2024 Four Pillars Fund
Research – Preservation – Scholarship – Future of the Game. These are the four pillars on which SABR stands as an organization.
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.
This spring, we ask you to contribute to the FOUR PILLARS FUND. Our goal is to raise $65,000 to strengthen each of our four pillars by supporting baseball research, committing to preservation, furthering the reach of our scholarship, and building a bridge to the future of the game.
We will use your best gift of $150, $300, $500, or $1,000 to impact these pillars by bolstering existing efforts and undertaking exciting new initiatives in each area, including, but not limited to:
Continuing support for groundbreaking baseball-related research, books, articles, and new member resources, including:
- The SABR Digital Library, which will soon publish its 100th book, a testament to the passion and hard work of researchers, writers, and editors
- Special Negro Leagues and Teams Committee, convened to study pre-1920 teams and leagues, independent teams from 1920 to 1948, and the post-1948 Negro American League
- Expanding and publishing the Scouts Database, which contains data on nearly 10,000 scouts from 1891 to today, including areas they covered and over 100,000 connections to players they signed
- Adding the MLB Team Employee Directory, a historical database of Major League Baseball front and back-office employees from team owners to ticket sales, to SABR’s Research Collection
Committing to preserve, honor, and commemorate baseball history, including:
- Formation of the new Research Preservation Committee, which will work to help researchers locate relevant material and prior work and advise on material that might be acquired or digitized by SABR, while serving as a central authority for all research material held by SABR and others
- Adding the Weiss Baseball Questionnaires, a database and collection of images of self-completed surveys of professional baseball players from 1945-2005, to SABR.org
- Funding SABR Local Grants, whose 2024 recipients include projects in Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Houston to place commemorative markers
Furthering the reach and impact of SABR’s world-class committees, chapters, and conferences, including:
- Launch of the new Ballpark Figures Podcast with host Shakeia Taylor, which will feature one-on-one conversations with living Negro Leagues players in its first season
- Showcase of baseball research through hundreds of SABR Events annually, including widely accessible virtual events as well as in-person gatherings
- Partnership with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum to host the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference in April and Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in June 2024
Improving SABR’s ability to engage with a younger and more diverse constituency through baseball research, including:
- Creation of the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Scholarship, which welcomed its first group of recipients at the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference
- Expansion of the Anthony and Nanar Yoseloff Scholarship to include selection of recipients to attend the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, in addition to the SABR Analytics Conference and SABR Annual Convention
- Training and resources for Board members, chapter leaders, and staff as it relates to inclusionary practices needed to reach a broader and diverse audience
- The SABR Analytics Certification Program, with three courses now online, will add a fourth in 2024 to complete the on-demand curriculum offering professional development and learning opportunities for those interested in elevating their skills and knowledge relating to baseball analytics
Of course, work continues in many other areas, within SABR committees, chapters, and by individual researchers, that will make new resources available to our members and the global baseball community. We are hopeful you will consider a donation to support baseball research, commit to preservation, further the reach of our scholarship, and build a bridge to the future of the game.
Plus, there are some great incentives for contributing to the Four Pillars Fund.
All donors making a gift of $150 or more will receive:
- Choice of paperback copy of new SABR book Sox Bid Curse Farewell: The 2004 Boston Red Sox or the forthcoming SABR book Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth (please indicate selection on online donation form)
- Recognition on SABR website, newsletter, and Annual Report
All donors making a gift of $300 or more will receive:
- Limited-edition baseball card set, the second in a series, featuring rare images from the SABR- Rucker Archive of greats including Satchel Paige, Lou Gehrig, Sandy Koufax, Stan Musial, Larry Doby, Oscar Charleston, Walter Johnson, Joe DiMaggio, and Honus Wagner
- Choice of paperback copy of new SABR book Sox Bid Curse Farewell: The 2004 Boston Red Sox or the forthcoming SABR book Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth
- Recognition on SABR website, newsletter, and Annual Report
All donors making a gift of $500 or more will receive:
- Invite to “An Evening with John Thorn”, an exclusive virtual event just for SABR’s top donors, featuring a Q&A session with MLB’s Official Historian
- Limited-edition baseball card set, the second in a series, featuring rare images from the SABR-Rucker Archive of greats including Satchel Paige, Lou Gehrig, Sandy Koufax, Stan Musial, Larry Doby, Oscar Charleston, Walter Johnson, Joe DiMaggio, and Honus Wagner
- Choice of paperback copy of new SABR book Sox Bid Curse Farewell: The 2004 Boston Red Sox or the forthcoming SABR book Dodger Stadium: Blue Heaven on Earth
- Recognition on SABR website, newsletter, and Annual Report
Thank you so much for your consideration in joining the Four Pillars Fund!