SABR Analytics Conference

We’re just over two weeks away from the first annual SABR Analytics Conference, and it is shaping up to be a pretty fantastic event. The last time we talked about it, only a few speakers had been publicly announced, but the guys over there have been steadily announcing more and more great additions, and now the full agenda is out for all to see. Some of the daily highlights include:

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

Panel Discussions:

1:30-2:45 p.m.: Changing Face of Baseball Data Panel
Speakers: Dave Cameron, FanGraphs; John Dewan, Baseball Info Solutions; and Cory Schwartz, MLB.com. Moderator: Sean Forman, Baseball-Reference.com.

6:00-7:00 p.m.: Player Panel
Speakers: Brandon McCarthy, Oakland Athletics; others TBA. Moderator: Rob Neyer, Baseball Nation.

Research Presentations:

3:00-3:45 p.m.: RP1—Dave Studenmund, “Postseason Championship WPA: A Full Accounting”
3:00-3:45 p.m.: RP2—Vince Gennaro, “Top 10 Value Plays for Building a Roster”
3:45-4:30 p.m.: RP3—Brian Cartwright, “Counting Defense: Extending Defensive Efficiency Rating to the Player Level”
3:45-4:30 p.m.: RP4—JC Bradbury, “Impact of Pitch Counts and Days Rest on Pitcher Performance”

FRIDAY, MARCH 16

Panel Discussions:

8:30-9:45 a.m.: General Managers Panel
Speakers: Chris Antonetti, Cleveland Indians; Jerry Dipoto, Los Angeles Angels; and Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers. Moderator: Ken Rosenthal, MLB Network/FoxSports.com.

10:00-10:45 a.m.: Featured Speaker: Tom Ricketts
Speaker: Tom Ricketts, chairman of the Chicago Cubs. Moderator: SABR President Vince Gennaro.

1:00-2:00 p.m.: Retrospective Look at Baseball Analysis
Speakers: Dick Cramer, SABR; Gary Gillette, SABR; and John Thorn, Major League Baseball. Moderator: Sean Forman, Baseball-Reference.com.

2:15-3:15 p.m.: Fantasy Baseball Panel
Speakers: Derek Carty, Baseball Prospectus; Craig Glaser, Bloomberg Sports; and Eno Sarris, FanGraphs. Moderator: Cory Schwartz, MLB.com.

4:30-5:45 p.m.: Clubhouse Confidential Panel
Speakers: Dave Cameron, FanGraphs; Jay Jaffe, Baseball Prospectus; Vince Gennaro, SABR President; and Rob Neyer, Baseball Nation.

Research Presentations:

11:00-11:45 a.m.: RP5—Greg Rybarczyk, “Integral Baseball: Comprehensive Performance Valuation via Player Tracking”
11:00-11:45 a.m.: RP6—Patrick Kilgo, et. al, “Bridging the Gap Between Sabermetrics and Formal Statistical Inference: Toward a Unified Approach to Baseball Research”
3:30-4:15 p.m.: RP7—Andy Andres, “Projecting NCAA Division 1 Player Performance”
3:30-4:15 p.m.: RP8—Graham Goldbeck, “Pitch f/x and Hit f/x Component Aging Curves”

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

Panel Discussions:

8:45-10:00 a.m.: Scouting and Analytics Panel
Speakers: Joe Bohringer, Chicago Cubs; A.J. Hinch, San Diego Padres; and Corrine Vitolo, SmartKage. Moderator: Dan Migala, PCG.

11:15 – 12:00 p.m.: Speaker: Mark Shapiro, President of the Cleveland Indians. Moderator: Ken Rosenthal, MLB Network/FoxSports.com.

1:30-2:45 p.m.: Digital World Meets Baseball Information Panel
Speakers: Jeff Bennett, ESPN; Rob Shaw, Bloomberg Sports; and Ryan Zander, Sportvision.

Research Presentations:

10:15-11 a.m.: RP9—Dave Cameron, “Pitching Injuries and the Free Agent Market”
10:15-11 a.m.: RP10—John Dewan/Ben Jedlovec, “The Fielding Bible III—An Evaluation of the Ted Williams Shift”

In addition to these presentations and discussions, there’s also going to be a case competition between students from over a dozen universities, as these teams will work on problems faced by a baseball operations department, and their solutions will be judged by team executives and front office personnel.

The event should be a fantastic way to spend three days in Arizona, and we highly encourage you to come out and be a part of the event. Early registration closes at midnight tomorrow night, so if you’re interested in attending, I strongly recommend that you register today.