This Week in SABR: August 28, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, August 28, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Read articles from The National Pastime online
Voting now open for SABR All-Time Free Agency Era Team
In Memoriam: Jacques Doucet
Red Sox recognize first night baseball game in Hull, Massachusetts
Join us on September 24 for a Scholar Session with MLB’s Tyrone Brooks
Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
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Read articles from The National Pastime: Baseball on Lake Erie
All articles from the new 2026 edition of The National Pastime can now be found online in the Research Collection at SABR.org.
All SABR 54 attendees received a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball in Cleveland and around the Lake Erie region. The e-book edition will be sent out to all members soon.
- Read online: Articles from The National Pastime 2026 can be read online at SABR.org.
- Buy the magazine: Purchase the print edition of The National Pastime 2026 from Amazon.com.
We hope you enjoy reading The National Pastime!
Voting now open for SABR All-Time Free Agency Era Team (1973–2000)
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.
- Cast your vote now for the Free Agency Era team (1973–2000). Or click here to view the full player list for the Free Agency Era ballot. All current SABR members are eligible to vote. Voting ends at 11:59 PM MST on Monday, September 7.
- Join us from 8:00-9:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday, September 16 for a special Zoom webinar as we reveal the Free Agency Era (1973–2000) team, and hear a presentation from Daniel A. Gilbert of the University of Illinois. Click here to pre-register for this Zoom event.
Visit SABR.org/all-time-eras-teams to learn more about the project, including the players selected to the 19th Century Era, Deadball Era, Segregation Era, and Integration Era teams.
In Memoriam: Jacques Doucet
For 33 seasons, Jacques Doucet was the radio voice of the Montreal Expos, handling play-by-play duties on the French-language network. From Jarry Park to Olympic Stadium, Doucet witnessed most of the highs and lows spanning the existence of the Expos franchise between 1969 and 2004. He was also largely responsible for inventing and popularizing many French-language baseball terms.
After joining SABR in 2005, Doucet made regular appearances at Quebec Chapter and Hanlan’s Point (Ontario) Chapter meetings in Canada. Doucet died at the age of 86 on Thursday, August 27.
Doucet called more than 5,500 major league games, including almost every memorable moment in Expos history, like Dennis Martinez’s perfect game in 1991. In recognition of his remarkable career, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. He also received the Canadian Hall’s Jack Graney Award in 2004, was honored by the Quebec Baseball Hall of Fame, and has been a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Boston Red Sox recognize first night baseball game in Hull, Massachusetts
On Sunday, August 9, a storyboard highlighting the first baseball game played under artificial light in 1880 was dedicated in Hull, Massachusetts, and recognized by the Boston Red Sox in a pregame ceremony at Fenway Park. The project was partially funded through a Local Grant received by the SABR Boston Chapter in 2025.
The Town of Hull and the SABR Boston Chapter were honored on August 9 before the Red Sox game, which drew a crowd of 36,817 at Fenway Park. The public address announcer recited a brief history of the first night game and then extolled the efforts of the Town of Hull and SABR to memorialize this significant baseball event. Steve Greenberg, President of the Hull Chamber of Commerce, and Herb Crehan of SABR were introduced to the crowd.
Click here to read Craig B. Waff’s recap of the 1880 game in Hull, which was included in SABR’s book, Inventing Baseball: The 100 Greatest Games of the 19th Century.
Join us on September 24 for a special SABR Scholar Session with MLB’s Tyrone Brooks
All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to join us for our next SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 7:00 PM Eastern on Thursday, September 24.
Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for our free virtual series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members.
During this session, Tyrone will discuss baseball’s offseason hiring timeline and ways you can set yourself apart from other applicants. We’ll also spend some time linking you with fellow student and young professional members in a networking session designed to build your connections throughout the industry.
- To learn more or to pre-register for the SABR Scholar Session on Zoom, please contact Jessica Smyth.
Get your SABR merch at our new online shop
SABR is excited to announce the launch of the new SABR Shop, an online store featuring SABR-branded apparel, home goods, prints, and more for baseball fans.
Among the featured items are exclusive prints showcasing cover art from the Baseball Research Journal, along with a growing collection of SABR merchandise celebrating the organization’s worldwide community. Baseball Research Journal posters feature every edition including the artwork of acclaimed artist and SABR member Gary Cieradkowski, with iconic depictions of Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige amongst other legends of the game. Apparel options include hats, shirts, sweatshirts, and pullovers in men’s, women’s, and unisex selections. New merchandise and designs will continue to be added in the coming months, offering fresh options for the SABR fan in your life.
Visit the SABR Shop today at sabr.shop.
Call for papers: 2027 SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2027 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 18th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 16-17, 2027.
The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2026. Your abstract must be between 250-500 words for a 20- to 25-minute presentation focused primarily on events taking place prior to 1901. Please include name, title, and contact information and send your proposal as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Register now for 2026 SABR Northern New Jersey 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium
SABR’s Nineteenth Century Research Committee will host the Northern New Jersey 19th Century Interdisciplinary Symposium as a special virtual event on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The focus of this symposium will be on the rich early baseball and related history of the region, which extends from the New York state border south through Monmouth and Mercer counties.
- Registration for all SABR members is now open; click here to sign up. The cost is $15 per person. The one-day Zoom event will run from approximately 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time on November 14.
The symposium will be highlighted by a keynote address from Jonathan Mercantini, Associate Provost for Special Projects and Professor of History at Kean University. He is an appointed member of the New Jersey Historical Commission and a Trustee of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The welcome address will be given by John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball and the co-founder of SABR’s Nineteenth Century Committee.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
With the recent release of Volume 5 of Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of the Baseball Arts, SABR’s Baseball and the Arts Committee now turns its sights to submissions for Volume 6.
All SABR members are encouraged to send along your submission, or your questions, to editors Joanne Hulbert or Jay Hurd before September 15, 2026. We are looking for poetry, memoir, artwork, humor, short fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, and parody.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
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 12, 1913: Shoeless Joe Jackson injured at Griffith Stadium in the heat of AL batting race with Ty Cobb, by Gavin Winkler
- September 17, 1953: Carl Erskine outduels Harvey Haddix for 20th victory in Dodgers’ comeback win, by Steven C. Weiner
- August 29, 2018: Red Sox batters record 12 hits in consecutive at-bats to set a franchise record, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Harvey’s Wallbangers: The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
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:
- Find stories, photos, and highlights from SABR 54 in Cleveland
- Save the date! SABR 55 will be in Birmingham in 2027
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through MLB games of August 9
- Marlene Vogelsang honored as 2026 SABR Founders’ Day Award recipient
- SABR Analytics Certification courses now available in Spanish
- Photos, highlights from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Memphis
- 2026 executives, college baseball staffs added to SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legends project concludes with final selections
- Save the date: Join us for SABR Analytics Conference on March 12–14, 2027
- Read articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Research Grants in 2026
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Abrams | Sault Ste. Marie, ON | Daniel Little | Santa Clara, CA | ||
| Shirin Alapati | Fremont, CA | Chad Madaloni | Chesapeake, VA | ||
| Billy Altman | Hastings on Hudson, NY | Monica Montoya | San Diego, CA | ||
| Andrew Cole | De Pere, WI | Josh Platt | Boone, NC | ||
| Jason Daniels | San Diego, CA | Robert Rich | Chicago, IL | ||
| Amy Duchsherer | Bismarck, ND | Spencer Schmalz | Kenilworth, IL | ||
| Kelly Gress | Slippery Rock, PA | Ray Silvius | Winnipeg, MB | ||
| Joshua Jones | Chermside, AUS | Wyatt Slonaker | Westerville, OH | ||
| Stephen Jones | Hawarden, GBR | David Sonnet | McMurray, PA | ||
| Josepha Kairape | New Rochelle, NY | Jesus Toledo | Naples, FL | ||
| Mike Kehrer | Ringgold, GA | Jacob Whitver | Rolling Meadows, IL |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Addy Baird (The Magical Game); Jim Levering (The Boys of Nixon Field), Hannah Dean (“Isolating True Pitcher Talent”); and the Larry Dierker No-Hitter 50th anniversary celebration. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- August 30: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Bob Cullen (7:00 PM EDT)
- August 31: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Jeff Cohen and Len Aberman (7:30 PM EDT)
- September 2: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Jerry Manheim and Pat Brown (7:00 PM EDT)
- September 2: Southwest Florida Chapter meeting with Tim Christ (7:00 PM EDT)
- September 5: Quebec Chapter meeting with Paul Leblanc (1:00 PM EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- August 29: Kekionga Chapter of Fort Wayne meeting (Fort Wayne, IN)
- August 29: Boston Chapter: WooSox ballgame/meet-up (Worcester, MA)
- August 29: Lefty O’Doul Chapter: Oakland Ballers ballgame/meet-up (Oakland, CA)
- August 30: Clyde Sukeforth Chapter: New Hampshire Fisher Cats ballgame/meet-up (Manchester, NH)
- August 30: Central Illinois Chapter: WPBL ballgame/meet-up (Springfield, IL)
- August 31: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Lunch (Silver Spring, MD)
- September 1: Bob Davids Chapter Virginia Hot Stove Dinner (Arlington, VA)
- September 2: Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting (Tallahassee, FL)
- September 2: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Official Scoring: Summer 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Halsey Hall Minnesota Chapter: September 2026 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
- Larry Dierker Houston Chapter: August 18 meeting recap (Houston, TX)
- Ralph Kiner Long Island Chapter: August 24 movie night recap (Dix Hills, NY)
- Rogers Hornsby Central Texas Chapter: August 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:
- Jaylon Thompson: Will Royals have 4 Gold Glove infield finalists? This metric says it’s possible (Kansas City Star)
- Will Carroll: SABR, Slow Play Sox, and Padres Pitching with Scott Bush (Injury Territory)
- Tyler Kepner: It’s a herd of turtles in the AL West, and the Astros aren’t innovators anymore (The Athletic)
- Steven Goldman: More Than His Surgery: The Passing of Tommy John (Baseball Prospectus)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Tommy John (1943-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Giselle Rhoden: Louisville Bats pay homage to Negro league team with Black Caps jerseys (Louisville Public Media)
- Sarah Langs: 6 fun facts in celebration of Cubs’ 150th anniversary (MLB.com)
- Eno Sarris: Cal Raleigh may finally be hot. Here’s what ailed him all season (The Athletic)
- Ben Clemens: In Search of the Perfect Rainbow Curveball (FanGraphs)
- Mike Petriello: Take a deep dive into a four-way NL Rookie of the Year race (MLB.com)
- Sam Blum/Stephen J. Nesbitt: Technology may be no match for baseball’s most pole-arizing issue (The Athletic)
- Vince Guerrieri: How Cincinnati Ruined All-Star Voting For A Dozen Years (Defector)
- Rob Mains: Why I’m Worried About the 2027 Season (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Schoenfield: How the rise of Shohei Ohtani and resurgence of the baseball card industry led to a $1 billion market (ESPN.com)
- Jay Jaffe: Chris Sale and Others Making Tracks Toward Hall of Fame Plaques (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Minor League Baseball’s Top Defender: Eli Willits (Sports Info Solutions)
- David Laurila: Giants Rookie Jonah Cox Took a Catcher Deep at Wrigley (FanGraphs)
- Christopher Chavis: July 15, 1988: Morgan’s Magic Gets a Royal Beginning (Baseball and Us)
- Bradley Woodrum: Introducing the Best Pitcher in the World, Jaida Lee (Baseball Prospectus)
- Regina Orozco: Denae Benites, The Big Star of Women’s Professional Baseball (Bein Sports)
- Bill Staples Jr.: Ty Cobb’s Racism & Path to Redemption (International Pastime)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Rob Weir (Baseball and BBQ)
- Mark Kolier: Francisco Lindor is the Modern Barry Larkin, Almost Exactly (Almost Cooperstown)
- Andrew Hersh: 1992 Bowman: A decade’s fashion faux pas printed for immortality (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Mark Armour: One Page at a Time (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Dave McNeely: Baek In-chun: Korean Star in NPB (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Glenn Evans: Crossing the Tracks: 1927 (SABR Games and Simulations)
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: August 28, 2026. Last Updated: August 28, 2026.