SABR All-Time Eras Teams:
Deadball Era (1901-1919)
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 period: April 17–May 4, 2026
- Zoom webinar: Wednesday, May 13, with a presentation by Brian M. Ingrassia of West Texas A&M University
Each of the six All-Time Eras Team ballots will be released throughout the baseball season. 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.
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. Zoom links will be sent out to all SABR members on the morning of each webinar.
Cast your vote now!
(Click here to access the survey on mobile devices.)
Get an All-Time Eras Teams baseball card set!
Sign up as a new annual member during SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams membership drive using the code AllEras15 and you’ll receive an exclusive baseball card set of players across our All-Time Eras Teams, as well as a one-year membership discount! Join between April 7 and May 13 to qualify and save $15 off the cost of a one-year membership. Click here to learn more.
Current SABR members who refer two new members by May 13 will also 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.
If you have any questions about signing up for a new SABR membership, please email Jessica Smyth.
More about the Deadball Era (1901-1919)
The Deadball Era from 1901 to 1919 is one of the most popular, colorful, important, and distinct eras in baseball history. The pitcher-dominated era earned its name because game balls were rarely removed from play, resulting in grimy, softening baseballs that played as if they were “dead.”
The era began with the formation of the American League and the establishment of the original 16-franchise structure that lasted the first half of the twentieth century. The World Series became an annual tradition and the sport became entrenched as America’s national pastime. The challenge of the upstart Federal League led to a legal battle that went to the Supreme Court and eventually resulted in the sport’s exemption from United States antitrust laws. Finally, the era culminated with the emergence of Babe Ruth as a home run hitter and the scandalous 1919 World Series. Baseball would never go back to the tactical style of play required by the “dead” ball.
SABR’s Deadball Era Committee encourages research on all facets of baseball between 1901 and 1919. The committee’s efforts produced the books Deadball Stars of the National League and Deadball Stars of the American League, which helped to inspire the popular SABR Baseball Biography Project. Another committee book, a pictorial history titled The World Series in the Deadball Era, was published in 2018.
Further Reading
