Hot Dogs, Box Scores, and Brotherhood: Join SABR Long Island,No Calculus Required, Just a Love of the Game
- Mark Rosenman
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Back in 1971, a small group of baseball thinkers gathered in Cooperstown—the spiritual home of the game—to start something that would grow far beyond their wildest dreams. That group became the Society for American Baseball Research. Today, it’s a worldwide community thousands strong, made up of people who share one simple trait: they love baseball.
Not “they can calculate launch angle in their sleep” love. Not “they’ve memorized every OPS+ since 1912” love.
Just… love baseball.
And here’s the part that matters most for us on Long Island: this past month, I was given the green light to start a Long Island chapter of SABR. Which means, for the first time, there’s a real opportunity to build something local, something fun, something meaningful—and yes, something that has absolutely nothing to do with spreadsheets if you don’t want it to.
Let me say this as clearly as possible: SABR is not a secret society of stat-heads whispering about exit velocity in dimly lit rooms. It’s a community. A big, diverse, wonderfully baseball-obsessed community.
Sure, there are analysts. But there are also historians, writers, former players, broadcasters, students, and—this is the majority—regular fans who just enjoy arguing about whether the 1969 Mets could beat the 1986 Mets while waiting in line for a hot dog.
Speaking of hot dogs, Humphrey Bogart once said, “A hot dog at the ballpark beats roast beef at the Ritz.” If that line resonates with you, congratulations—you’re already overqualified for SABR.
What does membership actually look like? It’s access to an incredible baseball library—archives, articles, research, and stories that you can dive into whether you’re writing a book or just killing time on a rainy Sunday. It’s meetings and events, both local and national, where the conversation can range from the Deadball Era to the best baseball movies ever made (and yes, we will absolutely argue about that).
On Long Island, we’re planning to keep things as fun and as grounded as the game itself. Think monthly baseball movie nights. Group trips to see the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and the Long Island Ducks. Guest speakers. Storytelling. Baseball conversations that start before first pitch and somehow continue three innings after the game ends.
But there’s something deeper here, too—and it’s one of the things I’m most excited about.
SABR runs a Baseball Memories program, a major focus for us will be expanding SABR’s Baseball Memories Program across Long Island—using the game we all love to help people facing cognitive challenges, illness, or isolation reconnect with joy, conversation, and human connection. That’s baseball at its absolute best.
It’s about the story your dad told you about the first game he ever took you to.
It’s about remembering where you were when your team won it all.
It’s about arguing, laughing, learning, and occasionally being proven completely wrong—and enjoying that too.
There’s no test to join. No minimum knowledge requirement. No one’s going to hand you a calculator at the door and say, “Show us what you’ve got.”
All you need is curiosity and a love of the game.
You can read. You can write. You can listen. You can just show up and talk baseball with people who get it.
That’s it.
Even Groucho Marx—who famously said he’d never join a club that would have him as a member—was a baseball fan. I have a feeling if he wandered into one of our meetings, heard a spirited debate about a blown call in 1973, grabbed a hot dog, and stayed for the laughs… he might’ve made an exception.
So if you’re on Long Island and baseball still means something to you—whether it’s box scores, backstories, or just the smell of the grass in the summer—we’d love to have you.
And if you’re looking for something more than just watching games alone on the couch—if you want to be part of a like-minded community where the conversation flows as easily as a seventh-inning stretch—this is your chance. This is how you turn “I love baseball” into “I’ve found my baseball people.”
Joining is simple—no secret handshake, no pop quiz on OPS+:
* Visit: SABR.org/join
* Pick a membership plan (annual, monthly, or multi-year)
* Membership is open to everyone—fans, students, professionals, and anyone who’s ever kept score on a napkin
* Discounted rates are available for students, young professionals (under 30), and seniors
* Prefer the old-school route? You can even join by phone at 602-496-1460
**Special Offer:**
If you join by May 13, you can take $15 off an annual membership by using the code **AllEras15** at sign-up. (See? Even baseball history people appreciate a good deal.)
Once signed up join our Chapter: NY-Long Island Ralph Kiner (New York)
What we’re building here on Long Island goes beyond meetings and discussions. Yes, there will be plenty of both—and plenty of laughs to go with them—but the goal is something bigger: a true baseball community. One that shows up for games together, shares stories, and connects generations of fans.
And maybe most importantly, one that gives back.
If you want more information, have questions, or just want to say hello—even if it’s simply to let me know you joined—feel free to drop me a line at kinerskorner.com@gmail.com . I’d genuinely love to hear from you.
So come for the games. Stay for the stories. And if you’ve ever believed—even for a second—that baseball is more than just a sport, then you already belong here.
Because this isn’t about being an expert.
It’s about being a fan.
And if you agree with Bogart about the hot dog?
You’re exactly who we’re looking for.
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