This Week in SABR: January 12, 2018

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Welcome to “This Week in SABR!” Click here to view this week’s newsletter on the web. Please note: The SABR office will be closed on Monday, January 15 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Here’s what we’ve been up to as of January 12, 2018:

2018 SABR Analytics Conference speakers: Amiel Sawdaye, Jarett Sims

We are pleased to announce more of our featured speakers and panelists at the seventh annual SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The SABR Analytics Conference will be held Friday, March 9 to Sunday, March 11, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. The conference is open to all baseball fans, and early registration is now available online. Click here to register!

Here is more information about our featured speakers:

  • Amiel Sawdaye, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager with the Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Jarett Sims, CEO and founder of Monsterful VR

They will join Brian Kenny of MLB Network, ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Eduardo Perez, San Francisco Giants executive and former major-leaguer David Bell, Chicago White Sox executive Chris Getz, Seattle Mariners executive Andy McKay, FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris, and SABR President Vince Gennaro as featured speakers and panelists at the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference. Stay tuned as we announce more soon! Click here to learn more about our speakers and panelists.

In its first six years, the SABR Analytics Conference has brought together many of 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. Stay tuned as we announce more featured speakers and panelists at the 2018 SABR Analytics Conference! Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.

For more information, visit SABR.org/analytics.

Early registration ends February 15 for 2018 SABR Analytics Conference

Early registration is still open for the seventh annual SABR Analytics Conference on Friday, March 9 to Sunday, March 11, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, but you should register before February 15 to take advantage of the early registration discounted rate. Our special group rate at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix also expires on February 15, 2018.

We hope you’ll join us this spring 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. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Click a link below for more information:

This year’s conference will feature the high-quality content you’ve always enjoyed at the SABR Analytics Conference and the same number of featured panels and research presentations, but there will be a few changes to the usual schedule: We will begin programming early Friday afternoon on March 9 and will run through Sunday afternoon on March 11. The change in schedule is due to the availability at our host hotel this year. However, we have a large block of rooms for SABR Analytics Conference attendees on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

In addition, the Diamond Dollars Case Competition will start at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening and the networking reception will be held on Saturday evening, March 10 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Lunch, which is included in your conference registration, will be served at noon on Friday — before the regular programming begins — and also on Saturday between the morning and afternoon sessions.

Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more.

Join us for the ninth annual SABR Day on Saturday, January 27

We hope you’ll join us for the ninth annual SABR Day, scheduled for Saturday, January 27, 2018. Find details on more than three dozen SABR Day chapter meetings around the globe 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 our SABR Day map at SABR.org/sabrday for more information on a SABR Day meeting close to you. Chapter leaders, please be sure to send any details on your SABR meeting to Blane Ferguson at bferguson@sabr.org so we can update our SABR Day map.

SABR Day meetings are scheduled for Saturday, January 27 in the following cities:

  • Albuquerque, NM (Rio Grande Chapter)
  • Austin, TX (Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
  • Birmingham, AL (Rickwood Field Chapter)
  • Boston, MA (Boston Chapter)
  • Cherry Hill, NJ (Goose Goslin Chapter)
  • Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
  • Cooperstown, NY (Cliff Kachline Chapter)
  • Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
  • Des Moines, IA (Field of Dreams Chapter)
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL (South Florida Chapter)
  • Hoboken, NJ (Elysian Fields Chapter)
  • Knoxville, TN (East Tennessee Chapter)
  • Las Vegas, NV (Maddux Bros.-Las Vegas Chapter)
  • Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
  • Milwaukee, WI (Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter)
  • Minneapolis, MN (Halsey Hall Chapter)
  • Montreal, QC (Quebec Chapter)
  • Nashville, TN (Rice-Russell Nashville Chapter)
  • New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
  • New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
  • Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack Chapter)
  • Phoenix, AZ (Hemond-Delhi Arizona Chapter)
  • Pittsburgh, PA (Forbes Field Chapter)
  • Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
  • San Diego, CA (Ted Williams Chapter)
  • Seattle, WA (Northwest Chapter)
  • St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
  • Tallahassee, FL (Buck O’Neil Chapter)
  • Toronto, ON (Hanlan’s Point Chapter)

In addition, SABR Day meetings will also be held on the following dates due to venue or chapter availability. Click on a link below for more information:

To learn more, visit SABR.org/sabrday.

Rogers Hornsby Chapter’s Winter Meeting tomorrow highlighted by PCL president Branch B. Rickey

  • SABR’s Rogers Hornsby Chapter will hold its 12th annual Winter Meeting from 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., on Saturday, January 13 on the third floor of the Old Main Building at Texas State University-San Marcos (601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666). Our keynote speaker, Branch B. Rickey, president of the Pacific Coast League, will highlight a fun-filled day of baseball talk, pictures, and memorabilia. Other presenters include: Mike Capps of the Round Rock Express; Lisa Carter of KHOU; Ira Siegel on RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Austin; Anne Keene, whose father played ball with Ted Williams and Johnny Sain during WWII; Monte Cely on his recent Cuban baseball adventure; and Jim Baker will lead us in a fun, challenging guessing game. The meeting is open to all baseball fans and is free to attend. Click here for more details.
  • Boston Chapter MLK Day meeting on Monday: The Boston Chapter will hold its annual MLK Day meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, January 15. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. We’ll meet at The Baseball Tavern (1270 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215) for a casual lunch. We will talk about writing baseball, whether you have already written, are currently writing, or, if you have thought about it and want to pick a few experienced brains about the how, what and who. Bring along your work and run it by us. Also there just might be a trivia contest too. All baseball subjects are open for discussion. Bring along your ideas. Click here for more details.
  • Sacramento Chapter to welcome Dusty Baker at Hot Stove Dinner: Join us for a fun evening to celebrate our love of baseball with our Dusty Baker-Sacramento SABR Chapter’s namesake as our special guest with a dinner on Thursday, January 18 at the Granite Bay Golf Club’s Conservatory Room, 9600 Golf Club Drive in Granite Bay, California. All baseball fans are welcome to attend, but RSVPs are required in advance. We will have a hot stove get-together/reception beginning at 6:00 p.m. Contact Greg King to see if space is still available or click here for more details.

Coming soon: Registration information for SABR 48 convention in Pittsburgh

SABR will be returning to the Steel City for our 48th national convention on June 20-24, 2018, at the Wyndham Grand in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Registration and hotel information will be available later this month at SABR.org/convention, along with a call for presentation abstracts and the SABR 48 Yoseloff Scholarship application.

The Wyndham Grand is conveniently located within walking distance from PNC Park and a light rail station, many downtown cultural amenities, and right across the street from the picturesque 36-acre Point State Park where the three rivers converge.

SABR’s 2018 national convention will be our 48th annual gathering; the organization’s founding in Cooperstown in 1971 is counted as the first. Learn more about SABR’s convention history by clicking here.

Sign up today for the 2018 SABR Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference

The 10th annual Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference will be held April 20-21, 2018, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Conference registration is open to all SABR members and up to two non-SABR family members or friends (18 years old or over). Download the registration form for “Welcoming Dinner,” “Luncheon Only,” and “Post-Conference Gathering” options.

Note: Space is extremely limited due in part to ongoing renovations of the Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater, and some research presentations will be double-tracked. On page 2 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 forms (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 $60 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 forms no later than February 6. The Bullpen Theater can accommodate 58 persons, the luncheon and the Friday evening Welcoming Dinner up to 75 persons 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 2018 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from baseball historian Don Jensen, along with a panel discussion on “Playing Ball: A Tribute to Tom Altherr” with John Thorn, David Block, and Larry McCray; a special presentation by Bill Ryczek: a re-created play-by-play broadcast of the greatest 19th-century game, Red Stockings at Atlantics, June 14, 1870; a Member Spotlight interview of Bob Tholkes by Tom Simon; plus book signings, more research presentations than ever before, and a welcome dinner.

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

Apply now for SABR Negro Leagues essay contest and school library grants

Hosted by SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be on hiatus for 2018. But we are now accepting proposals to host the 2019 Malloy Conference. If your local committee or SABR chapter has an interest in being a site coordinator, please send an email to Larry Lester (ntresearch@comcast.net) requesting an application proposal with guidelines and recommendations. We look forward to helping you promote the rich history of black baseball in your local area.

Click a link below to learn more about the 2018 SABR Negro Leagues Committee essay contest/scholarships and school library grants.

  • High School Essay Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee will award $1,000 scholarships to two high school seniors in its 10th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2018. Students must write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships. Click here to learn more or to download an application. The deadline to apply is April 16, 2018. Eligible applicants must be 1) a current high school senior, 2) anticipating completion of high school diploma at the time of application, 3) planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution, and 4) carrying a minimum 2.5 GPA at the end of their junior year of high school. Please e-mail or mail all materials to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu.
  • Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2018. School and community libraries from across the country are invited to submit grant proposals centering on educating students and the community about black baseball and American history. Click here to download the PDF application for eligibility requirements, submission criteria, and style guidelines. The deadline to apply is May 8, 2018. Questions can be directed to Leslie Heaphy (Lheaphy@kent.edu), Mark Moore (mmoore@cpl.org), Tim Bottorff (tbottorf@mail.ucf.edu), or Marlene Vogelsang (mvogelsang@sbcglobal.net).

For more information, visit SABR.org/malloy.

9 new SABR biographies published

Nine new biographies were posted this week as part of the SABR Baseball Biography Project, which brings us to a total of 4,345 published biographies. Here are the new bios published this week:

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

9 new stories published by the SABR Games Project

Nine 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.

If you have any questions about the Games Project, please contact Mike Huber. To request an assignment, please contact Steven C. Weiner. After the article has been completed in accordance with our Authors’ Guidelines, please submit it to Len Levin, who will initiate the editing process and get your story started toward publication.

  • 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.

Deadlines approaching for SABR award nominations

  • SABR Baseball Research Award, due 1/31/2018: The SABR Baseball Research Award (formerly the Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award) honors those whose outstanding research projects completed during the preceding calendar year have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball. To submit a nomination for the 2018 awards, please contact Bill Felber at bfelber@att.net.
  • McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award, due 2/15/2018: The McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award honors the authors of the best articles on baseball history or biography completed or published during the preceding calendar year. To submit a nomination for the 2018 awards, please contact Len Levin at lenlevin5@hotmail.com.

Please note: Only ONE entry per nomination will be considered (do not submit multiple nominations for the same award). For more information on SABR Awards, click here.

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

Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM, a radio show hosted by SABR President Vince Gennaro, is back for the Hot Stove League offseason, at a new time: 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET on Sundays, on MLB Network Radio.

This week’s guests are expected to include Russell Carleton of Baseball Prospectus and SABR member Joe Cox, author of Almost Perfect: The Heartbreaking Pursuit of Pitching’s Holy Grail.

There will be no new show this week due to the holidays, but you can listen to archives of recent episodes on-demand on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App, and you can watch video highlights of Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM on MLB.com. Click here to watch more video highlights of Baseball SABR Style from MLB.com.

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.

Listen to a new episode from the SABR Media Committee’s Baseball Buffet podcast

SABR’s Baseball and the Media Committee welcomes you to The Baseball Buffet, our monthly roundtable podcast focusing on recent baseball events, the media’s coverage of the national pastime, and more.

Our buffet of baseball commentators include Andie Giafaglione, Thom Henninger, Chuck Hildebrandt, Stuart Shea, and host Jim Walker. Each podcast runs about 20-25 minutes, a length which fits quite nicely as a quick listen into your own lunch schedule.

Listen now to the January 2018 episode, where the buffet of baseball commentators and hungry folks look at the teardown of the Miami Marlins; offer our picks from this year’s Hall of Fame Ballot; and discuss whether to put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame … or will it be Hall of Shame?

To learn more about The Baseball Buffet podcast, or to listen to recent episodes, click here.

In Memoriam: Greg Erion

  • Greg Erion, 70, of South San Francisco, California, died on December 29, 2017, after a brief battle with cancer. He joined SABR in 1980 and was an accomplished author and historian. Since 2015, he served as project leader for the fledgling SABR Games Project and helped this new initiative thrive, building a solid team of editors and contributors, overseeing the production of five SABR Digital Library books, and providing a sense of stability, leadership, and direction for the entire effort. He also contributed many stories of his own to the Games Project and BioProject, including a biography of his favorite player, one-time NL batting champion Debs Garms. He was born August 11, 1947, and was in the first four-year graduating class at El Camino High School. He earned a degree in transportation from San Francisco State University and served with distinction in the U.S. Army in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He worked for many years as an executive with the Western Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. He earned two master’s degrees, one in business and another in history, and taught history classes in recent years at Skyline College. He is survived by his beloved wife Barbara; children Liz (Elijah), Ben (Heather), Jenise and Derick; three grandchildren, brother Charlie (Judy); and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of his life will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 13 at Hillside Church of God, 1415 Hillside Blvd. in South San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to City Crossroads Ministries of San Francisco or the Hillside Church of God Building Fund.

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.

For more information, click here.

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
Steven Archer Gualala, CA     Rob McBride Cheswick, PA
James Cook Warrensburg, MO     Major McCollough Lookout Mtn, TN
Marc Davis Arvada, CO     Ryan Mitchell Antelope, CA
Jerome DeFelice Westminster, CO     Gregg Pericich Torrance, CA
Brendan DeMarchi Chester, NY     Tim Quirk Fresno, CA
Mark Flanegin Columbia, MO     Thom Ross Santa Fe, NM
Larry Fullen Bluffton, SC     Neelan Scheumann Indianapolis, IN
Robert Gaudet West Roxbury, MA     David Schilling Woodinville, WA
Jeff Greiner Pittsburgh, PA     Larry Sheeh Strongsville, OH
Roger Hartsell Sun Lakes, AZ     Joe Smeltzer Coraopolis, PA
Anthony Jensen Minneapolis, MN        

 

Research Committee news

Here are the new research committee updates this week:

  • Games Project: Due to the unexpected death of project leader Greg Erion (see above), Mike Huber has graciously agreed to step in as the new project leader for the SABR Games Project; he’ll handle administrative duties, field general questions, and oversee the project. Bruce Slutsky‘s role is shifting to Chief Editor, where he’ll coordinate the editing and fact-checking of all new stories. Steven Weiner will be in charge of tracking new assignments, which includes any Games Project articles for upcoming books. Len Levin will continue to serve as the first read on all stories while Nathan Bierma will continue to lead the project’s social media efforts. To learn more about the Games Project or to get involved, visit SABR.org/gamesproject.  

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

Regional Chapter news

Here are the new regional chapter updates this week:

  • Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter: January 2018 newsletter (Hamden, CT)
  • Quebec Chapter: December 2 meeting recap (Montreal, QC)
  • Tokyo Chapter: Please welcome Masahiro Nanbu as the new chair of the Tokyo Chapter in Japan. Learn more about the Tokyo Chapter by clicking here.
  • SABR Day is coming soon! Chapter leaders, please be sure to send any details on your SABR Day meeting to Blane Ferguson at bferguson@sabr.org so we can update our interactive map at SABR.org/sabrday.
  • Best Practices handbook: Chapter leaders, you can download the updated Chapter Leaders Best Practices Handbook on the Admin Tools page at admin.sabr.org. The handbook offers suggestions and guidelines for meetings, speakers, revitalizing a chapter, and getting publicity for SABR and chapter events.

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: January 12, 2018. Last Updated: April 3, 2020.

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