This Week in SABR: December 19, 2025

December 19, 2025/in This Week in SABR /by wpadmin

Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, December 19, 2025. Click here to view this newsletter on the web. Please note: The SABR office will be closed for the holidays on December 24-25 and January 1. The next newsletter will be sent on Friday, January 2, 2026.

SABR 2025: Year in Review
Thank you for your support of our Bring it Home campaign
Give the gift of SABR this holiday season
Read articles from Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal online
Last chance to apply for SABR Analytics Conference scholarships
Call for papers: 2026 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

SABR 2025: Year in Review

Highlighted by a star-studded convention of Hall of Famers in Texas, including Bruce Bochy’s poignant speech upon receiving the Roland Hemond Award, SABR has enjoyed a banner year in 2025. Thanks to all of our chapter and committee leaders, donors, writers, editors, volunteers, and contributors who have helped make the SABR community such a rewarding experience for so many baseball fans around the world!

This year, we made nearly 100,000 Weiss Baseball Questionnaires available online in the SABR Research Collection. We added Negro Leagues statistics for the first time to the Lahman Baseball Database and included dozens of Negro Leagues triple plays in the SABR Triple Plays Database. We expanded our MLB Team Employee Database online and added hundreds of ProQuest US Newspapers as a benefit for all members. We recognized student research on biomechanics; chapter and committee leaders with the new Founders’ Day Award; and longtime member Tom Zocco for attending 50(!) consecutive conventions.

We hosted a series of popular webinars on baseball in the news, on the MLB pitching injury report; the rise of torpedo bats; and Pete Rose/Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Hall of Fame. We announced partnerships with the Irish American Baseball Society and Abilene Christian University. Our Local Grants program celebrated a Bay Area hometown hero; milestone anniversary in St. Louis; and the origins of night baseball in Massachusetts. We published more than 1,500 articles online in the SABR Research Collection, including new stories from the Biography Project and Games Project, and many older articles from SABR’s archives over the past half-century.

Hundreds of virtual SABR events were held online with authors, former players, and other guest speakers, including Oral History interviews with prominent baseball figures like Dale Murphy, Michael Young, Steve Rogers, and Ben McDonald.

SABR members enjoyed meeting new and old friends by attending the SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Louisville and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference in Cooperstown, and the virtual Women in Baseball Conference.

New books from the SABR Digital Library included titles on major-leaguers from Venezuela, Native Americans, Stan Musial, and the 2005 Chicago White Sox.

Thanks again for an outstanding 2025, and we look forward to more fun for SABR in 2026!

Thank you for your support of our Bring it Home campaign!

Thank you so much for your support of SABR during our annual Bring it Home fundraising campaign. I’m thrilled to share that through the generosity of our donors, we were able to exceed our $135,000 goal!

We have made great progress toward our vision of becoming the essential community for the world of baseball, in large part by investing in mission-focused initiatives and outreach. SABR is well positioned to sustain and grow into the future thanks to your generosity and support. We have successfully brought it home in 2025 — strengthening our ability to expand our research resources, forge meaningful partnerships inside and outside the game, and create more opportunities for participation in our baseball community.

We’d again like to thank all SABR members for your support of the organization, and most especially those who participated in the 2025 Bring it Home campaign listed below.

Happy Holidays! Opening Day is right around the corner.

— Scott Bush

Give the gift of SABR this holiday season

This holiday season, it’s easy to share that passion for the game with friends and family. If you’re looking for a great gift for the baseball fan in your life, how about a SABR Gift Membership? All baseball fans are welcome to join SABR.

Click here to learn more about how to sign up a family member or friend with a SABR Gift Membership.

Visit SABR.org/gift-membership to learn more.

Read articles from the Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal online

With an original cover illustration of Lou Gehrig designed by SABR member Gary Cieradkowski, we hope you enjoy the e-book edition of the Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal! The e-book edition was sent to all SABR members on Monday, December 8. Anyone who has subscribed to the print edition should receive their copy in the mail in the next 2-4 weeks.

Click here to order a copy of the print edition of the Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal from Amazon.com.
Articles from the Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal are now available to read online in the SABR Research Collection.

We hope you enjoy reading the Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal!

Early registration now open for 2026 SABR Analytics Conference

Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from February 27-March 1, 2026, at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona.

We’ll bring together the top minds in the baseball analytics community to discuss, debate, and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball. Register today to join us!

Registration: Click here to register for the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference. Early-bird registration is $395 for SABR members, $495 for non-members, and $150 for currently enrolled high school or college students. Student-only virtual registration is $50. Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive the discounted registration link.
Student Registration: Students should email Scott Carter with a photo of their student ID to receive a special link to register at a discounted rate. Students have the option of choosing virtual ($50) or in-person ($150) registration. Both include access to General Session panels and presentations on Friday, February 27 through Sunday, March 1, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, February 26. All student registrations also include a one-year SABR membership ($25 value) and a complimentary Rapsodo Certified Course ($395 value). SABR membership will be fulfilled after event sign-up and access to Rapsodo course will be delivered after the conference.
Diamond Dollars Case Competition: Click here to register your team for the 2026 Diamond Dollars Case Competition. Registration is $1,750 per team, which includes admission to all SABR Analytics Conference sessions and a one-year SABR membership for each participant. Chaperones and advisors looking to attend the conference should register themselves separately here.
Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, apply now for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline: December 19, 2025.
Research Awards: We’re seeking nominations for the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards. Deadline: December 19, 2025.
Certification Courses: The first three courses in the online, on-demand SABR Analytics Certification program, including the newest offering Level Three – Introduction to Baseball Programming, are available now. Click here to learn more or to sign up.

Last chance to apply for SABR Analytics Conference scholarships

With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four Yoseloff Scholarships to high school and college students who wish to attend the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for all registration fees and expenses associated with the conference.

Awarded annually to four recipients, the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship will provide meaningful professional development and networking opportunities for female students or young professionals pursuing a career in baseball analytics and data science. This scholarship will pay for all registration fees and expenses associated with the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix, Arizona; plus registration for all courses in the online SABR Analytics Certification program.

All applications must be postmarked or emailed to scarter@sabr.org by December 19, 2025.

Click here to learn more about SABR Scholarships.

Call for papers: 2026 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will host the 26th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on June 18-21, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to two days of research presentations and player/author panels, attendees will also enjoy special presentations connected to our theme of “Black Baseball in the Land of the Delta Blues” and the city of Memphis.

This interdisciplinary conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars. Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, or other Black baseball topics.

Please email your proposal as a Word attachment to Dr. Leslie Heaphy before March 2, 2026.

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

Apply for a SABR Local Grant in 2026

The SABR Local Grants program provides an opportunity for chapters, research committees, and chartered communities to apply for funding for their projects under SABR’s Four Pillars: Research, Scholarship, Preservation, and Future of the Game. Applications are now open for a 2026 SABR Local Grant at SABR.org/local-grants. Submissions will be accepted until February 20, 2026.

All SABR chapters, chartered communities, and research committees are eligible to apply. Individual SABR members and non-SABR groups are not eligible, so if you have an individual idea for a program grant, please follow up with your local chapter leadership or appropriate research committee to discuss an application.

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

SABR Games Project: Authors’ Choice 2025

The SABR Games Project polled our authors to nominate the favorite articles that they wrote in 2025. More than 20 authors responded and their stories are collected online at SABR.org. Click here to view the full list.

These stories are a great reflection of the spirit of the Games Project, covering games from 1871 through 2024, and including selections from the Negro Leagues, minor leagues, and college baseball.

Writing a story for the Games Project is an easy way to get involved as a SABR member. Find out how by reading the Games Project FAQs section or checking out the Authors’ Guidelines.

Save the date! SABR Day is January 31, 2026

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, January 31, 2026, when we will hold our annual SABR Day celebration! SABR Day is a way for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love.

Regional chapters are also encouraged to plan their own SABR Day events (virtually or in person) throughout the months of January or February to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.

Chapter leaders, please email Jacob Pomrenke as you finalize your SABR Day plans so we can update our comprehensive schedule of events, which is now posted online at SABR.org/sabrday.

November 15 Board minutes posted

Minutes from the Board of Directors meeting on November 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio, have now been posted on the SABR website.

Click here to view all past minutes of SABR Board meetings.

Be aware of holiday email phishing scams

SABR has been alerted of an email phishing scam sent to some members in recent weeks. These emails may appear to be from your chapter leader or a SABR staff or board member, asking for assistance, personal information, or to complete an “urgent” financial transaction. Indications of scam emails include a bogus “from” address instead of a sender address you know and trust, and grammatically incorrect sentences and/or phrases.

If you receive a suspicious message, please exercise email security best practices by not clicking on any links or opening any attachments, and closely scrutinizing the address of the questionable email sender. Please delete any scam emails immediately.

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

New Oral History interview: Buddy Biancalana

Buddy Biancalana, Kansas City Royals infielder and 1985 World Series champion
Recorded December 9, 2025, by Jake Bell

Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.

4 new stories published at SABR BioProject

Kid Camp, by Terry Bohn
Frank Fernández, by Larry DeFillipo
Frank Kellert, by Larry DeFillipo
George Sleeman, by Martin Lacoste

Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.

4 new stories published at SABR Games Project

June 23, 1964: Orioles’ late comeback against Yankees commemorated in song, by Bob Brown
July 7, 1993: Expos’ Kirk Rueter takes shutout into 9th inning to win major-league debut, by Gary Belleville
June 27, 2007: Tom Glavine throws rain-shortened one-hitter as Mets blank Cardinals, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
July 22, 2022: Emotional Blue Jays bash Red Sox, 28-5, to set franchise run record, by Nathan Samuel Skopitz (first-time author)

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

Here Comes the Pizzer: The Found Poetry of Baseball Broadcasts
Edited by Eric Poulin

Here Comes the Pizzer was honored recently as the Best Baseball Poetry Book of 2025 by The Twin Bill journal. Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition or save 50% off the paperback edition of all Digital Library books.

All SABR members are encouraged to submit nominations for our annual research awards, for works published or completed in 2025. The deadline to nominate for most awards is around December 31:

Seymour Medal (history/biography books)
SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards (baseball analytics research)
Larry Ritter Book Award (Deadball Era books)
Russell Gabay Award (New Jersey baseball)
SABR Baseball Research Award (outstanding research articles/projects)
McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award (best history/biography articles)

Please note: Only ONE entry per nomination will be considered (do not submit multiple nominations for the same award). Self-nominations are welcome. For more information on SABR Awards, click here.

Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:

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
Scott Bolohan	New York, NY	Max Klopfer	Fullerton, CA
Walter Cummins	Alpharetta, GA	Brad Krieg	St. Charles, MO
Ken Davidoff	New York, NY	Henry Makepeace	Shaker Heights, OH
Martin Eisenstein	Secaucus, NJ	Stuart Meyer	Dunedin, FL
Isabella Fitzgerald	Auburn, WA	Greg Rybinski	Arlington, VA
Simon Fitzjohn	Ditton, ENG	Troy Siranovic	Elmhurst, IL
Calvin Gallup	Sudbury, MA	Matthew Taylor	Tampa, FL
George Girasa	Bennington, VT	Drew Walker	Naples, FL
Patrick Heller	White House Station, NJ	Derek Wang	Evanston, IL
Davis Im	Chicago, IL

Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
Video Replays: This week, we heard from Jem Jebbia (“The Evolution of Media in Legacy Construction”); Scott Barzilla (“Houston Astros Hall of Fame Candidates”); and John Nogowski (Diamond Duels: Baseball’s Greatest Matchups). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.

Upcoming Virtual Meetings

December 22: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Chris Betsch (7:00 p.m. EST)
December 29: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Chris Boucher (7:00 p.m. EST)

Upcoming In-Person Meetings

December 20: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
December 20: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter book club meeting (Columbus, OH)
December 20: NY Giants Preservation Society holiday party (New York, NY)
December 30: Elysian Fields Chapter lunch meeting (Livingston, NJ)

To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.

Black Sox Scandal: December 2025 newsletter
Deadball Era: November 2025 newsletter
Town Ball: Click here to learn more or sign up for email announcements from SABR’s newest research committee, focusing on amateur/semipro baseball in local communities.

Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.

Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter: December 3 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
Larry Dierker Chapter: December 15 meeting recap (Houston, TX)
Rogers Hornsby Chapter: December 2025 newsletter (Austin, 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:

Eno Sarris: Aiming to level playing field, MLB to regulate use of data and tech in minors (The Athletic)
Mark Simon: Who Were MLB’s Most Overachieving Pitchers in 2025? (Sports Info Solutions)
Daniel R. Epstein: Aaron Judge is the Worst Hitter in MLB (at Swinging on 3-0) (Baseball Prospectus)
Travis Sawchik: Paul DePodesta left MLB in 2015. How has the game changed since then? (MLB.com)
David Laurila: Mike Elias on the Evolving Orioles, and Offerings From Orlando (FanGraphs)
Jason Beck: Here’s how Team USA recruited Skubal for World Baseball Classic (MLB.com)
Jay Jaffe: JAWS and the 2026 Hall of Fame Ballot: Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Jimmy Rollins (FanGraphs)
Esteban Rivera: Nick Kurtz Is Baseball’s Premier Opposite-Field Blaster (FanGraphs)
Gary Ashwill: Negro Leaguers Who Homered in Their First Plate Appearance (Agate Type)
John Thorn: A Pictorial Retrospective of Baseball: 1868 (Our Game)
Luke Epplin: Crybabies in Cleveland (Good Grief)
Jensen Toussaint: Did You Know John Cena’s Grandfather Was Once a Phillies First Baseman? (Philadelphia Today)
Mark Kolier: Torpedo bats resurfaced in 2025 and went back down under (Almost Cooperstown)
Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Frank Pallone (Baseball and BBQ)
Rob Fitts: Murder, Espionage, and Baseball: The 1934 All-American Tour of Japan (SABR Asian Baseball)
Jongho Kim: The Light and Shadow of the Kiwoom Heroes, Called the MLB Academy (SABR Asian Baseball)
Derek Bain: APBA Baseball for Windows tutorial (SABR Games and Simulations)
Glenn Evans: Crossing the Tracks: 1912 (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.

Are you receiving our e-mails? “This Week in SABR” goes out by e-mail to all members on Friday afternoons. If they’re not showing up, try adding “sabr.notes@sabr.org” to your contact list to ensure they show up in your inbox.

Originally published: December 19, 2025. Last Updated: December 19, 2025.

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