This Week in SABR: May 15, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, May 15, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Check out the full schedule for SABR 54 in Cleveland
All-Time Eras Teams announced: 19th Century and Deadball Era
Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts, Volume 5
Contribute to SABR’s Four Pillars Fund
Early registration ends soon for Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
In Memoriam: James A. Riley
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Check out the full schedule at 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! Early-bird registration discounts end soon on May 29, so sign up today to join us. The full schedule is now available online, including research presentations and committee meetings, along with transportation tips and area attractions in and around Cleveland.
- Research Presentations: Click here to view the full list of SABR 54 Research Presentations
- Poster Presentations: Click here to view the full list of SABR 54 Poster Presentations
- Committee Meetings: Click here to view the full list of SABR 54 Committee Meetings
SABR 54 will feature a Major League-sized speaker lineup we know you’ll love, alongside an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. Featured speakers include Chris Antonetti, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Mike Hargrove, Kenny Lofton, Charles Nagy, Tom Hamilton, and more!
You’ll be able to enjoy innovative panel discussions, groundbreaking research presentations, a group outing to a Guardians v. Diamondbacks game; a bus tour of historic Cleveland baseball sites; a screening and Q&A session with the writer and director of Major League, David S. Ward; a revamped SABR Trivia Contest; coffee talk, and most of all, the opportunity to make and renew baseball friendships over the course of an exciting and memorable event.
Early Bird registration discounts expire THIS MONTH — on May 29! Register today to get the lowest pricing available.
Visit SABR.org/convention to learn more.
SABR 54: Transportation Tips
Members of the host Jack Graney Cleveland Chapter have compiled a list of transportation tips to help visitors and convention attendees enjoy their stay in Cleveland. If you have any questions during your stay, please don’t hesitate to ask a friendly SABR 54 volunteer for assistance.
Our fantastic hotel property at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown is conveniently located within walking distance of Progressive Field and other downtown attractions like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
All-Time Eras Teams announced for 19th Century Era and Deadball Era
Throughout the 2026 season, SABR members will have a chance to vote on SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams as we celebrate the 150 years of baseball and American history since the founding of the National League in 1876. On Wednesday, May 13, SABR revealed the first two teams in a special Zoom webinar, covering the 19th Century Era (1876-1900) and the Deadball Era (1901-1919).
More than 650 SABR members cast a vote on these ballots. The top vote recipients at each position were selected for the first team. Click on a link below to view the players, managers, and executives selected, along with their SABR biographies and statistics from Baseball-Reference.com:
- Click here to view the 19th Century Era Team (1876–1900)
- Click here to view the Deadball Era Team (1901–1919)
Before the teams were unveiled, Brian M. Ingrassia of West Texas A&M University delivered a presentation on “Building Trust: Baseball in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1876-1919.” Click here to watch a video recording of Ingrassia’s presentation and the team reveals.
Visit SABR.org/all-time-eras-teams to learn more about the project.
- Coming soon: Voting for the Segregation Era (1920–1946) teams will open on May 29 at SABR.org. All SABR members are eligible to vote in the online ballot. The final team will be revealed in a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, June 24, with a presentation by Seth S. Tannenbaum of Manhattanville University. Click here to pre-register for the Zoom meeting.
Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts, Volume 5
A new publication produced by SABR’s Baseball and the Arts Committee vividly brings to life the art and literature of the game we all love:
Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts, Volume 5 (2026)
Edited by Joanne Hulbert and Jay Hurd
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-960819-70-3, $5.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-960819-71-0, $11.95
6″ x 9″, 102 pages
In this issue, we showcase the artistic and literary talents of 28 SABR members, with poetry, essays, short stories, and memoirs, as well as visual arts and interviews. Mark Summerfeld takes us into his dream job working for the Orioles, while Jarrod Schenewark looks back at a special night at Fenway Park. Childhood reminiscences fuel pieces such as “Stoopball” by Daniel Farkas and “Bash” by Jonathon Symons. Russ Speiller treats us to a look behind the scenes at the movie about baseball card artist Dick Perez, The Diamond King, and introduces us to the portrait art of Josée Tellier. We look at baseball card art in watercolor and in leather, and much more.
Click here to download your free e-book edition or save 50% off the purchase of a paperback edition.
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 the full schedule for Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Early registration remains 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.
The full schedule is now available online. The conference will be highlighted by a film screening of Black Diamonds, Blues City: Stories of the Memphis Red Sox; special presentations on Bob Boyd and J.B. Martin; many research presentations; a Memphis Redbirds game; and a “meet and greet” reception at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery on Beale Street.
- 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.
- Schedule: Click here to view the full conference schedule.
- 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.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more.
In Memoriam: James A. Riley
James Andrew Riley III, an expert on the history of baseball’s Negro Leagues and a former SABR Board President, died at the age of 86 on April 21. His landmark 1994 reference volume, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues has been recognized as one of the most comprehensive works chronicling the segregated era of Black baseball. He also collaborated with Hall of Famers Buck Leonard and Monte Irvin on their autobiographies, and wrote several other acclaimed books and numerous articles on the Negro Leagues.
Riley, who joined SABR in 1979 and remained an active member for the next four decades, served on SABR’s Board of Directors from 1996 to 2001, including one term as Board President from 1999 to 2001. He was the Director of Research at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City from 1996 to 2001. He also was a recipient of the SABR Negro League Committee’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Robert Peterson Recognition Award, and a past president of the Central Florida Chapter. His friendship with Atlanta native James “Red” Moore, a former Negro Leagues first baseman, facilitated Red’s appearance at several Magnolia Chapter meetings in Georgia.
In addition to his wife Dorothy and sons Jubal and Josh, he is survived by four grandchildren, Andy, Mark, Graham, and Delaney. A private family service was held.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
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.
3 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- September 26, 1954: Karl Spooner pitches another shutout on the way to the record book, by Steven C. Weiner
- September 8, 1955: Karl Spooner’s pitching clinches Dodgers’ National League pennant — early, by Steven C. Weiner
- May 16, 1964: Relief pitcher Dick Radatz wins Red Sox game for himself with a walk-off base hit, by Bill Nowlin
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:
- 2026 Henry Chadwick Award recipients announced
- Levin, Filippone, Brooks, Krall elected to SABR Board of Directors
- Check out video highlights, photos from Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
- Check out highlights and photos from the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
- Check out highlights from Salute to the Negro Leagues Day at Tulane University
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Research Grants in 2026
- Save the date: 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Allen | Boise, ID | Paul Hanlon | Washington, DC | ||
| Nathan Bina | Spokane, WA | Phil Holleran | Williamsburg, VA | ||
| Nicholas Bitz | Rocky River, OH | Robby Incmikoski | Pittsburgh, PA | ||
| Mark Brewer | Pitman, NJ | Daniel Kaluzny | Oakville, ON | ||
| Toney Brown | Brooklyn, NY | Drew Karazin | Nashville, TN | ||
| Marty Brownsey | West Seneca, NY | Gary LaBrec | Manchester, CT | ||
| Edward Brueggemann | Manchester, MO | Rebekah Lajoie | San Diego, CA | ||
| Sean Cannon | Casper, WY | Patrick Lincoln | Sharon, VT | ||
| Sam Cottman | Gilbert, AZ | Chris Meiman | Grove City, OH | ||
| Shane DAoust | Gibraltar, MI | Andrew Millar | Troy, MO | ||
| Steven Dennis | Hockley, TX | Windsor Morgan | Baltimore, MD | ||
| Dave Drury | Henrietta, NY | Derek O’Hara | Alhambra, CA | ||
| Matt Dyksen | Philadelphia, PA | Rod O’Toole | Brooklyn, NY | ||
| Kenneth Edwards | Ferrisburgh, VT | Karl Pendleton | Lithia Springs, GA | ||
| Hugh Farmer | Lyndhurst, OH | Jackie Riggleman | Pittsburgh, PA | ||
| Jerry Foster | Corpus Christi, TX | Bek Rustamov | Washington, DC | ||
| Cooper Galayda | Cleveland, OH | Michael Silva | Lake Grove, NY | ||
| Joe Gazzo | Strongsville, OH | Grant Sovereign | Houston, TX | ||
| Ari Geller | Ogden, UT | Joe Stillwell | Evanston, IL | ||
| Marc Giardina | Santa Fe Springs, CA | Keith Stouder | Chapel Hill, NC | ||
| Kenny Gonzalez | Fontana, CA | Daniel Wilder | Bothell, WA | ||
| Coleman Grengs | New Haven, CT | John Wyld | Albany, NY |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Brian M. Ingrassia (“Building Trust: Baseball in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1876-1919”); Patrick Stewart (“Discovering Ace Stewart”); John Graf (Simulating Satchel); and Marshall Garvey and Kurt Kepshire (Interstate ’85). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- May 16: Southern Michigan Chapter meeting with Adam Henig (11:00 a.m. EDT)
- May 18: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting with Steve Gietschier (6:00 p.m. CDT)
- May 18: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Seth S. Tannenbaum (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- May 18: Ralph Kiner Long Island (NY) Chapter meeting (7:30 p.m. EDT)
- May 18: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- May 19: Central Illinois Chapter meeting with Christopher Dale (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- May 20: Rocky Mountain (CO) Chapter meeting with Denny Dressman (6:30 p.m. MDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- May 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- May 16: Pacific Northwest Chapter meeting (Tacoma, WA)
- May 16: Rogers Hornsby Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Round Rock, TX)
- May 18: Larry Dierker Chapter meeting (Houston, TX)
- May 19: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly lunch (Denver, CO)
- May 19: Northwest Ohio Chapter book club meeting (Toledo, OH)
- May 19: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- May 21: Magnolia Chapter Third Thursday meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- May 23: Forbes Field Chapter meeting (Pittsburgh, PA)
- May 23: Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter breakfast (Middletown, CT)
- May 23: Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter meeting (Philadelphia, PA)
- May 23: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter: Orioles ballgame/meet-up (Baltimore, MD)
- May 24: Clyde Sukeforth Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Manchester, NH)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Biographical Research: April 2026 newsletter
- Official Scoring: Spring 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Davids Chapter: May 2026 newsletter (Washington, DC)
- Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: May 6 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
- Larry Dierker Chapter: Spring 2026 newsletter (Houston, TX)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: May 2026 newsletter (Denver, CO)
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
- Josh Levin: Can the Savannah Bananas Save Black Baseball? (The Atlantic)
- Eno Sarris/Fabian Ardaya: As the splitter rises in popularity, why do left-handers rarely throw the pitch? (The Athletic)
- Ben Clemens: Where Are 2026’s Extra Walks Coming From? (FanGraphs)
- Daniel R. Epstein: The Rangers Have the Wrong Kind of High Exit Velos (Baseball Prospectus)
- Tyler Kepner: How a revved-up offense — and the usual brilliance of Paul Skenes — is revitalizing the Pirates (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: Ted Turner and Bobby Cox: The Duo That Changed Atlanta Baseball (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Catching Some Rays (Sports Info Solutions)
- Stephanie Apstein: The Giants’ Grim Outlook Goes Well Beyond This Season (Sports Illustrated)
- Jayson Stark: Ready for the greatest NL Cy Young Award race ever? (The Athletic)
- Anthony Castrovince: Bunts are back! Inside the return of small ball’s biggest weapon (MLB.com)
- Rob Mains: Atlanta Braves Holdings Reports First Quarter Earnings: How Much Money Do Executives Make? (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Yandy Díaz Might Be Baseball’s Most Underappreciated Hitter (FanGraphs)
- Steven Goldman: Pitcher Abuse Points Were Woke (Baseball Prospectus)
- Michael Rosen: Dansby Swanson Is King of the Old Shortstops (FanGraphs)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Davey Lopes (1945-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Tiffany Babb: Spinning the yarn that goes into baseballs (The Fan Files)
- John Boccacino: How Falk’s Rodney Paul Shapes Sport Analytics Leaders (Syracuse News)
- Tracy Nicolle Lewis: Cronkite grad Eric Matsumoto makes California ballpark dream a reality (ASU.edu)
- Gary Ashwill: Clubs & Franchises: St. Louis Giants/Stars (Agate Type)
- Tom Gilbert: Printer, Player, Turncoat, Traitor (Substack)
- Jimmy Parker: Gio Balistreri Creates Custom Baseball Card Sets Worthy of Cooperstown (Beauty of a Game)
- Paul Proia: Frank Zinn, A Heroic Life Catching Would-Be Thieves (Mighty Casey Baseball)
- Peter Chawaga: Dick Hughes, Cardinals World Series Champion, Rookie Sensation With Career Cut Short, Dies (Forbes.com)
- Mark Kolier: Baseball’s Hall of Fame doesn’t care about player salaries (Almost Cooperstown)
- Carter Cromwell: The 1984 Baltimore Orioles Tour in Japan: The Final Attempt at a True World Series (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Thomas Love Seagull: Japan’s Favorite Players: Hideki Matsui (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 15, 2026. Last Updated: May 15, 2026.