This Week in SABR: January 24, 2025
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, January 24, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR 53 speakers: Iván Rodríguez, James Beckett, Ballparks Panel
Larry Gerlach wins 2025 SABR Seymour Medal
Join us on February 10 for a SABR Scholar Session with Dan Evans
Deadline extended for 2025 Local Grant applications
Check out the SABR Day events calendar
By-Laws change proposed for special election beginning in February
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SABR 53 speakers: Iván Rodríguez, James Beckett, Ballparks Panel
At this summer’s SABR 53 convention on June 25-29, 2025, in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, attendees will have a chance to hear from a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, an award-winning icon in the baseball card industry, and a panel on Texas Rangers ballparks past and present.
Here are some of our featured speakers and panelists:
- Iván Rodríguez, Texas Rangers great and 2017 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
- Tom Schieffer, former Texas Rangers president
- Rob Matwick, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Texas Rangers
- Jack Hill, Senior Vice President, Project Development, Texas Rangers
- James Beckett, founder and CEO of Beckett Media
- Stay tuned for more speakers and panelists to be announced!
Please note: All speakers are subject to change depending on availability.
If you’ve never attended a SABR convention, this is the perfect year to join us and make new baseball friendships. If you’re a veteran attendee, we can’t wait for you to experience our spectacular convention experience. It will be an incredible week of baseball fellowship in the heart of Texas and we hope you’ll make plans to be part of it!
- Coming soon: Conference and hotel registration for SABR 53 will open next week on Tuesday, January 28 at SABR.org/convention. All baseball fans are welcome to attend!
SABR 53: Call for research presentations
SABR invites all members to present their research findings to their colleagues attending SABR 53, the annual convention on June 25-29, 2025, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. 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 53
The submission deadline for SABR 53 abstracts is 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 16, 2025.
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 North Texas.) Those volunteers are also requested to apply by sending an email to convention-presentations@sabr.org.
Larry Gerlach’s Lion of the League wins 2025 SABR Seymour Medal
Lion of the League: Bob Emslie and the Evolution of the Baseball Umpire, written by Larry R. Gerlach and published by University of Nebraska Press, is the winner of the 2025 Dr. Harold and Dorothy Seymour Medal, which honors the best book of baseball history or biography published during the preceding calendar year.
Gerlach will receive his award during the 32nd annual NINE Spring Training Conference on Saturday, March 8 in Tempe, Arizona. To learn more about the NINE conference, visit nineconference.com.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025.
Suzuki received 99.7% of the votes cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America; Sabathia received 86.8% and Wagner received 82.5%. They will join Dave Parker and Dick Allen, elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee, to be honored during Induction Weekend on July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York.
- Read Ichiro Suzuki’s SABR biography, by Douglas Jordan
- Read Billy Wagner’s SABR biography, by Leslie Heaphy
- Read about CC Sabathia’s major-league debut, by Gordon J. Gattie
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Early registration is now open for 2025 SABR Analytics Conference
Early registration is now open for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held in person from March 14-16, 2025, 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 2025 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, March 14 through Sunday, March 16, and a student-only virtual session on Thursday, March 13. All student registrations also include a one-year SABR membership ($25 value) and a complimentary Rapsodo certification 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 2025 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.
- 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.
Visit SABR.org/analytics to learn more or to register.
Join us on February 10 for a SABR Scholar Session with Dan Evans
All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to our next SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday, February 10.
Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for our free quarterly virtual series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members. This session’s guest will be Dan Evans, former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager and a member of SABR’s Board of Directors.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal in 2025
In 2025, all SABR members exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically twice a year. The Spring 2025 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.
Register now for 2025 Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference
Registration is now open for the 16th annual SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which will be held on April 25-26, 2025, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. All baseball fans are welcome to register for this special event.
- Registration: Click here to register online.
- Schedule: Click here to view the complete schedule for the 2025 Ivor-Campbell Conference.
The 2025 conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from author Richard Hershberger, along with a panel discussion on the National Association with Alan Cohen, Bob Tiemann, Bob Tholkes, and moderator Bill Ryczek; a 19th-century artifact session with Robert Mayer, Gary Passamonte, and Jonathan Popovich; a Member Spotlight interview of Andrew North by Dave Newman; plus research presentations.
Visit SABR.org/ivor-campbell19c for more information.
Deadline extended for 2025 Local Grant applications
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.
The deadline to apply has been extended and applications are now open until February 14, 2025. A Grants Review Board will review all submissions and respond with their final determination in February 2025.
Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply.
Find a SABR Day event near you and join us!
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 1, 2025, 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.
- Visit SABR.org/sabrday for full details on all SABR Day events — including Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, Detroit, Harrisburg, Little Rock, Nashville, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Vero Beach, and Washington, DC.
Some SABR Day meetings will be held this weekend on Saturday, January 25, when we’ll hear from special guests such as San Diego Padres Assistant GM Josh Stein with the Ted Williams Chapter (San Diego), Louisville Bats President Greg Galiette with the Pee Wee Reese Chapter (Louisville), Syracuse Mets GM Jason Smorol and Rochester Red Wings GM Dan Mason with the Luke Easter Chapter (Rochester), Kansas City Royals beat reporter Jaylon Thompson with the Monarchs Chapter (Kansas City), former major-league umpire Tim Timmons with the Hank Gowdy Chapter (Columbus, Ohio), and the Schott-Pelican Chapter in New Orleans. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Details for Saturday’s events can be found on the Events Calendar.
By-Laws change proposed for special election beginning on February 19
The SABR Board of Directors recommends adoption of a new bylaw intended to avoid conflicts of interest in board service in a special election that will begin on February 19, 2025.
More specifically, the change is intended to avoid situations where board members, whether intentionally or not, might have access to information that could be useful to another competing organization, or might be unable to deliberate in the best interests of SABR due to their relationship with another organization.
An online voting ballot will be sent out from tellers@sabr.org to all eligible SABR voters on February 19. The voting period will remain open until March 5.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
New Jersey sports writer Jerry Izenberg honored with 2025 Russell Gabay Award
Jerry Izenberg, a Newark native who has covered sports for the Star-Ledger (and now NJ.com) for more than 60 years, is the 2025 winner of the Russell Gabay Award.
Established in 2018 by the New Jersey-based Elysian Fields Chapter and Goose Goslin Chapter, the Russell Gabay Award honors a person or entity who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to baseball in New Jersey.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
5 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- August 29, 1870: Atlantics beat Forest City in ‘The Most Remarkable Base Ball Game on Record’, by David Rader (first-time author)
- June 25, 1903: Ed Delahanty appears in final game as Washington Senators continue to struggle, by Alan Stowell
- August 14, 1965: Koufax spins shutout, Clemente commits costly error as Los Angeles riots, by Gregory H. Wolf
- August 28, 1972: Minor-league team owners in Elmira write themselves into lineup, by Kurt Blumenau
- August 29, 2008: Cliff Floyd’s 5 RBIs lead Rays to rout, first winning season in franchise history, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
When Minor League Baseball Almost Went Bust: 1946-1963
Edited by George Pawlush
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:
- Read articles from Fall 2024 Baseball Research Journal online
- In Memoriam: John Holway
- 2024 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners announced
- Call for papers: 2025 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
- Browse the new, searchable SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Save the date! SABR 53 will be in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2025
- Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Adkins | Pleasant Hill, CA | Charles Morgan | Port Neches, TX | ||
| Sarem Agha | Burke, VA | Dean Patino | St. George, UT | ||
| Josh Avram | Brooklyn, NY | Ruben Pedroza | Colton, CA | ||
| Kharlee Barker | Goodyear, AZ | Arjun Ravikumar | Houston, TX | ||
| Jack Barrett | Pawling, NY | JJ Rutherford | Bakersfield, CA | ||
| Rick Cotton | Victoria, BC | Cameron Salisbury | Mission Viejo, CA | ||
| Joe Cunningham | Kingston, MA | Dave Sloan | Florissant, MO | ||
| Anne Friedman | Palo Alto, CA | Chris Song | Irvine, CA | ||
| Gregory Germani | Scottsdale, AZ | Jacob Stanley | Doylestown, PA | ||
| Keith Helinsky | Middletown, MD | Elliot Steelman | New York, NY | ||
| Quinn Hoffman | Philadelphia, PA | George Tavarez | East Brunswick, NJ | ||
| Ryan Koltunovich | Philadelphia, PA | Nicholas Villari | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Nicolas Kropf | Hendersonville, TN | Soma Yamaoka | Huntington Beach, CA | ||
| Daniel Leaden | Philadelphia, PA | Tucker York | Kalamazoo, MI | ||
| Gerald Mecca | Dallas, TX | Hannah Zeilstra | Helena, MT | ||
| Rodrigo Miranda | Miami, FL |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Denny McLain (I Am Denny McLain); John Husman (Roger Bresnahan: A Baseball Life); and Joe Marren (“Baseball and the Communist Press”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- January 25: Schott-Pelican Chapter SABR Day meeting (10:00 a.m. CST)
- January 25: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter SABR Day meeting with Tim Timmons (9:30 a.m. EST)
- January 27: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Dan Levitt (7:00 p.m. EST)
- January 27: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Mike Acosta (7:00 p.m. CST)
- January 28: 19th Century Baseball Book Club (8:00 p.m. EST)
- January 30: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter SABR Day meeting with Zak Ford (7:00 p.m. CST)
- February 1: SABR Day!
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- January 25: Elysian Fields Chapter meeting (Paterson, NJ)
- January 25: Pee Wee Reese Chapter SABR Day meeting (Louisville, KY)
- January 25: Ted Williams Chapter SABR Day meeting (San Diego, CA)
- January 25: Monarchs Chapter SABR Day meeting (Kansas City, MO)
- January 25: Luke Easter Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Rochester, NY)
- January 30: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter SABR Day event (St. Louis, MO)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Games and Simulations: All SABR members are invited to participate in a Games and Simulations Committee daily or weekly transaction Rotisserie 5×5 league in 2025. Click here to learn more, including league rules and additional information.
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter: Winter 2025 newsletter (Baltimore, MD)
- Elysian Fields Chapter: Winter 2025 newsletter (Northern New Jersey)
- Halsey Hall Chapter: February 2025 newsletter (Minneapolis, MN)
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:
- Jay Jaffe: A Candidate-By-Candidate Look At the 2025 Hall of Fame Election Results (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Oral History: Ichiro Suzuki’s Defensive Legacy (Sports Info Solutions)
- Jayson Stark: Ichiro finds special joy in his place of peace, the Hall of Fame, which he’s forever changed (The Athletic)
- Sarah Langs: 11 incredible stats about the newest Hall of Famers (MLB.com)
- Rob Mains: Of Inequality, Mobility, and Salary Caps (Baseball Prospectus)
- Stephanie Apstein: Roki Sasaki Reinforces Dodgers As the Ultimate Free Agent Destination (Sports Illustrated)
- Michael Baumann: Can You Extrapolate a Part-Time Player? (FanGraphs)
- Stephen Sutton-Brown: Introducing BP’s New Arsenal Metrics (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Pirates Prospect Termarr Johnson Wants Us To See Him Play (FanGraphs)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Alex Bregman and the Road Less Compensated (Baseball Prospectus)
- Derrick Goold: Will Albert Pujols be 1st position player unanimously elected to Hall of Fame? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Davy Andrews: Landmines and Landing Spots for Ha-Seong Kim (FanGraphs)
- Zach Crizer: Is Center Field Morphing Into a Defensive Specialist Position? (Opta Analyst)
- Russell A. Carleton: Who Stole Third? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Grant Brisbee: The importance of the Giants adding veteran pitching depth (The Athletic)
- Anthony Castrovince: Mike Donlin, the baseball and Hollywood star who’s been lost to history (MLB.com)
- Ryan Whirty: The Zulo Hippopotamus of New Orleans (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Michael Clair: Japan’s iconic baseball cheer squads? You can thank college football (MLB.com)
- Gary Mintz: Interview with author Jerry Izenberg (New York Giants Preservation Society)
- Joe Costa: World Series Time Machine: 1959 (SABR Games and Simulations)
- Glenn Renick: The Confectionery Keystone (SABR Baseball Cards)
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: January 24, 2025. Last Updated: January 24, 2025.