"The National Pastime" offers baseball history available nowhere else. Each fall this publication from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) explores baseball history with fresh and often surprising views of past players, teams, and events. Drawn from the research efforts of more than 6,700 SABR members, "The National Pastime" establishes an accurate, lively, and entertaining historical record of baseball.
"A Note from the Editor, Jim Charlton: "My cap is off to my predecessor Mark Alvarez, the Connie Mack of SABR publications director, who toiled in the job for ten years. Mark is a long-time friend and, as it happens, lives in the same county in Connecticut; he has been generous and helpful during this transition. Having been in this job for a few months, I have an even greater appreciation for Mark's excellent work.
Before him there were other fine and capable editors, each of whom built on the work of earlier people. These include John Holway, Bob Tiemann, and John Thorn, who edited the premiere issue of "The National Pastime," in 1982. The "Baseball Research Journal," begun in 1975, was for years edited by Bob Davids. Special editions of "TNP" were edited or co-edited by Pete Bjarkman, Paul Adomides, and Mark Rucker.
Issue 22 of "The National Pastime" includes a variety of articles, a few of which have been in the works for several years. I particularly recommend Brian Turner's beautifully researched discovery on early integration. Bill Mead, author of "Even the Browns," is one of my favorite writers, and his profile of Doc Hyland, the long-time Cards' physician, is most enjoyable; the estimable Gene Karst, probably SABR's senior member at 96, adds a wonderful anecdote. While I don't think I'll ever reach my goal of having a complete issue of "TNP" devoted to the Chicago Cubs, Art Ahrens' fine piece on the 1927 team is a good start. Dixie Tourangeau brings to life baseball's opening day one hundred years ago, and Lance Richbourg's affectionate and knowledgeable portrait of his father is the cover article.
I want to thank the SABR members who served as peer reviewers for the articles here, as well as in the forthcoming "BRJ": Ed Hartig, Phil Birnbaum, John Pastier, Steve Boren, Voros McCracken, Marshall Wright, Kevin Saldana, David Vincent, Dick Thompson, Rob Neyer, Jeff Orleans, Leslie Heaphy, Rob Wood, Gene Karst, Lyle Spatz, Neal Traven, Fred Ivor-Campbell, Bill Deane, Eric Enders, and Pete Bjarkman.
