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This Week in SABR: February 21, 2020

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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 February 21, 2020:

Check out the full schedule for the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference

2020 SABR Analytics Conference speakersJoin us for the ninth annual SABR Analytics Conference on March 13-15, 2020, at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown in Arizona, where 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 now to join us!

Click here to view the full Analytics Conference schedule, which consists 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.

Here is some more information about our featured panels:

  • The State of Analytics, with MLB Network host and author Brian Kenny (1:05 p.m., Friday, March 13)
  • MLB Statcast updates, with Greg Cain, Clay Nunnally, Daren Willman, and Jason Bernard of Major League Baseball (3:30 p.m., Friday, March 13)
  • Intangibles: How do Teams Evaluate, Value, and Encourage Team Chemistry?, with Arizona Diamondbacks coach and former major-leaguer Jonny Gomes, author Joan Ryan, and former SABR Board President Vince Gennaro (4:35 p.m., Friday, March 13)
  • The Changing Baseball: What We Know, What We Think We Know, and What It Means, with Rob Arthur of Baseball Prospectus, Meredith Wills of SportsMEDIA Technology (SMT), Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs, and Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Mike Ferrin (8:30 a.m., Saturday, March 14)
  • Technology Panel, with T.J. Barra of Major League Baseball, Eno Sarris of The Athletic, Seth Daniels of Rapsodo, and MLB Network host Brian Kenny (11:15 a.m., Saturday, March 14)
  • Automated Strike Zone: Perspectives on the Technology and How it May Affect the Game, with Chicago Cubs mental skills coach and former major-leaguer John Baker, Ben Jedlovec of Major League Baseball, and SABRcast host and author Rob Neyer (10:05 a.m., Sunday, March 15)
  • Groundbreaking research presentations all weekend, by representatives from Baseball Info Solutions, SportsMEDIA Technology (SMT), Driveline Baseball, DVS Baseball, Algomi, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University, Southern Methodist University, Kansas State University, Syracuse University, University of California-Irvine, Illinois Wesleyan University, and more.

Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

For more information on the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.

Last chance for registration discounts to the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference

Just a reminder: Regular registration for the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference is only available for a few more hours. The discounted registration rate is only available until 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, February 21. Register now to join us!

Programming will begin on the afternoon of Friday, March 13 and will run through Sunday afternoon on March 15. A large block of rooms for SABR Analytics Conference attendees is available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

For more information, or to register, visit SABR.org/analytics.

Diamond Dollars Case Competition participating schools

Washington University in St. Louis

The SABR Analytics Conference is pleased to host the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 13 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown hotel in Arizona.

Here is a list of participating schools for the 2020 Diamond Dollars Case Competition at the SABR Analytics Conference:

  • Elon University (Elon, NC)
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
  • Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (Richmond, VA)
  • NYU-Tisch Institute for Global Sport (New York, NY)
  • St. John Fisher College (Rochester, NY)
  • Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)
  • Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, TX)
  • University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Amherst, MA)
  • Villanova University (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

The full presentation schedule will be available soon at SABR.org/analytics/case.

More than 120 alumni from the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Diamond Dollars Case Competitions have secured internships or permanent positions within Major League Baseball.

Visit SABR.org/analytics/case to learn more.

2020 SABR Analytics Conference: Networking Reception

SABR is once again teaming up with the Baseball Industry Network for the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference Networking Reception  which will feature food, drinks and great opportunities to network with baseball professionals and other attendees from the conference.

The reception will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, 100 N. 1st St., Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Admission to the welcome reception is included with your SABR Analytics Conference registration.

Members of the Baseball Industry Network can attend the reception separately for $32. To sign up for the Networking Reception at EventBrite, click here.

Call for nominations: 2020 SABR Board of Directors election

The SABR Nominating Committee is now seeking nominations for candidates for the 2020 elections. To be eligible for the Board of Directors, candidates must have been members of the Society for at least the preceding four years. The deadline for nominations is February 28, 2020.

The offices to be filled:

  • Vice President (2-year term; currently Leslie Heaphy)
  • Treasurer (3-year term; currently F.X. Flinn)
  • Director (3-year term; currently Emily Hawks)

Nominees must prepare a Candidate Statement Form following guidelines that will be available from any Nominating Committee member and must be received by the Nominating Committee chair no later than March 27, 2020.

Self-nominations are welcome. If you would like to nominate yourself or another candidate or suggest a question for the candidates, contact Nominating Committee chair Anthony Salazar at salazar8017@yahoo.com.

Early registration now open for SABR 50 in Baltimore

Join us in Baltimore to celebrate a special occasion this summer: SABR’s 50th annual convention! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 50 — scheduled for July 15-19, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore — is now available at SABR.org/convention.

Click here for complete details on the SABR 50 All-Inclusive Package, Early-Bird Registration, and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 50.

Attendees at our SABR 50 convention this summer in Baltimore will have a special opportunity to visit Camden Yards for an exclusive Day at the Ballpark session on the morning of Thursday, July 16 to hear from Baltimore Orioles executives and players. Guest speakers and more details will be announced later this spring. Access to the Day at the Ballpark session at Camden Yards is included in your registration for SABR 50. We’ll return to Camden Yards on Friday night for a game between the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.

Our featured speakers for SABR 50 are expected to include:

  • Tim Kurkjian, ESPN analyst, author of three baseball books, and Maryland native
  • Janet Marie Smith, who oversaw the building of Camden Yards and the revitalization of Baltimore’s waterfront
  • Sig Mejdal, Baltimore Orioles Vice President and Assistant GM

Click on a link below for more information about SABR 50.

Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.

SABR 50: Call for Presentations

Camden YardsSABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 50, the 2020 annual convention in Baltimore. Oral presentations are expected to last 20 minutes, followed by a five minute question-and-answer period. Posters will be presented, with the author on-hand to discuss the work, during a poster session of 60 minutes and they will remain on display throughout the convention.

Through on-site judging, the most highly-regarded presentations will receive the Doug Pappas Award for best oral presentation and the SABR Convention Poster Presentation Award for best poster presentation. 

SABR 50 will be held July 15-19, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Early registration rates and hotel information are now available at SABR.org/convention.

Vote now in 2020 Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend primary election

Jim CreightonIt’s time to start the ball rolling as we choose our Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend of the year.

Last year, Jim Creighton (pictured at right) joined previous winners Pete Browning (2009), Hall of Famer Deacon White (2010), Harry Stovey (2011), Bill Dahlen (2012), Ross Barnes (2013), Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (2014), Tony Mullane (2015), Jack Glasscock (2016), Bob Caruthers (2017), and Dummy Hoy (2018) as SABR’s Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legends.

The preliminary voting process, which we call the Overlooked Primary Election, will consist of each voter selecting 10 names from the list of 26 candidates. The top 10 will be presented to the SABR membership later this spring, when all members will be able to vote in the final election. The winner will be announced at the SABR 50 convention this summer in Baltimore.

Click here to download a PDF file with the 26 candidates for 2020 and a brief explanation of their baseball accomplishments and/or contributions to our national pastime. The voting in the Overlooked Primary Election will end at 11:59 p.m. MST on Monday, March 2.

To vote in the Primary Election, you must be a member of the Nineteenth Century Committee. Click here to join the group and then you can request a copy of the ballot from Adam Darowski.

Renew your membership by February 28 to receive the SABR Baseball Research Journal

For those of you whose memberships expired recently, there’s still a little time left to renew and be a part of the SABR community again in 2020. If you’ve already renewed, we thank you for your support and look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Renew now to receive the Spring 2020 edition of the Baseball Research Journal, plus discounts on registration to the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference and SABR 50 in Baltimore, and a lot more! Please note: We MUST receive your dues by Friday, February 28 in order for you to receive the upcoming BRJ.

  • Here’s how to renew: You can renew your membership online at the SABR Store; by phone at (602) 496-1463; or by mailing this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the SABR office at Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Dues are the same as they have been in recent years. SABR memberships are available on annual, multi-year, or monthly subscription basis. Annual and monthly subscription memberships now auto-renew for your convenience. Young Professional memberships are for ages 30 and under. Senior memberships are for ages 65 and older. Student memberships are available to currently enrolled middle/high school or full-time college/university students. Click here for a full list of SABR membership benefits.

Registration now open for 2020 SABR Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference

The 11th annual Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference will be held April 24-25, 2020, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Note: Space is extremely limited and some research presentations will be double-tracked. On the final page of your registration form, please indicate your preferred choice of Research Presentation for each of the six pairs that are double-tracked.

  • Registration: Click here to download the registration form (PDF). Registrations can be accepted by mail only: send BOTH completed 19th Century Base Ball Conference registration forms to: Peter Mancuso, 6970 Ely Road, New Hope, PA 18938. Enclose your personal check for the appropriate amount and make payable to “SABR,” with “Fred 19cBB Conference” written on the check’s memo line.
  • Cost: Conference registration is $65 per person, including the Saturday luncheon. Tickets for the optional Friday evening Welcoming Dinner ($45) at Templeton Hall and Saturday evening Post-Conference Gathering ($35) at the historic Otesaga Hotel can also be purchased in advance for you or a guest. Anyone who wishes to purchase an extra ticket for a guest to attend the Saturday luncheon only ($35) can also do so.
  • RSVP: Please mail your registration form no later than February 28. Registration is limited to the first 100 people to sign up, so please register early!
  • Contact: For questions, or if you miss the registration mailing deadline, contact Peter Mancuso at peterplus4@earthlink.net to see if space is still available.

The 2020 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from Major League Baseball’s Official Historian John Thorn, along with a panel discussion on National League president William Hulbert with Jack Bales, Richard Hershberger, Bill Lamb, and moderator Bill Ryczek; a special presentation by David Block on “Baseball’s Origins: A Progress Report”; a Member Spotlight interview of Tom Gilbert by Bob Bailey; plus book signings, research presentations, and a welcome dinner.

For more information, or to register, visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c.

Register now for the 2020 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Birmingham

Jerry Malloy Negro League ConferenceRegistration is now open for the SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on June 11-13, 2020, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

One hundred years ago, the Negro National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NNL) was established as a viable option for professional Black athletes barred from the all-White major leagues to showcase their talents. In 2020, SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will celebrate their pleasure, passion, and purpose-driven path to athletic glory and honor with a centennial celebration at the annual Malloy Conference in Birmingham.

  • Register: Click here to register online for the 2020 Malloy Conference. Full registration is $175 for SABR members, $210 non-members. Students: $125 for SABR members; $150 non-members. Single-day registration is also available for $75 SABR member/$110 non-member. Extra tickets can be purchased for the Rickwood Field tours, the “meet and greet” reception at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday night, the Birmingham Barons ballgame on Friday night, or the awards banquet on Saturday night. All of these sessions are included in the full registration package.
  • Hotel: Click here to book your room online at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel at the special group rate of $135/night (plus tax). Our host hotel is located at 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., North Birmingham, AL 35203. Call (205) 324-5000 for questions about your hotel reservation.
  • Call for papers: We welcome proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Presentations may focus on any topic related to the Negro League centennial, black baseball in Birmingham, or other related topics, especially the Negro Southern League. Please email your proposal as a Word attachment to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu before March 6, 2020. Click here for more details.
  • Contact: For questions, email Larry Lester at NTResearch@comcast.net or Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.

To learn more, visit SABR.org/malloy.

SABRcast with Rob Neyer: Listen to an interview with MLB Network’s Bill Ripken

Bill RipkenListen to a new episode of SABRcast with Rob Neyer, a new weekly podcast hosted by award-winning author and longtime SABR member Rob Neyer.

Visit SABR.org/sabrcast to listen to Episode #47 — our guest this week is Bill Ripken, an Emmy Award-winning analyst on MLB Network, former major-league infielder, and author of the new book, State of Play: The Old School Guide to New School Baseball. He began his MLB career in 1987 with the Baltimore Orioles, where he played second base alongside his brother, Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., and their father, Orioles manager Cal Ripken Sr. He later played for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Detroit Tigers.

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. To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrcast.

7 new SABR biographies published

Nomar GarciaparraSeven new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 5,094 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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

14 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

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

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.
  • Read all stories from Wrigley Field greatest games book online: In Wrigley Field: The Friendly Confines at Clark and Addison, edited by Gregory H. Wolf and published in 2019, we delivered an ode to that storied ballpark, evoking its history through detailed retellings of 100 games played there, including not only historic triumphs and defeats of the Chicago Cubs (and the Federal League Whales), but also Negro Leagues matchups, youth championships, and even games by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. You can read all of the game stories from our Wrigley Field book online now at the SABR Games Project. Click here to download your free Wrigley Field e-book or get 50% off the paperback edition at SABR.org.

 

Listen to recent episodes of 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, is back for the Hot Stove offseason at a new time! Listen to a new episode at 4:00-5:00 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. 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
Matt Benson London, ENG     John Farhi Westchester, IL
James Berry Chevy Chase, MD     MarkLorin Friedberg Lake Worth, FL
Marc Bona Akron, OH     Jay Hinman San Francisco, CA
Chris Bouton Natchitoches, LA     John Hoitsma Virginia Beach, VA
Katherine Brinkley Winston-Salem, NC     Chris Landers Austin, TX
Jason Carota Lowell, MA     Cierra Loomis Barre, VT
Jim Case Baltimore, MD     Efrain Mateo Martinez Coamo, PRI
Dave Christian Rocky Mount, NC     Patrick McLean St. Louis, MO
Tim Clay Marblehead, MA     Timothy Mohon Scottsburg, IN
Shane Coker Nashville, TN     Jim Passon Tacoma, WA
Michael Collazo Montclair, NJ     Mike Rodriguez Stillwater, MN
Don Daglow Sausalito, CA     Ryan Ruddy Columbus, OH
Robert Denman Fawn Grove, PA     Brett Topel Roslyn Hts, NY
Frank DiPrima Morristown, NJ     Rick Tucker Alexandria, VA
William Eleff Skokie, IL        

 

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.

Have trouble reading this e-mail? Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web.

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Originally published: February 21, 2020. Last Updated: June 17, 2020.

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