SABR Rattling

I was recently reminded that SABR’s annual membership drive has begun, which prompted me to check my own membership status.  I was happy to note that I still have until the last day of the year before I have to renew.  And although I missed it and failed to celebrate properly, I was equally happy to note that my five-year anniversary of SABR membership came and went in late June.  As Humphrey Bogart once said, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  So far, so good.

For a diehard seamhead such as myself, a SABR membership is a no-brainer and has been an extremely rewarding experience since I first joined in 2004.  As a researcher and writer, I’m fascinated by the topics broached in the SABR-L mailing list that arrives in my e-mail box every day, and it’s a fantastic place to glean information.  Recent postings have included discussions about the veracity of clutch hitting, why Bob “Fats” Fothergill wore the number 13, and how to pronounce Charlie Weeghman’s name.  While those things may not appeal to every member on the list, I typically find them fascinating.

The SABR-L list is also a great place to go to get your questions answered or to provide information that may help someone else answer theirs.  Earlier this year, a SABR member posted a request for box scores that he could use to corroborate RBI information for a handful of players.  He provided the names of the players and dates in question and patiently awaited a response.  I have access to newspaper archives and gladly agreed to help, and it wasn’t long before I was completely immersed in the research as if it were my own project.  I was able to find some of the box scores he requested and learned a few things along the way.  It was a win-win situation all the way around.

Along with the daily interactions, there are quarterly newsletters that keep us abreast of SABR news, elections, newly available books, and research projects.  And SABR members receive free copies of periodicals and books, such as The Baseball Research Journal, The National Pastime, The Emerald Guide to Baseball, and The SABR Baseball List and Record Book.  Each is packed with statistics, and fantastic and illuminating articles written by SABR members.

For researchers and writers, the SABR Lending Library is an invaluable resource that includes microfilm of The Sporting News, The Sporting Life, and Baseball Magazine; scrapbooks from Henry Chadwick, Albert Spalding, and the old Cincinnati Red Stockings; copies of Chadwick’s diaries, correspondence from Harry Wright, and Spalding and Reach Guides up to 1905 (among many other things).  Despite the influx of information available on the Internet, including searchable newspaper archives, the microfilm reels in SABR’s library proved crucial to the completion of my first book and I have no doubt I’ll peruse them for future projects.

Perhaps the most important feature of SABR, however, are the members themselves.  I’ve met some on-line and some in person and both experiences have been mostly rewarding.  I’ve made friends and assisted colleagues; worked with some fantastic writers at Seamheads.com, most of whom are SABR members; shared ideas; and spent time at the ballpark enjoying a game and talking baseball.  I’ve spent time with other members at regional chapter meetings and hope to someday experience a full weekend of SABR at an annual convention.

I’ve also joined one of the numerous committees that interest me, including the Biographical Research, BioProject, Black Sox Scandal, Deadball Era, and Statistical Analysis committees.  That’s just one more beauty of being a SABR member—your membership can be tailor-made to your interests and specialties.

For me, the benefits of SABR are worth the very reasonable cost of $65 a year (you can save a little money by going with a three-year membership for $175, which comes to $58.33 a year).

Like I said, for a seamhead, being a SABR member is a no-brainer.  Join Now!