Call for papers: 2015 The National Pastime (Chicago)
The 45th annual SABR national convention will take place June 24-28, 2015, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois.
To coincide with the annual convention, the summer 2015 issue of The National Pastime will focus on Chicago-area baseball. Chicago, home to two of the oldest major league teams, has a long association with baseball.
The National Pastime is not limited only to the study of the major leagues; we’re open to topics including college baseball, fan studies, women’s baseball, Little League, semipro ball, and more. Articles may be historical, biographical, or analytical, but please avoid personal narrative.
Please also note that concurrent with the convention, SABR is releasing two Digital Library e-books — one on the 1919 White Sox and one on the 1929 Cubs. Therefore, we discourage submissions on those teams, although articles on other periods of Cubs and Sox history are certainly welcomed.
This issue of The National Pastime will be edited by longtime Chicago-based SABR member Stuart Shea. Stu will be taking queries and abstracts until November 15, 2014, and will make assignments no later than December 1. First drafts of articles will be due by February 1, 2014, and rewrites (if needed) will be due by March 1.
Queries should be one to two paragraphs with a 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 amount of your research is original. Please include an estimate of the article’s length, as well. Typical articles tend to run 2,000 to 5,000 words — the size of a midterm paper, not a Master’s thesis. The absolute upper limit on papers for the TNP is around 6,500 words.
To query, send an e-mail to stushea@gmail.com with the subject line “TNP Query” and a key word or two on your subject. (For example: “TNP Query: Economics of Wrigley Rooftops.”)
Some possible subjects that could be included:
- The Federal League’s Chicago Whales (1914-15)
- The recent history of Chicago-area minor-league baseball
- Chicago’s early role as “hub” of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- Great players to come from Chicago-area high schools
- The White Sox/Yankees rivalry of the 1950s
- The economic impact of the “new” Wrigley Field
- The evolution of in-game ballpark entertainment in Chicago
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.
Click here to learn more about SABR’s Publications Guidelines.
Note also that the TNP will have both a print edition (given out to SABR 45 convention attendees) and an expanded e-book version that will be sent to all SABR members. Some, but not all, of the articles will be selected to appear in the print edition, while more will appear in the electronic edition.
Originally published: October 31, 2014. Last Updated: October 31, 2014.