This Week in SABR: April 3, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, April 3, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
All-Time Eras Team Membership Drive begins next week
Register now to join us at SABR 54 in Cleveland
Join us at Tulane University on April 25 for Salute to the Negro Leagues Day
The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2026
Learn more about 2026 Research Grants recipients
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Coming soon: SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams
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.
Each of the six All-Time Eras Team ballots will be released throughout the baseball season, beginning with the 19th Century Era (1876-1900) and Deadball Era (1901-1919) teams on April 17. 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.
Click here to learn more at SABR.org.
All-Time Eras Team Membership Drive begins next week
Refer two new members to SABR between April 7 and May 13 to receive an exclusive baseball card set featuring players selected to our All-Time Eras Teams!
In conjunction with SABR’s All-Time Eras Team voting initiative, new SABR members who sign up for an annual membership between April 7 and May 13, and use the code AllEras15, will receive a $15 discount, the exclusive All-Time Eras Team baseball card set, and the ability to participate in our Eras Team elections and speaker series. Current SABR members who refer two new members during the membership drive period will also receive the All-Time Eras Team card set.
Help us celebrate 150 years of the National League by sharing our collective passion for the history of the game to new SABR members! If you have any questions about signing up for a new SABR membership, please email Jessica Smyth.
Early registration now open for SABR 54 in Cleveland
Join us in Cleveland, Ohio, this summer for SABR’s 54th annual convention on July 29–August 2, 2026, at the Hilton Downtown Cleveland hotel! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 54 is now available online. Click here for complete details on SABR 54 Early-Bird Registration and optional sessions.
SABR 54 will feature a Major League speaker lineup we know you’ll love, alongside an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. Whether you’re attending your first SABR convention or returning as a longtime regular, this is a great year to be part of the experience. Newcomers will find plenty of opportunities to connect and build baseball friendships, while veteran attendees can look forward to a richly layered event. It promises to be an unforgettable week of baseball fellowship in “The Land,” and we hope you’ll join us!
Visit SABR.org/convention for complete details. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Students, apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 54
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to 4 scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 54 on July 29–August 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Scott Carter at scarter@sabr.org no later than May 15, 2026.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Save the date: 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Save the date! The eighth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference will be held virtually on October 9–11, 2026. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Registration information and a call for presentation abstracts will be available soon at SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference.
This year’s conference — co-sponsored by SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center and hosted by Rockford University — will be a virtual Zoom event that includes panel discussions, research presentations, and the presentation of the Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award.
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference to learn more.
Join us at Tulane University on April 25 for Salute to the Negro Leagues Day
The Schott-Pelican SABR Chapter, in conjunction with the Tulane University Athletic Department, will sponsor a Salute to the Negro Leagues Day at a Tulane baseball game on Saturday, April 25 at Turchin Stadium in New Orleans, Lousiana. The event will raise awareness and understanding of Negro Leagues baseball in the area and honor local players and personalities.
All baseball fans are invited to attend. Click here to purchase discounted tickets for the ballgame, which begins at 6:30 p.m. as the Green Wave baseball team takes on the University of Texas at San Antonio. Check out the SABR booth on the main concourse where chapter members will be giving away 500 gameday posters (see below), along with Negro Leagues baseball cards, baseball books, Cracker Jacks, plus SABR membership forms and information.
The New Orleans-based Schott-Pelican Chapter was the recipient of a SABR Local Grant to help fund this event.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2026
Periodically throughout the year, SABR.org publishes The SABR Bookshelf, a listing of new books that are received at the SABR office.
- Click here for more detailed information on dozens of new baseball books published in Spring 2026.
To view previous listings in The SABR Bookshelf, click here.
Early registration now open for 2026 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on June 18-21, 2026, at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Full and single-day registration is available for a discounted rate before May 25, 2026.
Hosted by SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. Since 1998, the event has been the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination and promotion of Black baseball history. The conference is open to baseball and history fans of all ages. Each year, monies are targeted to donate books to schools or libraries; raise funds for the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project; and award scholarships to high school seniors in a nationwide essay contest and an annual art contest.
- Register: Click here to register online for the 2026 Malloy Conference. Full registration is $195 before May 25, $210 afterward. Students: $75 before May 25, $85 afterward. Single-day registration is also available for $80 for Friday or Saturday before May 25; $90 afterward. Extra tickets can be purchased for Thursday’s Education Forum at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown, Thursday’s “meet and greet” reception at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery (333 Beale Street), Friday’s Memphis Redbirds baseball game at AutoZone Park, or Saturday’s awards banquet at the SpringHill Suites. All of these sessions are included in the full registration package.
- Hotel: A special group rate at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown of $159/night (plus tax) is available to registered convention attendees. To book your room, click here or call 901-522-2100. The SpringHill Suites hotel is located at 85 W. Court Ave., Memphis, TN 38103.
- High School Essay Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee is pleased to award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its 18th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2026. Click here to learn more or to apply.
- Art Contest: The 17th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference Art Contest is open to all artists in 2026.
- Library Grants: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2026. Click here to download a PDF application.
Students, apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the Malloy Conference
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school or college students to attend the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on June 18-21, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Scott Carter at scarter@sabr.org no later than April 17, 2026.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Learn more about recipients of SABR Research Grants in 2026
SABR is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of its new Research Grants in 2026:
- Routine-Oriented Traits and Position-Specific Performance in Collegiate Baseball
Taku Imaizumi, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Japan - Growing Accessible Biomechanics Data and Analysis with Computer Vision
Hassan Rafique, Assistant Professor in Sport Analytics, Syracuse University
Jeremy Losak, Associate Professor in Sport Analytics, Syracuse University
SABR Research Grants are intended to support original scholarly work that aligns with our organization’s core mission: fostering the study, discussion, and understanding of all aspects of baseball. We invite proposals that deepen our knowledge of baseball from various disciplines, including (but not limited to) history and the broader humanities, analytics, data science, business, law, biomechanics, and kinesiology.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Seeking copy editors for new book project on Korean baseball
The editors of a new SABR book project on Korean baseball are seeking additional copy editors to help proofread article submissions. If you have written or edited for any SABR project or publication before, you are more than qualified to participate in this project, which is tentatively titled Yagu (야구): Past, Present, and Future of Korean Baseball. Please email Zac Petrillo or Bill Nowlin if you are interested in helping out.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
5 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- April 1, 1954: Integrated baseball briefly comes to Birmingham as Cardinals beat White Sox in exhibition, by Harrison Golden
- April 12, 1965: Red Sox center fielder Lenny Green homers twice on Opening Day, by Bill Nowlin
- April 10, 1968: Carl Yastrzemski homers twice on Opening Day as Red Sox begin AL pennant defense, by Bill Nowlin
- July 1, 1976: Tim Murtaugh wins father-son battle with manager Danny as Charleston beats parent Pirates, by Kurt Blumenau
- April 20, 1986: Pirates beat Cubs after 4 months, 17 innings on Barry Bonds pinch-hit single, by John Fredland
In addition, the following game stories from SABR’s Henry Aaron book have now been posted online:
- May 25, 1952: Hank Aaron’s star shines bright in the northern New York sky, by Alan Cohen
- April 1, 1953: Red Sox pummel Jacksonville Braves but young Henry Aaron shines, by Bill Pruden
- April 25, 1954: Henry Aaron goes 5-for-6 in breakout game for Braves, by Chris Betsch
- May 21, 1954: Braves win as Henry Aaron hits first career game-winning home run, by Andrew Heckroth
- September 4, 1955: Henry Aaron reaches 100-RBI milestone for the first time, by John Shorey
- May 22, 1956: Henry Aaron’s 4-hit night in Brooklyn leads to first NL batting title, by John Fredland
- July 14, 1956: Braves sweep Dodgers as Henry Aaron’s fourth hit wins in 10th inning, by Dave Lande
- September 24, 1957: Henry Aaron smashes first career grand slam for Braves, by Matt Vines
- August 10, 1958: Henry Aaron’s bat, Humberto Robinson’s stellar relief lead Braves over Phillies, by Gary Belleville
- April 21, 1959: Henry Aaron belts out 3 hits to continue season-opening surge, by Mike Huber
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol, 1939–2024:
85 Years of Venezuelans in the Major Leagues
Edited by Leonte Landino and Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition — available in English or Spanish — or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Check out highlights and photos from the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- 2026 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award winners announced
- Gary Cieradkowski selected as winner of 2026 SABR Jefferson Burdick Award
- Dangerous Danny Gardella by Robert Elias wins 2026 SABR Seymour Medal
- Fourth course in SABR Analytics Certification program is now available
- Gary, Vicki Gillette make gift to support Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference through 2030
- Learn more about new SABR Institutional Memberships
- Negro Leagues statistics added to SABR Lahman Baseball Database
- View a collection of nearly 100,000 player surveys in the Weiss Baseball Questionnaires collection
- Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
Please give a warm welcome to all new SABR members who joined this week! View more Members-Only resources at members.sabr.org or click here to download the Membership Handbook. Find contact information for any SABR member in the online Membership Directory.
| NAME | HOMETOWN | NAME | HOMETOWN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyeong-bin Bae | Daejeon, KOR | Su-jeong Lee | Daejeon, KOR | ||
| MinKyoo Choi | Daejeon, KOR | Joey Mangan | Twinsburg, OH | ||
| Derek Cole | Snohomish, WAS | Doug McCormick | Golden, CO | ||
| Leah DeYoung | Brooklyn, NY | Jordan McCree | Kaysville, UT | ||
| Wiemi Douoguih | Bethesda, MD | Craig Pearson | Mt. Prospect, IL | ||
| Ethan Dumas | Opelousas, LA | Joshua Phillips | Auckland, NZL | ||
| Michael Durham | Henderson, NV | Scott Reich | Port Washington, NY | ||
| Brian Elliott | Roanoke, TX | Edward Ripley | Knoxville, TN | ||
| Robert Epling | Boca Raton, FL | June Ryu | Daejeon, KOR | ||
| Roberto Garcia | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | DongYoun Shin | Daejeon, KOR | ||
| Orrin Gibson | Santa Clarita, CA | Rik Simpson | Pinetop, AZ | ||
| Kyu In Hwang | Daejeon, KOR | Brian Sprenger | Colorado Springs, CO | ||
| Dean Jackson | Fort Wayne, IN | Willy Stern | Lake Nebagamon, WI | ||
| Ho-jae Jang | Daejeon, KOR | Diane Strothers | Lynwood, IL | ||
| Jaeseung Jeong | Daejeon, KOR | Reio Tanji | Toda, JPN | ||
| Kent Jett | Waxahachie, TX | Sam Vickars | Vancouver, BC | ||
| Maxx Joy | Lansing, MI | Margaret Wenzel | Evanston, IL | ||
| Seyoon Jung | Daejeon, KOR | Dustin White | Beckley, WV | ||
| Min-jun Kim | Daejeon, KOR | Jee-ho Yoo | Daejeon, KOR | ||
| OIga Lara | Houston, TX |
Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of March 2026.
| NAME | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Jake Bell | Peter Mancuso | |
| Michael Berry | Peter Marcus | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Bruce McClure | |
| Bruce Bumbalough | Linda Nichols | |
| Ralph Caola | Andrew North | |
| Ken Carrano | Bill Nowlin | |
| Vincent Comparato | John Rall | |
| Chris Dial | Michael Rosenwasser | |
| Mark Drucker | Charles Roussel | |
| Mark Dugo | Bob Russon | |
| Helen Edwards | Jason Scheller | |
| Jonathan Epstein | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Barbara Erion | Douglas Schoppert | |
| Daniel Evans | Mary Shea | |
| David Firstman | Rob Sheinkopf | |
| Adam Foldes | Thomas Stone | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Wesley Story | |
| Timothy Herlich | Joseph Thompson | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | Neal Traven | |
| David Hughes | Steve West | |
| Rob Janes | Beach Wires | |
| Donald Jensen | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Henry Levy | Don Zminda |
Want to become a Friend of SABR? Click here to make a recurring monthly contribution or click here to learn more about our Giving Circles to make a one-time contribution.
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Joe McNamara (Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame) and Leslie Heaphy (Women’s Baseball World Cup); Paul Semendinger (The Greatest Yankees by Uniform Number); Michael Kane (“Babe Ruth: Gentleman Farmer”); and the AL Central Chapters 2026 season preview. Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- April 4: Bob Davids Chapter Talkin’ Baseball: Todd Marcum (9:00 a.m. EDT)
- April 4: Women in Baseball Diamond Stories: Sherry Davis (10:00 a.m. EDT)
- April 6: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Scott Melesky (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- April 6: Deadball Era Author Talk with Noel Hynd (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- April 7: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- April 9: Allan Roth (CA) Chapter meeting with Seth Tannenbaum and Rob Sheinkopf (7:00 p.m. PDT)
- April 12: Hanlan’s Point (ON) Chapter meeting with Seth Tannenbaum and Scott Crawford (11:00 a.m. EDT)
- April 12: Town Ball Committee meeting (2:00 p.m. CDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- April 4: Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter meeting (Shelburne, VT)
- April 7: Bob Davids Chapter Virginia Hot Stove Dinner (Arlington, VA)
- April 11: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter book club meeting (Columbus, OH)
- April 11: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
- April 11: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- April 11: Eric Vickrey/Steve Dittmore author event (Los Angeles, CA)
- April 12: Rob Fitts author event (New York, NY)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Nineteenth Century: Spring 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: Spring 2026 newsletter (St. Louis, MO)
- Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter: Spring 2026 newsletter (Hartford, CT)
- Elysian Fields Chapter: Spring 2026 newsletter (Northern New Jersey)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: April 2026 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
- Larry Dierker Chapter: March 23 meeting recap (Houston, TX)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: April 2026 newsletter (Denver, CO)
Sign up for SABR chapter announcements at SABR.org/chapters.
Click here to learn more about SABR chartered communities.
Here are some recent articles published by and about SABR members:
- Mike Lynch: Three New Seasons of Box Scores and Two New Seasons of PBP Added to Baseball-Reference.com
- Tyler Kepner: How Jason Benetti, the voice of NBC’s return to baseball, managed a full opening week (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: Streaks, strikeouts and Shohei: The best stats of Opening Week (MLB.com)
- Hannah Keyser: Baseball’s RoboUmps are entertaining because of the humanity they put on display (CNN)
- Aspen Anderson: How Angie Mentink Made It Back to Mariners After an Offseason Stroke (Seattle Met)
- Ryan Blake: Singled Out: Mariners Uncover Truth in Opening Week (FanGraphs)
- Patrick Ellington Jr.: Samaná-American and Cocoló Ethnic Enclaves Are Making an Emergence (Red Black Green Baseball Blog)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Giancarlo Stanton and the Automatic HOF Number (Baseball Prospectus)
- Ben Lindbergh: The Pirates and A’s Are MLB’s Lopsided Dark Horses (The Ringer)
- Stephanie Apstein: Three Future MLB Stars Who Should Be Next in Line for Mega Extensions (Sports Illustrated)
- Ben Clemens: All Gas, No Aim: Bubba Chandler Is Amped (FanGraphs)
- Jonathan Mayo: Konnor Griffin’s unique connection to Pirates Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski (MLB.com)
- Mark Simon: A Giant Challenge Ahead in Center Field (Sports Info Solutions)
- Michael Rosen: What Do Hitters See, and When Do They See It? (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: Forbes’ Analysis on the Eve of Destruction (Baseball Prospectus)
- Maddie Landis: Where Sprint Speed Matters (Baseball Prospectus)
- Marlena Lang: She was the first girl in Ohio to play varsity baseball. Now, she’s celebrating her own pro career. (WCPO.com)
- Tiffany Babb: Workers on a Production Line: An Interview with A.M. Gittlitz (The Fan Files)
- Chrystal O’Keefe: Visiting Dugout Interview with Ruth Kapelus (Sox Populi)
- Mai Yoshikawa: Unifying power of Japanese baseball brings together people from all walks of life (Japan Times)
- Joe Edinger: Phillies All-Star One and Dones: The 1950s (The Good Phight)
- Luke Epplin: The Newark Eagles Finally Win It All (Good Grief)
- Gary Cieradkowski: “Sticks” Jester: Loretta Bobs Her Hair (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Paul Proia: Baseball’s Unknown Comic: Toby Lyons (Mighty Casey Baseball)
- Bob D’Angelo: Rare Autograph of Hall Of Famer Pete Hill Now on the Market (Sports Collectors Daily)
- Al Yellon: Stop scheduling games in northern cities in March (Bleed Cubbie Blue)
- Mark Kolier: Being the other Reggie (Smith) was costly (Almost Cooperstown)
- Nathan Skopitz: The secret early history of baseball in Canada (The Charlatan)
- Luca Tedesco: ‘World’s least qualified’ baseball coach Evan Katz shares inspiring story (Marblehead Current)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Wayne Granger (1944-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Steve Treder: ‘They Beat Us the Japanese Way’: The San Francisco Giants’ 1970 Spring Tour (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Thomas Love Seagull: Japan’s Favorite Players: Randy Bass (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Trevor Raichura/Thomas Love Seagull: Nippon Professional Baseball Teams: A Primer (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Glenn Evans: Crossing the Tracks: 1919 (SABR Games and Simulations)
Please note: Some articles may require a separate subscription to view online. SABR does not endorse, and is not responsible or liable for, any content that appears on a third-party website.
This Week in SABR is compiled by Jacob Pomrenke. If you would like us to include an upcoming event, article, or any other information in “This Week in SABR,” e-mail jpomrenke@sabr.org. To find past editions of TWIS, click here.
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Originally published: April 3, 2026. Last Updated: April 3, 2026.