This Week in SABR: September 12, 2025
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference begins next week
2025 Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award finalists
SABR, Deborah Marshall to honor student biomechanics research with award recognition
Subscribe to the Fall 2025 print edition of the Baseball Research Journal
Free Rapsodo course offered with SABR Analytics Certification purchase
Read articles from 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes book
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2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference begins next week
Join us for the seventh annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, which will be held virtually on September 19-21, 2025. All baseball fans are welcome to attend!
This year’s conference — co-sponsored by SABR and the International Women’s Baseball Center and hosted by Rockford University — is a virtual Zoom event. The conference will feature research presentations, panels, pylon unveiling, presentation of the Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award, and keynote speaker Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton, author, filmmaker, professor, and daughter of Negro Leaguer Henry Kimbro.
The Baseball Operations Panel will include Nicole Briscoe (ESPN), Hannah Snedecor (Rockford Rivets) and Alisha Wetzl (Savannah Bananas); the Groundskeepers Panel will include Alexa Brown (Tulsa Drillers), Nicole Sherry (Baltimore Orioles), and Leah Withrow (Reno Aces); and the My Baseball Story Panel will be moderated by Kat Williams. In addition, author Jane Leavy will discuss her new book, Make Me Commissioner.
- Register now: Click here to register for this event at SABR.org. Registration is $65 and includes Zoom access to all presentations and panels, awards ceremony, and virtual social hour, plus digital program booklet.
- Schedule: Click here for the full schedule of panels and presentations. Zoom sessions will be held from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 19; 10:00 a.m.-8:20 p.m. on Saturday, September 20, and 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21. (All times listed are in the Eastern Time Zone.)
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference for complete details.
Announcing finalists for 2025 Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award
We are pleased to announce the finalists for the 2025 Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by SABR’s Women in Baseball Committee. Each of these finalists has made important contributions promoting the participation of women in baseball, on the field and off.
- Jean Hastings Ardell, author of Breaking Into Baseball: Women and the National Pastime and Making My Pitch: A Woman’s Baseball Odyssey
- Maud Nelson, who played, managed, owned, and promoted women’s baseball in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Lisa Turbitt, professional baseball umpire who was the first woman to work home plate at an international competition
The winner of the 2025 award will be announced during the SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference on September 19-21.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
SABR and Deborah Marshall to honor student biomechanics research with award recognition
SABR is pleased to announce the continuation of the Dr. Mike Marshall Baseball Biomechanics Research Award through the 2030 SABR Analytics Conference.
The award was established in 2025 through the support of Deborah Marshall and Dr. Mike Marshall’s Pitching Academia, and named in honor of the maverick former major-league pitcher. The award honors the legacy of Dr. Marshall by encouraging the study of baseball biomechanics and its application in further understanding pitching, with an emphasis on the risks, causes and/or prevention of pitching injury.
All student biomechanics research submitted for consideration for the SABR Analytics Conference will be eligible for the award, which comes with a cash prize of at least $2,000 per year. A call for presentation abstracts for the 2026 conference will begin next week at SABR.org/analytics. The next SABR Analytics Conference will be held on February 27-March 1, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Subscribe to the Fall 2025 print edition of the Baseball Research Journal
All SABR members exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically twice a year. The Fall 2025 issue will be sent out in early November. 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.
Free Rapsodo course offered with SABR Analytics Certification purchase
For a limited time only, get a free Rapsodo Certified class included with the purchase of any SABR Analytics Certification course. Online and video based, SABR Analytics Certification and Rapsodo courses combine to help learners elevate their baseball data knowledge alongside skills relating to the technical tools used in player development operations.
- Purchase any SABR Analytics Certification course below between now and September 22, 2025, and get access to a complimentary Rapsodo Certified course.
Rapsodo course access information will be delivered via email after SABR Analytics Certification course purchase has been made.
Visit SABR.org/analytics/rapsodo to learn more.
Join us on October 20 for a SABR Scholar Session with Josh Kalk and Josh Ruffin
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. EDT on Monday, October 20.
Join host Tyrone Brooks, Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball, for our free virtual series created exclusively for SABR student and young professional members. This session’s guest speakers are from the Minnesota Twins front office: Josh Kalk, Assistant General Manager, and Josh Ruffin, Director of Applied Analytics.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Call for papers: 2026 SABR Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference
All SABR members are invited and encouraged to submit a Research Presentation Proposal Abstract on any topic of 19th-century baseball for the 2026 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 17th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 24-25, 2026. The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2025.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Learn more about new SABR Institutional Memberships
A SABR Institutional Membership is the perfect way to connect your group with baseball’s rich history. Whether you are supporting historical or analytical researchers or engaging with baseball fans in your community, SABR provides the network, tools, and expertise to enhance your offerings.
A SABR Institutional Membership is ideal for libraries, museums, and historical societies; high schools; and higher education departments, especially History, American Studies, and Sports Analytics programs.
Institutional Members receive unlimited access to SABR’s extensive collection of digital publications; exclusive research resources, including access to historical newspaper databases; engagement opportunities with SABR experts and a network of baseball historians and analysts.
To learn more, contact Paul J. Zwirecki for details on membership options and enrollment.
Find new updates to the SABR Research Collection below, including the Baseball Biography Project, Games Project, and Oral History Collection.
2 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- Tommy Cahill, by Bill Lamb
- Jim McGinley, by Thomas Kern
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR BioProject or to get involved.
5 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- July 29, 1945: West offense lights up Comiskey Park to break deadlock in Negro League all-star series, by Matt Garvey
- September 13-20, 1945: Cleveland Buckeyes sweep Homestead Grays to win Negro League World Series, by Rich Puerzer
- September 22, 1957: Don Drysdale defeats Robin Roberts in Dodgers’ next-to-last game at Ebbets Field; Jim Gentile belts first home run, by Eric Vickrey
- August 7, 1969: Awash in drama, Phillies punt exhibition against farm team in Reading, by Kurt Blumenau
- June 5, 1995: Big Unit baffles Birdland bats, Buhner bashes Big Ben, by Jake Bell
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Read articles online from 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes book
Earlier this year, the SABR Digital Library published From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes, edited by Vince Guerrieri, Thomas Kern, and Bill Nowlin, celebrating the 80th anniversary of a memorable Negro League championship team. This history of the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes is the eighth in a series of SABR books about the great Negro League teams of the first half of the twentieth century.
In addition, you can now find online at the SABR Research Collection a complete season timeline, articles about some standout games, the story of League Park and Cleveland Stadium (where the Buckeyes played), the team’s impact on the African American community, their success in the wider world of baseball, and a new film documentary (co-produced by former MLB star Kenny Lofton).
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to download the free e-book edition of From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes or save 50% off the purchase of the paperback edition.
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:
- Save the date! SABR 54 will be in Cleveland in 2026
- Check out highlights, stories, and photos from SABR 53 in Texas
- Check out highlights, photos from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Louisville
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through August 10
- SABR MLB Team Employee Database updated through 2024
- Tom Hufford selected as 2025 Bob Davids Award winner
- Read articles from The National Pastime: Baseball in Texas and Beyond
- SABR chapters honored for exceptional performance in 2024-25
- Lahman Database files now available for download
- View a collection of nearly 100,000 player surveys in the new Weiss Baseball Questionnaires collection
- Read articles from Spring 2025 Baseball Research Journal
- SABR Digital Library: Stan Musial
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Local Grants in 2025
- Hundreds of ProQuest US newspapers added to SABR Research Resources
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Anni | Media, PA | Jeremy Milloy | Ferndale, MI | ||
| Emma Avery | New York, NY | Ashley Monk | Nashville, TN | ||
| Luis Barnes | Palmyra, MO | Andrew Pfannkuche | Esch-sur-Alzette, LUX | ||
| Sean Bolger | High Bridge, NJ | Joe Pritchett | Lancaster, PA | ||
| Andrew Brannon | Bradenton, FL | AJ Riley | Halethorpe, MD | ||
| Justin Brixey | Norman, OK | Reynaldo Rivera | Trujillo Alto, PRI | ||
| Ryan Cichocki | Scotch Plains, NJ | Koby Samuel | Baltimore, MD | ||
| Jack Holroyd | Charlotte, NC | Ryan Smith | Drexel Hill, PA | ||
| Ryan Ilan | Valencia, CA | Bob U’Ren | Sacramento, CA | ||
| Joseph Kazmierczuk | Philadelphia, PA | Cole Waggener | Parma, MI | ||
| Matthew Makin | South River, NJ | Sam Wilkins | Omaha, NE | ||
| Michael Maynard | Geneva, IL | Adam Wood | Colorado Springs, CO |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from SABR Publications Director Cecilia Tan; authors Thomas Wolf (Baseball in the Roaring Twenties); Kelly Bennett and Brent Stevens (Out of the Mouth of Babe); Tom Delise and Jay Seaborg (“The 1890s Baltimore Orioles and the Scientific Base Ball Controversy”); Liz Thompson (“Diamonds in My Eyes: The Past and Future of Keeping Score”); Keith Danish (“Literary Diamonds: Baseball in Fiction and Poetry”); and Bob LeMoine and Matthew Glidden (“Babe Ruth and the 1935 Boston Braves”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- September 13: Bob Davids Chapter Talkin’ Baseball: Jane Leavy (9:00 a.m. EDT)
- September 13: Hank Gowdy Columbus (OH) Chapter book club meeting (9:30 a.m. EDT)
- September 13: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Mark Armour (1:00 p.m. CDT)
- September 13: Roush-Lopez (FL) Gulf Coast Chapter meeting with David Krell and Kevin Hurd (3:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 15: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Justin Krebs (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 16: Games and Simulations Committee meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 16: Pacific NW Chapter meeting with Louis Schiff (7:00 p.m. PDT)
- September 17: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Jane Leavy (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 17: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Paul Caputo (7:00 p.m. CDT)
- September 17: New SABR Member Experience meeting (8:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 18: Larry Doby (SC) Chapter meeting with Keith O’Brien (7:00 p.m. EDT)
- September 19-21: 2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- September 13: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Fridley, MN)
- September 13: Williamsport Sebring-Stovey Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)
- September 13: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- September 13: Dusty Baker-Sacramento Chapter meeting (Placerville, CA)
- September 13: Southwest Florida Chapter meeting (Bonita Springs, FL)
- September 14: Rocky Mountain Chapter ballpark tour (Denver, CO)
- September 16: Bob Davids Chapter Hot Stove Dinner (Silver Spring, MD)
- September 17: Rocky Mountain Chapter monthly lunch (Denver, CO)
- September 18: Magnolia Chapter “Third Thursday” meeting (Sandy Springs, GA)
- September 20: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- September 20: Dayton Chapter book club meeting (Dayton, OH)
- September 20: Rogers Hornsby Chapter meeting (Round Rock, TX)
- September 21: Magnolia Chapter baseball cemetery tour (Atlanta, GA)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Women in Baseball: Mid-Summer 2025 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Hanlan’s Point Chapter: September 2025 newsletter (Toronto, ON)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: September 2025 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
- Rocky Mountain Chapter: September 2025 newsletter (Denver, CO)
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:
- Adam Chodak: Moneyball proved the value of Sean Lahman’s baseball data work (Rochester First)
- Sweeny Murti: 60 years later, Vin Scully’s Koufax call is still perfect (MLB.com)
- Jayson Stark: The year of no no-nos? This MLB season’s no-hitter drought is rare and random (The Athletic)
- Jay Jaffe: Davey Johnson (1943-2025), a Man Ahead of the Curve (FanGraphs)
- Mets owners donate more than $2M to International Women’s Baseball Center (The Athletic)
- Marc Normandin: Robinson Canó and The 4K Resolution (Baseball Prospectus)
- Davy Andrews: The New Cody Bellinger Has Been Here for a While Now (FanGraphs)
- Sarah Langs: Judge, Stanton join top ranks as all-time homer-hitting duo (MLB.com)
- Craig Goldstein: The Dodgers Are Ruining Baseball (Just Not How You Think) (Baseball Prospectus)
- Tyler Kepner: For the quietly competitive Marlins, rookie Jakob Marsee is a disciplined dynamo (The Athletic)
- Ben Clemens: Opportunity, Takeoff Rate, and Stolen Base Opportunism (FanGraphs)
- Mark Simon: Defensive Runs Saved Leader: A Rangers Runaway (Sports Info Solutions)
- Ginny Searle: How To Be the Worst Starting Pitcher in Baseball (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Braxton Ashcraft Is Angling Toward a Spot in the Pirates’ Rotation (FanGraphs)
- Stephanie Apstein: How the Blue Jays Are Riding Old Pitchers Into the MLB Postseason (Sports Illustrated)
- Michael Clair: Because Baseball bringing baseball and Major Leaguers to Egypt (MLB.com)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Barrel Rate is All Sixes and Sevens (Baseball Prospectus)
- DaniRae Renno: ‘Phillies Karen’ incident raises legal and sports etiquette questions (PennLive)
- Dan Cichalski: Wanna have a catch? Yogi Berra Museum is looking to break a world record (MLB.com)
- Gary Cieradkowski: Biz Mackey: The Influencer (Infinite Baseball Card Set)
- Matt Wagner: A daughter reclaims her father’s US Army baseball legacy in France (Stars and Stripes)
- Joel Rippel: Jean Havlish, who played professional baseball and was state’s best bowler, dies at 89 (Minnesota Star-Tribune)
- Tom VanHyning: Gilberto Flores: Ponce Lions Legend and Rickey Henderson’s Teammate (Béisbol 101)
- Jeff Cohen/Len Aberman: Baseball and BBQ interview with Bill Plunkett (Baseball and BBQ)
- Taein Chun: ‘Tibucil’ is the barometer of Korean baseball’s popularity (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Christopher Frey: Restart of Legend: The Waseda-Chicago Rivalry 1910-2008 (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.
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Originally published: September 12, 2025. Last Updated: September 12, 2025.