Help support SABR’s 19th Century Baseball Grave Marker Project
SABR is pleased to announce the formation of the 19th Century Grave Marker Project.
The purpose and goal of the project is to identify 19th-century baseball notables who either lack a grave marker or whose headstone is in dire disrepair, and then rectify those issues.
The 19th Century Grave Marker Project Committee is chaired by SABR member Sam Gazdziak, who will coordinate this project closely with SABR headquarters.
- Donate online: Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to the SABR 19th Century Grave Marker Project
- Donate by mail: Mail a check to SABR, PO Box 1715, Milwaukee, WI 53201 (please add a notation for “19th Century Grave Marker Project” in the memo line)
The first site chosen for this undertaking was that of an original New York Knickerbocker, James Whyte Davis, one of the Founding Fathers of baseball, in the historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Donations may be made in any amount, large or small. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
This project requires some real field research in many places (perhaps near you) to verify if a 19th-century baseball notable is in a marked grave or unmarked grave and to be part of the excitement of dedicating a grave marker. SABR’s Nineteenth Century Committee has developed a list of all 19th-century players and managers, along with a number of umpires, sportswriters, and pre-professional players. If you are interested in helping, the committee can provide you with a list in your area for a cemetery visit to confirm the location, note if it is marked, and supply other information on the plot. Please contact Sam Gazdziak (samgazdziak@gmail.com) or a member of SABR’s Nineteenth Century Committee for more details.
SABR is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations to SABR are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. To learn more, visit SABR.org/donate.
Click here to learn more about our previous 19th-century grave marker dedications:
- Frank “Slivers” Oakley (2024; Maspeth, NY)
- Bobby Mathews (2023; Baltimore, MD)
- Hick Carpenter (2022; San Diego, CA)
- Ed Williamson (2021; Chicago, IL)
- Luis Castro (2021; Flushing, NY)
- Hicks Hayhurst (2019; Philadelphia, PA)
- Bob Caruthers (2018; Chicago, IL)
- Pud Galvin (2017; Pittsburgh, PA)
- Andy Leonard (2017; Mattapan, MA)
- James Whyte Davis (2016; Brooklyn, NY)
Originally published: July 25, 2022. Last Updated: August 10, 2024.