Carhart; and David Krell, among others.

An exclusive “interview” by Gary O’Maxfield of NYC baseball pioneer Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (1814-1899) will be provided by his great-granddaughter and “Doc” Adams historian, Marjorie Adams.

Three dedicated and highly regarded non-baseball historians, whose devotion to their respective studies go well beyond the letters following their names, will be joining this program as guest faculty. They are:

  • Keynote Speaker Dr. Steven H. Jaffe, historian, author and curator, currently the guest curator of the exhibition “Activist New York” at the Museum of the City of New York and author of New York at War: Four Centuries of Combat, Fear, and Intrigue in Gotham (Basic Books, 2012) and Who Were the Founding Fathers? Two Hundred Years of Reinventing American History (Henry Holt, 1996).
  • Dr. Ann Fabian, who will present on “Gambling in 19th Century America”. Dr. Fabian is Distinguished Professor of History and American Studies at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is the author of Card Sharps, Dream Books & Bucket Shops: Gambling in Nineteenth-Century America (Cornell University Press, 1991; paperback, Routledge, 1999).
  • Dr. David Hochfelder will present on “How the Telegraph Helped Make Baseball the National Pastime”. Dr. Hochfelder is Associate Professor of History at University of Albany and author of The Telegraph in America: A History (Baltimore and London: John Hopkins University Press, 2012).

The symposium is open to both SABR members and to the general public. See the Registration Form for fees and payment information. To download the application for your passport to 19th-century New York City and a front-row seat to baseball being played there, please click here to download the registration form and information packet (PDF). Registration will continue until November 1, 2014 or until registration is announced “closed” due to space constraints. For questions, please contact Peter Mancuso or John Zinn.

SABR Digital Library: Van Lingle Mungo: The Man, The Song, The Players

Add a musical new book to your baseball collection with the newest title from the SABR Digital Library:

Van Lingle Mungo: The Man, The Song, The Players
Edited by Bill Nowlin
Associate Editors: James Forr and Len Levin
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-933599-76-2
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-933599-77-9

Just as 1930s and 1940s Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants pitcher Van Lingle Mungo was surprised that Dave Frishberg wrote a song around his name back in 1969, so he might have been surprised to come across this book in the year 2014. Frishberg’s song “Van Lingle Mungo” listed 37 ballplayers in the lyrics. A different version contained three different names. That’s a total of 40, and all 40 are represented with biographies in this book.

Dave Frishberg himself has been a member of SABR since 1984. This book, largely comprised of biographies of all the players mentioned in the song, is the product of the hard work and dedication of 31 other SABR members.

SABR is the Society for American Baseball Research, a group of over 6,000 enthusiasts about the game of baseball whose research interests range from the game’s history to statistical analysis, records, cultural impact, and more. The BioProject is a SABR effort to research, write, and publish biographies of every player — and every person — ever connected with organized baseball. Anyone with a love of baseball can join SABR and become a part of these efforts.

With contributions by Mark Armour, Lawrence Baldassaro, Ralph Berger, Alan Cohen, Warren Corbett, Rob Edelman, Dave Eskenazi, David Fleitz, James Forr, Jerry Grillo, Eric Hanauer, Mark Hodermarsky, Joanne Hulbert, Bill Johnson, James W. Johnson, Greg King, Norm King, Tara Krieger, Len Levin, Bill Nowlin, Armand Peterson, C. Paul Rogers III, Steve Rudman, Jim Sargent, Rick Swaine, Jim Sweetman, Stew Thornley, Joseph Wancho, Charlie Weatherby, and Gregory H. Wolf.

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.

SABR members will get all Digital Library e-books for free, and significant discounts on paperback versions. You can find all of our SABR Digital Library publications at SABR.org/ebooks.

Stay tuned throughout the year for new (and old!) titles that we’ll be adding to the SABR Digital Library!

3 new biographies published by the SABR BioProject

Three new biographies were posted as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 2,942 published biographies. Here are the new bios:

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

You can find the SABR BioProject at SABR.org/BioProject.

Bios on more than just ballplayers: The ambitious goal of the SABR Baseball Biography Project is to publish a full-life biography of every major league player in history. But SABR members write about a lot more than just ballplayers. In addition, we have pages for Ballparks, Broadcasters, Executives, Managers, Scouts, Spouses, Umpires and a lot more on the BioProject website. You can browse all of these categories at http://sabr.org/bioproj/browse. So if you’ve ever thought, “Hey, that person (or ballpark) should get the full BioProject treatment” — write the story and we’ll publish it!

Get involved! If you’d like to help contribute to the SABR BioProject, visit our BioProject Resources page or read the FAQs section to get started. We’re also looking to expand the BioProject to include all “encyclopedic” articles on baseball-related subjects from past SABR publications or committee newsletters. If you come across an article you think should be included in the SABR “baseball repository” at the BioProject, send a copy or link to markarmour04@gmail.com or jpomrenke@sabr.org.

7 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

The SABR Baseball Games Project was launched in January 2014 to research and write articles on major-league and Negro League regular, postseason, and All-Star Games. These game accounts will complement Retrosheet and Baseball-Reference box scores as well as BioProject essays on the players involved.

The articles are not intended to be mere play-by-play summaries, nor should they be first-person narratives. Rather the goal is to put each game in historical context — whether that history is of a particular player, team, season, or something even broader.

Visit the new Games Project website at SABR.org/gamesproject.

Call for papers: 2015 NINE Spring Training Conference

The 22nd Annual NINE Spring Training Conference invites original, unpublished papers that study all aspects of baseball, with particular emphasis on history and social policy implications. Abstracts only, not to exceed 300 words, should be submitted by December 3, 2014, to tstrecker@bsu.edu.

Following the submission deadline, authors will be notified as quickly as possible whether their papers have been accepted. Submission of an abstract indicates the presenter’s intent to register for and attend the conference. All authors are required to register for the conference and present their work in person.

The 22nd annual NINE Spring Training Conference on the Historical and Sociological Impact of Baseball will be held Wednesday, March 11-Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the DoubleTree by Hilton-Phoenix Tempe (2100 South Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ).

The keynote speaker is SABR member Terry Cannon, founder of the Baseball Reliquary.

Conference registration forms are available online on the NINE Website at http://www.nineregistration.com/index.html or click here for more details. The $210 conference registration fee includes the Saturday evening Seymour Medal Banquet and tickets for two spring training games, if paid prior to January 13, 2015.  After January 13, the conference fee will be $225, and game tickets are not guaranteed.

September 28 Board minutes posted

Minutes from the Board of Directors conference call on September 28, 2014, have now been posted on the SABR website.

You can view all past minutes of SABR Board meetings by going to the page below:

http://sabr.org/content/sabr-board-minutes

Or you can go to the Members’ Info page and click on “Org. files”, then “Board Minutes” to view the minutes.

In Memoriam

  • SABR member Mark Lecuru, 57, of Pickerington, Ohio, died on October 16, 2014, at Mt. Carmel East Hospital in Columbus after four years of fighting ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. A SABR member since 2009, Mark was an active member of the Hank Gowdy Chapter in Columbus and the author of an unfinished book on Gavy Cravath, a leading home run hitter in the Deadball Era. He was a passionate man who enjoyed music, baseball, and his family and friends, and extremely loving and proud of his three grandchildren, Madison, Katherine, and James. After growing up in Linn, Missouri, Mark went to St. Thomas Seminary in Hannibal, Missouri, and the Pontifical College Josephinum and Ohio Dominican College. He worked as a securities trader for Banc One Corporation of Columbus, then as a salesman and manager for Coyle Music, American Audio, Sound Ideas, Washburn Intl., and American Music Corp. He rocked and rolled with Jake Hess, Ukiah, and Rampage. He wrote many songs and books about car buying and his cancer ordeal. Mark is survived by his devoted wife of 34 years, Melody; daughters Lauren McAlexander (Ryan), Megan Lecuru (Ashley Nelson); mother Dorothy Lecuru Welch (Don); brothers Bruce Lecure (Shosh) and Paul Lecuru (Tonya); many other loving family members and friends who were like family. A funeral service was held on October 20 with burial at Violet Cemetery in Pickerington.

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.

Name Hometown     Name Hometown
Jeff Baker Chandler, AZ     Dillon Reagan Simi Valley, CA
Richard Castle Indianapolis, IN     Stanley Rothman Cheshire, CT
David Keys Las Cruces, NM     Stuart Shapiro Highland Park, NJ
Bobby Konis Cranston, RI     Ray Shaw Westport, MA
Nick Parson Berkeley, CA     Kevin Trefry South Hamilton, MA

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new SABR research committee newsletters published this week:

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

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates published 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.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox (and not the spam folder.)

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Originally published: October 24, 2014. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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