SABR Day
Saturday, February 1, 2025 was 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.
Click on a link below to find more highlights, photos, and videos from all 2025 SABR Day meetings:
Atlanta, GA (Magnolia Chapter)
From left: Gordon Warren, Brent Ingram, Patrick Faerber.
The SABR Magnolia Chapter celebrated SABR Day on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Public Library in Tucker, Georgia.
Here was our lineup for SABR Day 2025:
1:00-1:15 – introductions and announcements
1:15-2:10 – Brent Ingram and his T206 obsession
New Magnolia member Brent Ingram will talk about baseball cards — specifically his recent quest to collect the entire T206 set, over 500 cards originally issued between 1909 to 1911. Brent will share a few of his stories from deep within the hobby. We’ll talk about hard-to-find cards, rounded corners, card backs, and maybe even a Wagner mention. If you’re a card collector, you can’t miss this.
2:15-2:30 – Patrick Faerber and the dos and don’ts of umpiring
New Magnolia member Patrick Faerber will talk about The Umpire Classroom, his series of training courses and videos on how best to manage a game from behind the plate. Patrick will show in-game examples and test the group’s knowledge of the proper on-field decisions. (https://www.youtube.com/@Umpir
2:40-3:10 – Gordon Warren and YouTube
New Magnolia member Gordon Warren will talk about growing his baseball-themed YouTube channel, “The Athlete Archives,” launched in 2023. Gordon’s channel is grass-roots baseball research at its best. We’ll discuss his process of discovery and story writing, as well as his interest in those slightly less-than-famous ballplayers. We’ll also learn about what it takes to get your own channel off the ground.
3:20-4:15 – Dave Washburn and Baseball Jeopardy
Chapter member and resident trivia master Dave Washburn will once again channel his inner Alex Trebek to bring us a Jeopardy-style trivia game. This was a big hit last year and we’ll finish the day with it again this year – so start practicing how best to answer in the form of a question.
— Craig Brown
Baseball Jeopardy finalists Davan, Brent, and Jerry.
Austin, TX (Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
In celebration of SABR Day, two Texas State University graduates who have handled social media accounts for MLB teams shared their behind-the-scenes experiences and offered career advice for students who joined the meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter on Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Remle Herzberg, the social media manager for the Texas Rangers, and Aaron Peralta, who worked on the social media team for the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, told more than 30 members and guests on Zoom about how playing and loving baseball helped them find a career in MLB.
Texas State students who joined the call asked for advice and suggestions that could help them as they seek internships and jobs in the sports industry.
Dr. Amber Hinsley, journalism coordinator at SJMC, noted that Herzberg took a class called Sports as News to learn more about creating sports-focused content and shared that the program is working on updating and improving sports course offerings.
The entire interview with Herzberg and Peralta can be found on YouTube at this link.
Click here to read the full recap at SABRhornsby.org.
Baltimore, MD (Babe Ruth Chapter)
Baltimore/Babe Ruth Chapter SABR Day
When: Monday, February 17, 2025, 9:45 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. The meeting is open to everyone.
Where: The PEABODY HEIGHTS BREWERY, a site with tremendous baseball history attached to it. The brewery, at 401 East 30th Street, is located on the former site of Oriole Park V, also known as Terrapin Park, which was the home of the Federal League Baltimore Terrapins from 1914 to 1915, and the International League Orioles from 1916 to 1944. The Brewery also is across the street from the site of Oriole Park II and IV, where the American League Orioles played in 1901 and 1902.
Street parking is free that day. A few additional spaces are available at the brewery.
Cost: Registration is $45 for everyone (SABR members and guests) and includes lunch and drinks. Beer will be on tap for those interested in purchasing and sampling such ballpark fare as Old Oriole Park Bohemian at this iconic Baltimore location.
To secure your place, please email Bob Brown. To pay, please bring check or cash on February 17. Checks made out to: BBRC of SABR. You may also pay by Venmo to: @sabrbaberuth.
Presenters:
- Charlie Vascellaro
Longtime SABR member will peak to us on his experience at Rickwood Field for the MLB game in 2024. - Chris Conlon
Will discuss Babe Ruth and John McGraw’s ancestral trees. - Marc Summerfield
Will discuss “The O’s and I: My Experiences in an Orange Shirt”. - Baltimore Orioles speaker
The Orioles’ Director of Oriole Alumni, Bill Stetka, has assured us that the speaker he has arranged will be interesting to all. Bill has gotten for us Larry Sheets, Al Bumbry, Dave Johnson, Ron Hansen, Joe Orsulak and several others. - John Eisenberg
SABR member and best selling author will present on “How the Bird Tapes Came to Exist … and What’s Next.” - More to be announced!
Lunch: Lunch is covered by your registration and will be sandwiches, chips and cookies provided by Panera Bread. A wide variety of drink will also be provided and—if you are so inclined—a tempting array of beers can be purchased directly there at the brewery.
SWAP Meet: WNo tickets needed. Everyone is guaranteed an item that day whether you bring any items to donate or not. Much like the take/eave a penny. This is open to everyone and all will be walking out with items. Please bring any books or merchandise you wish to donate to the swap with you that day.
Vendors and silent auction: Still to be announced but we promise that there will be some items for sale and/or to bid upon.
Election:
Will be done online this year so stay tuned for the announcement and link.
Bloomington, IL (Central Illinois Chapter)
As pitchers and catchers were set to report, SABR’s Central Illinois Chapter invited all baseball fans to get together and talk about what we think, and hope, is coming in the 2025 season. To celebrate the new season and SABR Day, we gathered together at Buffalo Wild Wings on Sunday, February 9, 2025 in Bloomington, Illinois.
Boston, MA (Boston Chapter)
The Boston Chapter held its annual SABR Day gathering on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. noon at the Bleacher Bar on Lansdowne Street.
Surely, we know all there is to know about how the Sox can win this year’s World Series. Some one of us has the solution and we discussed them all.
On a trivial note, there have been six players who played for Boston who were born on February 1. As for me, only one name is familiar. I have the baseball story for 1925 in hand, and also, we all know what the story was for the Sox 50 years later in 1975. (Yikes, 50 years ago…) But going back 50 years from 1925, to 1875 – the Boston Base Ball Association filed their business report on Feb. 1, 1875. Interesting numbers, to say the least.
— Joanne Hulbert
Chicago, IL/Milwaukee, WI (Emil Rothe/Ken Keltner Chapters)
2025 SABR Day in Kenosha (from left): Ryan Woodward, Bill Pearch, Scott Lindholm, Gary Williams, Carlos Pastrana, Dennis Degenhardt.
The Emil Rothe Chicago and Ken Keltner Badger State chapters held a joint SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at The Brat Stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was a day for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love.
Click here to listen to Bill Pearch’s interview on the Golden V Podcast, talking about SABR Day.
The day’s lineup included:
- Scott Lindholm, a Chicago chapter member and White Sox fan, will kick off the day with a fun look back at the recent historically bad season. Guess it’s better to laugh than cry.
- Ryan Woodward, the International Women’s Baseball Center Project Coordinator will give us an update on the IWBC’s events, activities and celebrations as well as Beyer Field, the home of the Peaches.
- Carlos Pastrana, a Puerto Rican native now living in the Milwaukee area and a Keltner chapter member has a strong interest in Puerto Rico’s baseball history. His article, Olmo and Márquez: The First Boricua Milwaukee Heroes, in the January 2024 Keltner Hot Corner newsletter is an interesting entry into his Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL) knowledge.
- Gary Williams, wrote a book about his grandfather Fred “Cy” Williams who he contends is the most unique player/slugger in MLB history whose long career was equally split between the Dead Ball live ball eras. He will discuss Cy’s 19-year big league career with the Cubs and Giants evenly split in the two different eras.
Cleveland, OH (Jack Graney Chapter)
The Jack Graney Chapter in Cleveland held its SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at the Goldhorn Brewery on E. 55th St.
Our speakers were:
- Ethan Purser, Cleveland Guardians Director of Amateur Scouting
- Matt Underwood, Guardians TV announcer
- Bob Moulette, Vice President, Lake Erie Crushers
The meeting started at noon with a Talkin’ Baseball lunch with the pizza provided by our chapter.
- 12:00 p.m.: Lunch (Chapter provides pizza, other food/beverages your own)
- 12:45 p.m.: Welcome, introductions, chapter business — Joe Shaw, President Jack Graney Chapter
- 1:00 p.m.: Matt Underwood, Guardians TV announcer, reliving the Guardians’ 2024 season and looking ahead
- 1:45 p.m.: Ethan Purser, Guardians’ Director of Amateur Scouting, with a look behind the curtain on how the Guardians conduct their scouting business
- 2:30 p.m.: Bob Moullette, VP of Sales, Lake Erie Crushers, with an executive’s view of how an independent league team operates
- 3:15 p.m.: Wrap up conversation
- 3:30 p.m.: Adjourn
Our partners from the Baseball Heritage Museum also hosted a morning coffee and donuts session with Jay Valentine, former outfielder with the Indianapolis Clowns.
Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
The Hank Gowdy Columbus Chapter held its annual SABR Day event on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the Old Worthington Library (820 High Street, Worthington, OH 43085) and virtually. We heard presentations from our membership, conducted a trivia contest, and held our annual book exchange. It was a great event as always.
Our agenda was the following :
- 9:15 a.m.: Coffee and Donuts
- 9:30: Welcoming Message by Blake Sherry
- 9:40: Guest Speaker – “Life as a MLB Umpire“ – Tim Timmons, retired MLB Umpire
- 10:30: Guest Speaker – “Baseball Cards” – Brian Resnik
- 11:00: Break (Book giveaway #1)
- 11:10: Treasurer’s Report by Mike Green
- 11:15: Trivia Contest by Brian Resnik
- 11:45: Guest Speaker – “Al Rosen, the Hebrew Hammer” – Joe Wancho
- 12:15 p.m.: “Back to the Future: Baseball Rekindles Its Romance With Gambling” – Kevin Braig
- 12:55: Closing (Book giveaway #2)
- 1:00: Adjourn/ Lunch w/ fellow members at BW3
Concord, NH (Clyde Sukeforth Chapter)
The Clyde Sukeforth Chapter (ME/NH) in conjunction with the Gardner-Waterman Chapter (VT) presented three virtual meetings to celebrate SABR Day on Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Tim Virgilio: Signatures For Soldiers
9:00-10:00 AM Eastern
In 2014, Tim Virgilio felt called to a purpose. Burdened by the plight of homeless veterans and conscious of the struggles faced by those with service-inflicted disabilities, he knew he needed to do something. A lifelong baseball fan and autograph collector, as well as someone with a deep respect for the military and an appreciation of our country’s military veterans, he turned to what he knew. What started as a labor of love, Tim reached out to baseball players to see if they would be willing to sign baseball cards he had collected through the years, promising to give 100% of the sale proceeds to help homeless and disabled veterans. The next step was to find a worthwhile organization to contribute to, where the money would do the most good. For the last several years Military Missions in Action was that organization with Signatures for Soldiers having donated over $140,000 to help veterans in need. In late 2021, Tim’s partner at Military Missions in Action tragically passed away. Committed to carrying on the mission that Mike and he had, Signatures for Soldiers became its own nonprofit charity in early 2022. Today, the mission continues.
Vanessa Ivy Rose: Hall of Fame DNA: The Legacy of Baseball Legend Turkey Stearnes
12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern
According to baseball statistics and five Hall of Fame inductions, Turkey Stearnes is one of the all-time greats, yet many people have never heard his name. In her book entitled “Hall of Fame DNA: The Legacy of Norman Turkey Stearnes”, Vanessa Ivy Rose (author, podcast host of ABC’s “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League” and educator) gives the play-by-play to inform and inspire audiences. During her presentation, Vanessa details what makes her grandfather an unforgettable legend, both on and off the field.
Vanessa Ivy Rose is an author, storyteller and educator from the metro Detroit area. In honor of her grandfather’s baseball legacy, she has hosted ABC’s podcast “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League”, she has been interviewed by various newspapers, podcasts and was featured on Fox Sports Detroit’s “Inside the Tigers: Stars Forever”. She also creates (and hosts) webinars and has spoken at several baseball conferences including the “Detroit Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial” and “Women in Baseball”.
As an athlete, Vanessa has been featured in Sports Illustrated, she played basketball in Barcelona, earned a Division-1 scholarship and her Albion College team is part of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Vanessa has a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College in Communication, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary Education: English and History) from Oakland University.
Having taught in public education for seventeen years (in both alternative and traditional schools), she enjoys helping her American Literature and Creative Writing students find their authentic selves through exploring academic writing, media, history and literature. They often remark that she’s like no other English teacher they’ve had previously (due to the fact that she was a collegiate basketball athlete and has a dope sneaker collection). Knowing the importance of building community in order to create meaningful change and to cultivate joy, she also coaches Varsity boys basketball, has been a facilitator for The Institute of Healing Racism and the Student Global Leaders workshop, a member of Global Champions and the Global Education Team. In 2017, she was recognized as a “Diversity Champion” by the Race Relations and Diversity Task Force. With over eleven years of experience in the realm of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices, Vanessa has decided to use the knowledge she has acquired through learning and unlearning. Writing through a social justice lens, she’s ready to level up when it comes to spreading knowledge and truth.
Donna L. Halper: Women in Baseball
7:00-8:00 PM Eastern
While most histories of baseball focus on men, the truth is that women were involved in baseball as far back as the 1870s. Some formed high school and college teams, some were umpires or baseball writers, some were semipro players on “Bloomer” teams, and some even competed against men’s teams. And while many male sportswriters mocked them, these pioneering women persisted in playing the sport they loved, and as you will see, some of them earned the respect of a culture that didn’t usually welcome female athletes. In this presentation, Dr. Donna Halper will discuss the lives and accomplishments of some of the women who loved baseball, including Amanda Clement, Ina Eloise Young, Lizzie Arlington, Maud Nelson, Lizzie Murphy, and Carrie Kilbourn.
Donna L. Halper has spent four decades as a professor of media studies, working at several Boston-area universities. She joined SABR in 2011, and her research focuses on women and minorities in baseball, the Negro Leagues, and “firsts” in baseball history. A former radio deejay, credited with having discovered the rock band Rush, Dr. Halper reinvented herself and got her PhD at age 64. In addition to her research into baseball, she is also a media historian with expertise in the history of broadcasting. She has contributed to SABR’s Games Project and BioProject, as well as writing several articles for the Baseball Research Journal. She was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2023.
Detroit, MI (Southern Michigan Chapter)
The Southern Michigan Chapter hosted a virtual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Our featured guests were hard-working baseball reporters Rogelio Castillo and Chris Brown of Tigers Minor League Report, the best source of information anywhere on the Tigers’ farm system and prospects. Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
The meeting opened with a trivia quiz about Detroit’s astonishing race to the 2024 postseason in August and September last year.
Castillo & Brown talked Detroit Tigers in detail, focusing on the state of the organization’s minor-league teams and the system’s boatload of premium prospects as we head into the 2025 season with excitement in Motown at a fever pitch.
We also shared details of the Southern Michigan Chapter’s 2025 plans, including an in-person meeting on Opening Day, March 27 and another face-to-face meeting in Mid-Michigan later in the summer.
Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
Mark your calendars for the Rocky Mountain Chapter’s annual SABR Day Gathering, which will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the Stanley Marketplace Beer Hall in Aurora, Colorado. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Festivities will start at 9:30 a.m. and run until 12:30 p.m. We hope to see you all there!
We’ll hear from a panel of local journalist guest speakers, including former Rockie Mark Knudson, our annual trivia contest which is open to all attendees, and our traditional game of catch on the lawn. Complimentary light fare and beverages will be provided as well as a full menu for purchase.
Panelist Bios:
- Patrick Lyons (Host): A beat reporter for the Colorado Rockies since 2018, Patrick writes for Just Baseball and is the host of the Rockies Insider daily podcast. He also authors a free newsletter covering the Rockies, the history of baseball in the area and various baseball musings related to the sport. He’s been a board member of Rocky Mountain Chapter of SABR since 2019 and the Vice President since 2024.
- Mark Knudson (Author & Former Rockie): Only one man has ever represented Colorado at the high school, college, minor league and big league level: Mark Knudson. An MLB veteran of eight seasons, Mark is currently a writer for Mile High Sports and head coach of Prospect Ridge Academy in Broomfield. He recently authored his first book with former teammate Don August called “Pitching to the Corners: My Post-MLB Career Abroad.”
- Manny Randhawa (Author & MLB.com Writer): Manny is the author of The Blake Street Bombers, the foremost depiction of the 1990s homer-happy Colorado Rockies, featuring exclusive interviews with Dante Bichette, Larry Walker, Ellis Burks and Vinny Castilla. He is a writer for MLB.com covering a wide range of baseball topics
Learn more: https://rmsabr.org/events/sabr-day-2025/
Harrisburg, PA (Mathewson-Plank Chapter)
The Mathewson-Plank Chapter of SABR hosted an in-person SABR Day event on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at the Columbia Public Library in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
Mark Stewart gave a talk about baseball before the 1860s. Rich Heinick gave a PowerPoint presentation titled “History Isn’t Always Pretty: Pennsylvania’s Involvement in the Segregation of Base Ball in 1867”.
Following the presentations R.J. Lesch conducted a trivia contest. Afterwards, there was a show & tell where members shared items from their baseball memorabilia collections and talked about them as well.
Houston, TX (Larry Dierker Chapter)
The Larry Dierker Chapter in Houston celebrated SABR Day with its monthly meeting on Monday, January 27, 2025, at the Spaghetti Western restaurant on Shepherd Drive in Houston.
Our guest speaker was Astrodome expert and historian Mike Acosta, who spoke on the 60th anniversary of the Astrodome in 2025. Click here to watch the video replay on YouTube.
On that Monday, forty people attended the meeting. The January meeting had to be delayed for a week because of the snow and cold experienced in Houston the week before. Chapter President Joe Thompson opened the meeting by welcoming all the guests and newcomers to the first meeting of the chapter’s year-long celebration of the Houston Astrodome’s 60th birthday. A brief discussion about the Astros news of the day then followed. The group gave hearty congratulations to Billy Wagner, the newest Astros player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame! The group also gave their opinions on the recent departure of Ryan Pressly, and the future of Alex Bregman.
Joe recapped the chapter’s SABR Day, held the previous Saturday, January 25, at Daikin Park (formerly Minute Maid) during the Astros 2025 FanFest. Joe noted that several chapter members worked the chapter booth that day. Lots of people dropped by the booth to pick up information about SABR and watch a rebroadcast of an Astros game played in the Astrodome. The chapter also sold some books and all kids who dropped by the booth received baseball cards.
Astrodome expert, historian, and long-time friend of the chapter Mike Acosta was the guest speaker. Mike had worked for the Astros for twenty-two years. Mike’s job duties ranged from being the Astros historian and MLB authenticator for the club. Mike was also in charge of the Astros Hall of Fame and even designing the uniforms! For Mike, the Astrodome is a lifelong study. He is on the Board of the Astrodome Conservancy and has worked tirelessly over the years to preserve the historical memory of the Dome. He has spoken passionately to anyone who would listen, including political officials and those who may not want to hear, about the historical significance of the Astrodome.
Mike’s talk was outstanding and he made several jokes during the presentation that he could speak for hours about the Dome. One would have to watch the video to hear all the interesting facts Mike gave the group about the Dome during the meeting. Here are just a handful of the stories Mike shared. Mike once interviewed someone who talked about his father, who died in the Dome when he was helping build it. He fell from the top, and it took the son three years before he could go into the Dome. And his mother never went inside again. The Astrodome cannot simply be torn down because it is a protected building and a Texas State Antiquity Landmark. It would have to get permission from the Texas Historical Commission. There are 9000 tons of steel in the Dome that actually move. As a building, the Astrodome itself is currently stronger (after 60 years of existence) than the NRG stadium built next door. There is a time capsule under column 16 in the Astrodome. There are 1950 lights in the Dome! The Dome is fully paid off. All the bonds, all the renovations—all is paid off. Finally, the Houston Astros were the only team that had their stadium (Astrodome) in their logo at one time! The presentation was so filled with facts, stories, and historical events that they could fill a book. From Operation Hotdog to a time capsule to the baseball museum that was never built. As one member commented, “The Astrodome is to Houston is like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.” The Astrodome is the DNA of Houston and of Texas. As Houston goes. Texas goes.
Before Mike’s talk, chapter Vice President Herb Whalley passed out paper ballots so the chapter could vote for who they would induct into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Part of the vote had been held online long before the HOF announcement on January 21. The in-person vote would have occurred on January 20, the day before the HOF announcement, but as noted earlier, the snowstorm delayed the meeting for a week. The results of our HOF votes were announced, and we voted for two people: Wagner and Ichiro. Wagner got 90% of our vote, and Ichiro got 94%.
Chapter member Mike McCroskey spent the next few minutes sharing some memories about the late, great Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker. Before his presentation, Mike said it was time for a little Astrodome show and tell. Mike said that at the last baseball game at the Astrodome, they gave away little medal tins that were replicas of the Dome to all who attended the game night. Mike showed the group his. The Astros won that game against the Dodgers, 9—4. Mike then moved to his Bob Uecker memories and stories. Johnny Carson gave Uecker the name Mr Baseball. Bob won Minor League Player of the Year and said it was given to him in his second year in the majors. Bob was such a bad hitter that they would turn their backs when he was at bat and look to coaches. Bat and glove companies paid Bob not to use their products. Bob’s 1965 baseball card did not have his picture on it.
Herb Whalley then came back up and shared a funny Astrodome memory with the group.
Patrick Petty won the trivia contest for the evening and will give the contest at our next meeting on Monday, February 17.
Please join us on February 17 for our next chapter meeting. We will ask all who attend our meetings this year if someone would like to share an Astrodome memory during the meeting or to write an article for the next chapter newsletter.
Meeting Notes Provided by Gloria Rubac.
Kansas City, MO (Monarchs Chapter)
The Monarchs (Kansas City) Chapter held its SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at the Red Bridge Branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library in Kansas City, Missouri.
Our speakers were:
- Matt Stewart, author of The Kansas City Royals: An Illustrated History. Stewart is an Emmy-award winning journalist currently working as a reporter/anchor on the Fox 4 Morning Show in Kansas City. Learn more about the book here.
- Jaylon Thompson is the Kansas City Royals beat reporter for the Kansas City Star. He has covered the Royals since the 2023 season. His past stops include USA Today, 247 Sports, MLB.com, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Houston Chronicle. He’ll update us on the Royals off-season moves and give us a forecast for 2025.
- Jude Butler is a SABR member working on his PhD at the University of Kansas. His thesis, “More than a Sport: Early Developments of Baseball in Lawrence, Kansas” will be the basis of his talk. The three pillars of the thesis are: 1. Early town teams in northeast Kansas (specifically Lawrence). 2. The conflict between religion and sport, including a court case that reaches the state supreme court on the issue of Sunday baseball in 1909. 3. The trajectory of baseball in Lawrence following the court case in the early 20th century (Lawrence Twilight Leagues, Fraternal organizations and business teams, Haskell baseball, and African American baseball in northeast Kansas). Butler is working with the Baseball Research Journal editors to include a version of the paper in the Spring 2025 publication of the journal.
Las Vegas, NV (Maddux Bros. Chapter)
The Maddux Brothers Chapter in Las Vegas held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at UNLV and on Zoom.
We had a conversation via Zoom with Dr. Larry Hausner, who is the author of Save Baseball: A Prescription for the Major Leagues. We also heard from another speaker who joined us via Zoom, Russ Langer, the voice of the Las Vegas Aviators.
Little Rock, AR (Robinson-Kell Chapter)
The Robinson-Kell SABR chapter celebrated SABR Day with a meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 12:00 to 4:30 p.m. at First Southern Baptist Church in Bryant, Arkansas. The address is 604 South Reynolds Road.
The guest speaker at our meeting was Mike Loggins. Loggins was an All-American outfielder for the Razorbacks from 1983-1985. In 2985, he was named an All-American and earned All-Southwest Conference honors in both 1984 and 1985. He finished his career with a .335 batting average, 159 hits, 261 total bases, 132 runs, 108 RBIs and 19 home runs. The Crossett (Ark.) native was a valuable offensive threat for the Razorbacks while locking down the outfield for three seasons. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 1985 draft and played seven seasons in professional baseball.
We also heard the following presentations:
- Jim Yeager – “Forgotten Night in October”, a recap of the night Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, and Hank Aaron played in Little Rock
- Fred Worth – recap of his latest grave-hunting adventures entitled “10,000 and Counting”
- Johnny Mullen – Major Leaguer Don Mincher
- Bob Anderson – The Boom Boom Travelers of 1964
Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
The Pee Wee Reese Chapter celebrated SABR Day on Saturday, January 25, 2025 from 9 AM-12 PM at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.
Our guest speakers were:
- Greg Galiette – President of our Triple-A Louisville Bats. He will share memories of Louisville baseball going back to the Redbirds of the 1980s and discuss plans for the Bats 2025 season.
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s Teaching Artist and “Barnstormer”, and new SABR Member Brian West will present a selection of his historical baseball performances to us.
- Gary Cieradkowski – artist and author of the popular “Infinite Baseball Card Set” baseball blog will be back to talk about his newest projects and share his latest research.
- Chapter member Greg King, host of the Cave Hill Cemetery sports tour, will present on an athlete who could have become a Louisville baseball legend, “Injun’ Joe Guyon”.
- Fellow chapter member Wendell Jones will talk about his book, “The Louisville Grays and the Myth of Baseball’s First Great Scandal”. The book, which came out last May, goes over the scandal that led to the downfall of Louisville’s first major league team and then explains why maybe it didn’t go down the way everyone thinks it did.
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory team announced upcoming events at the museum for the year. And of course, it wouldn’t be SABR Day without the annual Jack Sullivan Impossible Trivia contest, with a prize going to the winner.
Middletown, CT (Smoky Joe Wood Chapter)
On Saturday, February 1, nine members of the Smoky Joe Wood Connecticut Chapter observed SABR Day with a chapter breakfast at the Athenian Diner in Middletown, Connecticut. The Hall of Fame vote is out, so we had a discussion on the results. All baseball fans were welcome to join us.
Minneapolis, MN (Halsey Hall Chapter)
The Halsey Hall Chapter held its 2025 SABR Day event on Thursday evening, January 30, 2025, at 7:00 PM CST. This was a Zoom event with author Zak Ford, who discussed his book Called Up: Ballplayers Becoming Major Leaguers. Click here to watch a video replay.
Nashville, TN (Rice-Russell Chapter)
The Rice-Russell Nashville Chapter held a virtual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025. All baseball fans were welcome to attend.
New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
The Schott-Pelican (New Orleans) Chapter held a hybrid SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the Holiday Inn in Metairie, Louisiana.
The Featured Presentation was by Sachin Khashu, Xinyu Li, Daniel Mangiza, and Kason Richard from George Washington University, whose most recent data analytics project, “MLB Base Size Change: Analysis and Impact,” explored the impact of the new larger bases had on base stealing, baserunning, catcher talent and abilities, scoring, and game management. This research was sponsored by the Schott-Pelican Chapter of SABR.
We also heard from Javik Blake , the Media Relations Manager and Broadcaster for the Biloxi Shuckers, who made a presentation concerning the more recent history of the Biloxi Shuckers. He had previously discussed the early history of baseball in the Biloxi area to our group several months ago.
Click here to watch a video replay of this meeting at YouTube.
New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
SABR’s Casey Stengel Chapter in New York City will host a virtual SABR Day meeting at 11:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 22, 2025. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Our guest speaker will be Kevin Baker, author of the new book, The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City.
Register in advance for this Zoom meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/An_RjmpVSn62pkm9H1HUfA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Norfolk, VA (Bud Metheny Chapter)
SABR’s Bud Metheny Chapter in Virginia’s Eastern Shore will hold a virtual SABR Day meeting at 2:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 22, 2025. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
Jack Bales will deliver a presentation on William Hulbert – President of the Chicago White Stockings and the National League in late 1800s. His presentation will focus on “How William Hulbert Abused His Power to Get What He Wanted”.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqdeuvpj4pHteopj8i638WaOfX61cYBxQS
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Omaha, NE (Wahoo Sam Crawford Chapter)
The Wahoo Sam Crawford Chapter in Omaha, Nebraska, will host a SABR Day virtual gathering at 7:00 p.m. Central on Saturday, February 1, 2025. All SABR members are invited to attend.
Please share a baseball photo, a memorabilia, a story — anything you’re interested in, we’d love to hear about it!
Click here to register for this Zoom meeting.
Karl Green and Kent Krause will host. Connie Sharpe will provide an update on the Wahoo Sam Crawford Chapter and lead a general discussion about what we have planned for the future.
Ottawa, ON (Frank Shaughnessy Chapter)
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, the Frank Shaughnessy Chapter in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario celebrated SABR Day with a virtual presentation from author Justin McKinney, who wrote the fantastic book Baseball’s Union Association: The Short, Strange Life of a 19th-Century Major League. Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
Justin will tell us all about Billy Geer, the 19th century baseball equivalent of Frank Abagnale of “Catch Me If You Can” fame. Geer bounced around the major leagues but he’s most known for being one of the most prolific cheque forger in American history, passing bad cheques all over the United States and even as far away as Europe and South America under one of his many aliases.
Paterson, NJ (Elysian Fields Chapter)
The Elysian Fields Chapter’s SABR Day event took place on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.
- 12:00 p.m.: Social hour and time to explore the museum
- 1:00 p.m.: Screening of Pride Against Prejudice: The Larry Doby Story
- 2:30 p.m.: Panel discussion with Luke Epplin, Joseph Thomas Moore, and moderator
Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter)
This year’s SABR Day event, hosted by the Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter in Philadelphia, took place on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at Immaculata University’s Faculty Center conference room in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Schedule:
9:00-9:40: Phil Williams – 1914 World Series Ticket Scandal
9:40-10:20: Frank Klose – Ballpark Funding
10:20-11:00: Tony Bracali – Learning from the Ballparks of the Appalachian League
11:00-11:40: Bob Warrington – The Forced Sale of the Phillies in 1943
LUNCH – Trivia and Chapter Business
12:40-1:20: Brian Michael – Barrier Breakers Exhibit Update
1:20-2:00: Mark Kanter – South Korean Baseball
2:00-2:40: Mike Walsh – Diving into the tBG Reports
2:40-3:20: Scott Hengst – Origins of the Lambertville Logan Club (1865-66) or the Playing Days of David Zearfoss
Pittsburgh, PA (Forbes Field Chapter)
The Forbes Field Chapter hosted a SABR Day meeting from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at PNC Park’s Business Center in Pittsburgh.
FORBES FIELD CHAPTER SABR DAY AGENDA
FEBRUARY 1, 2025
- 9:00am – 9:30am – Mark Woods/Jim Trdinich – Welcoming Remarks
- 9:30am – 10:15am – Ed Damer – “The Boys of Beltzhoover”
- 10:15am – 10:45am – Larry Kreger – “Baseball Between the Covers: A Selection of Off-Season Readings”
- 10:45am – 11:30am – Jack Kucek – “One Day One Person in One Moment Can Change Your Life Forever”
- 11:30am – 12:15pm – Tom Carroll – “A Young Pitcher’s Journey with The Big Red Machine”
- 12:15pm – 1:15pm – LUNCH BREAK
- 1:15pm – 2:00pm – Scott Harris – The Man Behind the Lens: Charles “Tennie” Harris.”
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm – Tom Hetrick – “MISFITS! Baseball’s Worst Ever Team or Chris Von der Ahe and the St. Louis Browns”
- 3:00pm – 3:45pm – Bob Ross – “The 1890 Players League and its Ballparks”
- 3:45pm – Mark Woods – Closing remarks.
Portland, OR (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
Members of SABR’s Pacific Northwest Chapter celebrated SABR Day on Saturday, February 1, 2025, with a casual brunch at McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon.
Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
The Rochester Baseball Historical Society and Luke Easter SABR Chapter hosted their annual Hot Stove Dinner on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the Webster Golf Club in Rochester, New York. Our featured guest speakers were Jason Smorol and Dan Mason, General Managers of the Syracuse Mets and Rochester Red Wings respectively.
— Ryan Brecker
St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
From left: Randy Karraker, Allison Levin, Ed Wheatley, Chaim Bloom
The Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter hosted a Hot Stove SABR Day event in conjunction with the Browns Historical Society on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at The McPherson in St. Louis.
Thanks to the incredible work of Vice President Ed Wheatley, our guest speaker for the evening was Chaim Bloom in one of his first public events in St. Louis. Our moderator was radio host Randy Karraker.
Our schedule for the evening was:
- 5:30- Doors open
- 6:00- Buffet dinner begins
- 6:40- Introduction of Randy Karraker, our moderator for the evening
- 6:45- Conversation with Chaim Bloom
- 7:45- State of our Chapter
- 8:00- Presentation of the Rygelski Award
- 8:10- Bob Tiemann Trivia
- 8:30- Event concludes
San Diego, CA (Ted Williams Chapter)
SABR’s Ted Williams San Diego Chapter hosted its first meeting of the new year on January 25, 2025, for SABR Day at the San Diego Central Library. The program featured:
- “‘Hot Stove’ Discussion with regard to our 2025 Padres,” led by Josh Stein, Assistant General Manager, San Diego Padres
- “Gavy’s Hall-Worthy 200,” presentation on San Diego’s Gavy Cravath by Rick Reiff
For a complete recap, click here to download the Ted Williams Chapter’s February 2025 newsletter (PDF).
San Francisco/Sacramento, CA (Lefty O’Doul/Bay Area Chapters)
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, a joint SABR Day meeting was hosted virtually by the Lefty O’Doul Bay Area Chapter and the Dusty Baker-Sacramento Chapter. Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
(3:14) SABR Board member Tara Krieger joined us with news and highlights from SABR. There are so many great things going on across the organization, we thought you’d like to hear about some of them.
(31:20) Our old friend Jon Leonoudakis will be with us to talk about his upcoming documentary on Lefty O’Doul. He will also share news of a project to restore Lefty’s gravemarker in San Francisco.
(53:15) Also on our program will be our friend Shane Barclay from JapanBall. Shane has news to share about this season’s tours and the new hard copy book JapanBall: Travel Guide to Japanese Baseball. We’re planning to partner with Shane for our second annual visit to an Oakland Ballers game this summer.
(1:09:37) Author Larry Hausner will be our featured guest and talk about his book “Save Baseball: A Prescription for the Major Leagues.” Larry is a SABR member from San Diego. If you want a peek, Larry has a Youtube channel, “SAVE BASEBALL”, his podcast discusses challenges facing major league ball and offers solutions as well. Catcher Jim Sundberg was a recent guest.
Seattle, WA (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
Members of the Pacific Northwest Chapter met for an informal gathering on SABR Day, Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Maritime Pacific Brewery in Seattle, Washington.
In addition to talking Hot Stove baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame 2025 voting results, we toasted the 1/31/1919 birthday of Jackie Robinson.
Tallahassee, FL (Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter)
Members and guests of the Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter gathered on Saturday, February 1, 2025 in the private room at Casa Grande Margaritas & Cocina Midtown Tallahassee to celebrate SABR Day. Those in attendance included:
- Matt Hudson, Chapter President
- Kent Putnam, Secretary
- Brent Kallestad, Co-Director, Communications
- Rene Watters, Co-Director, Communications
- Frank Alarcon
- Franklin Billingslea
- Don Blancett
- Jack Blosbalg
- Obrey Brown
- Matthew Cortez
- Fred Dunphy
- Jeff English
- Brendan Farrington
- Nathan Gregoire
- Nate Jones
- Diana Kampert
- Matt Keelean
- Alex Kempton
- Jeff Lickson
- Jax Marn
- Milan Magnusson
- Aaron Nahoum
- John Nogowski
- Tom Richardson
- Glenn Robertson
- Chuck Rosciam
- Miles Rosoff
- Jake Thorne
- Jim Turner
- Andrew Witherspoon
The meeting was called to order; members and guests introduced themselves and identified their favorite team or teams. We then welcomed to our meeting via Zoom Bailey Hall, a high school senior in Austin, Texas. Bailey described her research on the question of what is worse for the team on defense: a walk or a single to lead off an inning by the team on offense. She concluded that there is little difference overall, but the outcomes can be skewed when one team is markedly better than the other or the pitcher on the mound at the time is either very good or very “not good.” Bailey answered our questions, and her presentation received high praise from her audience. Click here to learn more about her award-winning research.
Next up was a live presentation of memorabilia and stories connected therewith by Chapter member Tom Richardson. The crown jewel in his collection is a bat used by Joe DiMaggio and given to Tom’s relative after a game in which Joltin’ Joe used that very bat and the recipient was the bat boy.
Chuck Rosciam updated us on the Baseball Hall of Fame voting where Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner were selected. He compared the voting of our Chapter members in our straw poll to the outcomes of the BBWAA. We looked at the nominees coming off the ballot after 10 years, those with time left on the ballot, and those who will become eligible in the near future. The HOF selection results, as always, generated lively conversation.
The Chapter was honored to be joined by members of the Sports Analytics Club at Florida State University (FSU/SAC). Three of their members made presentations, speaking on Bat Speed and Exit Velocity as measures of hitting success, Pitching Selection and Location, and the merits of Stolen Bases.
Next up was the chapter’s annual trivia contest, hosted by Matt Hudson, and officiated by Kent Putnam. The championship went to Tom Richardson in a one-point win that went down to the last few questions.
Jesse Ibarra closed out the presentations, joining us through Zoom. He played 8 years of professional baseball in the minor leagues and independent leagues. His claim to fame is that he hit grand slam home runs from both sides of the plate in a single game and was the first professional player to do so. He related his own life as a ball player, both before and after this special feat. His description of the night he hit the two historic shots, full of detail, was a very special moment.
After further discussion and few remarks by President Hudson, the meeting adjourned at 3 PM.
— Kent Putnam
Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Roush-Lopez Chapter)
The Tampa Bay Roush-Lopez SABR Chapter, in coordination with the St. Petersburg Museum of History, is facilitating a trolley tour of Spring Training Baseball locations in 2025. We gathered for SABR Day on Saturday, February 1, 2025. This tour will also be going on weekly (Saturdays) for the month of March during Spring Training.
For more information on the tour, please contact Mark Drucker.
A discount on the tour and for admittance to the Tampa Baseball Museum will be available for out-of-town SABR members.
(Click image to enlarge)
Toronto, ON (Hanlan’s Point Chapter)
SABR’s Hanlan’s Point Chapter in Toronto hosted a virtual SABR Day event on Monday, February 3, 2025, with special guest Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer and former MLB pitcher Jeff Francis. Jeff became the first Canadian pitcher to start Game 1 of a World Series back in 2007.
Tulsa, OK (Oklahoma Chapter)
The Oklahoma Chapter celebrated SABR Day with a virtual meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
Howard Johnson gave a presentation on Estimated Offensive Value. A group discussion on upcoming Baseball Hall of Fame elections and other topics followed.
Vero Beach, FL (Central Florida Chapter)
Mark your calendars and set your GPS. The SABR Central Florida Chapter is headed to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach to celebrate SABR Day on Saturday, February 22, 2025!
We will be taking part in the Andre Dawson Classic, an annual eight-team college round-robin tournament. Info below. The four games on Saturday begin at 9:00 a.m. with Grambling vs. Alabama A&M, followed by Jackson State vs. Prarie View A&M at noon, Alabama State vs. University of Missouri at 3:00 p.m., and concludes with Florida A&M vs. Southern University in the evening game at 7:00 p.m. All games to be played at Holman Stadium, the main stadium at the complex.
Since many people will be traveling to get there, our program will likely start around 12:00 p.m. noon. We don’t expect to have a long program. We’ll send out more information as we firm up the details.
- Cost: The charge for attending the conference is $7 per person (cash only, payable on arrival), which covers admission to any/all of the day’s games. The complex will provide us with a meeting room, which will be determined by the size of our group.
- Register: If you plan to attend, please RSVP by email to Pam Bard as early as possible so we can provide a head count.
Still working on finalizing the day’s schedule. We are inviting all SABR members, particularly those from the five Florida chapters. Non-SABR members are welcome to attend as well. Our program will include a tour and history of the complex, and several presentations, including one by Carlis Robinson, daughter of Johnny Wright, the partner of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating baseball with the Montreal Royals in 1946. We hope to have remarks from Hall of Famer Andre Dawson as well. We will also hear from SABR member Steve Dittmore, who will talk about his soon to be released biography of Dodger lifer Jim “Junior” Gilliam.
Special thanks to Jeff Biddle, a SABR member who is the senior manager for sales and athletics of the complex. Formerly Dodgertown, the spring training home of the Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers for 50+ years, it is now the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, maintained and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB). To check it out, go to http://www.mlb.com/
Victoria, BC (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
Members of the Pacific Northwest Chapter met for an informal brunch gathering on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at John’s Place in Victoria, British Columbia. All baseball fans were welcome to join us.
Washington, DC (Bob Davids Chapter)
Members of the Bob Davids Chapter and other baseball-loving friends gathered for the annual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Attendees were treated to compelling and thought-provoking presentations from a group of prominent baseball writers and researchers.
This year’s meeting was held in a new location after two years in downtown Washington. The Falls Church (Virginia) Episcopal Church proved a comfortable and welcome locale.
David Appelman of FanGraphs.
Featured speakers included Andrew Golden, a Washington Post beat reporter who covers the Nationals; and Dave Appelman, the founder and owner of FanGraphs, an invaluable online source of baseball statistics and analysis.
Andrew Golden of the Washington Post.
A panel of baseball authors from the Bob Davids Chapter discussed the process of baseball research, from the points of view of both publishers and writers. Writers Paul Scimonelli, Laura Peebles and Gary Sarnoff discussed how writers get started, choose their subjects and conduct research. Gary Mitchem, senior executive editor of McFarland & Co., Publishers, talked about what editors are looking for, as well as the best ways for writers to submit their materials and concepts for consideration
Daniel Piazza of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, presented, “Collecting Home Runs: Baseball and Stamp Collecting’s Influence on Each Other.”
Piazza noted that the stamp and baseball collecting communities overlap in surprising ways. Some early postcards that were sent through the mail are recognized as legitimate baseball cards today. And first day covers autographed by players have become valued collectibles for many baseball fans. Piazza’s talk was illustrated with objects from the National Postal Museum’s recent exhibition, “Baseball: America’s Home Run.”
Bob Davids Chapter Vice President Ed Baranoski offered a statistical deep dive presentation with “Another Look Down the Expected RBI Rabbit Hole.”
Writers Panel: Paul Scimonelli, Gary Mitchem (on screen), Laura Peebles, Gary Sarnoff.
Brian Shallcross, general manager of the newly renamed Chesapeake Baysox (still located in Bowie!) talked about the Orioles’ Eastern League affiliate and expectations for the upcoming season, including renovations to Prince George’s Stadium. He also discussed recent MLB rules changes and how they were first tested in the minor leagues.
— David Raglin
Brian Shallcross of the Bowie Baysox.
Williamsport, PA (Sebring-Stovey Chapter)
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, SABR’s Sebring-Stovey Williamsport Chapter held its SABR Day meeting at the James V. Brown Library’s Lowry Room on the 3rd Floor.
Our guest speaker was Dave Kennedy, who presented on “It all began in Billtown: Bonds to Moneyball.” Dave Kennedy’s photographic journey started in Williamsport in the mid 1990s and has come full circle now as the Williamsport Crosscutters team photographer.
The SABR meeting is free and open to everyone in the Williamsport area and communities.
