Roger Clemens Highlights SABR 44 Lineup

It’s that time of year again: school is out, the sun is shining, baseball is being played, and one of most excitingSABR events is coming up: the annual SABR Convention!

Houston will be SABR central when the event comes into town July 30 through August 3 for five days of baseball-related fun. The convention draws people from around the world who live for baseball, and there are lots of chances to meet other baseball lovers, writers, front office people, and Sabermetrics experts.

This year’s convention will be highlighted by a visit to Minute Maid Park, the Astros’ stadium, for an excusive ballpark panel with Astros players and executives, followed by tickets to that night’s Astros- Blue Jays game.  But there’s also a packed lineup of big-name attendees. Speakers will include former MLB players Roger Clemens, Jimmy Winn, Bob Watson, Bob Aspromonte, Hal Smith, Carl Warwick, Enos Cabell, Jose Cruz, Deacon Jones, Larry Dierker, Dr. Bobby Brown, and Eddie Robinson. Reid Ryan, son of MLB legend and Houston Astros President of Baseball Operations Nolan Ryan, will be there, as will former Astros General Manager Tal Smith, among many others.

Part of what makes it so much fun is that you are surrounded by baseball fans morning to night, and the speakers range from people really active in the sport now to baseball greats from decades ago. Last year, I blogged about the fun of meeting David Montgomery, the President of the Phillies, and how great it was to meet people who love to collect baseball cards.

SABR Executive Director Marc Appleman has seen more kids and families at local SABR Days in cities the organization visits, and he’s eager for them to come to SABR 44, too.

“SABR 44 will offer young baseball fans a chance to hear about this great game from former players, general managers, executives and members of the media,” Appleman says. “You will get an up-close look at the game from knowledgeable insiders who will be on a stage that is very close to where you'll be sitting.”

If you’re going to be in Houston, think about stopping by. If not, you can catch up with everything happening at SABR 44 with my blog posts on SIKids.com.

See you in Houston!

Visit SABR.org/convention for more information on SABR 44.

Max Mannis is a special correspondent for sikids.com and a member of SABR. Catch his posts on advanced baseball statistics. To learn more about SABR and to join, visit www.sabr.org.