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Yesterday the weather cooperated, and despite the cold wind that permeated the brick wall of The Baseball Tavern, another great meeting of the Boston Chapter has come and gone. Attendance was 50, and the agenda kept everyone engaged in a wide range of baseball discussions. We were extremely fortunate to have Pam Ganley from the Red Sox media office who gave us insight into workings in the front office. Many took the opportunity to ask questions about day to day operations on Yawkey Way. Next came Peter Abraham from the Boston Globe. An engaging speaker, not surprising if you have read his excellent reporting, he kept the crowd entertained. Ben Crockett, the Red Sox Director of Player Development, left us with the understanding that it'll be all right with the Sox and its future. Donna Halper gave us a spirited lecture on how the press covered baseball. We look forward to hearing her speak again, as she left us wanting to hear more. She'll be back!
The presentation by the Tufts Sabermetrics 101 students also gave us much to ponder about the impact of temperature and humidity on pitch effectiveness. I wish I had that course when I was in school - might have been more interesting than economics, but I digress. We also, as a surpirse bonus heard from one of the students, Kimberley Minor, a Red Sox ball girl, and she had a few great stories to tell about intercepting foul balls at Fenway Park.
Mark Kanter talked about cancelled games that were not due to weather. The most intriguing he presented was the D-day story.
The Emerson College film project has begun in earnest. Their project, "An Emotional Fenway Park Film," has generated a fundraising effort. As SABR members we ought to encourage their work. We can all contribute by going to: www.kickstarter.com and search by keyword Fenway Park - Red Seat Productions, and contribute a little or alot to their fund. Their presentaiton has already inspired a few of us to do so, and we encourage all to do the same.
Patrick Laguzzi made an impassioned presentation and plea to help get Dewey Evans into the Hall of Fame. With his drive and enthusiasm, he can't fail!
Thank you all who helped to make the January 16 meeting a success. We will be considering ideas for a spring meeting, and we will keep you informed as details come together.
Joanne Hulbert, and the SABR Boston Lead Group
Also see: Photos by member Daigo Fujiwara in Flickr SABR Boston Photo Pool, and an excellent blog recap of meeting by a member Mike Cook, entitled "Hot Stove, Cool Speakers: A Recap of SABR Boston’s Winter Meeting"
The Boston Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research have started planning for the Hot Stove Winter Meeting on Monday, January 16, 2012, 11am to 5pm at The Baseball Tavern near Fenway Park. The schedule of events is being organized and details to be announced very soon.
DATE: Monday, January 16, 2012
TIME: 11 AM to 5 PM
LOCATION: The Baseball Tavern
1270 Boylston Street, Boston, MA (map)
Agenda for the day
11:15 – Ron Anderson talks about his new book, Long Taters: A Baseball Biography of George "Boomer" Scott
11:30 – Michael Foster and the Hot Springs Spring Training trip of 1912.
12:00 - LUNCH ($10, buffet style)
 12:35 –Pam Ganley has held the position of Director, Media Relations, since December 2008. She oversees the organization's baseball communications, including managing Spring Training, regular season, and postseason media relations. Holding a Sport Management degree from U Mass Amherst, she has been with the Boston Red Sox since 2000 and previously worked in Media Relations, Alumni Relations and Public Affairs.
 1:10 – Peter Abraham, Red Sox beat writer for The Boston Globe. A Massachusetts native, Abraham joined the staff in 2009 after spending nearly 10 years in New York covering the Mets (2002-05) and Yankees (2006-09) for The Journal News. He also covered the University of Connecticut men's basketball team for the Norwich Bulletin (1986-99).
 1:45 - Ben Crockett, Red Sox Director of Player Development. A former Colorado Rockies draft pick, he joined the Red Sox organization as an intern in baseball operations in 2007 and served as Advance Scouting Coordinator from 2008 -2009.
 2:15- Donna Halper, Professor of Communications, Lesley University. She will talk about baseball and 1912. Donna was the first female announcer in the history of Northeastern University. She’s the author of Boston Radio, 1920 – 2010. She also wrote two excellent articles for the Boston Chapter’s book on the 1912 Red Sox.
2:45 - Kimberley Minor and Matt McGrath - “Pitching Up a Storm: The Impact of Temperature and Humidity on Pitch Effectiveness.” By the Tufts Sabermetrics 101 course. Kim is also a Red Sox Ball Girl.
3:15 – Mark Kanter – “Games Cancelled! Not Due to Weather!”
3:45 - Emerson College film project- Luke Fraser, a student a Emerson College is working on a film about baseball. He’ll describe what his project is about and I know we can offer him some advice.
4:15 – Patrick Laguzzi – Dewwwwwwwwwwwwwwey! Why Dwight Evans Should be in the Hall of Fame.
4:45 - Fenway Park Trivia Contest
Be sure to be subscribed to SABR Nation's Boston Chapter group, and you will get lates info emailed to you.
SABR membership is not required to attend this meeting (though we highly recommend you join). A lunch buffet is available for $10 per person, and a $10 donation is humbly requested.
If you have not been to a meeting at The Tavern, be advised that it is located one block from Fenway Park. There are parking lots in the area, and meter parking all along Boylston St. In front of the Tavern is free for the holiday. It is otherwise advised to take public transportation as the best way to get there. The Tavern is nearest the Kenmore or Fenway stations on the Green Line.
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2012 SABR Day in America is Saturday, January 28. 
Our own Bill Nowlin, autor of more than 20 Red Sox books, and an active member of the Boston Chapter, was selected as the winner of the 2011 
