2017 Conference Program

The 24th Annual NINE Spring Training Conference

March 1-4, 2017

Tempe, Arizona

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

THE CY SEYMOUR LEAD-OFF SESSION

Willie Steele, "Go the Distance: A Retrospective of W. P. Kinsella's Life and Baseball Fiction"
 
Charlie Vascellaro, "Magical Realism at the World Series"

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

THE LEFTY O'DOUL SESSION
Chair: William Ressler
 
Anthony Calandrillo, "Striking Out in Britain: The Failure of Baseball in the United Kingdom, 1874- 1945"

John Harney, "Taiwanese Baseball and Colonial Mentalities"

Justin Turner, "Splitting a Double-Header? Comparing the O's and the Rays through U.S.-Cuban Baseball Diplomacy"

THE JESSICA MENDOZA SESSION
Chair: Jim Overmyer

Debbie Shattuck, "Bloomer Girls: Women Baseball Pioneers"

Lisa Doris Alexander, "21st-Century Mamie Johnson? Pitch and the Intersection of Race and Gender"

Roberta Newman, "'Thank Goodness, we've solved the breakfast problem at last!': Baseball, Children, Parenting, and Innovations in Depression Era Advertising"

Robert V. Bellamy and James R Walker, "The Future of Cubs' Television: A Decision Approaches"

Field Research: GIANTS VS. ANGELS at Tempe Diablo Stadium

THE TURKEY MIKE DONLIN SESSION
Chair: Jean Ardell

John Thorn, "Marshall Locke: Poet, Playwright, Songwriter ... Outfielder" 

Arnold Hano, Title TBA
 

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

THE GEORGE MORIARTY SESSION
Chair: Rob Edelman

Gary Gershman, "Hating the Yankees: Why It Feels So Good (and Maybe It Shouldn't)"

Jordan Max-Ryan Englekirk, "Jesus Loves Umpires-Even If You Don't Ted Barrett and the Calling for Christ Ministry"

Dan Levitt, "Ejection Diaries: John McGraw Battles the National League's Umpires and Executives"

THE WILLIE "POPS" STARGELL SESSION
Chair: Roberta Newman

Jim Overmyer, "Who Owns Pittsburgh? Cum Posey and Gus Greenlee Battle for Negro League Supremacy in the Steel City''

Stephanie Liscio, "A Tale of Two Teams: Baseball and Urban Renewal in Pittsburgh, 1930-1970" 

Charlie Vascellaro, "The Integration of the Cactus League"

THE ORESTES "MINNIE" MINOSO SESSION
Chair: Willie Steele

Alan Kornspan, "The Chicago White Sox's Utilization of Statistical Analysis to Evaluate Baseball Performance: An Historical Description"

Kevin G. Quinn, Paul Bursik, and Michael Bursik, "The On-Field Effects of MLB's Collective Bargaining Agreements"

Lequez Spearman, "Where Did We Go Wrong? Major League Baseball Scous Explain Why There Are So Few African Americans in the Garn"

THE CLAIRE SMITH SESSION
Chair. Steve Gietschier
 
Robert F. Garratt, "The Writing of Baseball and the Baseball of Writing: How the New York Giants Became a San Francisco Team"

Daniel Anderson, "Second Basemen and Concert Singers: Sterling A. Brown's Transformative Critiques of Baseball, the Arts, and African American Culture"

Jim Odenkirk, "John 'Jack' Gladstone Graney: First Major League Player-Broadcaster" 

Rob Edelman, "De Wolf Hopper, Digby Bell, and the Five A's"

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

THE WALTER JOHNSON SESSION
Chair: Gary Gershman

Jason Cannon, "Fresh from the Farm: The Orval Overall Story"

Steve Treder, "Where Have You Gone, Master Melvin? A Re-Appreciation of Mel Ott''

Ed Edmonds and Frank Houdek, "Politicians Playing the National Pastime: The Congressional Baseball Game"

THE JANET MARIE SMITH SESSION
Chair: Trey Strecker

James Robinson, "Neighborhoods and Big Sports: Capitalism, Urban Sports, and Social Change (for Better or for Worse)"

Andy McCue, "'The Dictionary Definition of Perfidy: Del Webb, Branch Rickey, and the American League Expansion of 1961"

Joseph L. Price, "The Deconsecration of Green Cathedrals"

Lee C. Kluck, "'The Ties that Bind': The Symbiotic Relationship between Grass Roots and Organized Baseball in Wisconsin"

Field Research: Indians vs. Athletics at Hohokam Stadium

THE BILL KIRWIN SESSION
 
The Society for American Baseball Research Seymour Medal Award Presentation: Robert C. Trumpbour and Kenneth Womack, The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston's Iconic Astrodome

Keynote Speaker: Adrian Burgos Jr.