This Week in SABR: August 8, 2025

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.

Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference is under way in Louisville
SABR Digital Library: From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes
Join SABR on August 13 for Founders’ Day celebration
Registration now open for SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Join SABR on August 9 for Lefty O’Doul Monument Renovation and Celebration Event
Call for papers: 2026 SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference

Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference is under way in Louisville

SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference kicked off this week at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. On Thursday, attendees toured the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and held a “meet and greet” reception at the Roots 101 African American Museum.

Single-day registration is available at SABR.org/malloy on on-site at the conference. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.

• Schedule: Click here to view the 2025 Malloy Conference schedule.

Visit SABR.org/malloy to learn more.

SABR Digital Library: From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes

Add a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:

From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes
Edited by Vince Guerrieri, Thomas Kern, and Bill Nowlin
Associate editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-960819-45-1, $24.95
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-960819-44-4, $9.99
8.5″ x 11″, 162 pages

From Setbacks to Success provides a detailed account of the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes with biographies of the players and the team officials who led the team to its World Series triumph. Also included is a complete season timeline, articles about some standout games, the story of League Park and Cleveland Stadium (where the Buckeyes played), and an appreciation of the cultural context of the time. Until the emergence of the Buckeyes in 1942, no Negro League team formed in Cleveland survived more than a year. The high-water mark for the Buckeyes was undoubtedly 1945, when they won the Negro American League title and then, against all odds, defeated the perennial Negro National League champion Homestead Grays four games to none in the Negro League World Series. This history of the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes is the eighth in a series of SABR books about the great Negro League teams of the first half of the twentieth century.

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Join SABR on August 13 for inaugural Founders’ Day celebration

All baseball fans are invited to join SABR for our inaugural Founders’ Day celebration from 7:30-9:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 13. A panel discussion will be held on Zoom looking back at SABR history with Tom Hufford — a founding member of SABR — Mark Armour, Dick Cramer, and moderator Neal Traven. Hufford was selected as the winner of this year’s Bob Davids Award, SABR’s highest honor; Armour and Traven are also past recipients. Cramer and Armour have been honored with the Henry Chadwick Award.

A Founders’ Day Award presentation will recognize a SABR member with a record of longtime and meaningful service to a regional chapter or research committee.

• Click here to pre-register for this Zoom meeting

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.

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.

Join SABR on August 9 for Lefty O’Doul Monument Renovation and Celebration Event

Join us this weekend for an unforgettable tribute to a San Francisco legend! SABR’s Lefty O’Doul Bay Area Chapter invites 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 California.

• When: Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.
• Where: Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, 1370 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014
• Cost: Free and open to the public

Click here to watch a promo video, produced by filmmaker and SABR member Jon Leonoudakis.

The celebration will begin with the dramatic unveiling of Lefty’s newly restored monument — an impressive 6-foot, 5-inch tall tribute that truly captures the essence of this baseball icon. Afterward, the festivities move to nearby Molloy’s Tavern, where we’ll raise a glass to celebrate Lefty’s 128th birthday surrounded by fellowship, good cheer, and our shared passion for baseball—America’s beloved national pastime.

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.

SABR MLB Team Employee Database updated through 2024

SABR’s historical database of Major League Baseball team employees has been recently updated to include entries from the 2024 season and to add new information for more than 52,000 people employed by major-league teams over the past 150 years. The SABR MLB Team Employee Database, published through SABR’s Business of Baseball Committee, offers a unique lens into major-league front and back offices, from team owners to ticket sales.

The MLB Team Employee Database is available for viewing to all SABR members on the Research Resources page. Browse or search by person, team, or season to learn more about the scope of baseball and business operations.

Thanks to Bryan Walko for his efforts to update the database, which was initially launched at SABR.org in 2024. Integrating feedback from many SABR members, new information on minor league, player development, and scouting department employees has also been included in this update. Dan Levitt and Richard Cuicchi led this phase of the project, with invaluable help from Mike Bender, Ilana Blumsack, Paul Brown, Steve Ginader, Molly McClure, Chad Moody, and Joseph Wancho.

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.

Retrosheet announces Summer 2025 updates

Retrosheet is pleased to announce its semi-annual update for Summer 2025 at Retrosheet.org. New and updated data includes event files for the 2000-2019 MLB seasons; event files for the 1911 and 1913 American and National League seasons; box-score files for the 1899 and 1900 National League seasons; box scores for the 1936 Negro League season and deduced play-by-play for hundreds of other Negro League games; and the removal of 435 games from our “most wanted” lists.

— Tom Thress

Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.

Writing opportunity: Henry Aaron book project

For an upcoming SABR Digital Library book project on Henry Aaron, we are seeking authors to write Games Project articles on several remaining memorable games from Aaron’s career.

Please contact Bill Nowlin if you are interested in contributing or for more information. 

Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.

4 new stories published at SABR Games Project

• June 27, 1986: Giants rookie Robby Thompson caught stealing four times in 12-inning win over Reds, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
• July 21, 1990: Orioles’ Ben McDonald tosses shutout in long-anticipated first major-league start, by Jake Bell
• September 7, 2008: Rookies Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer fill in for a pair of future Hall of Famers, by Larry DeFillipo
• April 13, 2022: Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw pulled after seven perfect innings against Twins, by Glen Sparks

Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.

Stan Musial
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks

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
• In Memoriam: Ryne Sandberg
• SABR Defensive Index rankings released through July 13
• 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: Here Comes the Pizzer: The Found Poetry of Baseball Broadcasts
• Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2025
• Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
• Browse the new, searchable SABR MLB Team Employee Database
• 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.

• Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
• Video Replays: This week, we heard from Vanessa Ivy Rose (“Hall of Fame DNA: The Legacy of Norman ‘Turkey’ Stearnes”); Dennis Snelling (The Whiz Kids); Larry DeFillipo (“Left-Handed Double Play Combinations”); and Dan Schlossberg (The New Baseball Bible 2025). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

• August 9: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter Talkin’ Baseball: Paul Semendinger (9:00 a.m. EDT)
• August 9: Rogers Hornsby (TX) Chapter meeting with Kevin Hurd (2:00 p.m. CDT)
• August 9: Tampa Bay Roush-Lopez (FL) Chapter meeting with Louis Schiff (3:00 p.m. EDT)
• August 11: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Gary Mintz (7:00 p.m. EDT)
• August 12: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Jack Bales (7:00 p.m. CDT)
• August 13: SABR Founders’ Day Celebration with Tom Hufford, Mark Armour, Dick Cramer, Neal Traven (7:30 p.m. EDT)
• August 14: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Mark Epstein (7:00 p.m. EDT)
• August 16: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Mark Armour (1:00 p.m. CDT)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

• August 8-9: 2025 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference (Louisville, KY)
• August 9: Halsey Hall Chapter book club meeting (Roseville, MN)
• August 9: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
• August 9: Lefty O’Doul Monument Restoration and Celebration Event (Colma, CA)
• August 9: Hanlan’s Point Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Toronto, ON)
• August 10: Jack Graney Cleveland Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Avon, OH)
• August 10: Sammy Hughes Grave Marker Dedication Ceremony (Louisville, KY)
• 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)

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 Davids Chapter: August 2025 newsletter (Washington, DC)
• Larry Dierker Chapter: Summer 2025 newsletter (Houston, TX)

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:

• Paul Rogers: Baseball’s Best Gathering at SABR 53 (Texas Rangers Magazine)
• Jonah Gardner: Negro League No-Hitters Added to Baseball Reference (Sports-Reference.com)
• Brian Murphy: Jen Pawol to make history as MLB’s first female umpire (MLB.com)
• Sam Blum: Before ump Jen Pawol’s breakthrough moment, others came close — and now celebrate from afar (The Athletic)
• Doug Haller: Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and a rookie-year meeting for the history books (The Athletic)
• Davy Andrews: Groundball Rates Are Dropping — And Hitters Aren’t the Only Ones To Blame (FanGraphs)
• Patrick Dubuque: The Pinch-Hitting Problem (Baseball Prospectus)
• Tyler Kepner: The Astros — bold, decisive, interesting — are the team the Red Sox used to be (The Athletic)
• Alex Speier: With a veteran’s maturity and a 21-year-old’s eagerness, Roman Anthony is already changing the Red Sox’ culture (Boston Globe)
• Spencer Nusbaum: What it feels like to love one of the worst teams in baseball (Washington Post)
• Mark Simon: Milwaukee’s Finest Defenders (Sports Info Solutions)
• Jayson Stark: Paul Skenes’ scintillating start is like nothing we’ve seen — and more history awaits (The Athletic)
• Michael Baumann: An Investigation Into the Dinger-Filled Rampage of a Reborn Andrew Vaughn (FanGraphs)
• Eno Sarris: Post trade deadline, what team has the best bullpen in baseball? (The Athletic)
• Mario Delgado Genzor: The Price of Goodwill (Baseball Prospectus)
• David Laurila: Pitchers Weigh in on Their Catch Play Partners (Some Are Nasty) (FanGraphs)
• David Adler: Masanori Murakami, Japan’s first Major Leaguer, recalls playing with MLB legends (MLB.com)
• José Campos: Bobby Maduro: One more step and it will arrive (Libre)
• Dan Cichalski: Hinchliffe Stadium gets a marker on the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail (MLB.com)
• Amanda Lane Cumming: The Mariners and the 1995 Trade Deadline: The Anatomy of Going For It (NW Sports History)
• Dexter Henry: Ray Burris recalls Thurman Munson memories on 46th anniversary of his death (New York Post)
• John Thorn: The Greatest Plays You Never Saw: Jim Creighton, September 22, 1860 (Our Game)
• Mark Kolier: The deep sadness of being a K.C. A’s fan (Almost Cooperstown)
• Bob D’Angelo: Book about attorneys elected to Baseball Hall of Fame raises bar for strong research (The Sports Bookie)
• Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Wayne Stewart (Baseball and BBQ)
• Jason Schwartz: The historic Dave Hoskins photo that wasn’t (SABR Pictorial History)
• Glenn Evans: Crossing the Tracks: 1904 (SABR Games and Simulations)
• Joe Costa: World Series Time Machine: 1918 (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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