Any SABR members here?

[abolishthedh]

As a SABR member who was not able to attend the recent conference, I am interested in meeting more SABR people. Anyone, and did you attend the annual conference?

[jalbright]

I'm a member, but I've never attended the conference.

Jim Albright

[VIBaseball]

Like Jim, I've never attended the national. But use the SABR online directory -- if you ever have questions, members are 99.9% willing to help out with what they know.

[runningshoes]

I've been a member for six months now. Best baseball "move" I ever made.

[jalbright]

There's a mailing list only members can use (it's a pretty good one, and Bill James even posts to it once in a while), you get the Baseball Research Journal and National Pastime annual issues (about 150 pp filled with various research articles prepared by members), a monthly newsletter which includes info on the vast majority of baseball books due out in a given month, and one or two additional books. I think the last book was the paperback National League Deadball Stars. Personally, I think the publications plus the book are and mailing list are worth the dues, so anything else you get out of it (contacts for research, access to data, the conference, meetings of local chapters) are gravy.

Jim Albright

[85cards]

I am also a member. I very much enjoy the publications which include the Baseball Research Journal (which tends to be more about stats), The National Pastime (which tends to favor stories and biography) and the SABR-published books. Books on Addie Joss and Uncle Robbie were among my favorite.

[SABR Matt]

As my user name implies, I am in SABR...i've been a member since 2003, though I've not been able to afford to make any of the national conferences and can only occasionally attend regional meetings.

I'd be WAY more active in SABR if I could afford the costs involved.

[Mike D.]

I've been a SABR member since 2003. I haven't been to any meetings, but I'm going to my first regional meeting this coming Saturday, at McCoy stadium home of the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox) in Pawtucket, RI. Among other guest there will be Bill Almon, the only Rhode Islander ever taken #1 overall in the draft (1974). I'll make sure to report on the meeting.

I love the books that SABR sends out periodically...some great reads. That, plus the research opportunities, are well worth the price of admission.

BTW, I believe they have a cheaper membership for people under age 30 or 35. Worth looking into if you qualify.

[SABR Matt]

I mean no offense to the vast majority of SABR members or to the ideals SABR attempts to represent, but they are lead by a pack of very old, very inefficient, frustratingly backwards dinosaurs who are afraid of their computers.

[redbuck]

I'm in SABR, never used Proquest or The Sporting News. When I do research I usually do it conceptually in broad formats without trying to get everything exactly perfect, because realistically I can't so I use ranges and get as close as I easily can. That's enough for showing evidence and supporting positions.

I enjoy SABR for local meetings and to hear speakers. I enjoy the Baseball Research Journal and the directory. SABR really gives you a nice intellectual way to think about baseball and meet other people who don't just rely on what they see. It's a good way to affirm a knowledge and a love of baseball.

I simply enjoy having access to research. It also makes it a lot easier to get in contact with guys like Bill James.

There are no real qualifications for SABR other than paying dues.

[KevinMc]

I'm also a SABR member and have been since 1997.

Being a SABR member has been great for me. If you subscribe to their e-mail list, SABR-L and have research questions, there are also people willing to help or lend advice.

I've never been to a convention because they've been so far away from me. But I'm hoping to go to the one in St. Louis next year.

[barzilla]

I can't speak to SABR conferences or leadership, but I have to echo Matt's sentiment on my local chapter. They are all very nice people and very knowledgable on baseball history, but I don't have anyone there that I can really bounce off sabermetric ideas off of. I've made a few stat oriented presentations to them because I am THE stat expert in the chapter. Something about that scares me.

However, I can generally say I'm glad I've joined SABR. Removing the stat element, there aren't many people that know more baseball than those guys and I would never want the historical focused people to leave the organization. I just wish there were more numbers folks.

[AstrosFan]

I joined SABR this year.

[crzblue]

I joined early this year (2010). I saw they had a booth at the last All-Star fanfest in San Francisco. Since then I've been thinking of joining. Looking at the conference in Atlanta, it looks to be a lot of fun for a baseball fan so I am thinking of attending my first conference. I posted the conference information in my latest blog.
Emma

http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/

http://DodgersBlueBlog.com/

[Melottfan]

Been a SABR Member since 1981. Been to three SABR Conventions. The best group around to be a part of. In 1993, Richard Dempsey, myself along with Arthur Schott organized the Schott/Pelican chapter in New Orleans. Jay Gauthreaux