Growing SABR: Community, Baseball Research, and Balancing Legacy with Innovation with Scott Bush

On this episode of The Association Podcast, Scott Bush, CEO of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), shares his path from mechanical engineering to a decade in minor league baseball, leading to his role at SABR focused on growing revenue and membership. He explains SABR’s origins in 1971, its mission of sharing baseball research, and its structure of 85 worldwide chapters and 34 research committees spanning analytics, history, and niche topics, including projects restoring grave markers for former players. Bush discusses how technology, the pandemic, and virtual engagement expanded access and community, while emphasizing “humanity first” in member communication. He outlines strategies to improve retention, build fundraising, and expand student membership through baseball analytics courses, and details current debates on content strategy, AI-driven declines in search traffic, and potential paywall or newsletter approaches. He also previews SABR 54 in Cleveland (July 29–Aug 2), featuring Guardians speakers, research presentations, a game, League Park visit, and a Major League screening with director David Ward. 00:00 Cold Open Setup00:14 Welcome and Guest Intro00:45 Rapid Fire Questions02:34 Scott Career Journey05:59 What Sabre Does07:52 Tech and Pandemic Shifts10:14 Chapters and Committees13:30 Sabre and Analytics Origins18:44 Growing Sabre Revenue21:25 Student Analytics Boom22:15 Courses and Portfolios23:16 Favorite Committees Talk24:06 Legacy Versus Innovation29:47 Human Touch and Tech32:55 Content Strategy Debate36:33 SEO and AI Disruption38:07 SABR 54 Cleveland Preview41:02 Wrap Up and Thanks