This Week in SABR: November 21, 2025
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, November 21, 2025. Please note: The SABR office will be closed for Thanksgiving on November 27-28. Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Dan Levitt appointed as President of Board of Directors
Gary, Vicki Gillette make gift to support Malloy Conference through 2030
Last call: Submit presentation abstracts for 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
Call for papers: 2026 The National Pastime
SABR welcomes new Town Ball research committee
 |
 |
 |
Gary, Vicki Gillette make gift to support Malloy Conference through 2030
SABR is pleased to announce a generous gift from Gary and Vicki Gillette to support the annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference through 2030. The Gillettes’ contribution will help advance the conference’s mission to promote research, education, and understanding of Black baseball history by expanding opportunities for educators, students, and the broader community to engage with this important work. From 2026 through 2030, their support will help SABR:
- Increase educator and student participation by partnering with local high schools, colleges, and universities to invite educators to the conference’s Educators’ Forum and offer guest lectures from SABR experts during the academic year.
- Provide a minimum of 20 complimentary conference registrations to local high school and college students each year, expanding access for the next generation of baseball scholars.
- Enhance public awareness of the conference through media and public relations efforts designed to share the stories and scholarship of the Negro Leagues with wider audiences.
The Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference represents the best of SABR’s mission by encouraging rigorous research, collaboration, and a commitment to preserving and sharing the full story of baseball,” said Scott Bush, SABR’s Chief Executive Officer. “Gary and Vicki’s support ensures the conference will continue to grow as an educational resource and community event for years to come.”
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
2026 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference to be held in Memphis
Save the date! SABR’s 26th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be held on Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Registration information will be available at SABR.org/malloy in early 2026.
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.
- Research Presentations, presented by Teamworks Intelligence: Present your baseball research at the 2026 SABR Analytics Conference. Deadline to submit an abstract: November 21, 2025.
- 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 call! Submit your presentation abstract for 2026 SABR Analytics Conference
SABR is excited to announce the call for presentations, presented by Teamworks Intelligence, for the SABR Analytics Conference, which will be held on February 27-March 1, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Abstracts of proposed research presentations should be no more than 500 words in length, and must include the abstract’s title, review of previous work on the subject, a summary of the research methodology and preliminary and/or final results, and the expected contribution to the field of baseball analytics offered by this work. Please send all abstracts to this e-mail address: analytics-presentations@sabr.org. Please clearly indicate whether you are submitting for the general track or for the student track of presentations. The submission deadline for all 2026 SABR Analytics Conference presentation abstracts is 11:59 p.m. MST on November 21, 2025.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Apply now for the 2026 Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship
SABR welcomes new applications for the Sarah Langs Women in Baseball Analytics Scholarship in 2026. Awarded annually to four recipients, the scholarship will provide meaningful professional development and networking opportunities for female students or young professionals pursuing a career in baseball analytics and data science.
Recipients will receive: registration for the SABR Analytics Conference, including hotel accommodations and travel stipend; registration for all courses in the SABR Analytics Certification program; one-year SABR membership, which includes access to quarterly SABR Scholar Session virtual networking events.
All applications must be postmarked or emailed to scarter@sabr.org by December 19, 2025.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Let’s Bring it Home in 2025 and power SABR’s future together
SABR has made tremendous strides toward becoming the essential community for the baseball world, but our work isn’t finished. With your support, we can continue to invest in mission-driven initiatives that will ensure SABR’s growth and sustainability for years to come. Your contributions will help us expand our research resources, forge meaningful partnerships inside and outside the game, and create more opportunities for participation in our baseball community. Gifts from members like you help SABR BRING IT HOME, securing success in 2025 and beyond.
You can support SABR’s annual Bring it Home Campaign by making a donation of $150 or more by December 31, 2025. We will use your best gift of $150, $300, $500, or $1,000 to boost SABR’s general operations. Contributions from generous donors like you are critical in supporting SABR as we add to our research resources, develop collaborative partnerships that add value for our members, and expand opportunities to participate in the wonderful baseball community we’ve built together.
Visit SABR.org/donate/2025 to learn more.
Call for papers: 2026 The National Pastime
The next SABR national convention will be held on July 29-August 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2026 issue of our annual convention journal, The National Pastime, will focus on “Baseball on Lake Erie.” Stories about Cleveland baseball — amateur, major league, minor league and Negro Leagues — will be welcomed, as will stories about baseball from other locales around Lake Erie, including Toledo, Buffalo and Southern Ontario.
- All SABR members are welcome to submit an article for TNP; abstracts will be accepted through December 15, 2025.
This issue of The National Pastime will be co-edited by Elizabeth Roscher and Vince Guerrieri. To submit an article idea or abstract please fill out this form by December 15.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
SABR welcomes new Town Ball research committee
SABR’s Board of Directors has approved the formation of a new research committee: the Town Ball Committee, led by Jude Butler.
The Town Ball Committee’s mission is to conduct research on baseball and its cultural significance to towns and local communities. While Town Ball blurs the line between amateur and professional baseball, the committee’s approach to research seeks to answer how baseball shaped local communities, and how the communities in turn shaped baseball. All SABR members are eligible to sign up for email announcements from this committee. Click here to visit the committee page and select “Join Group” to become a committee member.
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.
Dan Levitt appointed as President of Board of Directors
The SABR Board of Directors has announced that Dan Evans has resigned as Board President, effective November 1, 2025. The Board has appointed Dan Levitt to complete the rest of the term, which concludes following the Annual Business Meeting in 2027. Levitt will assume the role effective December 22, 2025.
The SABR By-Laws provide for any vacancy to be filled within 60 days by a two-thirds vote of the remaining members of the Board. The Board has begun a search to appoint a new Treasurer, whose three-year term concludes following the Annual Business Meeting in 2026.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Renewing Your Membership
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 a 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 how to renew your membership.
Click here to read the full article at SABR.org.
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 will be posted online soon at SABR.org/sabrday.
Seeking volunteers: MLB Team Employee Database
SABR’s Business of Baseball Committee would like to continue growing our MLB Team Employee Database and are looking for additional volunteers to enter data. We have several options for those who might want to help with data entry. Much of the information comes from team media guides, and we have some 2025 guides that have not yet been entered. For those looking to enter earlier data, The Sporting News — available through SABR’s Research Resources — has major-league level presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, treasurers, managers, etc. We can supply search terms so these can be found efficiently. If you might be willing to help, please contact Bryan Walko for further information.
The Sporting News launches new online archive
The Sporting News has unveiled a new online archive at archive.sportingnews.com, which includes 126 years of printed publications from black-and-white newsprint to the glossy magazines of the 2000s. The online collection comprises approximately 6,500 editions of the magazine, 900 annual publications, 150 pre-World War II supplements, 70 coffee-table books and hundreds of other items. Editor-in-Chief Benson Taylor notes, “Under the leadership of our chairman, Tom Hall, we’ve spent the past several years building the archive, and have launched it just in time for our 140th anniversary next year.” Click here to learn more.
November 3 Board minutes posted
Minutes from the Board of Directors conference call on November 3, 2025, have now been posted on the SABR website.
Click here to view all past minutes of SABR Board meetings.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
7 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- Philip Bradley, by Keith Wood
- Darin Erstad, by Kyle Shulz (first-time author)
- Denny Lyons, by David E. Boyle
- Eduardo Rodríguez, by Tony S. Oliver
- Jake Seymour, by Vincent T. Ciaramella
- Joe Verbanic, by Brian Kopycinski
- Juan Violat, by Stephen V. Rice
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
5 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- April 4, 1919: Babe Ruth slugs ‘longest homer’ in spring-training game at Tampa, by Mike Huber
- October 13, 1925: Eddie Moore’s clout helps Pirates even World Series with Washington, by Andy Terrick
- June 27, 2003: 14 first-inning runs set the stage for a lopsided Red Sox win over Marlins, by Bill Nowlin
- August 12, 2008: Red Sox outlast Rangers, 19-17, in historic slugfest, by Jason Scheller
- September 19, 2011: Jacoby Ellsbury hits inside-the-park home run as Red Sox rout Orioles, by Bill Nowlin
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Native American Major Leaguers
Edited by Rob Daugherty and Bill Nowlin
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:
- Save the date! SABR 54 will be in Cleveland in 2026
- Fernando Tatis Jr., Bobby Witt Jr. win 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove Platinum Awards
- Learn more about new SABR Institutional Memberships
- Negro Leagues statistics added to SABR Lahman Baseball Database
- Read SABR biographies of 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
- The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2025
- Check out highlights, stories, and photos from SABR 53 in Texas
- Check out highlights, photos from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Louisville
- Watch highlights from 2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- View a collection of nearly 100,000 player surveys in the new Weiss Baseball Questionnaires collection
- SABR Digital Library: Stan Musial
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Alford | Conway, SC | Kathryn Koirtyohann | Frisco, TX | ||
| Ed Alstrom | Pine Brook, NJ | Jake Lang | New York, NY | ||
| Bob Batchelor | Conway, SC | Eva Mazhari | Toronto, ON | ||
| Chandler Cole | San Francisco, CA | Austin Mixen | Jonesboro, IL | ||
| David Farris | Abingdon, VA | Wyatt Schaubroeck | Downers Grove, IL | ||
| Jackson Gillard | Katy, TX | Joshua Starr | Washington, DC | ||
| Luke Kluisza | Astoria, NY |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Larry Dierker (“Houston Astrodome memories”); Steve Treder (“Oakland Athletics ownerships”); Richard Dombrovski (Dombrov Baseball Sim); Mark Armour (“Satchel Paige in Minnesota”); Paul D. White (Cooperstown’s Back Door); and Kevin Hurd, Chris Haft, and Matt Sieger (Bay Area/Sacramento joint meeting). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- November 21: Asian Baseball Committee meeting with Hyeonjeong Shim (9:00 p.m. EST)
- November 22: Quebec Chapter meeting with Taylor Smith (1:00 p.m. EST)
- November 24: Bob Broeg St. Louis (MO) Chapter meeting (6:00 p.m. CST)
- November 24: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Paul Jackson (7:00 p.m. EST)
- November 30: Baltimore Babe Ruth (MD) Chapter meeting with David Krell (7:00 p.m. EST)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- November 22: Sebring-Stovey Williamsport Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)
- November 22: Gardner-Waterman Vermont Chapter meeting (S. Burlington, VT)
- November 22: Rocky Mountain Chapter baseball cards meeting (Littleton, CO)
- November 28: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Lunch (Silver Spring, MD)
- November 29: Lajoie-Start Chapter fall meeting (Greenville, RI)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- 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: November 5 meeting recap (Tallahassee, FL)
- Quebec Chapter: October 25 meeting recap (Montreal, QC)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: November 16 meeting recap (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:
- Baseball Hall of Fame announces 2026 writers’ ballot candidates (BaseballHall.org)
- Tyler Kepner: These are the 12 newcomers to the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Here’s our salute to each one. (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: JAWS and the 2026 Hall of Fame Ballot: Carlos Beltrán (FanGraphs)
- Michael Clair: Kelsie Whitmore top pick in historic Women’s Pro Baseball League draft (MLB.com)
- Emma Baccellieri: Mo’ne Davis Is Finally Ready to Play Baseball Again (Sports Illustrated)
- Daniel R. Epstein: How Do You Lead the League in Triples? Make Bad Decisions Correctly. (Baseball Prospectus)
- Evan Grant: What’s with Globe Life Field’s weird effect on fly balls? Rangers only have theories (Dallas Morning News)
- Alex Speier: How much can the Red Sox spend this offseason? (Boston Globe)
- Patrick Dubuque: Can We Reach Fastball Zero Within Our Lifetime? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt: Paul Skenes’ evolution into unanimous Cy Young winner, in 14 steps (The Athletic)
- Hannah Keyser: Nationals new manager details how he became a dad and an MLB skipper in the same day (CNN)
- Davy Andrews: On Review, the Tie Should Go to the Runner (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Dylan Cease Deserved A Better Fate In 2025 (Sports Info Solutions)
- Ben Clemens: I Had an Idea About Bat Tracking Data (FanGraphs)
- Timothy Jackson: No, Really, How Hard is October? (Baseball Prospectus)
- George S. Rigakos: Baseball in Canada is thriving — but not on campus (The Conversation)
- Mario Delgado Genzor: The Best Pitches Money Can Buy (Baseball Prospectus)
- Matt Monagan: Heinie Heitmuller: The player who won a batting title … while he was dead (MLB.com)
- Eric Vickrey: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Historic 1968 Draft (EricVickrey.com)
- Leor Galil: Night Train Veeck: The Baseball Heir (Chicago Reader)
- Ryan Whirty: A poet, his father and Black baseball (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Lewis Pollis: Chasing Utley’s Missing Gold Gloves (The Lewsletter)
- Gary Cieradkowski: Eiji Sawamura: Japan’s Number One (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Frederic J. Frommer: 100 years ago, an all-Black team beat the KKK on a baseball diamond (The Contrarian)
- Irish Baseball Podcast with author and former music executive Bill Nowlin (Irish American Baseball Society)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Frank Santopadre (Baseball and BBQ)
- Kat Williams: Rethinking the Philadelphia Bobbies 1925 Tour in Japan (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Jongho Kim: A Brief History of International Exchange in Korean Baseball (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Jason Schwartz: Collecting World Series programs (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Andy Palomino/Derek Bain: Games and Simulations Replay Survey Results (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: November 21, 2025. Last Updated: November 21, 2025.