Dave Kaplan honored with 2026 Russell Gabay Award
FEBRUARY 5, 2026 — Dave Kaplan, a West Orange resident who holds many titles — educator, sports journalist, and historian — is the 2026 winner of the Russell Gabay Award.
Established in 2018 by the New Jersey-based Elysian Fields Chapter and Goose Goslin Chapter, the Russell Gabay Award honors a person or entity who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to baseball in New Jersey.
“I am deeply touched by this recognition, and the meaningful connections I’ve made along the way,” Kaplan said. “Russell Gabay’s professional legacy was nothing short of remarkable. It’s quite humbling to receive this honor in his name.”
Kaplan was the founding director of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center and helped establish the nonprofit organization as a premier sports education and visitor destination. During his 19-year tenure, he created respected character development and leadership programs for schools, inclusive baseball and softball camps, and helped curate and promote exhibits and programming that stressed teamwork and raised awareness of the ills of discrimination, bullying, and hazing. Yogi Berra’s values, including determination, kindness, integrity, and selflessness — highlighted in the Museum’s permanent gallery after an extensive 2010 renovation that Kaplan oversaw — were at the forefront of it all.
Kaplan has passionately promoted understanding and appreciation of the Negro Leagues and was instrumental in establishing Paterson’s Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium — which celebrates the rich history of Black baseball — in 2024 as lead consultant. He continues to consult for the museum and vigorously advocates for greater recognition of baseball trailblazer and Paterson resident Larry Doby.
Kaplan’s impact was and is strongly felt within SABR. He remains a staunch supporter of the Elysian Fields Chapter and was integral to bolstering SABR’s presence in the Garden State. In 2005, when the first Jersey-based SABR chapter was formed, Kaplan offered guidance, connections to guest speakers, and a place to meet, promote the chapter’s mission and expanding its audience and membership.
Kaplan’s reach extends beyond New Jersey. He has written numerous articles and opinion pieces about baseball, especially New Jersey’s role in the game’s evolution. He served as the lead consultant for the City of Baseball Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota — a site visited by SABR members during the 2024 national convention. Prior to his museum roles, Kaplan was a reporter/editor on the Associated Press national baseball desk and coordinated much of the baseball coverage as a sports editor with the New York Daily News.
Over the last 15 years, Kaplan has taught journalism and sports media courses at Montclair State and Seton Hall Universities, passing along his knowledge and wisdom to future generations who will tell baseball’s story. In the Gabay Award nomination, submitted by a longtime friend, Kaplan was lauded for his humanity and humility, passion for the enlightenment and enrichment of the community, and commitment to editorial integrity.
Gabay, a native of Springfield, New Jersey, was a sports producer for ESPN, HBO, and MLB Network. At the time of his death in 2016 at the age of 59, he had been vice president and executive producer of international broadcasting for MLB for 20 years.
The Russell Gabay Award is presented annually, with the honoree selected by a vote of the membership of the Elysian Fields and Goose Goslin Chapters of SABR, as well as Russell Gabay’s sister, Lori Gabay. Nominees are accepted each year through December 31.
To learn more about the Russell Gabay Award, click here.
Originally published: February 5, 2026. Last Updated: February 5, 2026.