This Week in SABR: March 27, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Coming soon: SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams
Register now to join us at SABR 54 in Cleveland
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal before April 1
Save the date: SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Learn more about 2026 Local Grants recipients
 |
 |
 |
Coming soon: SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams
Throughout the 2026 season, SABR members will have a chance to vote on SABR’s All-Time Eras Teams as we celebrate the 150 years of baseball and American history since the founding of the National League in 1876. The All-Time Eras Teams project is an interactive opportunity for all SABR members to participate in, debate with one another, and learn more about the iconic players and figures from different eras.
Each of the six All-Time Eras Team ballots will be released throughout the baseball season, beginning with the 19th Century Era (1876-1900) and Deadball Era (1901-1919) teams on April 17. SABR members will be able to vote for players at every position on the diamond, as well as the top manager and executive from that era. Each ballot period will culminate with a virtual Zoom webinar which includes a presentation covering that era of American history prior to the unveiling of the team chosen by our members.
Click here to learn more at SABR.org.
All-Time Eras Team Membership Drive begins in April
Refer two new members to SABR between April 7 and May 13 to receive an exclusive baseball card set featuring players selected to our All-Time Eras Teams!
In conjunction with SABR’s All-Time Eras Team voting initiative, new SABR members who sign up for an annual membership between April 7 and May 13, and use the code AllEras15, will receive a $15 discount, the exclusive All-Time Eras Team baseball card set, and the ability to participate in our Eras Team elections and speaker series. Current SABR members who refer two new members during the membership drive period will also receive the All-Time Eras Team card set.
Help us celebrate 150 years of the National League by sharing our collective passion for the history of the game to new SABR members! If you have any questions about signing up for a new SABR membership, please email Jessica Smyth.
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.
Students, apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend SABR 54
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to 4 scholarships to high school or college students to attend SABR 54 on July 29–August 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Scott Carter at scarter@sabr.org no later than May 15, 2026.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Subscribe to the Baseball Research Journal before April 1
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 by April 1, 2026
(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.
Save the date: 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Save the date! The eighth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference will be held virtually on October 9–11, 2026. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Registration information and a call for presentation abstracts will be available soon at SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference.
This year’s conference — co-sponsored by SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center and hosted by Rockford University — will be a virtual Zoom event that includes panel discussions, research presentations, and the presentation of the Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award.
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference to learn more.
Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2026
SABR is pleased to announce the recipients of Local Grants in 2026:
- Elysian Fields Chapter: From Rube to Robinson: A Traveling Exhibit on the History of Black Baseball
- Field of Dreams Chapter: Ballpark Historical Marker in Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Halsey Hall Chapter: SABR Scholarship Outreach at Minnesota Council for Social Studies Conference
- Latino Baseball Committee / Bob Davids Chapter: Latino Baseball Player Podcast
- Schott-Pelican New Orleans Chapter: Salute to the Negro Leagues Day at Tulane University
Click here to learn more about each of these projects.
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. In total, $10,000 in SABR Local Grants will be awarded in 2026. Visit SABR.org/local-grants to learn more or to apply for a future grant.
Early registration now open for 2026 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on June 18-21, 2026, at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Full and single-day registration is available for a discounted rate before May 25, 2026.
Hosted by SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. Since 1998, the event has been the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination and promotion of Black baseball history. The conference is open to baseball and history fans of all ages. Each year, monies are targeted to donate books to schools or libraries; raise funds for the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project; and award scholarships to high school seniors in a nationwide essay contest and an annual art contest.
- Register: Click here to register online for the 2026 Malloy Conference. Full registration is $195 before May 25, $210 afterward. Students: $75 before May 25, $85 afterward. Single-day registration is also available for $80 for Friday or Saturday before May 25; $90 afterward. Extra tickets can be purchased for Thursday’s Education Forum at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown, Thursday’s “meet and greet” reception at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery (333 Beale Street), Friday’s Memphis Redbirds baseball game at AutoZone Park, or Saturday’s awards banquet at the SpringHill Suites. All of these sessions are included in the full registration package.
- Hotel: A special group rate at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown of $159/night (plus tax) is available to registered convention attendees. To book your room, click here or call 901-522-2100. The SpringHill Suites hotel is located at 85 W. Court Ave., Memphis, TN 38103.
- High School Essay Contest: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee is pleased to award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its 18th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2026. Click here to learn more or to apply.
- Art Contest: The 17th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference Art Contest is open to all artists in 2026.
- Library Grants: SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2026. Click here to download a PDF application.
Students, apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the Malloy Conference
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to high school or college students to attend the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on June 18-21, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Scott Carter at scarter@sabr.org no later than April 17, 2026.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Deadline to submit new project proposals to SABR Editorial Board is April 1
SABR’s Editorial Board welcomes new project proposals from members to be considered for publication through the Digital Library, SABR.org, or any other multimedia formats. We strongly encourage new proposals that involve collaboration between SABR research committees and/or chapters, and web-based projects with an eye toward enhanced multimedia presentation.
- Click here to submit a SABR project proposal
Next deadline: April 1, 2026 (for publication in late 2027 or 2028)
SABR seeks to publish 2-4 web-based multimedia projects and 6-8 books per year. Book projects should be of a scope that can fit in a single volume, typically between 100,000 and 200,000 total words.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Seeking peer reviewers for upcoming Baseball Research Journals
SABR’s publications team is seeking to expand our pool of peer reviewers for upcoming editions of the Baseball Research Journal. Are you a SABR member who has been published in the BRJ, The National Pastime, or a SABR book or website project? Would you like to read and give feedback on 1-4 papers per year?
Please email Liz Roscher with your subjects of expertise/interests and we’ll work with you to match up with any appropriate article submissions. All reviews are double-anonymous.
Seeking copy editors for new book project on Korean baseball
The editors of a new SABR book project on Korean baseball are seeking additional copy editors to help proofread article submissions. If you have written or edited for any SABR project or publication before, you are more than qualified to participate in this project, which is tentatively titled Yagu (야구): Past, Present, and Future of Korean Baseball. Please email Zac Petrillo or Bill Nowlin if you are interested in helping out.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
Games Project celebrates 2026 Opening Day with collection of new stories
As we celebrate the start of a new baseball season in 2026, the SABR Games Project has published a variety of new stories on memorable Opening Day games, featuring defending champions and forfeited games, a Hall of Famer on his way up and another nearing the end of his celebrated career, the aftermath of tragic deaths, and the opening of new ballparks.
- April 11, 1907: Unruly fans, lack of Polo Grounds security cause Giants’ Opening Day forfeit, by Gary Belleville
- April 13, 1926: Opening Day win over defending champion Pirates sets stage for Cardinals’ first NL pennant, by Tom Schott
- April 17, 1945: Mel Ott breaks five of his own records on Opening Day with Giants, by Richard Cuicchi
- April 12, 1955: Ted Lepcio becomes first Red Sox player to homer twice on Opening Day, by Bill Nowlin
- April 14, 1959: Woodie Held and Herb Score star in Cleveland’s home opener, by Tim Otto
- April 11, 1967: Rod Carew goes 2-for-4 in his major league debut, as Orioles beat Twins on Opening Day, by Jake Rinloan
- April 10, 1968: Yankees’ Mel Stottlemyre blanks Angels on Opening Day overshadowed by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by Larry DeFillipo
- April 10, 1971: Phillies inaugurate Veterans Stadium with win over Expos, by Steve Ginader
- April 20, 1974: Wayne Garland’s Opening Day no-hitter kicks off championship season for Rochester, by Kurt Blumenau
- April 4, 1989: Rangers’ Charlie Hough blanks Detroit to become oldest AL pitcher to fire Opening Day shutout, by Andrew Harner
- April 3, 2001: Robin Ventura’s two home runs help Mets beat Braves to open season, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
- April 9, 2001: Sean Casey’s homer, 5 RBIs inaugurate PNC Park as Pittsburgh mourns Willie Stargell’s death, by John Fredland
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
5 new stories published at SABR BioProject
- Bill Bray, by Paul Boren (first-time author)
- Darren Daulton, by John Stefano
- Lou Frazier, by Don Dingee (first-time author)
- Gene Robertson, by Craig Garretson
- Tom Sheehan, by T.S. Flynn
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
Vinotinto Venezuela Béisbol, 1939–2024:
85 Years of Venezuelans in the Major Leagues
Edited by Leonte Landino and Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org to download the free e-book edition — available in English or Spanish — 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 and photos from the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- 2026 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award winners announced
- Gary Cieradkowski selected as winner of 2026 SABR Jefferson Burdick Award
- Dangerous Danny Gardella by Robert Elias wins 2026 SABR Seymour Medal
- Fourth course in SABR Analytics Certification program is now available
- Gary, Vicki Gillette make gift to support Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference through 2030
- 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
- Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
- Find complete collection of SABR-Rucker Archive baseball images online
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Bowman | Houston, TX | Karl Hunsicker | Guttenberg, NJ | ||
| Roger Day | Syracuse, NY | Leah Islam | Austin, TX | ||
| John Dew | Tallahassee, FL | Jim Mullner | Aiken, SC | ||
| Robert Dible | Pittsburgh, PA | Jayla Otoviano | Arlington, TX | ||
| Steven Dills | East Cleveland, OH | Layne Rash | Rockdale, TX | ||
| Mel Dismuke | Parker, CO | Huw Richards | London, ENG | ||
| Steven Fenrich | Grand Rapids, MI | Jacob Scheibe | Dallas, TX | ||
| Joey Freeland | Pauls Valley, OK | Hannah Smith | Denver, CO | ||
| Corbin Harryman | Fate, TX | Ron Webster | Portland, OR | ||
| Tage Heelis | Rexburg, ID |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Ed Hartig (“Chicago Cubs 150th Anniversary All-Time Team”); Ed Baranoski (“Fielding Metrics 101”); and Paul Hensler (Baseball at the Dawn of the Seventies). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- March 28: Bay Area/Sacramento Chapter meeting with Joe McNamara and Leslie Heaphy (11:00 a.m. PDT)
- March 29: Joint AL Central Chapter season preview meeting (5:30 p.m. EDT)
- March 29: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Mark Epstein (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- March 30: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Michael Kane (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- April 1: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Paul Semendinger (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- April 4: Bob Davids Chapter Talkin’ Baseball: Todd Marcum (9:00 a.m. EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- March 29: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter ballgame/meet-up (River Grove, IL)
- March 30: Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter meeting (Arlington, TX)
- March 31: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Lunch (Silver Spring, MD)
- March 31: Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter watch party (Columbus, OH)
- April 1: Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter meeting (Tallahassee, FL)
- April 1: Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter fellowship meeting (St. Louis, MO)
- April 4: Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter meeting (Shelburne, VT)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Nineteenth Century: Spring 2026 newsletter
- Games and Simulations: We are looking for your feedback for any and all baseball tabletop games that you have played or owned. Click here to learn more and fill out a brief survey.
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Baseball Memories: Check out the newly designed SABR Baseball Memories website to learn more about our baseball reminiscence programs or how to set one up in your area.
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: March 2026 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:
- Rishi Anarkat: Rice students place first at annual baseball analytics competition (Rice Thresher)
- Sarah Langs: 10 players who could reach career milestones in 2026 (MLB.com)
- Jayson Stark: MLB’s robot umps are not perfect. How much should we care? (The Athletic)
- Mike Petriello: These two balls looked like sure home runs … but then they weren’t (MLB.com)
- Tyler Kepner: Baseball’s math problem: Filling all those innings in an era when less is more for starting pitchers (The Athletic)
- Meghan Montemurro: How the Chicago Cubs are using biometric data to further player development and health (Chicago Tribune)
- Eno Sarris: How Logan Gilbert became an ace for a Mariners team with World Series aspirations (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: The Annual Opening Day Starting Pitcher Roundup (FanGraphs)
- Ben Lindbergh: Keep MLB Front Offices Away From the Field (The Ringer)
- Mark Simon: Tiering the MLB Teams By Defensive Quality (Sports Info Solutions)
- Stephanie Apstein: The Best Version of Max Fried Is Still Being Unearthed (Sports Illustrated)
- Zack Meisel: José Ramírez is the Guardians’ anchor — and hopefully, their World Series catalyst, too (The Athletic)
- Maddie Landis: Could MLB’s Next Superstar Come From… Iceland? (Baseball Prospectus)
- John Thorn: With ABS on the way, how did we get here? (Our Game)
- Derrick Goold: After a century, Cardinals’ NL reign is under threat. Race to find new way begins now. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Rob Mains: Taking Stock of the 2025 Preseason Predictions (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Trey Yesavage is Pretty Much the Same (Splitter-Cutting) Dude (FanGraphs)
- Andre Mouchard: Batter up? Yes, but UCI professor shows he’s not alone (Orange County Register)
- Bradley Woodrum: Yordan Alvarez, Yusei Kikuchi, and Backwards At-Bats (Baseball Prospectus)
- Howard Megdal: Sights and sounds from Women’s Pro Baseball League spring training (The IX Sports)
- Creating Camden Yards (Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism)
- Dennis Gaub: Why Isn’t Dave McNally In The Hall of Fame? (Baltimore Baseball)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Bill Mazeroski (1936-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Clayton Trutor: One and Done: How the Milwaukee Chicks Brought Professional Women’s Baseball and a Championship to the City (Shepherd Express)
- Steven Goldman: Opening Day in a Time of War (Baseball Prospectus)
- Ryan Whirty: New book chronicles tragic deaths in Black baseball (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Benjamin Hochman: Coming to St. Louis, the story of Japanese prisoners and baseball in WWII camps (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Malik Wilson: Author and film producer Ed Wheatley shares Cardinals home opener and new book (KSDK.com)
- Dan McArdle: Interview with Rory Costello on Dodgers pitcher Dan Bankhead (Dan Time Podcast)
- Craig Brown: Opening day in the 19th century, from a fan’s perspective (Threads of Our Game)
- Eric Vickrey: Minor Leaguer Bob James (Arizona Highways)
- Erin Hickey/Mark Aboyoun: Evan Katz fulfills baseball dreams with unconventional path (Itemlive.com)
- Joe Guzzardi: The Pirate who (may have) faced a dictator (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Melody Kindraka: How Spartan Danny Litwhiler revolutionized baseball (MSU Today)
- Marshall H. Tanick: Baseball’s Giants Almost Came Here 70 Years Ago (Minneapolis Times)
- Mark Kanter: Cardinals Take Care of Business in the Land of the Rising Sun (1968) (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Thomas Love Seagull: Japan’s Favorite Players: Atsuya Furuta (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Paul Ember: Introducing the Getty Images “SABR Baseball Cards” Board (SABR Baseball Cards Blog)
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: March 27, 2026. Last Updated: March 27, 2026.