This Week in SABR: September 4, 2026
Welcome to “This Week in SABR” on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Please note: The SABR office will be closed on Monday, September 7 for the Labor Day holiday.
Click here to view this newsletter on the web.
Register now for the 2026 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference
Voting ends soon for SABR All-Time Free Agency Era Team
Stephen Dittmore wins 2026 Ron Gabriel Award
Join us on September 24 for a Scholar Session with MLB’s Tyrone Brooks
Read articles from 1931 Homestead Grays book online
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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!
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. Stay tuned for the full schedule of panels and presentations.
Visit SABR.org/women-in-baseball-conference for complete details.
Read articles from The National Pastime: Baseball on Lake Erie
All articles from the new 2026 edition of The National Pastime can now be found online in the Research Collection at SABR.org.
All SABR 54 attendees received a souvenir print edition of The National Pastime, our annual convention journal, focusing on baseball in Cleveland and around the Lake Erie region. The e-book edition will be sent out to all members soon.
- Read online: Articles from The National Pastime 2026 can be read online at SABR.org.
- Buy the magazine: Purchase the print edition of The National Pastime 2026 from Amazon.com.
We hope you enjoy reading The National Pastime!
Voting ends in 3 days for SABR All-Time Free Agency Era Team (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.
- Cast your vote now for the Free Agency Era team (1973–2000). Or click here to view the full player list for the Free Agency Era ballot. All current SABR members are eligible to vote. Voting ends at 11:59 PM MST on Monday, September 7.
- Join us from 8:00-9:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday, September 16 for a special Zoom webinar as we reveal the Free Agency Era (1973–2000) team, and hear a presentation from Daniel A. Gilbert of the University of Illinois. Click here to pre-register for this Zoom event.
Visit SABR.org/all-time-eras-teams to learn more about the project, including the players selected to the 19th Century Era, Deadball Era, Segregation Era, and Integration Era teams.
Stephen Dittmore’s Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger wins 2026 Ron Gabriel Award
SABR is pleased to announce that Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger, by Stephen W. Dittmore and published by August Publications, has been selected as the winner of the Ron Gabriel Award in 2026.
The Ron Gabriel Award, given out by SABR’s Casey Stengel Chapter in New York, honors the author(s) of the best research, published or unpublished, on the subject of the Brooklyn Dodgers completed during the preceding calendar year. Honorable mention for the 2026 award goes to:
- A Brooklyn Guy: Otto Miller: The Greatest Brooklyn Dodger You Never Heard Of, by Noel Hynd (self-published)
- Don Drysdale: Up and In: The Life of a Dodgers Legend, by Mark Whicker (Triumph Books)
Click here to read the full announcement at SABR.org.
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.
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.
Call for papers: Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of Baseball Arts
With the recent release of Volume 5 of Turnstyle: The SABR Journal of the Baseball Arts, SABR’s Baseball and the Arts Committee now turns its sights to submissions for Volume 6.
All SABR members are encouraged to send along your submission, or your questions, to editors Joanne Hulbert or Jay Hurd before September 15, 2026. We are looking for poetry, memoir, artwork, humor, short fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, and parody.
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.
3 new stories published at SABR Biography Project
- James Hart, by Timothy J. Zarley (first-time author)
- Jack Lynch, by Larry DeFillipo
- Roberto Vargas, by Tony S. Oliver
Visit SABR.org/bioproject to learn more about the SABR Biography Project or to get involved.
5 new stories published at SABR Games Project
- July 2, 1908: Hartford’s Pete Wilson and Harry Noyes shine in victory over New Haven, by Stephen V. Rice
- September 8, 1956: A bit of banter helps provoke Ted Williams home run in Baltimore, by Bill Nowlin
- June 13, 1969: Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs lose in return to fire-wracked ballpark, by Kurt Blumenau
- September 30, 2001: Cal Ripken and fans get nothing at Iron Man’s last road game as Orioles, Yankees end in a tie, by Tara Krieger
- April 13, 2003: Phillies score 13 runs in fourth inning to win in a landslide over Reds, by Steve Ginader
Visit SABR.org/gamesproject to learn more about the SABR Games Project or to get involved.
Read articles from 1931 Homestead Grays book online
In June, the SABR Digital Library published The Negro Leagues’ 1931 Homestead Grays: The Color of Greatness, edited by Thomas Kern and Bill Nowlin, chronicling what might be the greatest collection of talent on one team in baseball history. The Grays not only retained all-time greats like Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, and Smokey Joe Williams, but brought in future Hall of Famers Jud Wilson and Willie Foster. They even briefly added Satchel Paige late in the season. Over the course of the season, the powerhouse Grays won an astounding 143 games against opponents at all levels.
All of the biographies, essays, and articles from the 1931 Homestead Grays 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.
Two Outs, So What!: The 2001 Seattle Mariners
Edited by Steve Friedman, Eric Vickrey, 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasha Balcom | Atlanta, GA | Martin Mcgrath | Castle Rock, CO | ||
| Charles Banas | Manchester, NH | Irene McShane | Merrimack, NH | ||
| Paulo Cagnatto | Scarborough, ME | Dave Mendonca | Eugene, OR | ||
| Diego Del Castillo Verduzco | Ciudad de Mexico, MEX | Christopher Merry | Orofino, ID | ||
| Eric Emmerling | Goffstown, NH | William Mitchell | Montross, VA | ||
| Jim Farina | Broomfield, CO | Rob Peterson | West Hartford, CT | ||
| Rachel Franklin | Nottingham, ENG | Jose Rivera | Las Vegas, NV | ||
| Jeff Garrett | Eagan, MN | William Saulsbery | Saint Louis, MO | ||
| Kevin Hamila | Cleveland, OH | Tony Swann | Palos Park, IL | ||
| Geonmin Kim | Frisco, TX | Jeffrey Tucker | Massillon, OH | ||
| Jeff Kline | Itasca, IL | Nicole Yost | Southfield, MI | ||
| Nick Mahar | Rochester, NY |
Here is a list of SABR supporters for the month of August 2026.
| NAME | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Anderson | Charles Levihn | |
| Jake Bell | William Lucey | |
| Dana Berry | Peter Mancuso | |
| D. Bruce Brown | Peter Marcus | |
| Thomas Brown | Bruce McClure | |
| Bruce Bumbalough | Clifford Merz | |
| Ralph Caola | Linda Nichols | |
| Ken Carrano | Andrew North | |
| A.A. Carrasco | Bill Nowlin | |
| Scott Carter | Steve Perry | |
| Vincent Comparato | Terry Phelps | |
| Chris Dial | John Rall | |
| Mark Drucker | Charles Roussel | |
| Mark Dugo | Larry Rowe | |
| Helen Edwards | Bob Russon | |
| Daniel Evans | Jason Scheller | |
| Charles Fedak | Douglas Schoppert | |
| David Firstman | Mary Shea | |
| Adam Foldes | Rob Sheinkopf | |
| Jeanne Glazer | Bruce Slutsky | |
| Leslie Heaphy | Thomas Stone | |
| Timothy Herlich | Wesley Story | |
| John Paul Hill | Joseph Thompson | |
| Rockwell Hoffman | Neal Traven | |
| David Hughes | Marlene Vogelsang | |
| Jeff Jaech | Thomas Volpe | |
| Rob Janes | Steve West | |
| Martin Jenkins | Beach Wires | |
| Donald Jensen | Jeffrey Wood | |
| Robert Kravetz | Don Zminda | |
| Steven Lauer | David Zweifel | |
| Thomas Lee |
Want to become a Friend of SABR? Click here to make a recurring monthly contribution or click here to learn more about our Giving Circles to make a one-time contribution.
- Events Calendar: Find details of all upcoming SABR events.
- Video Replays: This week, we heard from Bob Cullen (“Dan Bankhead Plays Baseball for the U.S. Marine Corps”); Jeff Cohen and Len Aberman (Baseball and BBQ Podcast); and Jerry Manheim and Pat Brown (“A Rudimentary Index of Fan Frustration”). Click here to view video replays of virtual SABR events.
Upcoming Virtual Meetings
- September 5: Women in Baseball Diamond Stories: Ellen Lindner (10:00 AM EDT)
- September 6: Quebec Chapter meeting with Paul Leblanc (1:00 PM EDT)
- September 7: Clyde Sukeforth (NH/ME) Chapter meeting with Richard Dombrovski (7:30 PM EDT)
- September 8: Elysian Fields (NJ) Chapter meeting with Adam Darowski (7:00 PM EDT)
- September 8: 19th Century Speaker Series: Dan Torres (8:00 PM EDT)
- September 9: Official Scoring Committee meeting (6:30 PM EDT)
- September 9: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting with Jay Wigley (7:00 PM CDT)
- September 9: New SABR Member Experience Meeting (8:00 PM EDT)
- September 10: Roush-Lopez (FL) Gulf Coast Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (7:30 PM EDT)
- September 10: Ken Keltner Badger State (WI) Chapter meeting with Larry Hayes (7:00 PM CDT)
- September 13: Rickwood Field (AL) Chapter meeting with Justin Mckinney (2:00 PM EDT)
Upcoming In-Person Meetings
- September 12: Halsey Hall Chapter Hot Stove Saturday Morning (Fridley, MN)
- September 12: Sebring-Stovey Williamsport Chapter meeting (Williamsport, PA)
- September 12: Baltimore Babe Ruth Chapter meeting (Baltimore, MD)
- September 12: Rogers Hornsby Chapter lunch meeting (Austin, TX)
- September 12: Chattanooga Choo-Choo Chapter ballgame/meet-up (Chattanooga, TN)
- September 13: Emil Rothe Chicago Chapter meeting/ballgame (Chicago, IL)
To add your SABR event to our calendar listings, please contact Jacob Pomrenke.
- Official Scoring: Summer 2026 newsletter
Sign up for SABR research committee announcements at SABR.org/research/committees.
- Chattanooga Choo-Choo Chapter: Summer 2026 newsletter (Chattanooga, TN)
- Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter: September 2026 newsletter (Milwaukee, WI)
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:
- Daniel R. Epstein: Junior Caminero is Threatening Records He’d Rather Not (Baseball Prospectus)
- Zack Meisel: MLB players reveal a modern toll of legal gambling: threats, DMs and encounters (The Athletic)
- Meghan Montemurro: How the Cubs’ outfield approach is helping them lead MLB in preventing extra bases (Chicago Tribune)
- Gabe Lacques: Born in 1993, the Marlins and Rockies continue unreal division droughts (USA Today)
- Jay Jaffe: Psst, Position Player Pitching Is Proliferating (FanGraphs)
- Tyler Kepner: Mickey Gasper’s unlikely journey from low-round Yankees draft pick to Red Sox folk hero (The Athletic)
- Mark Simon: August’s Defensive Players of the Month (Sports Info Solutions)
- Sarah Langs: What it means to be in first place on September 1 (MLB.com)
- Eno Sarris: A new metric, Open Command, offers more clarity in evaluating control for young pitchers (The Athletic)
- Maddie Landis: Who Turns the Tide in the American League? (Baseball Prospectus)
- Lindsay Dial: The Myth of Competitive Balance (From Seaver to Seattle)
- Jayson Stark: Ten Weird & Wild MLB games that blew up my phone on vacation (The Athletic)
- Manny Randhawa: Bob Kendrick shares stories of Negro Leagues, museum expansion (MLB.com)
- Rob Mains: The Two Important Numbers from the Angels Sale (Baseball Prospectus)
- David Laurila: Tristan Peters Has Been a Pleasant Surprise on the South Side (FanGraphs)
- Alex Speier: Some Red Sox players have taken the hobby of card collecting to the next level: ‘It’s a rush’ (Boston Globe)
- Michael Clair: RedPocket Mobiles set Minor League record with 39th straight loss (MLB.com)
- Jason Coskrey: NPB’s senior circuit: players in their 40s still grinding away (Japan Times)
- Daniel Eck: Do fandom surveys underestimate baseball’s historical reach? (The Era Curveball)
- Bradley Woodrum: The Rare Double Salami (Baseball Prospectus)
- Marshall Garvey: The Mustache Revolt: When Greg Pryor and Thurman Munson Defied Steinbrenner (Marshall Arts)
- Sam Gazdziak: Obituary: Larry Christenson (1953-2026) (RIP Baseball)
- Bill Nowlin: 2008 Opening Series in Japan: Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics (SABR Asian Baseball)
- Wayne Taylor: Discovering an Underlying Pattern in the 1911 T201 Mecca Double Folders Set (SABR Baseball Cards)
- Jason Schwartz: Topps Box Bottom Leaderboard (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: September 4, 2026. Last Updated: September 4, 2026.