This Week in SABR: May 1, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, May 1, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Cast your vote now for SABR All-Time Eras Teams
1 week left to vote for Board of Directors election
Contribute to SABR’s Four Pillars Fund
Check out highlights from Salute to the Negro Leagues Day at Tulane University
Watch videos from 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
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SABR Member Benefit Spotlight: Vote now for All-Time Eras Teams
Voting is now open for SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams! Throughout the 2026 season, SABR members will be able to vote for players across six different eras who make up an all-time elite team for that era. Help us celebrate the 150 years of baseball and American history since the founding of the National League in 1876 by voting for your favorite players at every position on the diamond, as well as the top manager and executive from that era.
Each ballot period will culminate with a virtual Zoom webinar which includes a presentation covering that era of American history prior to the unveiling of the team chosen by SABR members like you.
- Voting is open through May 4 for the first two teams: the 19th Century Era (1876-1900) and the Deadball Era (1901-1919); click here to cast your vote
All current SABR members are eligible to vote. SABR members will be able to vote for players at every position on the diamond, as well as the top manager and executive from that era.
Click here to watch a short video to learn more about the project and to cast your vote.
- Get an All-Time Eras Team card set: Current SABR members who refer two new members by May 13 will receive an exclusive baseball card set featuring players selected to our All-Time Eras Teams! New members must use the discount code AllEras15 to qualify for this promotion. Click here to learn more.
Early registration now open for SABR 54 in Cleveland
Join us in Cleveland, Ohio, this summer for SABR’s 54th annual convention on July 29–August 2, 2026, at the Hilton Downtown Cleveland hotel! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 54 is now available online. Click here for complete details on SABR 54 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions.
SABR 54 will feature a Major League speaker lineup we know you’ll love, alongside an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. Whether you’re attending your first SABR convention or returning as a longtime regular, this is a great year to be part of the experience. Newcomers will find plenty of opportunities to connect and build baseball friendships, while veteran attendees can look forward to a richly layered event. It promises to be an unforgettable week of baseball fellowship in “The Land,” and we hope you’ll join us!
Visit SABR.org/convention for complete details. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Students, apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 54
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to 4 scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 54 on July 29–August 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Scott Carter at scarter@sabr.org no later than May 15, 2026.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Contribute to SABR’s Four Pillars Fund
Research – Preservation – Scholarship – Future of the Game. These are the four pillars on which SABR stands as an organization.
Each represents one of our core values, and together they form the foundation of a global community dedicated to understanding, celebrating, and advancing the great game of baseball. With the support of donors like you, we’re not only fortifying that foundation, but we’re also building what comes next.
This spring, we ask you to contribute to the FOUR PILLARS FUND. Our goal is to raise $85,000 during this campaign to strengthen each of our four pillars by supporting baseball research, committing to preservation, furthering the reach of our scholarship, and building a bridge to the future of the game.
To donate or learn more about SABR’s Four Pillars Fund and the existing efforts and exciting new initiatives that will be funded by a successful campaign, visit SABR.org/donate/four-pillars.
Check out highlights from Salute to the Negro Leagues Day at Tulane University
The Schott-Pelican SABR Chapter, in conjunction with the Tulane University Athletic Department, sponsored a Salute to the Negro Leagues Day at a Tulane baseball game on Saturday, April 25 at Turchin Stadium in New Orleans, Lousiana. The event raised awareness and understanding of Negro Leagues baseball in the area and honor local players and personalities.
Children of former Negro Leagues pitcher Johnny Wright and owner/promoter Allen Page threw out the first pitches before the Green Wave baseball team took on the University of Texas at San Antonio. Profiles of Negro Leagues players were highlighted between innings on the stadium’s video board. The ballgame was preceded by a Schott-Pelican Chapter meeting at the Holiday Inn in Metairie, Louisiana. Bekhzodjon Rustamov and Lucy Lu of George Washington University gave a presentation about their research in developing an AI chatbot focused on baseball analytics. Click here to watch their presentation.
The New Orleans-based Schott-Pelican Chapter was the recipient of a SABR Local Grant to help fund this event.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Watch video highlights from 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
The 15th annual SABR Analytics Conference was held from February 27–March 1, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, bringing together the top minds in the baseball analytics community to discuss, debate, and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball.
- Click here to watch video replays from our featured panels and research presentations, which are now available online at SABR.org.
Our featured speakers included keynote speaker Doug Fearing, Teamworks Intelligence; Dave Adler, Baseball HQ; David Adler, MLB.com; Jennifer Brann, Arizona Diamondbacks; Will Carroll, Under the Knife; Derek Carty, THE BAT X; Jason Collette, Rotowire; Vince Gennaro, NYU Lab for Transformative Leadership; Max Glick, Arizona Diamondbacks; Cory Hahn, Arizona Diamondbacks; Maile Kamada, Arizona Diamondbacks; Kelvin Kondo, Arizona Diamondbacks; Jason McLeod, Arizona Diamondbacks; Franky Mulloy, Cincinnati Reds; Do-Hyoung Park, Major League Baseball; Kristyn Pierce, Arizona Diamondbacks; Hillary Plummer, San Diego Padres; Eno Sarris, The Athletic; Connor Shannon, Arizona Diamondbacks; Megan Stewart, Milwaukee Brewers; Will Vandenberg, Los Angeles Dodgers; Derek VanRiper, The Athletic; and more.
Visit SABR.org/analytics for more highlights, photos, and stories.
Early registration now open for 2026 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on June 18-21, 2026, at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Full and single-day registration is available for a discounted rate before May 25, 2026.
- Register: Click here to register online for the 2026 Malloy Conference. Full registration is $195 before May 25, $210 afterward. Students: $75 before May 25, $85 afterward. Single-day registration is also available for $80 for Friday or Saturday before May 25; $90 afterward. Extra tickets can be purchased for Thursday’s Education Forum at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown, Thursday’s “meet and greet” reception at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery (333 Beale Street), Friday’s Memphis Redbirds baseball game at AutoZone Park, or Saturday’s awards banquet at the SpringHill Suites. All of these sessions are included in the full registration package.
- Hotel: A special group rate at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown of $159/night (plus tax) is available to registered convention attendees. To book your room, click here or call 901-522-2100. The SpringHill Suites hotel is located at 85 W. Court Ave., Memphis, TN 38103.
- Art Contest: The 17th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference Art Contest is open to all artists in 2026.
- Library Grants: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2026. Click here to download a PDF application.
Last chance to vote for 2026 Board of Directors Election
SABR members, please pay attention to the e-mail address that you have on file with SABR; you should have received a message from tellers@sabr.org on Wednesday, April 22 and April 29 with a link to vote online in the 2026 SABR Board of Directors election.
- Not seeing your ballot? If you did not receive your ballot, please check your Spam folder or contact jpomrenke@sabr.org to request that your ballot be re-sent.
The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on May 6. The only way to vote online is through the link you will receive by e-mail. All e-mails will come from the address tellers@sabr.org.
- Election Guide: Click here to download the 2026 SABR Election Guide (PDF)
You will find three items on the 2026 election ballot: the election of the SABR Board Vice President, Treasurer, and two (2) Directors positions. Click here to learn more.
Students, apply for a Fall 2026 internship with SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research is seeking student interns to work during the Fall 2026 semester from September 1-December 1. The remote internship is an educational opportunity that may count toward college credit, covering 15-20 hours per week with a flexible schedule. The internship will be for a fixed period of time and is designed to provide the intern with skills and training that may be applicable to working in a nonprofit research environment or in other research-based organizations.
Please send a resume and cover letter in PDF form to jpomrenke@sabr.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Seeking nominations for Founders’ Day Award
The SABR Founders’ Day Award recognizes a member who has contributed significant or enduring service as a leader of a regional chapter or research committee.
Click here to submit a nomination for the SABR Founders’ Day Award. Anyone can submit a nomination; nominees must be active SABR members in order to be eligible to receive the award.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
6 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- May 3, 1939: Ted Williams records first career game-deciding RBI in Red Sox win over Cleveland, by Bill Nowlin
- July 11, 1965: Sandy Koufax pitches, hits way to 15th win as Dodgers top Pirates, by Stephen Bratkovich
- June 17, 1970: Light-hitting Ken Szotkiewicz socks game-winning home run for Tigers, by Kurt Blumenau
- April 27, 1986: Error-filled 7-run inning dooms Steve Carlton, Phillies in Pittsburgh, by John Fredland
- May 1, 2001: Deion Sanders’ big-league return marks a career night in Reds’ win over Dodgers, by Harrison Golden
- May 6, 2001: Bobby Abreu’s clutch double keys 9-run second inning as Phillies hold off late Giants rally, by Steve Ginader
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Two Outs, So What!: The 2001 Seattle Mariners
Edited by Steve Friedman, Eric Vickrey, and Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Check out highlights and photos from the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- SABR welcomes new chapter in Long Island, New York
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Research Grants in 2026
- Save the date: 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2026
- 2026 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award winners announced
- Gary Cieradkowski selected as winner of 2026 SABR Jefferson Burdick Award
- Dangerous Danny Gardella by Robert Elias wins 2026 SABR Seymour Medal
- Fourth course in SABR Analytics Certification program is now available
- Learn more about new SABR Institutional Memberships
- Negro Leagues statistics added to SABR Lahman Baseball Database
- View a collection of nearly 100,000 player surveys in the Weiss Baseball Questionnaires collection
- Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
Please give a warm welcome to all new SABR members who joined this week! View more Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org or click here to download the Membership Handbook. Find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.
| NAME | HOMETOWN | NAME | HOMETOWN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Angeles | New York, NY | Jeremiah Loyer | Chambersburg, PA | ||
| Steve Bender | Cary, NC | Mike Marx-Gibbons | Baltimore, MD | ||
| William Bender | North Babylon, NY | Hameed Mourani | Sleepy Hollow, NY | ||
| Timothy Burke | Salem, MA | Mary Jo Neville | Baltimore, MD | ||
| James Farrell | Massapequa, NY | Doug Reed | Corvallis, OR | ||
| Patrick Good | Meriden, CT | Nick Rizza | Waltham, MA | ||
| Zachary LaComb | Lexingtom, SC | Jayden Trawick-Junta | Atlanta, GA | ||
| Andrew LeBeau | Brookline, MA | Jacqueline Wilson | Sumter, SC | ||
| Renato Leonelli | Providence, RI | Andrew Wright | Weidman, MI |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Kat Williams of the International Women’s Baseball Center; Bekhzodjon Rustamov and Lucy Lu of George Washington University; John Racanelli and Derek Bain (Hardball Retro’s Compendium of Baseball Video Games and Electronic Handhelds); Louis Schiff (Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame); and Jack Bales (“The Original Mr. Cub: Jimmy Wood”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- May 2: Women in Baseball Diamond Stories: Amy Venuto (10:00 a.m. EDT)
- May 2: Rice-Russell Nashville (TN) Chapter meeting with Jim Leeke (10:00 a.m. CDT)
- May 4: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Kirk McKnight (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- May 5: Games and Simulations Committee meeting with Craig Wessel (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- May 6: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Steven Gietschier (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- May 6: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Mike Richard (7:30 p.m. EDT)
- May 7: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter meeting with Tom Mule and Jason Horowitz (6:30 p.m. EDT)
- May 7: Magnolia (GA) Chapter meeting with Justin Krebs (7:30 p.m. EDT)
- May 7: Asian Baseball Committee meeting with Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes (8:30 p.m. EDT)
- May 9: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter: Talkin’ Baseball: Steven Gietschier (9:00 a.m. EDT)
- May 9: Louisville Pee Wee Reese (KY) Chapter meeting with Marshall Garvey (11:00 a.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- May 2: Field of Dreams Chapter meeting (Cascade, IA)
- May 5: Bob Davids Chapter Virginia Hot Stove Dinner (Arlington, VA)
- May 6: Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting (Tallahassee, FL)
- May 6: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- May 9: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Fridley, MN)
- May 9: Rocky Mountain Chapter book club meeting (Englewood, CO)
- May 9: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Baseball Records: April 2026 newsletter
- Latino Baseball: Spring 2026 newsletter
- Women in Baseball: Spring 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Chattanooga Choo-Choo Chapter: Spring 2026 newsletter (Chattanooga, TN)
- Halsey Hall Chapter: April 2026 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
Sign up for SABR chapter announcements at SABR.org/chapters.
Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.
Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:
- Save 40% off the purchase of baseball books at University of Nebraska Press through June 12
- Register now for the free ASMI–MLB Baseball Medicine Workshop on June 10-11 in Birmingham
- Michael Clair: Baseball Champions League shows global language of baseball (MLB.com)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt/Sam Blum: Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai hasn’t taken to MLB right away. Is some of it the team he chose? (The Athletic)
- Ben Clemens: The Strike Zone Is Shrinking. Here’s How. (FanGraphs)
- Mike Petriello: Players, teams that have been successful at ABS challenges (MLB.com)
- Jacob Feldman: For Those Keeping Score, an Ancient Baseball Art Lives On (Sportico)
- Ben Lindbergh: Meet the Man Behind the Men Behind the Mic (The Ringer)
- Eno Sarris/Andrew Baggarly/Dan Hayes: As MLB bullpens keep evolving, is the sport devaluing the save stat? (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: The Cubs Have Turned Things Around (FanGraphs)
- Sarah Langs: Home run records, mind-bending velocity and streaks (MLB.com)
- Craig Goldstein: Roki Sasaki Splits the Difference (Baseball Prospectus)
- Hannah Keyser: Jarren Duran’s experience with fan abuse shows there’s still risk in athletes being vulnerable (CNN)
- Travis Sawchik: Forcing Rotation: Exploring Lead-Leg Force Curves and Rotation in Hitters (Driveline Baseball)
- David Laurila: Nathan Lukes Nearly Walked Away Before Becoming a Blue Jay (FanGraphs)
- Derrick Goold: How Nathan Church got a 2-day jump on the route to rob another homer and save Cardinals (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Steven Goldman: Dropping the Pilot (Baseball Prospectus)
- Benjamin Hill: The greatest MLB Draft class of all-time? New book makes the case for 1968 Dodgers (MLB.com)
- Bill Staples Jr.: People Over Patriotism: A Flag, Two Military Veterans, and the Baseball Protest of 1976 (International Pastime)
- Gary Ashwill: Clubs & Franchises: All-Nations / Kansas City Monarchs (Agate Type)
- Christopher Chavis: November 4, 1944: FDR heads to Fenway Park for his final rally (Baseball and Us)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Tom Nieto (1960-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Matthew Trueblood: Under New ABS System, Victor Caratini Has Hit a Very Weird, Very Valuable Pitch-Framing Sweet Spot (Twins Daily)
- Mai Yoshikawa: The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays’ engines running (Japan Times)
- Tiffany Babb: Reinventing the Dodger Dog (The Fan Files)
- Roy Carlson: Topps Had Tricks Up Their Sleeve with 1971 Baseball Tattoos Set (Sports Collectors Daily)
- Jimmy Parker: Bob Krieger Taps An Editorial Background to Create Artwork of Historic Ballplayers (Beauty of a Game)
- Jake Kauderer/Andrew Rich: The ghosts of Baltimore ballparks past (The Sentinel)
- Thomas Gilbert: Baseball Time Machine: The Strike Zone (Substack)
- Darin Watson: Jim Eisenreich Overcame Tourette Syndrome To Post A 15-Year MLB Career (Royals Keep)
- Mark Kolier: The MVPs not in the Hall of Fame (Almost Cooperstown)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Steve Somers (Baseball and BBQ)
- Jay Wigley: The Card I Hold Every Day (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Carter Cromwell: The 1979 Major League All-Star Series in Japan (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Thomas Love Seagull: Japan’s Favorite Players: Hiromitsu Ochiai (SABR Asian Baseball)
Please note: Some articles may require a separate subscription to view online. SABR does not endorse, and is not responsible or liable for, any content that appears on a third-party website.
This Week in SABR is compiled by Jacob Pomrenke. If you would like us to include an upcoming event, article, or any other information in “This Week in SABR,” e-mail jpomrenke@sabr.org. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.
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Originally published: May 1, 2026. Last Updated: April 30, 2026.