SABR Day
Saturday, February 3, 2024, 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 encouraged to plan their own SABR Day events 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 2024 SABR Day meetings:
Anaheim, CA (Allan Roth Chapter)
The Allan Roth Chapter in Southern California held a virtual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
Our guest speakers were:
- Jerry Janeski, former MLB player for the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators and Texas Rangers from 1970-1972 (1:10)
- Ron Rapoport, author of Frank Chance’s Diamond: The Baseball Journalism of Ring Lardner (45:29)
- Jana Brody, author of Sit Behind the Nets! A Memoir About a Mother Killed at a Major League Baseball Game (1:08:58)
- Damon Cawthorn, analyst for Cal State Fullerton baseball program (1:36:18)
Click here to watch a replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Atlanta, GA (Magnolia Chapter)
SABR’s Magnolia Chapter in Atlanta held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the Dunwoody Public Library in Dunwoody, GA.
Our lineup for SABR Day was:
1:00-1:15 – SABR Day introductions
1:15-2:00 – Justin Toscano and his life with the Braves
Justin has been doing excellent work as the AJC Braves beat writer for the past two seasons. Originally from San Diego, he previously had the unenviable task of covering the Mets in New York before coming south. We will hear about Justin’s career as a reporter, his life on the road with the Braves, and his thoughts on baseball in general. We will open the floor to questions, so start thinking about what you’d like to ask.
2:15-2:40 – Randy Cox and “715 at 50”
Some of us watched #715 on TV in 1974 – but Lilburn resident Randy Cox was actually on the field that night in the photographer’s box with a camera. Fifty years later, and with a published book forthcoming, Randy will tell some of the stories from April 8th. Few had his unique perspective of that game and were that close to history as it happened.
2:50-3:15 – Ken Small and his 3D baseball stadium replicas
Ken is an Alpharetta resident and former sportswriter. After stints in marketing with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Chiefs, he founded Home Fields, Inc. His company produces amazing 3D stadium replicas up to 19 inches in length. We’ll hear about Ken’s passion for both ballparks and baseball. A Truist Park replica will be given away as a door prize.
3:30-4:15 – Baseball Jeopardy with Dave Washburn
Chapter member and resident trivia master Dave Washburn will channel his inner Alex Trebek to bring us a Jeopardy-style trivia game. Prizes will be awarded during the game via a white elephant — so if you have a baseball book or related item you are willing to part with, please bring it to the prize table at SABR Day.
Austin, TX (Rogers Hornsby Chapter)
The Rogers Hornsby Chapter celebrated SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, on Zoom with Keith O’Brien, a best-selling author and journalist who has written the forth-coming book, Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball.
Click here for a full recap of the meeting at SABRHornsby.org.
Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
On January 6, 2024, the Rogers Hornsby Chapter held its 18th annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
Details of two baseball stadium tours, one author talking about the circumstances in which professional ball players got the call and another detailing 19th century baseball, a national baseball writer noting a turning point in the Texas-New York team rivalries, and an MLB trainer tasked with preparing the next generation of umpires filled a full day of presentations and discussions.
More than 30 chapter members and guests attended the winter meeting at Texas State University in person and on Zoom. The meeting also featured the Round Rock Express general manager and the team’s longtime broadcaster giving updates on the Triple-A affiliate of World Series Champions Texas Rangers and one chapter member seeking to determine which is worse: a leadoff walk or a leadoff single?
Click here to read a full recap of the Winter Meeting at SABRHornsby.org.
Baltimore, MD (Babe Ruth Chapter)
The Baltimore/Babe Ruth Chapter celebrated SABR Day on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 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.
Our speakers were: Charlie Vascellaro, on working for Diamond Daze (an MLB publication that disappeared around the time of the 1994 players strike); Tom Delise and Jay Seaborg on their forthcoming book on Ned Hanlon; Ray Banks on Negro leagues baseball; Marty Payne on Eastern Shore baseball from 1866-1950; and former Oriole Tippy Martinez.
Birmingham, AL (Rickwood Field Chapter)
SABR’s Rickwood Field Chapter held its SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at the Negro Southern League Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. There was also an optional lunch at the Fish Market Restaurant downtown.
Former player Joseph Marbury did a great job answering our questions about his life in baseball.
Bloomington, IL (Central Illinois Chapter)
SABR’s Central Illinois Chapter held its annual SABR Day meeting on Friday, February 9, 2024, at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Bloomington, Illinois.
Boston, MA (Boston Chapter)
The 2024 SABR Day in Boston on Saturday, February 3 was a home run hit – as it was held at the Bleacher Bar, a restaurant tucked underneath the Green Monster at Fenway Park. What better place to meet than a place with a window that allows fans to see what progress this winter is being made on the outfield turf. The location has been the Boston Chapter’s meeting place on SABR Day for almost as long as the Bar has been in operation. We commandeered the bench and tables at the far end of the room, and this year, eleven people came and the baseball talk was loud and lengthy.
Attendees were encouraged to bring along a book to exchange, and a couple books were donated to the Bar staff member who has an avid reader at home. To honor the SABR Century Committee a reading of the Boston Herald of February 3, 1924 which contained the Red Sox team roster as they prepared for spring training.
Certainly, this year was much improved attendance-wise and also weather-wise. Last year SABR Day was held on the coldest day of winter 2023. This year the weather cooperated, and the thermometer hovered in the 30s, perfectly winter in Boston.
And, as advertised, the Boston Chapter offered a Double Headah this year. Not only the SABR Day event, but Boston also had Truck Day on the calendar on Monday, February 5. The annual event celebrates the equipment truck leaving Fenway Park for spring training in Ft. Myers. There actually is historical precedent for this event, even if most people – except for a few SABR historians that know all about it – have not considered commemorating such a seemingly benign event in baseball history. Before there were trucks, Boston baseball fans gathered at South Station to celebrate the equipment, and a few players, heading south for the same purpose as today.
Boston Red Sox fans are waiting for THIS year. We’ll be waiting rather impatiently, but the baseball debates don’t change much year after year. This month, the new season ticket prices were announced. Found on Sunday’s Boston Globe, on the Baseball page:
The Red Sox sent season ticket-holders a team blanket as a gift. It’s actually pretty nice, according to several recipients. But the gesture didn’t seem to resonate well. One correspondent shared an email he sent back to the Sox suggesting they should have spent the money on better players.
— Joanne Hulbert
Chicago, IL/Milwaukee, WI (Emil Rothe/Ken Keltner Chapters)
Celebrate SABR Day 2024 with the Emil Rothe and Ken Keltner chapters on Saturday, February 3 at The Brat Stop, 12304 75th Street in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It’s a day for all baseball fans to come together, regardless of where they live, and talk about the game we all love. Festivities will begin at 11 a.m.
This year’s speakers include Scott Simkus, Scott Lindholm and Susan Shemanske. Topics will include Negro Leagues competitors you didn’t expect, top five Negro Leagues players by position, being a pioneering female sports reporter, and more. RSVP today and invite friends. This event is open to members and non-members.
Cincinnati, OH (Hoyt-Allen Chapter)
On February 24, 2024, SABR’s Hoyt-Allen Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on the campus at Xavier University in Smith Hall’s Room 218.
Here was our program:
- 9:00 a.m.: Introductions and Announcements
- 9:30: Tyler Bradshaw, Executive Director of The Nuxhall Foundation.
- 10:30: Nate Holtz and Dave Hyland: Is Depth or Breadth More Important in Lineup Construction?
- 11:00: Russ Speiller – Sandy Koufax UC Bearcat research
- 11:30: Jacob Buonaccorsi, Matt DePrey and Isaac Santor – Geographical Representation of MLB
- 12:00 p.m.: Keith O’Brien, “Charlie Hustle”
- 12:30: Member Projects:
- Russ Speiller – I’m in the process of researching a Cincinnati “Field of Dreams” story. The story involves Cincinnati real estate developer Neil Bortz who built a baseball field in his backyard. Based on a series of connections and circumstances, primarily the MLB strike in 1981, the Cincinnati Reds used his field to practice and stay in shape during the strike
- Tom Reilly – John Good Reilly HOF Bid
Cleveland, OH (Jack Graney Chapter)
The agenda for the Jack Graney Chapter’s SABR Day meeting is set. We will conduct the meeting on Zoom and it will be 10 am to 12 noon on Saturday, February 3, SABR Day. Our speakers will include:
- Kyle Burris, Cleveland Guardians Director of R&D
- Zack Meisel, The Athletic staff writer
In addition, we will have two members of our chapter speaking. Scott Jarrett will talk about his soon to be published book on Ten Cent Beer Night. John McMurray will talk about SABR’s oral history project and conversations with former Cleveland players.
If you wish to attend our meeting please email Joe Shaw for the Zoom link. As always, guests are most welcome to attend.
Columbus, OH (Hank Gowdy Chapter)
SABR’s Hank Gowdy Chapter in Columbus, Ohio, held a hybrid SABR Day event at the Northwest Branch Library in Worthington, Ohio, and also via Zoom.
We heard presentations from our membership on The Worst Baseball Trades, Cleveland Municipal Stadium All-Star Games, and on Duster Mails of the 1920-21 Indians. Rick Huhn won our annual trivia contest. Finally, everyone who bought book raffle ticket went home a winner.
Concord, NH (Northern New England Chapter)
SABR’s Northern New England Chapter in New Hampshire held a series of virtual Zoom meetings for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
We stepped to the plate beginning at 9 AM ET with Tyler Kepner. Tyler is an author and sports journalist who is currently a senior baseball writer for The Athletic, after spending more than 23 years writing baseball for the New York Times and a longtime SABR member. He spoke about his career in sports journalism and also to discuss his books, K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches and The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series.
Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
At 12:00 p.m. Eastern, our 2nd session was with Lindsay Berra, who discussed the new documentary It Ain’t Over, on the life of her grandfather, Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.
As an MLB.com contributor from 2013-18, Lindsay established herself as an authority on baseball fitness and injuries and appeared frequently on MLB Network to discuss her stories. She is the oldest grandchild of Yogi and Carmen Berra and is a board member at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey. It Ain’t Over is an intimate portrait of a misunderstood American icon. This emotional and uplifting documentary about Yogi Berra takes us beyond the caricatures and “Yogisms,” and into the heart of a sports legend whose unparalleled accomplishments on the baseball diamond were often overshadowed by his off-the-field persona.
Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
And finally at 4:00 PM ET, we dug in the batter’s box with Andy Tuetken.
Andy is a SABR member and author from Rhode Island who has a brand-new book, Murals of McCoy. Every once in a while, a person comes across something that brings them back to a memory they sincerely cherish – one they wish could be relived over and over again. For this long-time Pawtucket Red Sox fan, that “something” was the collection of 95 hand painted and photographed player murals that adorn the winding concourses of McCoy Stadium. Although the Pawtucket Red Sox are gone and McCoy Stadium sits empty, this Rhode Islander’s passion for the game of baseball and the player murals could not be dampened. Thus began the journey to give new life to the murals and provide a place that the 95 players who were represented could continue to tell their story and live on for generations to come.
Click here to watch a replay on YouTube.
Cooperstown, NY (Cliff Kachline Chapter)
The Cliff Kachline Chapter hosted a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024, in the Bullpen Theater at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Guest speakers included authors Erik Sherman and Gary Mintz, as well as Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch.
Sherman is a baseball historian and the best-selling author of eight books on baseball, including Daybreak at Chavez Ravine: Fernandomania and the remaking of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mintz is the founder of the New York Giants Preservation Society and its weekly podcast. He discussed his new book Baseball From 3,000 Miles Away: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of being an East Coast San Francisco Giants Fan.
Rawitch spoke about upcoming events and initiatives of the Hall of Fame, as well as his future plans/vision for the organization.
Dayton, OH (Dayton Chapter)
The SABR chapter in Dayton, Ohio, held its first Book Club meeting for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the downtown Dayton Metro Library. Our first book selection will be a Yogi Berra biography. You can choose one of your choice, or there are several available at local libraries.
Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Chapter)
The Rocky Mountain Chapter gathered on Saturday, February 3, 2024, for our annual SABR Day festivities, starting at 9:30 am at the Stanley Beer Hall in Aurora, Colorado.
The day began with an open panel discussion featuring prominent Rockies media personalities followed by a trivia contest. And finally, we enjoyed our traditional game of catch on the lawn.
Our experts panel included:
- Drew Goodman: The voice of the Colorado Rockies on television for AT&T SportsNet since 2002, Goodman’s play-by-play expertise has been an integral part of some of the greatest moments in franchise history. Winner of 13 Colorado Sportscaster of the Year Awards, he hosts the Drew Goodman Podcast each week and is the author of If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Colorado Rockies Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box (2019).
- Thomas Harding: No one has written more about the Rockies for MLB.com than Harding. The 2024 season will mark his 25th as a beat reporter covering the team. Few have the knowledge of the inner workings of Denver’s franchise than him. Harding, a uniform designer and sketch artist in his free time, is a font for wonderful baseball stories.
- Cory Sullivan: Big leaguer for parts of six seasons and member of the 2007 Colorado Rockies’ World Series team, Sullivan has spent the past 10 years working as a color commentator for Rockies broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet. He’s the first and only player in the history of the franchise to hit two triples in the same inning (4/9/06 @SD).
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Des Moines, IA (Field of Dreams Chapter)
The Field of Dreams Chapter met for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at SingleSpeed Brewing in Des Moines, Iowa. Check out their website at www.SingleSpeedBrewing.com.
Detroit, MI (Southern Michigan Chapter)
SABR’s Southern Michigan Chapter held a virtual SABR Day meeting on Zoom on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
The meeting began with an interview with Hall of Famer and Michigan native Jim Kaat, who won 283 career games and was one of only five pitchers in AL/NL history to pitch in 25 seasons. After his playing career, Kaat spent more than 30 years in the broadcast booth, most prominently for the Yankees and Twins. Journalist and Hall of Fame expert Dan D’Addona will interview Kaat.
The second part of our meeting (1:26:55) consisted of a panel discussion/retrospective on the career of recently retired and almost certain future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera. Panelists included Jason Beck of MLB.com, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, and Rogelio Castillo of Tigers Minor League Report and Motor City Bengals. Stalwart Chapter member Dan D’Addona, Sports Editor for the Holland Sentinel, will do double duty at our meeting and also serve as the panel moderator.
Click here to watch a replay of the meeting on YouTube.
Fort Wayne, IN (Kekionga Chapter)
The Kekionga Chapter of Fort Wayne held its annual SABR Day meeting on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at the History Center of the Allen County – Fort Wayne Historical Society.
Our guest speaker, Tim Tassler, has spent the past 13 years researching the history of Black baseball in Fort Wayne. Find out what major league baseball Hall of Famers played for Fort Wayne teams. How does heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson have ties to black baseball here in Fort Wayne? What Negro League teams stopped and played in Fort Wayne, including a championship game played here? This history has been rather obscured and unknown until now. It too has a great story to tell. For more information, please visit Black Baseball in the Summit City.
Houston, TX (Larry Dierker Chapter)
The Larry Dierker Chapter held its annual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the Jax Grill in Houston, Texas.
Our guest speaker was Brian McTaggart, Houston Astros beat reporter for MLB.com.
Click here to watch a replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Jersey City, NJ (Elysian Fields Chapter)
The Elysian Fields Chapter in New Jersey held a virtual Zoom event for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
Here was our program (all times EST):
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Dr. Cathy Leogrande, Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY
“Capturing the Game on Canvas: Norman Rockwell’s Baseball Illustrations”
9:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.
Break
9:40 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Jerry Grillo, “Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize”
10:10 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.
Break
10:20 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Phil Coffin, “When Baseball Was Still Topps: Portraits of the Game in 1959, Card by Card”
10:50 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Dan Schlossberg
John Saccoman
Debate – Hammerin’ Hank vs. The Say Hey Kid: Who was the better ballplayer?
Kansas City, MO (Monarchs Chapter)
The Monarchs Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the Trailside Center in Kansas City.
Our guest speakers included:
- Carter Woodiel, play by play announcer of the 2023 American Association champion Kansas City Monarchs
- Jack Pelikan, author of the new book Vintage Baseball’s Enduring Legacy
- Tom Prendergast, executive director of the Ban Johnson Collegiate League
Las Vegas, NV (Maddux Bros. Chapter)
SABR’s Maddux Brothers Chapter met on Saturday, February 3, 2024, for SABR Day, at The Mob Museum. We met first in the Oscar Goodman Room to talk a bit of baseball, hear a presentation from Chris Kaempfer, and hear from some other members. Then we went through the museum and talked about a couple of baseball connections. Members were free after that to tour the museum and visit The Underground, which is the museum’s speakeasy and opens on Saturdays at noon.
Lexington, KY (Sweet Lou Johnson Chapter)
The Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington chapter celebrated SABR Day with a virtual meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Our guest speaker was Keith O’Brien, New York Times best-selling author of Charlie Hustle, coming in March 2024.
Little Rock, AR (Robinson-Kell Chapter)
The Robinson-Kell SABR chapter celebrated SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at First Southern Baptist Church in Bryant, Arkansas.
Our guest speaker was Chase Hartsell. Chase is a senior majoring in communications with emphases in sports media and multimedia journalism at Ouachita Baptist University. A native of Hot Springs, he is the student director of the Ouachita Sports Digital Network: a student-led sports broadcasting program at OBU. In addition to award-winning sports writing, documentary, and feature reporting work, Hartsell also serves as an announcer and host for multiple Ouachita Tiger athletic teams, Arkadelphia Badger Football, and the Great American Conference.
From his series “Hidden Heroes: An Arkansas Sports Anthology,” Chase will present his research on two Arkansas baseball topics:
- “Hot Springs’ Hidden Heroes: Jim and Leander Tugerson”
- “The Wonder from Waldo: Travis Jackson”
Following the guest speaker, we heard the following presentations:
- Mark Williamson: The 1908 Arkansas State League and Side Roads Explored
- Johnny Mullins: Jim King of Elkins, Arkansas
- Jim Yeager: Aaron Ward, the Forgotten Man in Arkansas Baseball History
- Kent Faught: Evolving Competitive Advantage in MLB
Louisville, KY (Pee Wee Reese Chapter)
The Pee Wee Reese Chapter in Louisville, Kentucky held its SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the Louisville Slugger Museum.
Our speakers/presenters included:
Evelyn Pollard: Evelyn is a Jefferson County Public School teacher specializing in media arts, cinematography and video production. She recently completed a documentary on the Cleveland Buckeyes, a short-lived Negro Leagues Baseball team that came out of nowhere to win the league championship in 1945. The Slugger Museum is going to make its theater available for us to watch the documentary, which runs for around 20 minutes. Evelyn will also make remarks and answer questions.
Nick Curran: Nick is the Director of Broadcasting for the Louisville Bats and the Bats’ wonderful announcer. He spoke to us last year and focused on the announcing profession and was a big hit. This year, he is going to talk about last summer, the summer when the fortunes of both the Bats and the Reds turned around. In the last few years, a lot of top talent has moved through Louisville and up to the Reds, who are poised to compete for the NL Central title and have many similarities to the Baltimore Orioles, both loaded with young stars that have blossomed quickly so as to give their mid-market franchises time to shoot the moon. Nick will also discuss the impact of the new Bats ownership.
Lew Freedman: Lew is out with a new book, Tales From the Clubhouse: Great Baseball Moments Remembered. Lew is a sportswriter and the former sports editor of the Anchorage Daily News (in Alaska) and The Republic (in Columbus, Indiana) and has worked on the staffs of the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Florida Times-Union, and has spoken to us before. He has written over six dozen books and not all baseball. He’ll be bringing copies of his new book and others to autograph.
Gary Cieradkowski: Our loyal friend and Chapter illustrator, Gary will bring us up to date on his latest projects, including telling of Casey Stengel’s season with Maysville, Kentucky in 1910.
Jack Sullivan: Jack will administer his world-famous and tortuous trivia contest that no amount of studying can prepare one for.
Bailey Mazik: Bailey will introduce us to the Museum and give a short overview of the recent renovation and other things in store for 2024. Bailey and the Museum have been such good friends to our Chapter and to baseball in our area.
Dorian Hairston (pictured above): Dorian is a poet, scholar and former University of Kentucky baseball player from Lexington who has written a just-released book of poetry titled “Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson,” published by the University Press of Kentucky.
Miami, FL (South Florida Chapter)
Members of SABR’s South Florida Chapter attended a Serie de la Caribe game between Mexico and Panama for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
Middletown, CT (Smoky Joe Wood Chapter)
The Connecticut Smoky Joe Wood Chapter celebrated SABR Day with a chapter breakfast on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the Athenian diner on Washington Street in Middletown, Connecticut.
Minneapolis, MN (Halsey Hall Chapter)
The Halsey Hall Chapter in Minnesota held a virtual SABR Day event, in conjunction with the Ken Keltner Badger State Chapter in Wisconsin, on January 31, 2024.
Our guest speaker was Steve Gietschier, who will discuss his new book, Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years.
Click here to watch a replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Mt. Laurel, NJ (Goose Goslin Chapter)
SABR’s Goose Goslin Chapter held its SABR Day meeting on Thursday, February 1, 2024, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
We heard from Joe Gorski about the Hot Stovers Baseball Club of South Jersey and the South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame.
We also had fellow member Ira Levinton present on career MLB batting ratings which was followed by discussion.
We had baseball books and magazines available, kindly donated to our chapter by Ira.
Naples, FL (Seymour-Mills Chapter)
SABR’s Seymour-Mills Chapter in the Naples-Fort Myers area celebrated SABR Day on Friday, January 19, 2024, by meeting at the Boston Beer Garden on Immokalee Road in Naples. This was an informal gathering of baseball friends, and we also bounced around any ideas attendees had for future Chapter activities.
Nashville, TN (Rice-Russell Chapter)
SABR’s Rice-Russell Nashville Chapter held a virtual Zoom meeting for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
We began with our introductions before hearing about two new books:
Keith O’Brien will discuss his new book Charlie Hustle, to be published in March. Keith says “This book is the definitive story of Pete Rose’s rise and fall, built with the help of federal court documents never utilized before, interviews with three former associates who placed Pete’s bets on baseball, more than 150 hours of interviews with the people who knew Pete best, and 27 hours of interviews with Pete Rose himself—until he stopped calling me back, until he shut down.”
Chapter member Marshall Adesman will present his new book, The Mountain Empire League. Marshall says “Baseball is its backdrop but, because it is set in the very early 1950s in the South, it deals with much more than runs, hits and errors.”
New Orleans, LA (Schott-Pelican Chapter)
The Schott-Pelican (New Orleans) Chapter held a hybrid SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at the Holiday Inn Metairie in Metairie, Louisiana.
Our two featured speakers were:
Carlis Wright Robinson, on the life and career of her father, John Wright, who was a noted former Negro Leagues and Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher
Javik Blake, Biloxi Shuckers Media Relations and Broadcaster, who made a presentation on the history of baseball in Biloxi
New York, NY (Casey Stengel Chapter)
SABR’s Casey Stengel NYC Chapter held a virtual SABR Day meeting on Zoom on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
Our guest speaker was the award-winning author Joe Posnanski of The Baseball 100 and Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments.
Click here to watch a replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Norfolk, VA (Bud Metheny Chapter)
SABR’s Bud Metheny Chapter on Virginia’s Eastern Shore held its annual SABR Day meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
Our guest speakers were Jason Schwartz of the SABR Baseball Cards Research Committee and Keith O’Brien (52:15), author of the upcoming book, Charlie Hustle.
Click here to watch a video replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Orlando, FL (Central Florida Chapter)
The Central Florida Chapter held a virtual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Our speaker was Lindsay Berra, eldest granddaughter of Yogi. Lindsay is the writer and executive producer of the full-length documentary of her grandfather, IT AIN’T OVER, which can be found on Netflix. Thanks to Rick Vaughn for making the arrangements.
Lindsay Berra is a freelance sports journalist based in Montclair, NJ. At MLB.com from January 2013 thru January 2018, she established herself as an authority on baseball fitness and injuries and appeared frequently on the MLB Network to discuss her stories. From 1999 thru 2012, she was a senior writer for ESPN Magazine, covering primarily ice hockey, tennis, baseball and the Olympics. Lindsay received her undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she played varsity softball and men’s club ice hockey. She is the oldest grandchild of Yogi and Carmen Berra and is a board member at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, NJ.
Philadelphia, PA (Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter)
The Connie Mack-Dick Allen Philadelphia Chapter held a SABR Day meeting from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at Rosemont College in Rosemont, PA.
Our lineup is:
- 9:00-9:40 – Adam Darowski – “Immaculate Grid Stats”
- 9:40-10:20 – Matt Albertson – “The Scorecard Vote: A Fan’s View of the 1895 Phillies”
- 10:20-11:00 – Brian Michael – Update on the Negro League exhibit, now installed at Camden Co. College in Cherry Hill
- 11:00-11:40 – Paul Ember – Starting9
- 11:40-12:40 – LUNCH
- 12:40-1:20 – Jon Volkmer – “Race, Railroads and Baseball in 1950: Researching the Historical Novel Brave in Season”
- 1:20-1:30 – Seamus Kearney – “Why I loathe the Ken Burns documentary on Baseball”
- 1:30-2:00 – Ed Morton – “A History of Recreation Park”
- 2:00-2:40 – Mark Kanter – Sandy Koufax’s Last Major League Start
- 2:40-3:20 – Mike Walsh – “tBG (total Bases Generated), a New Baseball Stat that Measures Offensive Productivity”
- 3:20-4:00 – Barrett Snyder – “Rachel Balkovec’s Baseball Journey: A Comprehensive Profile”
Phoenix, AZ (Hemond-Delhi Arizona Chapter)
Our first SABR Hemond-Delhi Arizona Chapter meeting of the year was held on SABR Day on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at the Eagles Buffet in Casino Arizona in Scottsdale.
Our guest speaker was Ed Lynch, former MLB pitcher, general manager and scout now hosting his own baseball-themed podcast called “Surfing Baseball.”
Pittsburgh, PA (Forbes Field Chapter)
SABR’s Forbes Field Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2024, in the business center at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Here is our program:
- 9:00 – 9:15 am: Mark Woods/Jim Trdinich, Opening Remarks
- 9:15 – 9:30 am: Nick DeMao, Where is First Base from the 7th Game of the 1960 World Series?
- 9:30 – 10:15 am: Jim Haller, Baseball in Philadelphia, a Tale of Two Cities
- 10:15 – 11:15 am: Jason Mackey, Life as a Beat Writer Covering the Pirates & Q&A.
- 11:15 am – 12:15 pm: Lanny Frattare, Are Vin Scully and Jack Buck still relevant?
- 12:15 – 1:00 pm: LUNCH BREAK
- 1:00 – 2:30 pm: Paul Allen, Bright Lights, Black Stars
- 2:30 – 3:00 pm: Brian Engelhardt, The Baseball Odyssey of Harry ‘Shadow’ Pyle (However he did
not know what evil lurked in the hearts of men) - 3:00 – 3:45 pm: Kevin Lane, KeepScore Baseball Scorebook
- 3:45 – 4:00 pm: Mark Woods, Closing remarks
Today’s attendee meeting admission fee will be donated to Pirates Charities. We thank the Pittsburgh Pirates for hosting our meeting at PNC Park.
Rochester, NY (Luke Easter Chapter)
SABR’s Luke Easter Chapter and the Rochester Baseball Historical Society hosted the 10th Annual Hot Stove Dinner on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the Webster Golf Club in Webster, New York.
Our guest this year was fan favorite Jeff Manto, a member of the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame after winning an IL MVP in his season with the team; a member of the Buffalo Bisons Hall of Fame whose number is retired by the team, and an International League Hall of Famer.
Click here to watch a video replay of this meeting.
San Diego, CA (Ted Williams Chapter)
The Ted Williams Chapter held its SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at JULEP on Hancock Street in downtown San Diego, California.
Our SABR Day program lineup was as follows:
Leading off was Andy Strasberg, who treated us to a collection of stories from his 22 years in the Padres front office and from his time as a marketing consultant for five baseball Hall of Famers.
Next up was Josh Stein, Vice President/Assistant General Manager of the Padres, who engaged us with some “hot stove” talk about our 2024 Padres. Josh joined the Padres over 20 years ago and has been Assistant GM since 2013.
We also had a trivia quiz and talked about some of our chapter’s current projects.
San Francisco/Sacramento, CA (Lefty O’Doul/Dusty Baker Chapters)
On Monday, January 29, 2024, the Lefty O’Doul/Bay Area Chapter and Dusty Baker/Sacramento Chapter enjoyed an early SABR Day with a virtual Zoom meeting. We were joined by new Oakland Ballers manager Micah Franklin.
Many of us share disappointment over the Oakland A’s situation. However, the new Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League are dedicated to delivering a joyful, community-focused experience for Oakland and the entire East Bay. Bay Area native Micah Franklin has spent 30 years in professional baseball, including 15 years as a player. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals in 1997 and also played many years in Japan and Korea. Micah has spent the last 15 years as a scout and coach. He shared his story and discussed the upcoming season for the Oakland Ballers.
Click here to watch a replay of this meeting on YouTube.
St. Louis, MO (Bob Broeg Chapter)
Pictured from left, Brian Boehringer, Ed Wheatley (chapter VP), Randy Karraker, Jason Simontacchi, and Allison Levin (chapter president)
The Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter celebrated SABR Day with our annual luncheon on Saturday, February 3, at the McPherson in the Central West End of St. Louis.
After a catered lunch, Randy Karraker gave us insights into the upcoming season and then he was joined by Brian Boehringer and Jason Simontacchi for a roundtable discussion about the game’s current state. After the discussion, there was plenty of time for questions.
South Bend, IN (Lou Criger Chapter)
The Lou Criger Chapter of Michiana was excited to host Keith O’Brien to present his forthcoming book, Charlie Hustle, for a virtual SABR Day event on Saturday, February 18, 2024.
Keith is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist. More information about Keith O’Brien and his upcoming book, Charlie Hustle, can be found here: https://keithob.com
Click here to watch a video replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Tallahassee, FL (Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter)
Members and guests of the SABR Buck O’Neil/North Florida Chapter gathered on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at Casa Grande Margaritas & Cocina in Tallahassee, Florida, for their monthly meeting and SABR Day celebration. In attendance were:
- Matt Keelean, President
- Renee Watters, Communications Co-Director
- Brent Kallestad, Communications Co-Director
- Rick Swain, Treasurer
- Kent Putnam, Secretary
- Frank Alarcon
- Franklin Billingslea
- Fred Dunphy
- Bruce Grant
- Diana Kampert
- John Nogowski
- Glenn Robertson
- Chuck Rosciam
- Wes Singletary
- Jim Turner
- Andrew Waber
- Jim Wolf
President Keelean called the meeting to order at 1:22 PM, and asked attendees to introduce themselves and describe their experience with and interest in the sport. Matt noted that this marked the ten years of SABR Day Celebrations by the Buck O’Neil Chapter and gave a short history of our organization, speaking to its growth over the years. We discussed the central SABR organization; those who have attended the national conferences recommended the experience.
College, JUCO, and high school baseball are of consistently high quality in our geographic area. A repeat visit to FAMU will be scheduled again this season, and a visit to TCC will be scheduled as well. Due to the difficulty in getting an adequate number of seats together (if at all), visits to FSU hardball and softball games has been omitted from consideration as group outing options.
Per discussion among the project leaders, the proposed Tally Ball research project and website is tabled until further notice.
Chuck gave a presentation on the results of this year’s Hall of Fame voting where Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer made the grade while Billy Wagner just missed. (In a straw ballot by chapter members Beltre got the nod, the first such candidate to be so honored.) We looked at trends and considered what the future might hold in this always-interesting corner of the baseball universe.
Our special guest for SABR Day 2024 was Jim Henry, editor of the Tallahassee Democrat sports page, with Brent Kallestad acting as moderator. Jim spoke first of the recent death of Mike Martin Sr., who coached FSU baseball for many, many years. Jim also covered many other baseball-related topics including favorite players, raising a son who played intercollegiate and professional baseball, writing on college ball for the press, and more. His presentation was extremely well-received and we are encouraged that he will now join us at monthly meetings on a regular basis.
Because of the pressures of time, the Annual Trivia Contest was postponed until the March meeting.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4 PM.
— Kent Putnam, Chapter Secretary
Tigard, OR (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
SABR’s Pacific Northwest Chapter held a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the Grand Hotel at Bridgeport in Tigard, Oregon.
We led off with Mark Armour’s presentation on baseball’s one millionth run. Mike Rice followed with a review of the 2023 Seattle Mariners and a preview of this year’s season. And after that, we heard from the Portland Diamond Project and got the latest on the prospects for an MLB team in PDX.
Finally, we capped the afternoon with the premiere of the film Pioneers of the Pacific, introduced by auteur Kirk Findlay. This is a feature length film and we heard from several Portland Mavericks alumni about their experiences.
Toronto, ON (Hanlan’s Point Chapter)
The Hanlan’s Point Chapter in Toronto held a SABR Day celebration on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
Our special guest speaker was Pat Hentgen, former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher and current Jays special advisor, and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee. We heard stories and held a Q&A with the Cy Young Award-wining pitcher to celebrate 30 years since the Blue Jays’ back-to-back World Series championships.
Tulsa, OK (Oklahoma Chapter)
The Oklahoma Chapter held a virtual Zoom meeting for SABR Day on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
We heard presentations from Jesse Asbury (0:01) on the first Oklahoma-born major leaguer and from Fred Worth (17:40) on Oklahoma’s Buried Baseball Treasures.
Click here to watch a replay of this meeting on YouTube.
Victoria, BC (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
SABR Day Brunch – Pacific Northwest Chapter
Victoria, BC
To celebrate SABR Day and chat about our favourite sport, members of the Pacific Northwest Chapter met on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at John’s Place in Victoria, British Columbia.
Washington, DC (Bob Davids Chapter)
The Bob Davids Chapter held its annual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, January 27, 2024. We were pleased to once again have DC area-based Consulting Services and Analytics firm Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) as our hosts. This year’s meeting took place in The Helix Center For Innovation, Booz Allen’s new immersive visualization center, located in the heart of D.C. at McPherson Square.
Our guest speakers included:
- Chelsea Janes (pictured above), national baseball reporter for the Washington Post
- Booz Allen Hamilton Panel Discussion: Anton (Tony) Dahbura, Brandon Erbe. Tony owned the Hagerstown Suns when it was a Nats affiliate and has worked with the Mexican Professional Baseball League; Brandon has been a player and one of the Dodgers minor league pitching coordinators, prior to joining BAH. They and moderator Tony Hughes discussed their experiences and how they integrated analytics into their player and front office roles. Plus lots of stories!
- Dave Smith, Retrosheet Founder and Past President, who discussed “The Three-batter Rule: Demise of the LOOGY?”, which was previously presented at the SABR 51 convention in Chicago.
- Chapter member research presentations
Williamsport, PA (Sebring-Stovey Chapter)
SABR’s Sebring-Stovey Williamsport Chapter held its annual SABR Day meeting on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the James V. Brown Library’s Lowry Room. More than 75 members and friends attended the meeting.
Our guest speaker was Gabe Sinicropi, Vice President of Marketing for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League. We heard an exciting and informative presentation on baseball card collecting, as Gabe shared and explained his card collection and hobby.
