Black Ball is a peer-reviewed journal published twice
each year by McFarland. With an editorial board of leading historians and an
emphasis on original and authoritative research, the journal promotes study of
Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues baseball.
The editor invites articles on all subjects related to black baseball, including
but not limited to Negro major and minor leagues, teams, and players; pre-Negro
League organization and play; barnstorming; segregation and integration; class,
gender, and ethnicity; the business of black baseball; and the arts. A wide range
of disciplinary perspectives and methodologies are welcome.
Articles should generally run between 2,000-7,000 words, exclusive of the
required endnotes and abstract, and should be submitted to the editor as either
double-spaced hard copy and disk or as an email attachment in Microsoft Word. Be
sure to include a 100 to 150-word abstract and a 75-word biographical statement
with any article submission. Editorial decisions will be sent out within 60 days
of manuscript receipt.
Submit all manuscripts and editorial inquiries about Black Ball to:
Leslie Heaphy
Editor, Base Ball
Kent State University, Stark
6000 Frank Road
North Canton OH 44720
lheaphy@kent.edu
Send books for review to:
Jared Wheeler
Book Review Editor, Black Ball
507 Acorn Street
Philadelphia PA 19128
jaredwheeler81@aol.com
Style Guide
Style
Articles should be prepared according to The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition.
Avoid contractions, first- or second-person pronouns, one- and two-sentence paragraphs,
repetition, and jargon. Italicize as needed but refrain from using headline-style
all-caps and reserve bolding for headings and subheadings. Except in quotations,
render special terms according to modern convention (e.g., "World Series" instead
of "world's series"). All articles accepted for publication are subject to
editorial changes.
Reference Citations
As a research journal, Black Ball places great importance on documentation. Source
citations, in the form of endnotes, and a bibliography are required, and each should
be saved in a file separate from the text. While many primary sources appropriate
for quotation in Black Ball lie in the public domain, written permissions may be
required for materials either unpublished or published after 1922.
Illustrations
Illustrations related in some meaningful way to the article topic are considered.
Good-quality prints or scans (300 dpi or greater, at full size) and all necessary
permissions must be provided to the editor at the time of article delivery. All
illustrations will be reproduced in black and white. Black Ball does not include
sidebars.
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