THE LOOP — Hundreds of baseball aficionados descend on the city this week for the 45th annual convention of the Society for American Baseball Research.
Since forming in 1971, "SABR" has lent its name to baseball statistics hounds, who have increasingly become known as sabermeticians. Yet the group, now with 6,000 members worldwide, deals in far more than just stats, delving into baseball history and trivia as well as current hot-button issues.
The Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St., plays host to SABR 45 from Wednesday through Sunday. Some 540 people attended last year's convention in Houston, and more than 700 were in Philadelphia for the SABR National Convention two years ago.
Highlights of this year's convention include a tribute to late great Chicago players Minnie Minoso of the White Sox and "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks, both of whom died over the winter.
Former White Sox players Ron Kittle and Carlos May will speak on one panel, and Cub TV broadcasters Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies, both statheads who make frequent reference to sabermetrics, will speak on another, joined by Cubs radio color analyst Ron Coomer. A schedule of events and presentations is found here.
The Baseball Project plays a concert in the hotel's Grand Ballroom Thursday evening, with tickets $60 and available to the public as well as conventioneers. The band rock band performs songs dedicated to the game and its stars, and includes members Peter Buck and Mike Mills of R.E.M. and Steve Wynn, formerly of the Dream Syndicate.
Otherwise, the convention fee is $229 for society members, $262 for the general public, with onsite registration available. Day passes are $99. The convention will also hold an outing to the Cubs' game against the Dodgers at 1:20 p.m. Thursday at Wrigley Field.
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