This Week in SABR: May 22, 2026

May 22, 2026/in This Week in SABR /by wpadmin

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, May 22, 2026. Please note: The SABR office will be closed on Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day holiday. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.

SABR 54: Early registration discounts end soon
Read articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal
Voting for next All-Time Eras Team begins next week
All Four Pillars Campaign donations matched, this week only
Check out the full schedule for Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Call for papers: SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference

SABR 54: Early-bird registration ends next week

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.

Cleveland Baseball History bus tour sold out

The Cleveland Baseball History bus tour on Thursday, July 30 is now sold out! If you plan to attend SABR 54 and would like to be added to the wait list in case a seat opens up, please email events@sabr.org.

The behind-the-scenes bus tour at SABR 54 will explore Cleveland baseball’s history. The tour will include roundtrip bus transportation to: League Park, featuring on-field access, a visit to the Baseball Heritage Museum, and “Baseball Art as the Game’s Storyteller” art exhibit; Rocky Colavito statue with a guided talk from author Joe Gazzo; Ray Chapman gravesite at Lake View Cemetery with a guided talk from author Scott Longert.

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.

Read articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal

With an original cover illustration of pitching grips designed by SABR member Gary Cieradkowski, we hope you enjoy the e-book edition of the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal! The e-book edition was sent to all SABR members on Thursday, May 21. Anyone who has subscribed to the print edition should receive their copy in the mail in the next 2-4 weeks.

Click here to download the PDF e-book edition of the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal.
Click here to order a copy of the print edition of the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal from Amazon.com.
All articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal are now available to read online at SABR.org.

We hope you enjoy the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal!

All-Time Eras: Voting begins next week for Segregation Era Team

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. The All-Time Eras Teams project is an interactive opportunity for all SABR members to participate in, debate with one another, and learn more about the iconic players and figures from different eras.

Voting opens on Friday, May 29 for the Segregation Era team (1920-1946). Click here to view the full player list for the Segregation Era ballot. All current SABR members are eligible to vote.

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 our members. The Segregation Era team will be unveiled on Wednesday, June 24, along with a special presentation by Seth S. Tannenbaum of Manhattanville University. Click here to pre-register for this Zoom meeting.

Visit SABR.org/all-time-eras-teams to learn more about the project, including the players selected to the 19th Century Era and Deadball Era teams.

All donations matched, this week only

We are currently in the midst of our Four Pillars Campaign — signifying the four pillars on which SABR stands as an organization: Research, Preservation, Scholarship, and the Future of the Game. Each pillar represents one of our organizational values and the support of donors like you makes a significant impact on our ability to fortify our foundation while also fulfilling SABR’s vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball.

Thanks to one generous member, you now have the opportunity to DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR DONATION, this week only. Baseball-Reference.com founder and Henry Chadwick Award winner Sean Forman will match all contributions made through Tuesday, May 26, up to a grand total of $7,500.

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 ends next week 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.

Call for papers: 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference

SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center have announced a call for papers for the eighth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, scheduled as a virtual event for October 9–11, 2026. Registration information will be available soon at SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Batters Up: The Future is Now.” We welcome abstracts on all topics and time periods relating to women in all aspects of baseball, including research on history, sociological and economic impacts, and global developments; international growth of the game, MLB-sponsored girls baseball events, the first WPBL season, women in the front office, and more. Abstracts accepted for posters and/or oral presentations.

Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by July 6, 2026, to Leslie Heaphy.

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.

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.

8 new stories published at SABR Biography Project

Joe Collins, by Tom Naylor
Fred Dunlap, by Zac Petrillo
Ricky Jordan, by Douglas Jordan
Mike Koplove, by Barrett Snyder
Al Lawson, by Will MacLean
Jack McCandless, by Vincent T. Ciaramella
Don Porter, by Tony S. Oliver
Zeke Wrigley, by Bill Lamb

Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.

2 new stories published at SABR Games Project

April 28, 1962: Sandy Koufax bats left-handed and earns win, as developing injury looms, by Gregory H. Wolf
May 26, 1992: Carlton Fisk homers for South Bend White Sox in his first minor-league game in 21 years, by Kurt Blumenau

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:

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
Mark Ahrens	Milford, CT	Stu McMurray	Hamilton, ON
Rick Femmer	Evergreen, CO	Dawson Mentzer	Missoula, MT
Peter Golenbock	St. Petersburg, FL	Al Myracle-Martin	London, ENG
Mihai Groza	Montreal, QC	Mark Niemi	Lakewood, OH
Dorian Hairston	Lexington, KY	Bill Powell	Memphis, TN
Austin Hankins	Coralville, IA	JP Ramassini	Austin, TX
Shawn Harstad	Omaha, NE	Michael Ramm	Birmingham, AL
Paul Johnston	Akron, OH	Miguel Riera	Kirkland, WA
Jeff Keefer	Pittsburgh, PA	Paul Ringel	Greensboro, NC
Clayton Kendall	Nagoya, JPN	Matthew Sayles	Homebush West, AUS
Matthew Kline	Port Allegany, PA	Kevin Shafer	Pleasant Hill, CA
Melodie Kolmetz	Honeoye, NY	Chris Sisson	Havre De Grace, MD
Melissa Lopez	Pico Rivera, CA	Jade Van Kley	Nashville, TN
Doreen Mannion	Millsboro, DE	Spencer Voisin	Kitchener, ON
A.J. Manuzzi	Chevy Chase, MD	Josh Weaver	Tampa, FL
William Mathews	St. Petersburg, FL

Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
Video Replays: This week, we heard from Adam Henig (Baseball’s Outcast: The Story of Ron LeFlore); Christopher Dale (Kid Gloves); and the Long Island Ralph Kiner Chapter‘s inaugural meeting. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

May 30: Town Ball Committee meeting (2:00 p.m. CDT)
May 31: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Eric Vickrey (7:00 p.m. EDT)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

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)
May 27: John Liepa: An Exploration of Baseball’s History in Iowa (Des Moines, IA)
May 30: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter lunch meeting (Chicago, IL)
May 30: Halsey Hall Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Rochester, MN)
May 30: Larry Dierker Houston Chapter ballgame/meeting (Sugar Land, TX)
May 30: Louisville Pee Wee Reese Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Louisville, KY)
May 31: Southwest Florida Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Fort Myers, FL)

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.

Halsey Hall Chapter: June 2026 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
Long Island Ralph Kiner Chapter: Check out the chapter’s new Facebook page (Long Island, NY)
Rogers Hornsby Chapter: May 2026 newsletter (Austin, TX)

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
César González-Gómez: New Evidence Solves the Mystery of Esteban Bellán’s Death (Arqueo Béisbol)
J.J. Cooper: Home Runs Are Exploding Across The Minor Leagues—And No One Knows Why (Baseball America)
Justin Klugh: Nobody Homers in Toledo (Baseball Prospectus)
Charlotte Beach: Todd Radom Turns his Life-Long Passion for Baseball into New Book (PRINT Magazine)
Hannah Keyser: Do MLB managers matter? Inside the paradox of a job built to be blamed (CNN)
Sarah Langs: Extra-inning madness, no-hit to no sweat and more (MLB.com)
Derrick Goold: Can Cardinals and crowd keep shirt-twirling, good-time vibes going? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Kevin Gorman: Omar Moreno talks art of stealing bases, Pirates’ 1979 World Series title (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Tyler Kepner: From Bronze Star in Vietnam to All-Star in Baltimore, Al Bumbry to be honored in Cooperstown (The Athletic)
Jay Jaffe: Driven by Their Stars, the Phillies Have Rebounded Under Don Mattingly (FanGraphs)
Ginny Searle: Fernando Tatis Jr.’s Questionably Artful Season (Baseball Prospectus)
Alex Speier: For Red Sox coach Chad Epperson, Tuesday was a one-of-a-kind family reunion (Boston Globe)
Michael Clair: How the Hall of Pretty Good became your favorite player’s favorite account (MLB.com)
Daniel R. Epstein: The Sophomore Pitching Class is Off to a Historic Start (Baseball Prospectus)
Ryan Blake: Elly De La Cruz Does It Right (FanGraphs)
Rob Mains: Are the Yankees’ Postseason Hopes Doomed? (Baseball Prospectus)
Mark Simon: The Most Improved Player in MLB (Sports Info Solutions)
Ryan Fagan: As MLB’s New ABS Challenge System Grows, Some Are Getting It Right More Than Others (Opta Analyst)
Tim Britton: For one day, the Mets mistakenly handed out Gary Carter’s No. 8 to Nick Morabito (The Athletic)
David Laurila: Astros Reliever AJ Blubaugh Used To Throw a Submarine Knuckleball (FanGraphs)
Patrick Dubuque: The Short and Long Lives of Dick Hughes (Baseball Prospectus)
Christopher Chavis: May 8, 1901: The American League Arrives in Boston for the First Time (Baseball and Us)
Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Phil Garner (1949-2026) (RIP Baseball)
Dan Wallach: The history of Japanese baseball with Rob Fitts (My Baseball History)
Jimmy Parker: Another Look at MVPs: Most Valuable … Punctums (Beauty of a Game)
Marissa Vigevani: The story of Derby Bat and Vermont’s baseball legacy (NBC Burlington)
James Forr: Baseball from Mars: The 1986 Super Major Series (SABR Asian Baseball)
Thomas Love Seagull: Japan’s Favorite Players: Shigeo Nagashima (SABR Asian Baseball)
Jason Schwartz: The Hobby’s Most Overlooked Card? (SABR Baseball Cards)

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.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox.

Originally published: May 22, 2026. Last Updated: May 22, 2026.

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