Call for Papers: 2014 The National Pastime
The 2014 SABR national convention will take place July 30-August 3, 2014, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston, Texas.
To coincide with the convention, the summer 2014 issue of The National Pastime will focus on Houston-area baseball. In particular, we will be focusing on 1962-present to avoid overlap with the special book on pre-Astros baseball that the Houston chapter is concurrently producing. We expect most of the articles will center on the Astros, but we are open to other topics that fit the time frame (Women’s baseball? Little league? Fan studies? College baseball? You tell us.) Articles may be historical, biographical, or analytical, but please avoid personal narrative.
This issue of The National Pastime will be edited by publications director Cecilia Tan. She will be taking queries and abstracts until November 15, 2013, and will make assignments no later than December 1. First drafts of articles will be due by March 1, 2014, and rewrites (if needed) will be due by April 15.
Queries should include 1-2 paragraphs of brief but detailed encapsulation of the article idea, as well as a description of why you are interested in it or qualified to research it. Be specific about the sources you plan to use and what of your research is original. If you can estimate the length of the finished article, that is good, too. Typical articles tend to run 2,000 to 5,000 words — the size of a midterm paper, not a masters thesis. The upper limit on papers for the TNP is around 6,500 words.
To query, email to ctan@sabr.org with the subject line “TNP Query:” and a key word or two on your subject. For example: “TNP Query: Bagwell/Biggio Comparison.”
Some possible subjects that could be included:
- invention of Astroturf/uniqueness of the Astrodome
- the April 15, 1968 marathon 24-inning game
- 1963 all-rookie game
- Colt Stadium’s contribution to the establishment of Sunday night baseball
- the lone game in Astrodome history that was rained out
- Leo Durocher’s over-the-hill misfit time as Houston’s manager;
- analysis of the blockbuster trade of 1971
- the so-called Astrodome Indian Burial Grounds Curse
- Astros pitchers dying young (Don Wilson, Jim Umbricht, possibly Darryl Kile)
- 1986 All Star Game
- Astros postseason performance analysis
- The Killer Bs
Remember that every article must include proper citation of sources and present a clear thesis, and to be published in a SABR journal your SABR membership must be current. For full writers guidelines, submit a query to ctan@sabr.org and you will receive the full guidelines in reply.
For more information on the SABR 44 convention in Houston, visit SABR.org/convention.
Originally published: October 7, 2013. Last Updated: October 7, 2013.