This Week in SABR: September 20, 2019

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 September 20, 2019:


SABR to expand Diamond Dollars Case Competition in 2020

SABR has announced the expansion of its relationship with the Diamond Dollars Case Competition, taking the total number of competitions from two to five. Previously, Diamond Dollars Case Competitions have been held as part of the SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix and at NYU in New York.

The five competitions scheduled for 2020 will include the SABR Analytics Conference and four regional events, with one at the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport and three held at locations to be determined. 

The Diamond Dollars Case Competition is the first national competition to be based solely on baseball operations issues and pits four- to five-person teams of undergraduate, graduate and professional school students from colleges and universities across the country against each other by preparing an analysis and presentation of a baseball operations decision. The student team presents its analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges that includes MLB front office executives. The cases are developed by former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro, author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball, and consultant to MLB teams.

The first Diamond Dollars Case Competition of 2020 will be held during the SABR Analytics Conference on March 13, 2020, with regional competitions to be scheduled later in the year. Interested schools, teams, and partners are encouraged to contact SABR for more information.

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


2019 SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience research presentations

Arizona Fall LeagueWe’re excited to announce the schedule of research presentations for the 2019 SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience on October 10-12, 2019, at The Saguaro hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona.

  • Michael Haupert and Lisa Giddings, “There’s a Girl on the Field, but Who’s in the Stands? The Demand for Professional Women’s Baseball”
  • Callie Maddox, “People need to see this!”: The Global Growth of Contemporary Women’s Baseball”
  • Rebecca Herman, “Comparative Analysis of the Top National Teams”
  • Perry Barber, “Maud Nelson: Baseball Visionary”

Click here to view the full schedule of events for next month’s AFL Experience. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

Our other featured speakers are expected to include Elizabeth Benn, Coordinator of Labor, Diversity, and Baseball Development at MLB’s Office of the Commissioner; Jennifer Blatt, founder of the Women’s Sports School and WISE Arizona; Stephanie Jarvis, Interim Director of Arizona State University’s Sports Law & Business Program; Bridget Binsbacher, Executive Director of the Cactus League; Meg Rowley, Managing Editor of FanGraphs and The Hardball Times; Eric Longenhagen, Lead Prospect Analyst, FanGraphs; Debbie Castaldo, Vice President, Corporate & Community Impact with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Executive Director of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation; William Boor, Reporter/Producer, MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com; and more. Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

Visit SABR.org/AFL for registration information and complete details.


Student rate now available for 2019 SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience

Students can take advantage of our special discounted rates to attend the 2019 SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience.

Join us on October 10-12, 2019, at The Saguaro in Scottsdale, Arizona. This conference is focused on women in baseball, co-hosted by the International Women’s Baseball Center, and held in conjunction with the Arizona Fall League (MLB.com/AFL), baseball’s premier player development league. The Saguaro is located in Old Town Scottsdale, at 4000 North Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251.

The discounted student rate of $20 (single-day) or $35 (two days) includes access to all programming at The Saguaro hotel on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12. All currently enrolled full-time students are eligible to attend. You must show your student ID at the door. Please visit SABR.org/afl/students to register online.


Hotel block expires tonight for SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience

If you wish to book your room at The Saguaro hotel for the 2019 SABR/IWBC Arizona Fall League Experience, the deadline to book your room at the discounted SABR group rate is 5:00 p.m. MST on Friday, September 20.

The Saguaro is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale at 4000 North Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Please e-mail Ally Bascom at abascom@thesaguaro.com or call 480-385-4800 and mention “SABR” to book your room at our special group rate of $189/night (plus tax).

We hope to see you in Arizona for the AFL Experience!


Join us for SABR Black Sox Scandal Centennial Symposium next weekend in Chicago

We’re just one week away from the SABR Black Sox Scandal Centennial Symposium in Chicago. The SABR Black Sox Scandal Research Committee will host this once-in-a-century event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1919 World Series from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at the Chicago History Museum. All baseball fans are welcome to attend; click here to register.

Click here to view the full symposium schedule. Here are our featured speakers:

  • Bruce S. Allardice, history professor at South Suburban College near Chicago, and author of numerous articles on the Black Sox Scandal
  • Kevin P. Braig, a partner with the law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, and a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law
  • Dr. Susan Dellinger, author of Red Legs and Black Sox: Edd Roush and the Untold Story of the 1919 World Series and granddaughter of Hall of Famer Edd Roush
  • Michael Haupert, Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and co-chair of SABR’s Business of Baseball Committee
  • Rick Huhn, associate editor of Scandal on the South Side and the author of three baseball books, including Eddie Collins: A Baseball Biography
  • Bill Lamb, author of Black Sox in the Courtroom: The Grand Jury, Criminal Trial and Civil Litigation and the 2019 recipient of SABR’s Bob Davids Award
  • Daniel A. Nathan, Professor of American Studies at Skidmore College and author of Saying It’s So: A Cultural History of the Black Sox Scandal
  • David Pietrusza, author of Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series and other award-winning books
  • Jacob Pomrenke, SABR’s Director of Editorial Content, chair of the Black Sox Scandal Research Committee, and editor of Scandal on the South Side
  • Bill Savage, English professor at Northwestern University, instructor at the Newberry Library in Chicago, and baseball author/historian

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


Many try, but few finish, the world’s toughest baseball quiz at SABR convention

From Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times on September 17:

“Even by the standards of baseball’s most arduous trivia competition, and even to the competitors whose brains overflowed with arguably useless knowledge, this question was ridiculous. Other questions had made you think. Some had made you laugh. This one might have driven you to curse.

“Who better to solve trivia riddles than the fans dedicated to the study of the sport? The Society for American Baseball Research, or SABR, gathered in San Diego for its annual summer convention, four days of seminars, speakers and studies, with the final night reserved for the annual trivia test.”

Click here to read the full article at LATimes.com.

Related links:


Call for papers: 2020 SABR 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 2020 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 12th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 24-25, 2020.

The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2019. 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 to read the full announcement at SABR.org.


Save the date! Join us for the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference

SABR is pleased to announce that the ninth annual SABR Analytics Conference will be held Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 15, 2020 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Renaissance Phoenix Downtown is at 100 N. 1st St., Phoenix, AZ 85004. Conference registration and hotel information for the 2020 conference will be available beginning in October 2019 at SABR.org/analytics.

The SABR Analytics Conference brings together industry insiders from the baseball community, data innovators, thought leaders, members of the media and college students who will participate in the popular Diamond Dollars Case Competition.

Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more.


SABR Digital Library: The Newark Eagles Take Flight: The Story of the 1946 Negro League Champions

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

The Newark Eagles Take Flight: The Story of the 1946 Negro League Champions 
Edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin 
Associate Editors: Rich Applegate and Len Levin 

ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9701-5906-6, $9.99 
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9701-5907-3, $29.99
8.5″ x 11″, 230 pages

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

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!


SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with comedian Steve Hofstetter

Steve HofstetterListen to a new episode of SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a new weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer — which is now available on your favorite podcast streaming services!

Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to Episode #25 — our guest this week is Steve Hofstetter, comedian, actor, producer, and baseball fan. One of the top booked acts on the college circuit, Steve is the CEO of Comedy Juice, the author of Ginger Kid: Mostly True Tales from a Former Nerd, and the host of a popular YouTube channel with more than 130 million views.

Subscribe to SABRcast on your favorite podcast networks, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play, and listen to each episode as soon as it’s released on Mondays. Every week, SABRcast will feature insights and analysis of what’s happening in modern baseball on and off the field, plus compelling interviews with figures from around the game — and music from The Baseball Project.

To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.


Become a Friend of SABR by joining our On-Deck Circle with monthly giving

SABR’s mission is to foster the study, discussion, and understanding of all aspects of baseball. In order to fulfill this mission, we rely not only on member dues but also gifts from our generous supporters. You can become a Friend of SABR by giving as little as $10 per month. When you do so, you will be inducted into a community of passionate baseball fans dedicated to supporting SABR’s work.

Get in the SABR On-Deck Circle, and help SABR become the essential community for the world of baseball. Your support will build capacity around all things SABR, including publications, website content, podcast development, and community growth.

A monthly gift is deducted from your bank account or charged to a credit card until you tell us to stop. No more email, mail, or phone reminders.

Visit SABR.org/donate or contact Ben Rose at brose@sabr.org to learn more.


Register now for the 2019 SABR Minnesota 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium

The SABR Minnesota 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at the Minneapolis Public Library, 300 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The day-long Saturday symposium will be devoted to 19th-century baseball as it was played and evolved in Minnesota and the greater Midwest region. The event is a joint project of the SABR Nineteenth Century Committee, SABR’s Halsey Hall Chapter, and the Hennepin County Library.

Guest speakers are expected to include John Thorn, MLB’s Official Historian; Larry Millett, longtime St. Paul Pioneer Press architecture critic and author of more than 10 books, including The Curve of the Arch and Lost Twin Cities; Stew Thornley, author of Baseball in Minnesota: A Definitive History and other books; Dan Levitt, author of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way and other books; Mike Haupert, Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; Kristin Anderson, art and architecture professor and author of an upcoming book on the history of sports facilities in the Twin Cities; Frank White, author of They Played for the Love of the Game: Untold Stories of Black Baseball in MinnesotaBrian Madigan, SABR member and associate librarian for Hennepin County Libraries; and more.

For more information, contact event organizers at sabrMN19c@gmail.com.


New SABR Oral History Collection interview: Josh Bard

Josh BardOne new interview was posted this week at the SABR Oral History Collection website. Here is the new interview:

  • Josh Bard, former catcher with Indians and Padres from 2002-11 and current Yankees bench coach
    Recorded August 16, 2019, by John McMurray

The SABR Oral History Collection, which launched in 2018 at oralhistory.sabr.org, includes hundreds of interviews conducted with ballplayers (Major Leagues, Minor Leagues, Negro Leagues, AAGBBL), executives, scouts, authors, writers, broadcasters, and other figures of historical baseball significance. These interviews, some of which date back more than 50 years, were conducted by members of SABR’s Oral History Research Committee and were digitized through a collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library.

To listen to more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection, visit oralhistory.sabr.org.


4 new SABR biographies published

David OrtizFour new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 5,004 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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


23 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Edd RoushTwenty-three new game stories were posted this week as part of the SABR Games Project. Here are the new game stories:

Many of these articles were published in Cincinnati’s Crosley Field: A Gem in the Queen City (SABR, 2018), edited by Gregory H. Wolf. To read more articles from this book at the SABR Games Project, click here.

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

Listen to Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on Saturdays

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro, will air this season at a new time. Listen in from 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays on MLB Network Radio.

This week’s guests are Travis Sawchik of FiveThirtyEight and Michael Baumann of The Ringer.

You can also 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.


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
Paul Agosti Rancho Cucamonga, CA     Derek Kevra Wixom, MI
Robert Amberg Long Beach, CA     Chase Langendorf Edwardsville, IL
Douglas Christie Warrensburg, MO     Terry McMurray St. Cloud, FL
Ronald Denman Bend, OR     Michael O’Hara Hagerstown, MD
Linda Dougherty Philadelphia, PA     Daniel Richison Sugar Land, TX
Robert Druce Milwaukee, WI     Jack Yabroff Los Alamitos, CA

 


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.

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Originally published: September 20, 2019. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.