This Week in SABR: September 20, 2024
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, September 20, 2024.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference begins tonight
Submit your presentation abstract for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Subscribe to the Fall 2024 print edition of the Baseball Research Journal
SABR Digital Library: Sandy Koufax
Read all SABR biographies from One-Win Wonders online
Seeking volunteers for Weiss Baseball Questionnaires
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2024 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference begins tonight
The sixth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference begins tonight! The virtual event will take place on September 20-22, 2024, with Zoom sessions beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday (all times listed in the Eastern Time Zone.) All baseball fans are welcome to join us.
Celebrated baseball author and photographer Jean Fruth will be the keynote speaker on Saturday evening. Fruth is a co-founder of Grassroots Baseball, an organization that celebrates the amateur game around the world and encourages kids to play ball, and the author of three books, including the upcoming See Her Be Her.
- Register: Click here to register for the 2024 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- Schedule: Click here for the full schedule of panels and presentations
This year’s conference — co-sponsored by SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center and hosted by Rockford University — is a virtual Zoom event. The conference will feature research presentations, panels, pylon unveiling, and presentation of the Dorothy Award.
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference for complete details.
Submit your presentation abstract for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
SABR is excited to announce the call for presentations for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held on March 14-16, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. Registration for the conference will open in early October. The SABR Analytics Conference brings together the leading minds in baseball analytics to discuss and debate topics relevant to the quantitative analysis of the game of baseball, including aspects of innovation and technology.
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-presentations@sabr.org. Please clearly indicate whether you are submitting for the general track or for the student track of presentations.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Subscribe to the Fall 2024 print edition of the Baseball Research Journal
Beginning in 2024, all SABR members exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically twice a year. The Fall 2024 issue will be sent out in early November. However, if you are interested in a paperback copy of BRJ for your personal library, we have rolled out a subscription option at a significantly discounted rate: $7 per issue for members, compared to $19.95 at retail.
- To subscribe and receive a printed edition of BRJ, visit SABR.org/subscribe
(If you have any questions about your subscription, please email brjsubscribe@sabr.org.)
Click here for a short video on how to subscribe to printed copies of BRJ.
SABR Digital Library: Sandy Koufax
Add a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library: Sandy Koufax, edited by Marc Z. Aaron, Bill Nowlin, and Glen Sparks, explores what made the Los Angeles Dodger legend so special in baseball and American society through 17 insightful essays and recaps of 36 key games in his career.
Touching on subjects from Koufax’s potential basketball career, his relationship with manager Walt Alston, celebrity culture in LA, and his effect on the hurlers who came after him, to analyses of Koufax’s stats and records, Sandy Koufax takes a deep dive into one of baseball’s true greats.
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the ebook edition for free or save 50% off the purchase of the paperback edition.
Check out the new SABR MLB Team Employee Database
A historical database of Major League Baseball team employees — covering more than 40,000 people dating back to the late 19th century — is now available online through SABR’s Business of Baseball Committee. The SABR MLB Team Employee Database offers a new lens into major-league front and back offices, from team owners to ticket sales.
The MLB Team Employee Database is available for viewing to all SABR members on the Research Resources page. Browse or search by person, team, or season to learn more about the scope of baseball and business operations.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: 2025 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 2025 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 16th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 25-26, 2025. The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2024.
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, 2024 (for publication in early 2026 or 2027)
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 adding Baseball-Reference IDs to 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. Matching the players to Baseball-Reference IDs will make it easier for everyone to find their favorite player. No experience or time commitment is needed, just a love for baseball, data, and history. You can jump right into volunteering at https://tinyurl.com/WeissPage or contact Jason Sigler for an informational video and more instructions.
Since we began this project in October 2023, more than 100,000 questionnaires have already been transcribed. These questionnaires will give baseball researchers tremendous first-hand knowledge from the pens of 18-year-old minor leaguers.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
Read all SABR biographies from One-Win Wonders
In One-Win Wonders, edited by Bill Nowlin and published by the SABR Digital Library earlier this year, we meet 78 players whose time in the major leagues included only a single pitching win. One-Win Wonders is a companion book to the 2021 SABR book One-Hit Wonders, which included biographies of players who had gotten only a single hit.
All of the biographies from One-Win Wonders are now available to read online at the SABR BioProject, from Nick Adenhart and John Baker to George Tsamis and Wilson Valdéz.
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download your free e-book edition of One-Win Wonders or save 50% off a purchase of the paperback edition.
3 new stories published at SABR BioProject
- Kevin Jordan, by Douglas Jordan
- Buster Narum, by Malcolm Allen
- Harry Redmond, by Darren Gibson
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
7 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- September 27, 1949: Ted Williams reaches base safely for a record 84th consecutive game, by Bill Nowlin
- June 27, 1963: Fearless Al Luplow saves the day for Cleveland with diving catch into Fenway Park bullpen, by Larry DeFillipo
- August 10, 1979: Dan Ford hits for the cycle, ties Angels’ record for consecutive hits, by Mike Huber
- September 21, 1986: Earl’s last ride: Feisty Weaver gets final career ejection, by Kurt Blumenau
- April 11, 1994: John Kruk plays first game for Phillies since cancer surgery, by Harrison Golden
- July 14, 2001: Glendon Rusch, Armando Benítez combine for 1-hitter as Mets beat Boston, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
- July 14, 2023: Brothers Bo and Josh Naylor make history with multi-run home runs for Guardians, by Richard Cuicchi
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts, Volume 4
Edited by Joanne Hulbert and Jay Hurd
Visit SABR.org 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:
- Check out highlights, photos, and recordings from the SABR 52 convention in Minneapolis
- D. Bruce Brown selected as 2024 Bob Davids Award winner
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 11
- SABR to celebrate Founders’ Day beginning in 2025
- Save the date! SABR 53 will be in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2025
- SABR special committee: 1949-50 Negro American League, independent Black teams are major-league caliber
- Check out highlights from the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- SABR Digital Library: Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth
- Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2024
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Brown | N. Richland Hills, TX | Mark Kozlevcar | El Segundo, CA | ||
| Robert Daugird | Corpus Christi, TX | Madeline Landis | Lititz, PA | ||
| Aaron Fischman | Woodland Hills, CA | Carlos Ruiz | Apache Junction, AZ | ||
| Dan Holmes | Grand Rapids, MI | Jenna Veri | Concord, OH | ||
| Gareth Jackson | Strood, ENG | Torreon Woods | Addison, TX | ||
| Andrew Jett | Waxahachie, TX | Haoyang Yan | Seattle, WA | ||
| Aaron Kaltenbach | Fort Mill, SC |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from authors John Zinn (Ron Gabriel Award winner), H.R. Ryan (Bootheel Boy), and Aaron Fischman (A Baseball Gaijin); Jimmy Price of AstrosFuture.com; Vince Guerrieri (“Ten-Cent Beer Night”); and the 19th Century Book Club. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- September 23: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Clem Hamilton (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 23: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- September 24: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Warren Brusstar, Jody Davis, Bobby Dernier, and Tony Garofalo (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- September 25: Joint Chapter Meeting: Don Slavik, “A Hit Model from the MLB 2023 Season” (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 26: Southern Michigan Chapter meeting (7:30 p.m. EDT)
- September 28: Quebec Chapter meeting with Patrick Carpentier and Christian Trudeau (1:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 29: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting with Ben Ernst (7:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- September 20: Baseball Heritage Museum: A Tribute to the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes (Cleveland, OH)
- September 21: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- September 21: Marty Appel: “Slide, Kelly, Slide” (Paterson, NJ)
- September 22: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Baltimore, MD)
- September 26: Gary Sarnoff: 1924 Washington Senators presentation (Cohasset, MA)
- September 28: 2024 Rygelski Baseball Research Conference (St. Louis, MO)
- September 28: Clyde Sukeforth Chapter meeting (New London, NH)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Latino Baseball: Fall 2024 newsletter
- Oral History: The Oral History Committee is seeking a newsletter editor. If you are interested in helping out, please contact committee chair John McMurray to learn more.
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: Register today for the Rygelski Sports Research Conference on September 28 (St. Louis, MO)
- Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: September 11 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
- Pee Wee Reese Chapter: Fall 2024 newsletter (Louisville, KY)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: September 2024 newsletter (Austin, TX)
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:
- Dan Cichalski: That’s one way to remember some guys: Fred Worth has visited 10,146 baseball graves (MLB.com)
- Ben Clemens: Of Course This Is How Shohei Ohtani Makes History (FanGraphs)
- Jared Diamond/Lindsey Adler: Did Shohei Ohtani Just Have the Greatest Game of All Time? (Wall Street Journal)
- Zach Schonbrun: A Sports Memorabilia Gold Mine Is Uncovered in Virginia (New York Times)
- Tyler Kepner: What if we reframed the ‘quality start’ metric into high-quality starts? (The Athletic)
- Patrick Dubuque: Here’s To The Guys Who Shouldn’t Have Been (Baseball Prospectus)
- Bill Shaikin: With A’s leaving, is there a pro baseball crisis in California? (Los Angeles Times)
- Eno Sarris: Spencer Schwellenbach, Casey Mize and DL Hall on their unique paths as young MLB starters (The Athletic)
- Mark Simon: The roaring Tigers (Sports Info Solutions)
- Alex Speier: Red Sox bullpen meltdown since the All-Star break is the worst in team history (Boston Globe)
- Stephanie Apstein: Salvador Pérez Has Successfully Bridged the Gap Between Royals Eras (Sports Illustrated)
- Jayson Stark: Will Braves’ Matt Olson be the last MLB Iron Man of the 21st century? (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: The hitter who refused to strike out (MLB.com)
- Dylan Drummey: Utilizing Single-Angle Broadcast Feeds and Computer Vision to Extract 3D MLB Biomechanical Data (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Anthony Santander Talks Hitting (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: The State of Plunking (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jason Coskrey: Masanori Murakami: The man who opened MLB’s door to Japanese players (Japan Times)
- Davy Andrews: Vacillating for Victor Robles (FanGraphs)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Bowden Francis is Almost Unhittable (Baseball Prospectus)
- John Thorn: Baseball Pioneers: Justine Siegal (Our Game)
- Michael Baumann: Is It Possible To Strike Out 300 Batters in a Day? (FanGraphs)
- Chris L. Hansen: Fielding Opportunity: The History of the Ogden Assembly Club and the Legacy of African American Baseball Teams in Utah (Utah Historical Quarterly)
- Roy Carlson: Topps Vintage: Pigskin, Presidents & Imposters (Sports Collectors Daily)
- Gary Mintz: New York Giants Preservation Society interview with Gregory H. Wolf (YouTube)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Butch Huskey (Baseball and BBQ)
- John Racanelli: Lin’s Bin, a Requiem (SABR Baseball Cards)
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: September 20, 2024. Last Updated: September 20, 2024.