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Nominate the best pieces of 2016 for a SABR Analytics Conference Research Award

What baseball writing from 2016 has really stuck with you, changed the way you think about the sport, or expanded your horizons?

By Henry Druschel
Photo Illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is one of baseball’s oldest association of fans and analysts dedicated to understanding the game. Each year, SABR has its annual Analytics Conference, where new research is presented, students compete in the Diamond Dollars Case Competition, and guests like Jerry Dipoto, Jessica Mendoza, and Mike Hazen speak.

In addition to all that, SABR also presents its annual Research Awards at the conference, recognizing the best baseball writing over the last year. Beyond the Box Score is one of the sites that will be hosting the final voting, and in the meantime, we’re soliciting nominations from all of you. There are three categories:

  • Contemporary Baseball Analysis, pieces focusing on a subject related to the modern game that feature thorough examination of the subject matter, originality of research, factual accuracy, and significance in advancing our understanding of baseball;
  • Contemporary Baseball Commentary, pieces focusing on a subject related to the modern game that feature distinguished writing, profound insight, factual accuracy, and significance in advancing our understanding of baseball;
  • Historical Baseball Analysis/Commentary, pieces of either commentary or analysis that focus on a subject related to some aspect of baseball history.

The awards are a great opportunity to give some well-deserved recognition to some of the best writing in the last year. Some of the past winners include excellent pieces like Lewie Pollis’s “Did Hall of Fame's Founders Want Voters to Judge with Their Eyes?”, from here at Beyond the Box Score; Sam Miller’s “Baseball's Seven Wonders: Kerry Wood's 20-K Game,” from Baseball Prospectus; and Jeff Sullivan’s “Alex Gordon Barely Had a Chance,” from FanGraphs.

So if you read anything in 2016, here at BtBS or anywhere else, that was an outstanding exemplar of any of the three categories, nominate it for a 2017 SABR Award. Go to this form, and let us know what you loved. You can also fill it out as many times as you’d like, if there was more than one piece in a given category that you think is deserving of recognition. In a couple weeks, vote here for your favorite of the final nominees, and check out the SABR Analytics Conference on March 9–11 in Phoenix, Arizona.

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