This Week in SABR: September 18, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
SABR All-Time Eras Team revealed for Free Agency Era
Join us on September 24 for a Scholar Session with MLB’s Tyrone Brooks
Free Rapsodo course with SABR Analytics Certification purchase
SABR welcomes new Jewish Baseball Research Committee
Register now for the 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Subscribe to the Fall 2026 print edition of Baseball Research Journal
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SABR All-Time Eras Team announced for Free Agency Era (1973–2000)
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. On Wednesday, September 16, SABR revealed the Free Agency Era team in a special Zoom webinar, covering players and teams from 1973 to 2000. More than 1,100 SABR members cast a vote on these ballots. The top vote recipients at each position were selected for the first team. Click on a link below to view the players, managers, and executives selected, along with their SABR biographies and statistics from Baseball-Reference.com:
Before the team was unveiled, Daniel A. Gilbert of the University of Illinois delivered a presentation on baseball during the Free Agency Era. Click here to watch a video recording of Gilbert’s presentation and the team reveal.
Visit SABR.org/all-time-eras-teams to learn more about the project.
- Coming soon: Voting for the Modern Era (2001–2025) teams will open on Friday, October 2 at SABR.org. All SABR members are eligible to vote in the online ballot. The final team will be revealed in a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, October 21, with a presentation by ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian. Click here to pre-register for the Zoom meeting.
Join us on September 24 for a special SABR Scholar Session with MLB’s Tyrone Brooks
All student and young professional members of SABR are invited to join us for our next SABR Scholar Session, held virtually on Zoom at 7:00 PM Eastern on Thursday, September 24.
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.
During this session, Tyrone will discuss baseball’s offseason hiring timeline and ways you can set yourself apart from other applicants. We’ll also spend some time linking you with fellow student and young professional members in a networking session designed to build your connections throughout the industry.
- To learn more or to pre-register for the SABR Scholar Session on Zoom, please contact Jessica Smyth.
Limited time offer: Free Rapsodo course with SABR Analytics Certification purchase
It’s time to take your skills to the next level with two of the most trusted names in baseball analytics! SABR is excited to partner with Rapsodo, a leading innovator in baseball technology and data analysis, on a special limited time offer:
That’s $395 in added value 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.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
SABR welcomes new Jewish Baseball research committee
SABR’s Board of Directors has approved the formation of a new research committee: the Jewish Baseball Research Committee.
The Jewish Baseball Committee seeks to deepen knowledge and educate the public about Jewish contributions to the game of baseball. Jews have played significant roles in every aspect of the game, including owners, broadcasters, umpires, team management, labor relations leaders, newspaper writers, and more, as well as approximately 200 players. The committee will also explore the importance of baseball in the greater scope of Jewish identity.
The committee leader is Bob Cooper. 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.
SABR’s 37 research committees reflect the diverse interests of our members, with groups devoted to the study of a specific area related to the game — from Baseball and the Arts to Statistical Analysis to the Deadball Era to Women in Baseball. Click here to find the full list of SABR research committees and learn more about their work.
Register now for the 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Join us for the eighth annual SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference, which will be held virtually on October 9–11, 2026. All baseball fans are welcome to attend!
- Click here to register for the 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
- Schedule: Click here for the full schedule of panels and presentations. Zoom sessions will be held from 6:30-7:45 p.m. on Friday, October 9; 10:00 a.m.-8:20 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, and 11:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. (All times listed are in the Eastern Time Zone.)
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 more.
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference for complete details.
Subscribe to the Fall 2026 print edition of the SABR Baseball Research Journal
All SABR members exclusively receive the Baseball Research Journal electronically twice a year. The Fall 2026 issue will be sent out in early November. 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
Subscribe before October 1 in order to receive the Fall 2026 issue in the mail
(If you have any questions about your subscription, please email brjsubscribe@sabr.org.)
Make sure you are signed into your SABR account to receive your discount. For our international members, please note the separate international orders option for those living outside of the United States. With your subscription, you will receive a paperback copy of the BRJ as well as an electronic version delivered to your email inbox. You will be charged semi-annually for this subscription, once for each edition of BRJ.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Get your SABR merch at our new online shop
SABR is excited to announce the launch of the new SABR Shop, an online store featuring SABR-branded apparel, home goods, prints, and more for baseball fans.
Among the featured items are exclusive prints showcasing cover art from the Baseball Research Journal, along with a growing collection of SABR merchandise celebrating the organization’s worldwide community. Baseball Research Journal posters feature every edition including the artwork of acclaimed artist and SABR member Gary Cieradkowski, with iconic depictions of Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige amongst other legends of the game. Apparel options include hats, shirts, sweatshirts, and pullovers in men’s, women’s, and unisex selections. New merchandise and designs will continue to be added in the coming months, offering fresh options for the SABR fan in your life.
Visit the SABR Shop today at sabr.shop.
Call for papers: 2027 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 2027 Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The 18th annual Ivor-Campbell Conference is scheduled for April 16-17, 2027.
The deadline for proposal Abstracts is October 31, 2026. Your abstract must be between 250-500 words for a 20- to 25-minute presentation focused primarily on events taking place prior to 1901. Please include name, title, and contact information and send your proposal as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment to Peter Mancuso.
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
Register now for 2026 SABR Northern New Jersey 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium
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 is now open; click here to sign up. The cost is $15 per person. The one-day Zoom event will run from approximately 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time on November 14.
The symposium will be highlighted by a keynote address from Jonathan Mercantini, Associate Provost for Special Projects and Professor of History at Kean University. He is an appointed member of the New Jersey Historical Commission and a Trustee of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The welcome address will be given by John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball and the co-founder of SABR’s Nineteenth Century Committee.
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.
New Oral History interview: Dave Burba
- Dave Burba, former major-league pitcher who won 115 games over 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and other teams
Recorded September 2, 2026, by John McMurray
Visit SABR.org/oralhistory to find more interviews from the SABR Oral History Collection.
6 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- John Hollison, by David Fleitz
- Josh Keener, by Bill Lamb
- James McMullin, by Bill Lamb
- Rube Sellers, by Edward Damer
- Adam Stern, by Mark S. Sternman
- Mitch Williams, by Alice Andre-Clark
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
6 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- May 6, 1937: After the glove has gone: Minor-league Orioles lose mitts, game in Toronto, by Kurt Blumenau
- July 5, 1953: Tigers catcher Johnny Bucha hits, and gets hit, in victory over Browns, by Stephen V. Rice
- April 11, 1963: Tom Cheney’s one-hitter, Don Leppert’s three home runs lead Senators over Red Sox, by Thomas E. Merrick
- September 3, 2006: Four pitchers combine for Mets’ 29th one-hitter in loss to Oswalt, Astros, by Thomas J. Brown Jr.
- September 21, 2007: Boston’s Josh Beckett books his 20th win of the season, by Bill Nowlin
- October 28, 2011: David Freese named World Series MVP as Cardinals win 11th championship, by Andrew Heckroth
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Read articles from Cape Cod League book online
In June, the SABR Digital Library published Cape Cod Baseball League: From College Stars to Big League Futures, edited by Mike Richard and Bill Nowlin, chronicling the premier amateur baseball league in the United States. More than 1,800 alumni from the Cape have landed in the major leagues through the 2025 season. This book takes a comprehensive look at the Cape Cod Baseball League as only SABR can, encompassing both analytical articles on the importance of the league in MLB development and historical pieces documenting the past and present.
All of the essays and articles from the Cape Cod League book are now available to read online in the SABR Research Collection.
Click here to download the free ebook edition or save 50% off a purchase of the paperback edition.
The Negro Leagues’ 1931 Homestead Grays: The Color of Greatness
Edited by Thomas Kern 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.
Here are some SABR headlines from recent weeks that we don’t want you to miss:
- Find stories, photos, and highlights from SABR 54 in Cleveland
- Save the date! SABR 55 will be in Birmingham in 2027
- SABR Defensive Index rankings released through MLB games of August 9
- Marlene Vogelsang honored as 2026 SABR Founders’ Day Award recipient
- SABR Analytics Certification courses now available in Spanish
- In Memoriam: Jacques Doucet
- Photos, highlights from Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Memphis
- 2026 executives, college baseball staffs added to SABR MLB Team Employee Database
- Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legends project concludes with final selections
- Save the date: Join us for SABR Analytics Conference on March 12–14, 2027
- Read articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal
- New Research Resources portal and member login launched
- Learn more about recipients of SABR Research Grants in 2026
- Fourth course in SABR Analytics Certification program is now available
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonnathan Baquero | Elizabeth, NJ | Dave Mason | Saanichton, BC | ||
| Ralph Baum | Richmond, CA | Christopher Norman | Midwest City, OK | ||
| Dante Dentino | Santa Cruz, CA | Michael Ozga | Calgary, AB | ||
| Frank Dinan | Easton, PA | Paul Pereira | Auburndale, MA | ||
| David Fillipitch | Buckeye, AZ | Calvin Pressley | Honolulu, HI | ||
| Conor Fitzgerald | Sacramento, CA | Griffin Rod | Moscow, ID | ||
| Brennan Fraasch | Lubbock, TX | Charles Rolston | Chicago, IL | ||
| Jon Hopwood | Amesbury, MA | Brendan Waterval | San Francisco, CA | ||
| Timothy Kerr | Oakfield, NS | Richard Whaley | Kinston, NC | ||
| Sam Martin | Raleigh, NC |
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Daniel A. Gilbert (“The Making and Meaning of Free Agency”); Harvey Sahker (Before the Blue Jays); Justin Mckinney (The Shortstop Was a Crook); Glenn Guzzo (Strat-O-Matic Fanatics); and Steve Gietschier (Warm Summers and Cold Nights). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- September 19: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter: Talkin’ Baseball with Jay Wigley (9:00 AM EDT)
- September 21: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Eric Poulin (7:30 PM EDT)
- September 21: Halsey Hall (MN) Chapter research committee meeting (7:00 PM CDT)
- September 21: Larry Dierker (TX) Chapter meeting with Jimmy Scruggs and Victoria Lovinggood (7:00 PM CDT)
- September 23: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Tim Christ (7:30 PM EDT)
- September 23: Asian Baseball Committee meeting with Dan Kwong and Russ Speiller (8:30 PM EDT)
- September 26: Jack Graney Cleveland Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (12:00 PM EDT)
- September 26: Bay Area/Sacramento Chapter joint meeting (11:00 AM PDT)
- September 27: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting with Kat Williams (7:00 PM EDT)
- September 27: Minor League Committee meeting with William H. Brewster (8:00 PM EDT)
- September 27: Bob Davids (DC) Chapter meeting with David Raglin and Mark Pattison (8:00 PM EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- September 19: Babe ‘n’ Bob Chapter Breakfast (Edgewater, MD)
- September 19: Elysian Fields Chapter “Celebrate Baseball” meeting (Jersey City, NJ)
- September 19: Wahoo Sam Crawford Chapter ballgame/meeting (Omaha, NE)
- September 21: Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter meeting (Arlington, TX)
- September 22: Gary Sarnoff author talk (Arlington, VA)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Biographical Research: August 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: Remembering Larry Baldassaro newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
- Rogers Hornsby Chapter: September 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:
- Mark Simon: How Have Last Year’s Fielding Bible Award Winners Done? (Sports Info Solutions)
- Rob Mains: Is A Whimper as Good as a Bang? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Tyler Kepner: Whatever happened to the 200-hit season? A batting champ and a hitting coach explain (The Athletic)
- Rund Abdelfatah: How baseball got its beat (NPR.org)
- Kevin Baxter: Curtis Pride turned his MLB journey into a lifeline for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids (Los Angeles Times)
- Mario Delgado Genzor: So You’re Going to Miss the Postseason (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Sean Doolittle Talks (Washington Nationals) Pitching (FanGraphs)
- Daniel R. Epstein: Munetaka Murakami is Rewriting the Contact Rate Rules (Baseball Prospectus)
- Jay Jaffe: Pete Alonso’s Return to Citi Field Turns Mets Fans Against Their Own Team (FanGraphs)
- Rob Mains: Atlanta Braves Holdings: Barbarians at the Chop House? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Paul Lukas: We’re in a New ERA Era (Uni-Watch)
- Michael Clair: Will the Queens or Firebells emerge victorious in the first WPBL championship? (MLB.com)
- Peter Dreier: Maggie Foxx of the WPBL is the latest in a line of Jewish female baseball players (Tablet Magazine)
- Maddie Landis: Okamoto Unlocked (Baseball Prospectus)
- Stephen J. Nesbitt: The perks and heartaches of being a dad and an MLB player (The Athletic)
- Jerry Crasnick: When Curt Flood took on his biggest fight, Roberto Clemente was there to lend a hand (MLB Players)
- Davy Andrews: The 120 Club Is Closed This Season (FanGraphs)
- Jimmy Parker: Before Spider-Man, There Was… Ralph Kiner? (Beauty of a Game)
- Ryan Whirty: Did Gentleman Dave Malarcher hit the gridiron? (Negro Leagues Up Close)
- Gary Ashwill: The 42-Year-Old Rookie: Wild Bill Chatman, 1944 (Agate Type)
- John Eisenberg: The First Francona (Baltimore Baseball)
- Mark Kolier: Hall of Famer “Wahoo” Sam Crawford, a player you should know about (Almost Cooperstown)
- Carter Cromwell: 2014 Suzuki All-Star Series: Samurai Japan vs. MLB All-Stars (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Gary Cieradkowski: Eiji Sawamura: Japan’s Number One (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 18, 2026. Last Updated: September 18, 2026.