Baseball

The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August of 1971. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game.

SABR, which is pronounced "saber" and whose acronym led to the creation of the word sabermetrics (the usage of mathematical tools to analyze baseball), is about much more than statistics. Members include not only "sabermetricians" Bill James (perhaps the best known SABR member to the general public) and Rob Neyer, but also other people active in the baseball world such as Keith Olbermann, Roland Hemond, and Bob Costas. Jeff Bajenaru is believed to be the only active player with a SABR membership; Elden Auker, Larry Dierker, and Andy Seminick also have been involved. Some of the more prominent members include SABR Founder Bob Davids (deceased), Bob McConnell (researcher deluxe), Cliff Kachline (historian). Pete Palmer (encyclopedist), Art Schott (historian), Dave Smith (retrosheet), Dave Vincent (home run log), Dick Clark (Negro Leagues), Ron Liebman (historical stats), Bill Carle (Biographical Committee), Frank Phelps (bibliographical committee) and Lyle Spatz (Records Committee), and David Nemec (prolific author). John Zajc is currently Executive Director.

Only a minority of members pursue "number crunching" research. Rather, SABR offers a community of fans organized in two ways. Research Committees study a particular issue. Regional Chapters are for members in geographic proximity. They are frequently named after baseball personalities relevant to the region.

SABR members also keep in touch through online directories and listservs set up through the central SABR office, which is based in Cleveland, Ohio. The central office also maintains a number of research tools on its website, including a lending library, home run and triple play logs, and course syllabi related to the game.

SABR offers an annual convention to its members at a different site each year. The conference generally includes panel discussions, research presentations, city-specific tourism, a ballgame, and an awards banquet. It also sponsors a literary conference in Cleveland and a Negro Leagues conference, held in a different location each year.

The 2006 convention was held in Seattle, Washington, from June 28th through July 2nd, with former Major League Baseball pitcher and author Jim Bouton as the keynote speaker. The 2007 convention was held in St. Louis, Missouri, featured Joe Garagiola as the keynote speaker and set the attendance record with 726 registered attendees out of approximately 7,000 SABR members. [1]

Research Committees

Asian Baseball

Ballparks

Baseball and the Armed Forces

Baseball Records

Bibliography

Biographical Research

BioProject

Business of Baseball

Collegiate Baseball

Deadball Era (1901-1919)

Latin America

Minor Leagues

Music and Poetry

Negro Leagues

19th Century

Oral History

Origins

Pictorial History

Science

Scouts

Spring Training

Statistics

Umpires

Women in Baseball

Regional chapters

Allan Roth - Los Angeles, California

Auker-Seminick - Orlando, Florida

Bob Broeg - St. Louis, Missouri

Bob Davids - Washington, D.C.

Bobby Thomson - England

SABRBoston - Boston, Massachusetts

Bresnahan-Mud Hens - Toledo, Ohio

Carolina - North Carolina

Casey Stengel - New York City

Connie Mack - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dayton, Ohio

Don Lund - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Elysian Fields - Northern New Jersey

Emil Rothe - Chicago, Illinois

Field of Dreams - Iowa

Flip Valentini- Louisville

Flame Delhi - Phoenix, Arizona

Forbes Field - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ford-Harrelson - Long Island, New York

Gardner-Waterman - Vermont

Hall-Ruggles - Dallas, Texas

Halsey Hall - Minnesota

Hanlan's Point - Toronto

Hoyt-Allen - Cincinnati, Ohio

Jack Graney - Cleveland, Ohio

Jesse Burkett - Worcester, Massachusetts

Jim O'Rourke - Bridgeport, Connecticut

Ken Keltner - Wisconsin

Larry Dierker - Houston, Texas

Leatherstocking - Cooperstown, New York

Lefty O'Doul - San Francisco, California

Lou Criger - South Bend, Indiana

Magnolia - Atlanta, Georgia

Monarchs - Kansas City, Missouri

Montreal

Lajoie-Start - Providence, Rhode Island

NWSABR - Seattle, Washington

Orlando Cepeda - San Juan

Oscar Charleston