Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)

Happy 50th Birthday SABR! To commemorate the day, a small gathering took place on the steps of the National Baseball Library this afternoon.

Clockwise from top right: Mark Armour (President, SABR), Michael Hauser (President, Cliff Kachline Chapter of SABR, Cooperstown), Cassidy Lent (Manager of Reference Services, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Tom Shieber (Senior Curator, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum), Jeanne Armour (Vice President, Production Manager at Regions Financial Corporation, North Port-Sarasota), Bill Francis (Senior Research & Writing Specialist, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum).

Our chapter will reconvene with the Lefty O’Doul–San Francisco Bay Area SABR Chapter on Tuesday, July 27, at 7 PM PST. We have allocated extra time for this special meeting, which will feature three great speakers discussing women in baseball. We are excited to welcome Sherry Davis, Giants Public address announcer from 1993 to 1999; Perry Barber, professional umpire; and Anika Orrock, author and illustrator. Please email [email protected] for Zoom details.

Congratulations to Vince Gennaro, who has been selected as the winner of the 2021 Bob Davids Award, SABR's highest honor!

Gennaro served on SABR’s Board of Directors from 2009 to 2019, including four terms as Board President, where he co-founded (with former CEO Marc Appleman) the SABR Analytics Conference — which has become a must-attend event for baseball industry professionals — and helped establish SABR’s involvement in the Rawlings Gold Glove Award voting process.

Gennaro is also the architect of the Diamond Dollars Case Competition series, which has brought together students and baseball officials for a unique learning experience and networking opportunity for aspiring sports executives. More than 120 Case Competition participants have secured internships or permanent positions within Major League Baseball since 2012.

https://sabr.org/latest/vince-gennaro-selected-as-2021-bob-davids-award-winner/

A battle of Negro League aces takes place on this day in1921 and Tim Odzer tells all about it as part of the SABR Games Project.
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-12-1921-monarchs-bullet-rogan-bests-cincinnatis-jose-leblanc-in-battle-of-negro-league-aces/

Lou Gehrig plays his 2000th consecutive game on this day in 1938. Dan Joseph tells how Gehrig fared in his record setting game as part of the SABR Games Project.
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-31-1938-lou-gehrig-plays-his-2000th-consecutive-game

As part of SABR’s 50th anniversary in 2021, all baseball fans are invited to join us online for the Summer of SABR: Golden Celebration Series, presented by Major League Baseball and Baseball-Reference.com. The opening session begins on June 25-27, 2021.

Join us this summer for a series of presentations, chats, and panel discussions featuring authors, scholars, and figures from around the game, including: Katie Krall, Cincinnati Reds; Bianca Smith, Boston Red Sox; Janet Marie Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers; J.J. Cooper, Baseball America; Rick White, Atlantic League; Sean Forman, Sports Reference; Gary Ashwill, Seamheads.com; and Larry Lester, SABR Negro Leagues Committee; and more.

Visit https://sabr.org/summer to sign up today!

Summer of SABR: Golden Celebration Series – Society for American Baseball Research As part of SABR’s 50th anniversary in 2021, all baseball fans are invited to join us online for the Summer of SABR: Golden Celebration Series, presented by Major League Baseball and Baseball-Reference.com.

Our May-June 2021 newsletter is now ready! We have a full issue with member stories about attending games again, visits to area museums, a story about a semipro team that beat the Chicago White Sox, and so much more. We even have the latest History Hunters, Scoreboard Puzzler, Chicago Random Tandem, and Cardboard Detective. Enjoy! bit.ly/SABRChicago20210506

"Jackie: Perspectives on 42," our newest SABR Digital Library book, celebrates the life and legacy of Dodgers pioneer Jackie Robinson, with dozens of essays on his impact on and off the baseball field.

SABR members can download a free e-book copy or save 50% off the paperback edition by ordering through the SABR Digital Library:

https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-digital-library-jackie-robinson-perspectives-on-42

The Dusty Baker and Lefty O’Doul SABR Chapters invite you to join us on Tuesday, April 20th at 7 p.m. PST, for a special virtual chapter meeting. We are teaming with the Pacific Coast League Historical Society and author Dan Taylor. Dan will talk about his new book, “Lights, Camera, Fastball: How the Hollywood Stars Changed Baseball.” Please contact Zak Ford at [email protected] for Zoom details.

40 years ago today, on Opening Day 1981, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Fernando Valenzuela became an international sensation with a 5-hit shutout vs. the Houston Astros, beginning a season-long run that saw the Mexican-born left handed win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors, and a World Series trophy.

Read more about Fernandomania! in the SABR archives:

https://sabr.org/journal/article/fernandomania/

The Boston Red Stockings play their first game on this date in 1871. Bob LeMoine tells the story of the beginning of one of baseball's legendary teams. You can read about it and others in the SABR Games Project.
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-6-1871-boston-red-stockings-take-field-first-time

Happy Opening Day! As we open a new baseball season, check out an original collection of articles from the SABR Games Project on historic openers — from a Federal League debut in Baltimore in 1914 to the Blue Jays’ “home” opener in Washington, DC last year. We also highlight a gem from our archives: Leon Day’s Opening Day no-hitter for the Newark Eagles 75 years ago in 1946.

https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-celebrates-opening-day-2021-with-new-collection-of-games-project-stories/

The 2021 edition of the SABR Opening Day games effort just went online. Enjoy stories about opening day games from 1914 through last year. The games provide some excellent reading to prepare the upcoming season, which begins in a few days!
https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-celebrates-opening-day-2021-with-new-collection-of-games-project-stories/

Can't wait for Opening Day? Get your baseball fix by tuning in to Tuesday night's SABR Boston Zoom conversation with Red Sox Hall of Famer Rico Petrocelli!

Register for your free sign-in at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsce6vrT4oGtFxMgxCzfD0twlOpPwlR1Ef

The 10th annual SABR Analytics Conference, presented by MLB, Rawlings Sporting Goods, and Sports Info Solutions, begins today! This all-virtual event will be held online over four days from March 11-14. We have some terrific panels and presentations on the schedule this weekend from some of the top minds in the baseball a**lytics community.

Learn more about our panelists and presenters, find the full schedule, and download the digital program at https://sabr.org/a**lytics

All baseball fans are invited to join us on Saturday, March 13 for a free Facebook Live stream of the "Analyze This: The Varying Roles and Skillsets of Baseball Analysts" panel at the SABR Virtual Analytics Conference!

We'll be livestreaming this panel from SABR's page from 12:00-1:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 13. Thanks to MLB's Diversity and Inclusion Department for their support.

The Analyze This panel is expected to include: Ehsan Bokhari of the Houston Astros, Maggie O’Hara of the Detroit Tigers, Josh Ruffin of the Minnesota Twins, and moderator Eduardo Perez of ESPN.

To register for the full SABR Virtual Analytics Conference, or to learn more, visit https://sabr.org/a**lytics

Congratulations to Eric Nusbaum, winner of the 2021 SABR Seymour Medal!

“Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between,” written by Nusbaum and published by PublicAffairs, is the winner of the 2021 Dr. Harold and Dorothy Seymour Medal, which honors the best book of baseball history or biography published during the preceding calendar year.

Nusbaum will receive his award during the 28th annual NINE Spring Training Conference on Saturday, March 20. The NINE Conference will be held virtually over three weekends in March.

https://sabr.org/latest/eric-nusbaums-stealing-home-wins-2021-sabr-seymour-medal/

SABR is pleased to announce the 2021 recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award, established to honor the game’s great researchers — historians, statisticians, annalists, and archivists — for their invaluable contributions to making baseball the game that links America’s present with its past.

The 2021 recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award are Negro Leagues historian Gary Ashwill, baseball physicist Alan Nathan, and author Robert W. Peterson.

Learn more about each of these Chadwick Award recipients at https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-announces-2021-henry-chadwick-award-recipients/

What better way to forget about the snow than talking baseball -- and who better to talk baseball with than the man who has seen more Red Sox games in the last half-century than anybody else?

Join SABR Boston Wednesday night at 7:00 EST, as we discuss Dustin Pedroia, pandemic play-by-play, spring training, Tom Seaver, and more with longtime Red Sox radio voice Joe Castiglione.
To register for your Zoom link, go to:
https://bit.ly/2YE4cug

Getting hungry for baseball? Join SABR Boston on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 7:00 pm EST, as we discuss Dustin Pedroia, the upcoming season, pandemic play-by-play, and more with longtime Red Sox radio voice Joe Castiglione.

To register for your Zoom link, and send in a question for Joe, go to:
https://bit.ly/2YE4cug

Baseball fans, there’s still time to sign up and join us for a special SABR Day event from 2:00-4:00 pm ET today (January 30) with broadcasting legend Bob Costas of MLB Network and Tim Mead, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum!

All baseball fans are welcome to join us for this one-of-a-kind virtual conversation on Saturday. Sign up now at https://sabr.org/sabrday

We’re pleased to announce the finalists for the 2021 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards, which will recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original a**lysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year.

Nominations were solicited by representatives from SABR, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. Voting for the winners begins online Monday, February 1.

Congratulations to all the finalists! You can read each of their nominated articles here:

https://sabr.org/latest/announcing-finalists-for-2021-sabr-a**lytics-conference-research-awards/

Announcing finalists for 2021 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards – Society for American Baseball Research Announcing finalists for 2021 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards January 29, 2021/in Headlines /by sabr We’re pleased to announce the finalists for the 2021 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards, which will recognize baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original a**l...

In the 2021 BBWAA Hall of Fame voting, no candidate received votes on at least 75 percent of all ballots cast. https://baseballhall.org/news/2021-bbwaa-vote-yields-no-electees

In Memoriam: Hank Aaron, who died on Friday at the age of 86, was a brilliant all-around superstar for 23 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, enduring racist threats off the field as he was surpassing MLB’s most iconic home run record on the field.

https://sabr.org/latest/in-memoriam-hank-aaron/

We are saddened to learn of the death of Henry Aaron, 86, an Atlanta Braves legend and one of baseball’s most iconic figures. His prodigious power and grace during his quest to break Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record in 1974 transcended the game.

Read our SABR biography of Hammerin’ Hank to learn more about his life and legacy:

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hank-aaron/

George Bell goes wild and hits three home runs on opening day in 1988. Adrian Fung tells how Bell led Toronto to victory in this story from the SABR Games Project.
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-4-1988-angry-bell-hits-unprecedented-three-home-runs-opening-day

Kazuo Sayama, a prolific baseball historian and SABR member, was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Katsuji Kawashima, who managed Japan’s national team to a silver medal during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Sayama, who joined SABR in 1983, is the author of numerous articles and dozens of acclaimed books on Japanese baseball history, including Gentle Black Giants: A History of Negro Leaguers in Japan (1986); The Mystery of “Jap Mikado”: First Japanese in American Professional Baseball (1996); and An Inside History of US-Japan Baseball (2005). He also appeared in a 2006 PBS documentary film about Japan’s iconic Koshien high school baseball tournament.

https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-member-kazuo-sayama-elected-to-japanese-baseball-hall-of-fame/

Which president played pro baseball under a fake name, thus preserving his college football eligibility?

If you know the answer, or even if you don't, you'll love SABR Boston's conversation this coming Monday night with Curt Smith, author of the wonderful book "The Presidents and the Pasttime."

RSVP by email for your Zoom link to: [email protected].

We had a terrific winter meeting yesterday with Tony Kemp and Ross Ohlendorf! Read all about it in the summary and learn more about Tony Kemp's +1 Effect (discount code included in summary). http://www.sabrhornsby.org/2021/01/tony-kemp-and-ross-ohlendorf-thrill-and-delight-at-winter-meeting/

Happy New Year! Our January-February 2021 newsletter is now ready! In this issue we remember Dick Allen, look back at Hack Wilson, discuss the return of Tony LaRussa, and much more. We even have the latest Scoreboard Puzzler. Enjoy! bit.ly/SABRChicago20210102

Thanks to all of you for following along with us all year long and sharing our love for baseball and this community. Happy holidays to everyone who celebrates!

Negro Leagues great Josh Gibson was born on this date in 1911, and we're excited to unveil this special cover image of our new SABR Baseball Research Journal, designed by Gary Joseph Cieradkowski! Our cover story by Alan Cohen explores all of the home runs that Gibson hit while playing in ballparks like Forbes Field, Griffith Stadium, and others used by segregated white major league teams.

The new Baseball Research Journal was sent out today as an e-book edition to all SABR members who signed up to receive a digital subscription, and the print edition should be showing up in your mailboxes soon. We hope this one is worth the wait!

If you're interested in receiving future editions of the Baseball Research Journal, we encourage you to become a SABR member today. All baseball fans are welcome to join at https://sabr.org/join

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Wednesday that MLB is officially recognizing the major-league status of the Negro Leagues.

“We are thrilled that Major League Baseball has taken this step,” SABR Chief Executive Officer Scott Bush said. “This acknowledgment is consistent with the tremendous work done by many researchers who have championed the study of Black baseball and helped shine a light on these deserving players and teams from the Negro Leagues.”

SABR recently established a task force to evaluate how to better integrate Negro Leagues records, stats, and stories into SABR’s publications, databases, and future research projects.

https://sabr.org/latest/mlb-to-recognize-major-league-status-of-the-negro-leagues/

2020 has been a tough year for everyone, but it’s not all bad news to close out the calendar. Now you can share your love of baseball with a great deal on SABR Gift Memberships!

Give the baseball fan in your life the holiday gift of SABR and you’ll get 20% off their new membership, just in time to say goodbye (and good riddance) to 2020.

For fans who can’t get enough baseball, especially when visiting a ballpark isn’t an option, a SABR membership offers unparalleled access to the game’s most important research and histories within a like-minded community of fellow enthusiasts.

Visit https://sabr.org/goodbye-2020/ to learn more.

REMINDER FOR TONIGHT, Monday, 11/9: Dusty Baker-Sacramento and Lefty O’Doul-SF Bay Area SABR Meeting - SABR's "Baseball's Biggest Blowout Games" Book

•••••

The Dusty Baker and Lefty O’Doul Chapters invite you to join us on Monday, November 9, 2020, at 7pm for a virtual chapter meeting featuring SABR Director and author Bill Nowlin and special guests talking about one of the newest SABR publications “Baseball’s Biggest Blowout Games”. Members can download the book at SABR.org.

This book tells the story of some of the most lopsided games in major-league baseball history. The book includes the top four games for each franchise plus some of the biggest blowouts in postseason history.

Bill will be joined by the book’s team captains! Bruce Enos for the Giants, and Paul Hoffman for the Athletics, will be with us to talk about those games.

Please contact Zak Ford at [email protected] for Zoom details.

Congratulations to Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals and Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies, winners of the 2020 Rawlings Sporting Goods Platinum Glove Awards, presented by SABR!

This is Arenado's fourth consecutive Platinum Glove Award and the second of Gordon's career.

The SABR Defensive Index and a fan vote at Rawlings.com helped determine the Platinum Glove Award winners, which were announced tonight on MLB Network.

https://sabr.org/latest/gordon-arenado-win-2020-rawlings-platinum-glove-awards-presented-by-sabr/