Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center honored with 2019 SABR Russell Gabay Award
The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is the inaugural recipient of the 2019 SABR Russell Gabay Award, which honors entities or persons who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to baseball in New Jersey.
Opened in 1998 on the campus of Montclair State University, the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center has become a New Jersey institution highlighting the career of its namesake, the Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees, World War II veteran, and American cultural icon.
“The staff at the Yogi Berra Museum creates an abundance of educational events for children including the science, history, and social importance of baseball,” said David Krell, chair of SABR’s Elysian Fields Chapter in New Jersey. “It is focused on inspiring the next generation of players, journalists, and executives in the National Pastime. We are proud to honor their efforts with the 2019 Russell Gabay Award.”
The Russell Gabay Award was established by SABR’s New Jersey-based Elysian Fields Chapter and Goose Goslin Chapter in 2018.
Gabay was a noted sports producer and a native of Springfield, New Jersey. He began his career in the late 1970s, producing for ESPN after graduating from University of Hartford. He later became a Production Manager at HBO, where he supervised several shows, including Inside the NFL, documentaries, and championship fights. Until his sudden death in 2016, Russell was a high-level producer at Major League Baseball Network for more than a decade. He was known throughout the sports industry as a gentleman and a true professional whose generosity knew no bounds, whether towards people trying to break into the business or veterans with several decades of experience.
To learn more about the Russell Gabay Award, click here.
Originally published: August 9, 2019. Last Updated: April 24, 2020.