SABR 50: Frequently Asked Questions

Where is my baseball game ticket?

• Did you look in your pocket? In your wallet? Just kidding …Because SABR members from throughout the country and the world come to the SABR convention to meet old friends and make new acquaintances, we have found that the best way to get SABR members to sit in their assigned seats at the ballpark is to create a chit system. When you sign in at the SABR registration desk, you will be given a sheet with your badge and other convention events you paid for. One portion of that sheet notes how many and what kind of game tickets you paid for. If you do not care with whom you sit, you should turn your chit into your game ticket right away. But if you want to sit with a new friend who is arriving at a different time than you, wait to turn your chits in at the same time, thereby getting tickets next to one another.

  You must turn your Orioles ballgame chit into a game ticket no later than 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 19 at the Registration Area. Please note: Orioles tickets will not be available for purchase on-site during the convention.

What about autographs?

• Many of our guests in the past have been kind enough to stick around after their talk to sign autographs. There is never any guarantee of autographs made by anyone and the key is to remember to respect the player or panelist as well as your fellow members. Many conventioneers use their convention program as an impromptu autograph book.

How do I enter the trivia contest?

• Show up for the preliminaries and follow the directions given to you. The preliminaries are a written test. There are separate tests for the Individual competition and the Team competition, and you must decide before hand in which competition you will participate. The top four teams will compete in the semifinals, with the Individual and Team Finals taking place on Saturday evening.

How do regulars enjoy the convention?

• Hang out. While the formal affairs are usually wonderful, make sure you spend plenty of time wandering around listening and talking to people. The informal gabfests are always the most fun and the most interesting; sitting in your room looking at your goody bag is a drag. Attend as many presentations as possible and strike up conversations with people between sessions. Everyone attending this convention has at least one thing in common, right? (Icebreaker: Ask your neighbor about his or her first game.) It is amazing to learn about what your fellow SABR members have discovered. Taking the time to get out of the hotel to see the city is also a great way to recharge your batteries during a fun-filled weekend.

Is there a dress code?

• The SABR convention is an eclectic, mostly casual affair and has no dress code. For research presentations, panels, and general scouting of the convention, wear something comfortable (shorts, jeans, slacks, polo shirts, T-shirts) whatever you are most comfortable in. At the Awards Luncheon, you will find members dressed from a suit and tie down to t-shirt and shorts, although the majority of members at the food functions wear either “dress-casual” or suit and tie.