This Week in SABR: August 14, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, August 14, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 9
More highlights, photos from SABR 54 in Cleveland
Join us next week for All-Time Eras Teams webinar with Howard Bryant
Analytics Certification courses now available in Spanish
Learn more about SABR Institutional Memberships
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SABR Defensive Index rankings released through MLB games of August 9
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger and Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through Major League Baseball games of Sunday, August 9, 2026.
The SABR Defensive Index is used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award™, presented by SABR.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Check out more highlights, photos from SABR 54 in Cleveland
Couldn’t make it to Cleveland for SABR 54? Check out stories, photos, and multimedia clips from the SABR 54 convention in Cleveland below.
- Listen to highlights from Chris Antonetti’s welcome remarks (audio)
- Listen to highlights from Bob Kendrick’s fireside chat with Stephanie Liscio (audio)
- Listen to highlights from 1990s Cleveland Indians panel with Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Mike Hargrove, Kenny Lofton, Charles Nagy (audio)
- Listen to highlights from Major League Q&A with filmmaker David S. Ward (video)
- Listen to highlights from Tom Hamilton’s Oral History interview with John McMurray (audio)
- Listen to highlights from Billy Altman’s presentation, Learning the Score: Bats, Balls, and Rock & Roll (audio)
- View photo galleries from each day at SABR 54
- Anthony Salazar selected as 2026 Bob Davids Award recipient
- Levon Nazarian, Chuck Hildebrandt win 2026 convention presentation awards
- Bob DiBiasio, Jim Folk honored with 2026 SABR Roland Hemond Award
- SABR chapters, committees honored for exceptional performance in 2025-26
- Scott Kent comes home with plenty of hardware in SABR 54 Trivia Contest
- Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legends project concludes with final 8 selections
- Cecilia Tan: 9 Things I Learned at SABR 54 (Why I Like Baseball)
- Jason Schwartz: Baseball Cards Committee Recap of SABR 54 (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Marc Bona: ‘Baseball Art as the Game’s Storyteller’ on display in downtown Cleveland (Cleveland.com)
- Justice B. Hill: A powerful voice Cleveland needs to hear about League Park’s future is coming here (Cleveland.com)
- Tom Stone: SABR 54 convention recap (Now Taking the Field)
- Stay tuned for more highlights, stories, and photos from SABR 54 soon!
For more coverage of SABR 54, visit SABR.org/convention.
Listen to highlights from 1990s Cleveland Indians panel
On Friday, July 31, the 1990s Cleveland Indians Panel was held at SABR 54 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.
Panelists included Sandy Alomar Jr., 1990 American League Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove-winning catcher, and 1997 All-Star Game MVP; Carlos Baerga, fan favorite as a switch-hitting second baseman during his 14-year major league career; Mike Hargrove, who won two AL pennants and 5 consecutive AL Central Division titles as Cleveland’s manager from 1991 to 1999; Kenny Lofton, all-around star center fielder who holds Cleveland franchise record for stolen bases; and Charles Nagy, three-time All-Star pitcher and Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame inductee. The panel was moderated by Paul Hoynes, Cleveland Plain Dealer sports writer and 2026 BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipient.
Click here to listen to highlights from this panel at SABR.org.
Listen to highlights from Major League Q&A with filmmaker David S. Ward
On Thursday, July 30, acclaimed filmmaker David S. Ward and author Jonathan Knight led a discussion about the classic baseball film Major League during the SABR 54 convention at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. A screening of the film for SABR 54 attendees followed the Q&A.
Ward is the writer and director of Major League, the classic 1989 baseball film about the Cleveland Indians, along with a pair of sequels. The Indians were his favorite childhood team while he was growing up in northern Ohio. His screenplay for The Sting won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1974. He was also nominated for an Oscar in the same category in 1994 for Sleepless in Seattle (co-written with Nora Ephron and Jeff Arch). His other feature films include Cannery Row, King Ralph, and The Program.
Knight is the author of The Making of Major League: A Juuuust a Bit Inside Look at the Classic Baseball Comedy, a best-seller on the classic 1989 film.
Click here to listen to highlights from this session at SABR.org.
Listen to highlights from Billy Altman on Learning the Score: Bats, Balls, and Rock & Roll
On Saturday, August 1, Billy Altman gave a presentation on “Learning the Score: Bats, Balls, and Rock & Roll” during the SABR 54 convention at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.
Altman is an award-winning cultural journalist, critic and historian; a founding curator of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; and an official scorer for Major League Baseball at New York Mets and Yankees games since 2004.
Click here to listen to highlights from this presentation at SABR.org.
Join us next Tuesday for SABR All-Time Eras Teams webinar on Integration Era
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.
- Join us from 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, August 18 for a special Zoom webinar as we reveal the Integration Era (1947-1972) team, and hear a presentation by award-winning author Howard Bryant. Click here to pre-register for this Zoom event.
Bryant is the award-winning author of 11 books, including acclaimed biographies of Henry Aaron and Rickey Henderson. His newest book is Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America. He is a four-time finalist for the National Magazine Award, an Emmy Award winner, and a two-time winner of the Casey Award. He was the guest editor of The Best American Sports Writing in 2017 and is a regular contributor to NPR’s Weekend Edition.
Visit SABR.org/all-time-eras-teams to learn more about the project, including players selected to the 19th Century Era, Deadball Era, and Segregation Era teams.
SABR Analytics Certification courses now available in Spanish
SABR is pleased to announce that the first three courses in the SABR Analytics Certification Program are now available in Spanish, expanding access to its online, on-demand curriculum for Spanish-speaking students, coaches, scouts, front-office professionals, and fans around the world.
SABR se complace en anunciar que los primeros tres cursos del Programa de Certificación en Analítica de SABR ya están disponibles en español, ampliando el acceso a su plan de estudios en línea y bajo demanda para estudiantes, entrenadores, cazatalentos, profesionales de oficinas centrales y aficionados de habla hispana en todo el mundo.
The newly translated courses include:
- Level One: Conversational Analytics and Critical Thinking in Baseball
- Level Two: Advanced Analytics in Baseball
- Level Three: Introduction to Baseball Programming
Since its launch, the SABR Analytics Certification Program has helped learners develop practical skills in baseball analytics through expert-led instruction, real-world applications, and portfolio building exercises. By offering these courses in Spanish, SABR is taking an important step toward making high-quality analytics education more accessible to the global baseball community. Translation services were provided by LingoPal AI and José Hernández Lagunes.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Get your SABR merch at our new online shop
SABR is excited to announce the launch of the new SABR Shop, an online store featuring SABR-branded apparel, home goods, prints, and more for baseball fans.
Among the featured items are exclusive prints showcasing cover art from the Baseball Research Journal, along with a growing collection of SABR merchandise celebrating the organization’s worldwide community. Baseball Research Journal posters feature every edition including the artwork of acclaimed artist and SABR member Gary Cieradkowski, with iconic depictions of Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige amongst other legends of the game. Apparel options include hats, shirts, sweatshirts, and pullovers in men’s, women’s, and unisex selections. New merchandise and designs will continue to be added in the coming months, offering fresh options for the SABR fan in your life.
Visit the SABR Shop today at sabr.shop.
Call for papers: 2027 SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2027 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 18th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 16-17, 2027.
The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2026. Your abstract must be between 250-500 words for a 20- to 25-minute presentation focused primarily on events taking place prior to 1901. Please include name, title, and contact information and send your proposal as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Register now for 2026 SABR Northern New Jersey 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium
SABR’s Nineteenth Century Research Committee will host the Northern New Jersey 19th Century Interdisciplinary Symposium as a special virtual event on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The focus of this symposium will be on the rich early baseball and related history of the region, which extends from the New York state border south through Monmouth and Mercer counties.
- Registration for all SABR members is now open; click here to sign up. The cost is $15 per person. The one-day Zoom event will run from approximately 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time on November 14.
The symposium will be highlighted by a keynote address from Jonathan Mercantini, Associate Provost for Special Projects and Professor of History at Kean University. He is an appointed member of the New Jersey Historical Commission and a Trustee of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The welcome address will be given by John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball and the co-founder of SABR’s Nineteenth Century Committee.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Learn more about SABR Institutional Memberships
A SABR Institutional Membership is the perfect way to connect your group with baseball’s rich history. Whether you are supporting historical or analytical researchers or engaging with baseball fans in your community, SABR provides the network, tools, and expertise to enhance your offerings.
A SABR Institutional Membership is ideal for libraries, museums, and historical societies; high schools; and higher education departments, especially History, American Studies, and Sports Analytics programs.
Institutional Members receive unlimited access to SABR’s extensive collection of digital publications; exclusive research resources, including access to historical newspaper databases; engagement opportunities with SABR experts and a network of baseball historians and analysts.
To learn more, contact Paul J. Zwirecki for details on membership options and enrollment.
Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
With the recent release of Volume 5 of Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of the Baseball Arts, SABR’s Baseball and the Arts Committee now turns its sights to submissions for Volume 6.
All SABR members are encouraged to send along your submission, or your questions, to editors Joanne Hulbert or Jay Hurd before September 15, 2026. We are looking for poetry, memoir, artwork, humor, short fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, and parody.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Retrosheet announces Summer 2026 updates
Retrosheet is pleased to announce its semi-annual update for Summer 2026 at Retrosheet.org. Major thanks go out to Joe Callahan for generating the “Games/People/Parks” portion of the website and to Rob Wood for his significant efforts in helping to prepare the data presented here.
New and updated data include 1908 and 1909 AL/NL event files; 1897 National League box-score files; 1933 and 1934 Negro League seasons; and more.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Writing opportunity: 2002 Anaheim Angels book
SABR is planning to publish a new book in 2027 for the 25th anniversary of the 2002 Anaheim Angels team that won the franchise’s first World Series championship. We are seeking authors to write a biography of Clay Bellinger, Ramón Ortiz, and Troy Percival, and a handful of memorable game recaps. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Bill Nowlin or Paul Hensler.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
3 new stories published at SABR BioProject
- David Freese, by Gavin Winkler (first-time author)
- John Morrill, by Bob LeMoine
- Richie Zisk, by Joseph Wancho
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
6 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- August 22, 1886: Abner Powell’s canine calamity aids Chicken Wolf’s game-winning home run for Louisville, by Gene Gomes
- August 7, 1918: Pirates win on hottest day in Philadelphia history at 106 degrees, by Kurt Blumenau
- July 20, 1974: Willie Stargell’s 11th-inning home run beats Braves on Hank Aaron Day in Atlanta, by John Fredland
- July 19, 1975: Twins edge Yankees in ‘first’ American League pine tar game, by Mike Worley
- July 4, 2016: Red Sox bang out 21 hits on the Fourth of July, by Bill Nowlin
- August 7, 2023: Red Sox beat Royals on Pablo Reyes’ walk-off grand slam in ninth, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
The Negro Leagues’ 1931 Homestead Grays: The Color of Greatness
Edited by Thomas Kern and Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition 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:
- Save the date! SABR 55 will be in Birmingham in 2027
- Photos, highlights from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Memphis
- 2026 executives, college baseball staffs added to SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legends project concludes with final selections
- Field of Dreams Iowa Chapter dedicates historical marker for Council Bluffs ballpark
- 2026 Henry Chadwick Award recipients announced
- Save the date: Join us for SABR Analytics Conference on March 12–14, 2027
- Read articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Research Grants in 2026
- Fourth course in SABR Analytics Certification program is now available
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May Beck | Chicago, IL | Sufyan Pandit | Wheaton, IL | ||
| Al Bratkovich | Karns City, PA | Parker Perceval | Port Washington, NY | ||
| Jim Chute | Dawson Creek, BC | Steven Perez | Miramar, FL | ||
| Scott Dailey | Kent, WA | Alice Pulsinelli | Lawrence, KS | ||
| Kevin Grady | Columbia, MD | Gerry Quinn | Northbrook, IL | ||
| Kira Holzhausen | Middleville, MI | Darren Rogers | Worcester, MA | ||
| Ryan Jobson | Chicago, IL | Rob Seidner | Fairfax, VA | ||
| Eric Kabakoff | New York, NY | Saul Shevitz | Melville, NY | ||
| Brad Kolodny | Woodbury, NY | Tod Skallerup | Minneapolis, MN | ||
| Maggie Langheim | Cincinnati, OH | Matthew Snyder | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
| Dillon Maciaszek | McHenry, IL | Bryan Sullivan | Mead, WA | ||
| Mark Mariniello | Maywood, NH | Anthony Tenaglia | Brookfield, WI | ||
| Mason Monroe | Pittsburgh, PA | Michael Tranchina | Massapequa Park, NY | ||
| Ronald Noullet | Baden, PA | Austin Walsh | Etna, NH |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Simeon Lipman (“The Stories Things Tell: Baseball History in Objects”); Loren Broaddus (Wasn’t Any Maybe So); and Jay Wigley (How Retrosheet Saved Baseball History). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- August 15: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter book club meeting with David Herman (9:30 AM EDT)
- August 15: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (3:00 PM EDT)
- August 16: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Rick Vaughn (7:00 PM EDT)
- August 17: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting with Ken Wilson (6:00 PM CDT)
- August 17: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting (7:30 PM EDT)
- August 17: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting (7:00 PM CDT)
- August 18: SABR All-Time Eras Teams Webinar with Howard Bryant (8:00 PM EDT)
- August 20: Bud Metheny (VA) Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (7:30 PM EDT)
- August 22: Rogers Hornsby (TX) Chapter meeting with Tim Christ (1:00 PM CDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- August 15: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- August 15: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
- August 15: Robinson-Kell Chapter meeting (Bryant, AR)
- August 15: Bob Davids Chapter: Frederick Keys ballgame/meet-up (Frederick, MD)
- August 18: Northwest Ohio Chapter book club meeting (Toledo, OH)
- August 18: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- August 19: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly lunch (Denver, CO)
- August 19: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Columbus, OH)
- August 20: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- August 22: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter Orioles ballgame/meet-up (Baltimore, MD)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Statistical Analysis: July 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Davids Chapter: August 2026 newsletter (Washington, DC)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: August 2026 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
- Larry Dierker Houston Chapter: Summer 2026 newsletter (Houston, TX)
- Quebec Chapter: July 26 meeting recap (Trois-Rivières, QC)
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:
- Lindsay Dial: The Anatomy of an RBI Checked Swing (Baseball Prospectus)
- Sam Gazdziak: RIP to the Ponce de Leon Magnolia (RIP Baseball)
- Jay Jaffe: Max Scherzer Headlines a Big Weekend For Strikeout Feats (FanGraphs)
- J.J. Cooper: River Ryan Is Older Than Most MLB Rookie Pitchers—Does That Matter? (Baseball America)
- Tim Stebbins: Sandy Alomar Jr. central to Guardians’ franchise renaissance, rise to 10,000 wins (MLB.com)
- Davy Andrews: Randy Arozarena, Contact Hitter? (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: Atlanta Braves Holdings Reports Second Quarter Earnings: Of Course They Made Money (Baseball Prospectus)
- Michael Baumann: Who’s Getting Their Money’s Worth From the ABS Challenge System? (FanGraphs)
- Hannah Keyser: The Dodgers are playing a different game than the rest of MLB. Their philosophy could shape baseball’s future. (CNN)
- Matt Breen: ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson is known for ‘Field of Dreams’ and the Black Sox. But his career started in Philly. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Michael Clair: Kelsie Whitmore records first three-home run game in WPBL history (MLB.com)
- Maddie Landis: Meet the Man Behind Sutter Health Park’s Name (Baseball Prospectus)
- Dan Szymborski: Yordan Alvarez Is Getting Close to a Triple Crown (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: MLB Runs Saved, Winning Percentage Leaders Are In Sync (Sports Info Solutions)
- Daniel R. Epstein: How to Bunt Wrong: A Pitch-by-Pitch Breakdown (Baseball Prospectus)
- Patrick Dubuque: The Unassuming Legend of Steve Holm (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Davis Martin Had a First Inning to Forget at Fenway Park (FanGraphs)
- Justin Klugh: The 1941 Phillies Won’t Stay Dead (Baseball Prospectus)
- M. Shawn Hennessy: Diamonds Discovered in the Pacific: The Stinking Ninth (Chevrons and Diamonds)
- Gary Cieradkowski: Tommy Lasorda: Loyalty and The Fight of ’57 (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Alexander Rapp: Historic marker honoring pioneer ballplayer Bill Thompson set for unveiling at White Park (Concord Monitor)
- Christopher Chavis: September 11, 1918: The Last Hurrah Before the Drought (Baseball and Us)
- Nicholas Hodell: 1966 Brenham Cubs reminisce on historic baseball season (South Texas News)
- Rob Fitts: Godzilla Returns: The 2004 MLB Opening Series in Japan (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Andrew Hersh: 2001: A Card Odyssey (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Glenn Evans: Crossing the Tracks: 1926 (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: August 14, 2026. Last Updated: August 14, 2026.