This Week in SABR: February 20, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR Analytics Conference begins next week
Last call to apply for a Local Grant in 2026
SABR 54: Three days left to submit research presentation abstracts
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal
SABR Research Grants deadline approaching soon
 |
 |
 |
2026 SABR Analytics Conference begins next week!
All baseball fans are invited to join us at the SABR Analytics Conference on February 27–March 1, 2026, at the Beus Center for Law and Society on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. SABR members, check your email inbox for details on a special opportunity to attend the conference virtually via a Zoom livestream.
- Download the SABR Analytics Conference digital program (PDF)
- Click here to view the full schedule for the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
The Analytics Conference schedule consists of research presentations and guest speakers from throughout the baseball analytics community, career development sessions led by experienced sports professionals, and industry networking opportunities — all available for any aspiring front office executive or baseball fan to attend.
Our featured speakers are expected to include keynote speaker Doug Fearing, Teamworks Intelligence; Dave Adler, Baseball HQ; David Adler, MLB.com; Jennifer Brann, Arizona Diamondbacks; Will Carroll, Under the Knife; Derek Carty, THE BAT X; Jason Collette, Rotowire; Vince Gennaro, NYU Lab for Transformative Leadership; Max Glick, Arizona Diamondbacks; Cory Hahn, Arizona Diamondbacks; Maile Kamada, Arizona Diamondbacks; Kelvin Kondo, Arizona Diamondbacks; Jason McLeod, Arizona Diamondbacks; Franky Mulloy, Cincinnati Reds; Do-Hyoung Park, Major League Baseball; Kristyn Pierce, Arizona Diamondbacks; Hillary Plummer, San Diego Padres; Eno Sarris, The Athletic; Connor Shannon, Arizona Diamondbacks; Megan Stewart, Milwaukee Brewers; Will Vandenberg, Los Angeles Dodgers; Derek VanRiper, The Athletic; and more.
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 certification course ($395 value).
To learn more about the SABR Analytics Conference, or to register, visit SABR.org/analytics.
Last call to apply for a 2026 SABR Local Grant
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.
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.
SABR 54: Last chance to submit research presentation abstracts
SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 54, the annual convention on July 29-August 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. Oral presentations are expected to last 20 minutes, followed by a five minute question-and-answer period. Posters will be presented, with the author on-hand to discuss the work, during a poster session of 60 minutes and they will remain on display throughout the convention.
Click here to submit abstracts for SABR 54
The submission deadline for SABR 54 abstracts is 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
In addition, we seek volunteers who wish to participate in the blind review process (beginning in March) and/or on-site judging (at the convention in Cleveland.) Those volunteers are also requested to apply by sending an email to convention-presentations@sabr.org.
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2026
In 2026, all SABR members will exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically twice a year. The Spring 2026 issue will be sent out in April. However, if you are interested in a paperback copy of BRJ for your personal library, we have rolled out a subscription option at a significantly discounted rate: $7 per issue for members, compared to $19.95 at retail.
- To subscribe and receive a printed edition of BRJ, visit SABR.org/subscribe
(If you have any questions about your subscription, please email brjsubscribe@sabr.org.)
Click here for a short video on how to subscribe to printed copies of BRJ.
New Research Resources portal and member login launched
SABR members now have access to a newly designed and updated Research Resources portal at SABR.org. The new Research Resources area also offers a range of baseball guides, archives, and databases organized by subject matter — from Biographical Research to Minor Leagues to Statistics/Records. Find Research Resources by going directly to The Research Collection page or by using the “Research” dropdown menu at the top of any SABR.org page.
All SABR members have exclusive access to online resources to aid in your research and deepen the exploration of your baseball fandom, including the Historical Black Newspapers Collection and US Newspapers Collection through ProQuest; the Newspapers.com World Collection; and The Sporting News Archives through Paper of Record. Normally, access to these fantastic resources would cost over $250 annually, but they are included as a complimentary benefit of your SABR membership! Members also have special access to two large collections exclusively at SABR.org: the Weiss Baseball Questionnaires (nearly 100,000 self-completed surveys from baseball players between 1945 and 2005) and the MLB Team Employee Database (recently updated with 2025 MLB teams and Negro Leagues team employees.)
We have also rolled out a new promotional ad at SABR.org to help encourage other baseball fans to sign up for a monthly or annual membership. As a SABR member, you can click the gold Login now link in order to sign in and remove the pop-up for the rest of your browser session.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Finding and Registering for Events
As a SABR member, you have vast resources and benefits at your disposal. With so much information at your fingertips, we realize it can be overwhelming to absorb it all! To highlight key benefits, read on for this month’s SABR Member Benefit Spotlight, an email series that identifies and explains some of the most valuable features of your membership. We hope this allows you to take full advantage of all SABR has to offer.
This month’s issue shows you where to look for upcoming events and register in advance for both local and national meetings. Attending a SABR event is a great way to get involved with the organization, while taking advantage of your membership. Whether you’re looking for in-person or virtual meetings, there is a SABR event for you! SABR.org is a great place to start, and you can find all national and local meetings on our Events page.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: 2026 SABR Northern New Jersey 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium
Save the date! 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 will open around July 1 at SABR.org. The cost will be $15 per person. The one-day Zoom event will run from approximately 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern on November 14.
- Call for presentations: SABR invites all members to submit an abstract for a virtual research presentation at the 2026 symposium. Each presentation will last for 25 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A, and a visual component (PowerPoint, etc.) is strongly recommended. A/V files are not due with the Abstract but about 30 days before the actual event. Abstracts should be between 250–400 words and must be on any topic of 19th century baseball pertaining to Northern New Jersey. Please send an email with a Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso by March 5, 2026.
Registration is also open for the 17th annual SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which will be held on April 24-25, 2026, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to register now for this special event.
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.
SABR Research Grants deadline approaching soon
In 2026, SABR will award a total of $10,000 in support of up to two research projects through its SABR Research Grant initiative.
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. Applications that support the completion of a lasting outcome, such as a peer-reviewed publication or public exhibit, are highly encouraged.
The deadline to apply is 8:00 p.m. Eastern on March 1, 2026. All researchers are welcome to apply.
Visit SABR.org/research-grants to learn more or to apply.
SABR Board of Directors to host virtual Town Hall on March 12
SABR’s Board of Directors invites all members to join us for a virtual Town Hall meeting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
SABR CEO Scott Bush will provide an overview on new initiatives and other upcoming activities and events. Board President Dan Levitt will provide a strategic planning update. Board Vice President Allison Levin will provide an update on research committees and local chapters. Board Treasurer Pat Filippone will provide a financial update and introduce himself to the membership. Other members of the Board of Directors will also be available for questions afterward.
Levitt was appointed as President in November and will serve the rest of the term through 2027. Filippone was appointed in December to complete the rest of the Treasurer’s term, which concludes following the Annual Business Meeting in 2026.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
New Oral History interview: Joel Skinner
- Joel Skinner, former major-league catcher and Cleveland Indians manager
Recorded February 12, 2026, by John McMurray
Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.
5 new stories published at SABR BioProject
- Charlie High, by Michael Tow
- Steve McCatty, by Dan Schoenholz
- Spotswood Poles, by Thomas Kern
- Doc Powers, by Jason Olivier
- Bienvenido Rodríguez, by Tony S. Oliver
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
5 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- May 23, 1932: At age 40, Rabbit Maranville records four hits in Braves’ victory over Dodgers, by Stephen V. Rice
- September 1, 1956: Two no-hitters on same night add drama to Eastern League pennant chase, by Kurt Blumenau
- April 14, 2002: Mariners’ Ron Wright accounts for six outs in three at-bats in only major-league game, by Madison McEntire
- June 17, 2003: Mets pitchers nearly perfect in franchise’s 25th one-hitter, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
- September 4, 2006: Home run, near no-hitter make it a Labor Day to remember for Ramón Ortiz, by Larry G. Rice Jr. (first-time author)
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Henry Aaron
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:
- Dangerous Danny Gardella by Robert Elias wins 2026 SABR Seymour Medal
- Fourth course in SABR Analytics Certification program is now available
- Listen to new SABR Oral History interview with Greg Maddux
- SABR appoints Pat Filippone as Treasurer of Board of Directors
- Negro Leagues executives added to SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Read articles from the Fall 2025 Baseball Research Journal online
- Gary, Vicki Gillette make gift to support Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference through 2030
- SABR welcomes new Town Ball research committee
- 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
- SABR Digital Library: Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol, 1939–2024: 85 Years of Venezuelans in the Major Leagues
- Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Bailey | Dripping Springs, TX | Owen Lacy | Champaign, IL | ||
| Tony Batt | Las Vegas, NV | Jeremy Lee | Evanston, IL | ||
| Kenneth Blazek | Georgetown, TX | Austin Leung | Kaukauna, WI | ||
| Julia Bucci | Brooklyn, NY | Andreaus Lewis | New York, NY | ||
| Helene Caplan | Harrisburg, PA | James Liporace | Sloatsburg, NY | ||
| Brody Chambers | Roseville, CA | Nicholas Mastron | Reston, VA | ||
| Terry Dawson | Greenwood, IN | Richard McKeown | Bryant, AR | ||
| Tony DeFreitas | Haeundae-Gu, KOR | Andrew Menson | Delran, NJ | ||
| Gavin Erdmann | Harrisburg, SD | William Miracky | New Orleans, LA | ||
| Edward Ford III | Kansas City, MO | Brandon Muczynski | Omaha, NE | ||
| Christina Fuller | San Diego, CA | Austin Muller | San Juan Capistrano, CA | ||
| Crescenzo Gardner | Canonsburg, PA | Andrew Parks | Boonsboro, MD | ||
| Sean Grogan | Silver Spring, MD | Kaidan Pascua | San Diego, CA | ||
| William Haray | New Orleans, LA | Steve Richardson | Greenville, SC | ||
| Reese Hotaling | Clifton Park, NY | David Richtberg | Guaynabo, PR | ||
| Chengyi Hsu | Taipei, TWN | Dan Scott | New Albany, OH | ||
| Ashton Huling | Summerville, SC | Owyn Stephens | Allston, MA | ||
| Stephen Hulsey | Rosharon, TX | Mikal Stole | Dyer, IN | ||
| Kathleen Jachens | Scottsdale, AZ | Brady Wittig | Madison, WI | ||
| Kieran Kelly | Brooklyn, NY | Jeremiah York | Fairfield, OH |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from author Jerry Izenberg (Damn You, Josh Gibson: A Ghost Story); author Bill Plunkett (L.A. Story); and Rick Schostek and Sullivan Beck (Ball Park Baseball). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- February 21: Mathewson-Plank (PA) Chapter SABR Day meeting with Mark Stewart and Brian Engelhardt (10:00 a.m. EST)
- February 21: Bay Area/Sacramento (CA) Chapter meeting with Bob Krieger, Todd Sullivan, Matt Lee, and Quinn Gregory (11:00 a.m. PST)
- February 23: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter analytics club meeting with Ed Baranoski (6:30 p.m. EST)
- February 23: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting with Larry Frank (6:00 p.m. CST)
- February 23: Clyde Sukeforth (ME/NH) Chapter meeting with Robert Elias (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 23: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EST)
- February 24: Elysian Fields/Goose Goslin (NJ) Chapter meeting with Dave Kaplan (7:00 p.m. EST)
- February 26: John Thorn/Larry Lester: Negro Leagues Stats and MLB’s Official Record Online (12:00 p.m. EST)
- February 26: Baseball Cards Committee meeting with Anson Whaley (8:00 p.m. EST)
- February 28: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter book club meeting with Seth Tannenbaum (9:30 a.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- February 21: Central Florida Chapter: SABR Day at Andre Dawson Baseball Classic (Vero Beach, FL)
- February 21: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- February 21: Emil Rothe/Ken Keltner Chapter joint SABR Day meeting (Kenosha, WI)
- February 21: Pacific Northwest Chapter meeting (Tigard, OR)
- February 22: Roush-Lopez Tampa Bay Chapter meeting (Tampa, FL)
- February 27-March 1: 2026 SABR Analytics Conference (Phoenix, AZ)
- February 28: Robinson-Kell Chapter meeting (Bryant, AR)
- March 1: Halsey Hall Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Minneapolis, MN)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Baseball Cards: Call for Nominations: 2026 Jefferson Burdick Award
- Games and Simulations: All SABR members are invited to participate in a weekly transaction Fantasy Baseball 5×5 league in 2026. Click here to learn more, including league rules and additional information. Limited availability. Contact Derek Bain or Jack Snyder if you are interested.
- Latino Baseball: Winter 2026 newsletter
- Origins: February 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
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:
- Conner Pelletier: The Interaction of Biomechanics and Command (Driveline Baseball)
- Derek Carty: Introducing THE BAT X for Pitchers… and THE BATcast Stuff Model (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: MLB’s Most Impactful Defensive Acquisitions (Sports Info Solutions)
- Anthony Castrovince: Base coaches box, guidance for obstruction call among new rules for 2026 (MLB.com)
- Zach Crizer: The Call is Coming From Inside the Dugout (The Bandwagon)
- Clinton Yates: Tony Clark scandal a setback for African Americans in baseball (Andscape)
- Ben Clemens: Logan Webb’s Backwards Sweeper (FanGraphs)
- Dan Schlossberg: Celebrating SABR Day at the Muth Museum (IBWAA.com)
- Elizabeth Muratore: The mantra that has brought British baseball coaches to MLB (MLB.com)
- Davy Andrews: Roman Anthony Prepares To Conquer the World Baseball Classic (FanGraphs)
- Mike Petriello: Which teams improved the most this winter? (MLB.com)
- Nicole Gutierrez: Frasher’s Tavern in Scottsdale debuts baseball history and memorabilia exhibit (ABC-15)
- Gary Cieradkowski: Willard Brown: Use it when you need it (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- David Laurila: Marlins Prospect Thomas White Is Refining His Wipeout Arsenal (FanGraphs)
- Derrick Goold: How to catch gold medalist Alysa Liu’s double-axel 1st pitch? A Cardinals pitcher recalls (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Joe Edinger: Phillies All-Star One and Dones: The 1940s (The Good Phight)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Ron Teasley (1927-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Tiffany Babb: Performing Baseball: A chat with Dr. Travis Stern (The Fan Files)
- Renee Dechart: Paul DePodesta revisits “Moneyball” (Purple Row)
- Michael Trzinski: How the Seattle Pilots Became the Milwaukee Brewers (Brewer Fanatic)
- Matt Ostrowski: Chronicling the 1918 Cubs: The World Series (North Side Baseball)
- Robert Garratt: San Francisco Baseball Returns to Japan: The 1960 Giants Goodwill Tour (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Thomas Love Seagull: Japan’s Favorite Players: Katsuya Nomura (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Dave McNeely: Baseball at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (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.
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: February 20, 2026. Last Updated: February 20, 2026.