This Week in SABR: August 15, 2025
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, August 15, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 10
Highlights, photos from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Free Rapsodo course offered with SABR Analytics Certification purchase
Watch: SABR Founders’ Day Celebration
Allen Tait honored with 2025 Founders’ Day Award
Registration now open for SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
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SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 10
San Diego right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and Boston right fielder Wilyer Abreu lead their respective leagues in the updated SABR Defensive Index™ rankings through Major League Baseball games of Sunday, August 10.
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 highlights, photos from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference was held on August 7-9, 2025, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Click here to check out highlights and a photo gallery from the event.
The conference was highlighted by a screening of the new film documentary I Forgot to Tell You About: The Story of the Cleveland Buckeyes, with former major-league All-Star Kenny Lofton, filmmaker Evelyn Pollard-Gregory, and authors Wayne Pearsall and Vince Guerrieri; a special presentation by poet Dorian Hairston; a Louisville Baseball History Panel with Harry Rothgerber and Anne Jewell; and a screening of a new film on Black Baseball in Nashville. Attendees also enjoyed a tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, a “meet and greet” reception at the Roots 101 African American Museum, and a Louisville Bats baseball game at Slugger Field
Presentations were given by Max Almenas, John Bauer, Chris Betsch, Rich Bogovich, James Brunson III, Geri Driscoll, Gary Gillette, Clem Hamilton, Matt Jacob, Chris Jensen, Larry McGill, Paul Spyhalski, and Keith Wood.
On Sunday, August 10, SABR’s Pee Wee Reese Chapter honored Louisville Negro Leagues great Sammy Hughes with a grave marker dedication at historic Louisville Cemetery. “Sammy T” was a six-time All-Star second baseman who played alongside Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Buck Leonard, and won a championship with the 1939 Baltimore Elite Giants.
Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more.
Free Rapsodo course offered with SABR Analytics Certification purchase
For a limited time only, get a free Rapsodo Certified class included with the purchase of any SABR Analytics Certification course. Online and video based, SABR Analytics Certification and Rapsodo courses combine to help learners elevate their baseball data knowledge alongside skills relating to the technical tools used in player development operations.
- Purchase any SABR Analytics Certification course below between now and September 22, 2025, and get access to a complimentary Rapsodo Certified course.
Rapsodo course access information will be delivered via email after SABR Analytics Certification course purchase has been made.
Visit SABR.org/analytics/rapsodo to learn more.
Watch a video replay of inaugural Founders’ Day celebration
On Wednesday, August 13, SABR held its inaugural Founders’ Day celebration on Zoom with a panel discussion looking back at SABR history. Panelists included Tom Hufford — a founding member of SABR — Mark Armour, Dick Cramer, and moderator Neal Traven.
- Click here to watch a video replay of the panel, along with the Founders’ Day Award presentation to Allen Tait.
SABR was founded in August 1971 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, New York, where 16 “statistorians” led by L. Robert Davids gathered to form a new organization dedicated to baseball research. Click here to learn more about SABR’s founding members.
Allen Tait honored as 2025 SABR Founders’ Day Award recipient
Allen Tait of Grimsby, Ontario, was recognized as the recipient of the 2025 SABR Founders’ Day Award, which recognizes a member who has contributed significant or enduring service as a leader of a regional chapter or research committee.
Tait, a SABR member since 1976, took over as president of the Southern Ontario-based Hanlan’s Point Chapter in 2005, following the SABR 35 convention in Toronto, and has served in a leadership role for the past two decades.
“I feel honored and this means a lot to me,” Tait said. “But there is no ‘I’ in team. I have a very strong team that helps keep me going. … Everyone on that team means a lot to me and does a lot for SABR.”
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Registration now open for 2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Join us for the seventh annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, which will be held virtually on September 19-21, 2025. All baseball fans are welcome to attend!
This year’s conference — co-sponsored by SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center and hosted by Rockford University — is a virtual Zoom event. The conference will feature research presentations, panels, pylon unveiling, presentation of the Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award, and keynote speaker Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton, author, filmmaker, professor, and daughter of Negro Leaguer Henry Kimbro.
- Register now: Click here to register for this event at SABR.org. Early registration is $55 before September 12 and $65 afterward; includes Zoom access to all presentations and panels, awards ceremony, and virtual social hour, plus digital program booklet.
- Schedule: Click here for the full schedule of panels and presentations. Zoom sessions will be held from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 19; 10:00 a.m.-8:20 p.m. on Saturday, September 20, and 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21. (All times listed are in the Eastern Time Zone.)
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference for complete details.
SABR Bay Area chapter celebrates Lefty O’Doul with monument renovation and celebration
On Saturday, August 9, SABR’s Lefty O’Doul Bay Area Chapter invited all baseball fans to a hometown hero celebration honoring Francis Joseph “Lefty” O’Doul, whose magnificent baseball grave monument has been fully restored at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.
Speakers included Lefty’s cousin Tom O’Doul; authors Dennis Snelling and Eric C. Gray; Marlene Vogelsang of SABR’s Lefty O’Doul Chapter; and more. The renovation was possible thanks to funding from the SABR Local Grants Program and the San Francisco Giants.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: 2026 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 2026 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 17th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 24-25, 2026. The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2025.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Learn more about new 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.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
New Oral History interview: Cecilia Tan
- Cecilia Tan, SABR Publications Director since 2011
Recorded July 25, 2025, by Joe Shaw
Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.
2 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- Fernando Valenzuela, by Kevin Mills
- Mose YellowHorse, by Todd Fuller
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
6 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- July 28, 1875: Joe Borden throws professional baseball’s first no-hitter, by Matt Albertson
- April 11, 1895: Scrappy Page Fence Giants fall to Cincinnati Reds in preseason exhibition, by Larry DeFillipo
- August 17, 1949: Red Sox score three in top of 11th, shut out the Yankees in New York, by Bill Nowlin
- September 28, 1949: Washington’s Ray Scarborough stops Red Sox, ties up AL pennant race, by Troy Olszewski
- September 10, 1965: Ferguson Jenkins wins major-league debut as Phillies defeat Cardinals in 12 innings, by Steve Ginader
- August 14, 2000: Childhood dream comes true as Rico Brogna hits walk-off grand slam for Red Sox, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes
Edited by Vince Guerrieri, 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:
- Check out highlights, stories, and photos from SABR 53 in Texas
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through July 13
- SABR MLB Team Employee Database updated through 2024
- Tom Hufford selected as 2025 Bob Davids Award winner
- Bruce Bochy honored with 2025 Roland Hemond Award
- Read articles from The National Pastime: Baseball in Texas and Beyond
- SABR chapters honored for exceptional performance in 2024-25
- Lahman Database files now available for download
- Download the 2025 SABR Annual Report
- Save the date: Join us for SABR Analytics Conference on Feb. 27-March 1, 2026
- View a collection of nearly 100,000 player surveys in the new Weiss Baseball Questionnaires collection
- Read articles from Spring 2025 Baseball Research Journal
- SABR Digital Library: Stan Musial
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2025
- Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- Historical Black Newspapers Collection added to SABR Research Resources
- Get a gift for baseball fan in your life with the SABR Store @ CafePress
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geoff Bedine | Kansas City, MO | Dan Love | Waterford, MI | ||
| Ray Berry | Las Vegas, NV | Jake Morgan | Benicia, CA | ||
| Najji Bhadja | Tampa, FL | Trevor Neely | Shawnee, KS | ||
| Jack Boike | Bloomfield Hills, MI | Greg Norman | Clarksburg, MD | ||
| Wanyong Choi | Jacksonville, FL | Jackson North | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
| Seth Coren | New York, NY | Kendra Pinckney | Penn Yan, NY | ||
| Sean Davis | Jacksonville, FL | Kendall Pliner | Mayville, WI | ||
| Gregg Gascon | Dublin, OH | Ryan Raschella | Brooklyn, NY | ||
| Jake Glatter | Rancho Santa Fe, CA | Ismael Rivera Ramos | Silver Spring, MD | ||
| Matt Griffith | Boring, OR | Amy Roberts | Buffalo, NY | ||
| Cerys Harrison | Harrison Twp., MI | Caleb Schoenholz | North Salt Lake, UT | ||
| Justin Hartrick | Gilbert, AZ | Karl Turner | West Linn, OR | ||
| Cameron Jones | Athens, GA | Richard Villar | Bronx, NY | ||
| Jennifer Kane | Jacksonville, FL | Michael Vitti | Jacksonville, FL | ||
| Han Soo Kim | Jacksonville, FL | Brian Wetzel | Dalmatia, PA | ||
| Bob Lacey | Alexandria, VA |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Baseball Hall of Fame curator Gabrielle Augustine; Jack Bales (“The 1886 Chicago White Stockings”); and Gary Mintz (“Remembering Willie Mays”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- August 16: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Mark Armour (1:00 p.m. CDT)
- August 18: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Marty Payne (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- August 18: Bud Metheny (VA) Chapter meeting with Mark Epstein (7:30 p.m. EDT)
- August 18: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Bill Brown (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- August 19: Central Illinois Chapter meeting with Mark Epstein (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- August 20: New SABR Member Experience Meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- August 16: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- August 16: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- August 17: Pee Wee Reese Chapter: “Diamond King” film screening (Louisville, KY)
- August 19: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- August 20: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly lunch (Denver, CO)
- August 21: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- August 23: Robinson-Kell Chapter meeting (Bryant, AR)
- August 24: Lefty O’Doul Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Oakland, CA)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Official Scoring: August 2025 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter: Summer 2025 newsletter (St. Louis, MO)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: August 2025 newsletter (Austin, TX)
- Roush-Lopez Tampa Bay Chapter: August 9 meeting recap (St. Petersburg, FL)
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:
- Ryan Whirty: Kenny Lofton visits the Malloy Conference (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru: Trailblazing umpire Jen Pawol debuts behind the plate (MLB.com)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Sharing a Historic Moment With Perry Barber, the Matriarch of Women in Umpiring (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Adler: Amazin’ Mets Foundation honors Sarah Langs with Legacy Award (MLB.com)
- Ethan Sands: Interview with Larry Lester on the Negro Leagues and Cleveland’s Legacy (Cleveland Public Library)
- Jayson Stark: MLB history watch for August — and the rest of the season (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: The Revamped Padres Have Surged into First Place in the NL West (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: Atlanta Braves Holdings: Investors and Fans (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: The Mets Could Swipe Some Base-Stealing Records (FanGraphs)
- Andrés Soto: Angels turn Shohei Ohtani’s liner into 8th triple play in club history (MLB.com)
- Tyler Kepner: The Mets must do right by Pete Alonso, their new home run king, and keep him in Queens for good (The Athletic)
- Mark Simon: Defensive Trouble Spots For Contenders (Sports Info Solutions)
- Stephanie Apstein: Carlos Correa’s Impact on the Astros Has Been Swift, on and Off the Field (Sports Illustrated)
- David Laurila: Jack Dreyer Is a Dodger With a Sneaky Heater and a “Bad Slider” (FanGraphs)
- Zack Meisel: Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and the winding paths for two could-be top Guardians starters (The Athletic)
- Kevin Baxter: Dan Ardell did a rare feat in his brief Angels career, but it did not define his life (Los Angeles Times)
- Scott Barancik: Jewish baseball fans have created an exhaustive list of Jewish players. They missed Monte Pfeiffer. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- Steve Rennie: Summer reading: Meet Ottawa’s first professional baseball team (Ottawa Citizen)
- Tony Gleason: ‘There’s a Lot of Myths Going On’: Misconceptions Still Cloud Motive for 1919 World Series (Pepperdine Graphic)
- Charlie Bevis: Evolution of Seating Sections at Boston Ballparks, 1876 to 2004 (Bevis Baseball Research)
- Steven Goldman: The Browning Version (Of The House I Live In) (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Tim Manners (Baseball and BBQ)
- Andrew Orcutt: The Palmyra Wonder: George H. Wilson and the Legacy of a 1907 Postcard (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Derek Bain: Diamond Mind Baseball 6 tutorial (SABR Games and Simulations)
- Yoichi Nagata: Nichibei Yakyu: 1907 St. Louis Baseball Team From Hawaii Tours Japan (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Jongho Kim: Korea’s Journey into Organized Baseball Before the Founding of the KBO (SABR Asian Baseball)
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 15, 2025. Last Updated: August 15, 2025.