The SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH (SABR) is an organization dedicated to the research and preservation of baseball with more than 6,500 members around the world. From 1990 to 2011 the organization was headquartered in the CAXTON BUILDING in downtown Cleveland.
Founded in 1971 at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum library in Cooperstown, New York, SABR was started by L. Robert "Bob" Davids and fifteen other people. Since 1974 the group has operated a lending library of baseball research resources for its members. The first item available for lending was The Sporting News on microfilm; currently there are a number of publications, books, master's theses and Ph.D. dissertations available for lending. There are also a number of online discussion forums available for members and the group's archives are available at the WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
SABR produces a number of publications each year, with articles written by SABR members and fans from around the world. It also offers a number of awards and scholarships to researchers to recognize them for their contributions to baseball research. Each year SABR hosts a national convention in a major city; in 2008 Cleveland hosted the convention. The group has a number of regional chapters around the world that host periodic meetings, including the Cleveland area Jack Graney Chapter. Although the headquarters moved to Phoenix in 2011, the regional chapter still maintains a significant presence in the Northeast Ohio baseball community.