Jaybird's Jottings

Research Schedule Now Available

The SABR39 Research Presentation Schedule is now available.

As always, there are tough choices to be made, such as Thursday afternoon when both Curt Smith and Vince Gennaro speak at the same time.  Or try choosing between Mike Emeigh and Andy McCue?

You want more research greats?  How about Steve Treder, Chris Jaffe, David Smith, Lee Lowenfish, Phil Birnbaum, Mark Armour, Mark Pankin, and David Fleitz, and that’s just the ones I recognize.   

Choosing by topic, sabermetrics might come up, as in Aggregate Projection System, Winning Percentage Contribution, and The Key to Unlocking the Mystery of Park Factors.

That’s it, go to the schedule, drool, decide, plan, just make sure you attend SABR39 in Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

SABR39: Sneak Preview

SABR conventions are great fun for a lot of reasons, but the meat and potatoes are the research presentations.  Bruce Brown, our chapter chief, has given us a sneak preview of some of the 42 half-hour oral presentations, and 16 poster displays that will be at the Convention here in Washington July 29 to August 2.

One thing I’ve observed about the oral presentations is that some of the speakers don’t seem to rehearse.  They often finish with just minutes left and this leaves little time for Q&A.  Another recommendation I would have is to state the purpose of the research. 

Anyway, public speaking is not easy so good luck to all, and don’t sweat the fact that those fans in the seats are a tough audience!

 

Stadium Construction and Fan Attendance on Minor League Baseball

Baseball’s Emergence in China

Greatest Improvements in Career High On-Base Percentage by Veteran Ballplayers

Does Running the Bases Harm Pitching Performance? by Retrosheet founder Dave Smith

Alexander Cartwright

Walter Johnson versus Babe Ruth

The complete list will be posted on the SABR web site soon.

Senseless

Thoughts and prayers go out to friends and family of Stephen Tyrone Johns of Temple Hills, Maryland.  He was the security guard killed yesterday afternoon at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.  As DCist notes, a Facebook Memorial has been set up.

 

Will President Obama Tee It Up With Tiger?

When it comes to politics, Tiger Woods has laid low throughout his storied career.    But then came the election of Barack Obama.   The world’s best golfer talked candidly about the historical significance of the new President and spoke at the We Are One concert in January.

 The two sports lovers also had a chance to share lighter moments, with Tiger inviting the new President to play golf. No word on when and where that outing might take place, but an intriguing possibility looms on the horizon.

In three weeks, Woods, who will build a Learning Center in the nation’s capital, plays in and hosts the AT&T National at Congressional.   The President could slip in an early morning practice session with Woods or perhaps take part in the Earl Woods Pro-Am on Wednesday.   Obama could even attend one of the four rounds, although that seems unlikely.   

 As one can imagine, neither camp is talking about this.   Tea-leaf readers and golf fans, however, must have been in the mood to speculate on Monday after reading Richard Lieby’s piece in the Washington Post.   We learn that the First Hacker shoots in the mid 90s (welcome to the club Mr. President) and has hit the links five times in the last two months.

We know 44 loves sport and recreation, but could he be getting ready to play with Tiger?

 Stay tuned…

There Used to be a Ballpark Here

Fantastic piece by Tom Hoffarth on a visit this past weekend to the sites of five former ballparks in L.A.   SABR’s Allan Roth Chapter researched the sites and put on the tour.  I always love these type tours.   The Lefty O’Doul Chapter of SABR put on a nice one at the Convention in San Francisco in 1998.    And I’d love to see one for the old ballparks here in Washington.    Bill Wagner researched them, and the Post has a good look too.

Summer Reading

After reading Miracle Ball, I feared the dreaded lull.  Bloggers on the Bus, however, solved that problem.   Some great insight into the underappreciated Netroots and on-line activists.   Let’s hope the ones who already know the stories aren’t the only ones who read it, and count me among those who kept waiting for the Washington Post to publish something positive about bloggers.  

Arriving tomorrow is Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye.    The author was interviewed on Fresh Air (NPR) this afternoon.   It’s an hour long and includes a brief segment with Paige on the 60s TV show What’s My Line?  

At his blog, Tye has one of the longest book tours I have ever seen.   His itinerary includes a discussion in San Francisco with Mays, Cepeda and “other old Giants and Negro Leaguers,” as well as stops in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.  

The author is also scheduled to appear here in Washington on the Diane Rehm Show.  I’ve been listening to Diane for years now, and always hoped she would host a sports author.  (Kojo must be steaming!)  

This book faces the huge challenge that others have written about Paige, including himself, and the sometimes apocryphal nature of oral histories.  But there’s no denying Paige’s greatness and the struggles he endured.

Kudos to the author for this book and such an ambitious book tour.  It's fitting, given the barnstorming nature of the Negro Leagues.    

 

 

 

DC United to Host Real Madrid

By Jaded Roberts

Special from The Garlic Times

As announced last week, DC United will host Real Madrid at FedEx Field on August 9.

As part of the deal, the media in Washington agreed to include DC United in conversations and columns about the woes and fortunes of the major league teams here in the nation’s capital.  They have also agreed to sign a statement they have read the following statements taken from wiki.   

 

D.C. United is an American, professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league.

 

Considered the most successful club in American soccer, the club has won the U.S. Open Cup twice and holds the record for most MLS Cups and MLS Supporters' Shields with four apiece. 

 

D.C. United has one of the strongest fan bases in the league and country, with three supporters' clubs (La Barra Brava, the Screaming Eagles, and La Norte) and one of the highest attendance averages in Major League Soccer. 

New Bike Lane for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Opens

After getting drenched with endless rain this week, Washingtonians were ready to get outside for the weekend.   The sun came out of hiding later this afternoon, doing its part for the outdoor events, including the opening of the multi-use trail on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.  

For the first time, bikers and and pedestrians can cross the Potomac between Fairfax County in Virginia and Prince George’s County on the Maryland side.   The new trail will also see the occasional segways as Segway of National Harbor is offering guided tours to Old Town (they told me they will start tomorrow).     

I took part in the free rental offered by Bike and Roll, as part of their Old Town Grand Opening.   They had a brisk business and offered up free food and smoothies.  This is a first-class, family-owned outfit that is doing a great job and service for the biking community.

I rolled up to the bridge a little after noon.   The official ceremony had been earlier on the other side.   The opening where we were south of Old Town on the Washington Street Bridge was scheduled to open at 1 pm, but they let us on about 12:25.   About a dozen bikers got the initial honor, as well as several walkers and two on roller-blades.

On the bridge, someone observed the turnout wasn’t that great, but more and more folks came across around the scheduled 1 pm start.  The WABA sponsored a “community convoy.”

The sun didn’t come out until I got home so I hope to go back on a sunny day.    The Post’s Dr Gridlock has a set of rules.  Bikethesites might have some photos.  

 

Jaleo

Friends and/or family are in town, staying in Crystal City.   You’re not crazy about that part of Washington, but time is short so you’ll need to arrange dinner there.  You want to impress them, but don’t want a chain like Legal Seafood or McCormick & Schmicks, or the humungous portions at Morton’s.

Where to go?

With about a half dozen visits, we’ve come to know the answer to that question is Jaleo.  Our latest dinner there took place last night.   My sister and niece are here for a convention and we had a great time with them.

Why you’ll go:  Consistently good tapas and service, high-ceiling, attractive décor, fun atmosphere, good crowd mix of younger and older.

Why you won’t:  Uncle Jeb will complain from now to doomsday about the smaller portions, the din gets loud.

Trivia: (From wiki)

"The name "Crystal City" came from the first building, which was called Crystal House and had an elaborate crystal chandelier in the lobby. Every subsequent building took on the Crystal name (i.e., Crystal Gateway, Crystal Towers), and eventually the whole neighborhood. Crystal City is largely integrated in layout and extensive landscaping, as well as the style and materials of the high rise buildings, most of which have a speckled granite exterior."

300!

Congratulations to Randy Johnson on his 300^th win tonight.  

Around 4 pm it started raining and I thought, oh no, another washout.   But the band of showers moved on and the next batch held off.

Close call in the bottom of the eighth with Dunn.  I was thinking, if the Nats score, I may never see 300.

One for the books and the memories…