Posted By:
Frank WakefieldGood move, Dave.
My recollection was that I'd bought something from you before, and I perceived you to be a forthright and good eBay seller. And your listing didn't look like a scam, just possibly incorrect.
The Book of Baseball is a great book. Huge, about 15 1/2 tall, 11 wide.
William Patten and J. Walker McSpadden put the book together for Collier & Son in 1911. This is on the heels of the big boom in baseball interest. Minor league teams are at their peak, look at all of those little cards out there, WW I hasn't happened yet, times are great.
Chapters:
In the early days of the game
The National League
The American League and earlier rivals of the Nationals (this includes AA and UA stuff)
A review of the 1910 season
The art of pitching
Star plays and players
Making a championship club
The troubles of an umpire
Chasing the pennant
The Minor Leagues
The season of 1911
The New Orleans photo is sideways in the book, just as the chapter begins about chasing the pennant.
In the Minor League section are other teams, a full page of Rochester Champions in suits. Full page of Minneapolis in uniform, full page of Portland, 1910 PCL champions. Photos of half a dozen players, a park... New Orleans is in there because the Southern League was a significant component of the national game.
I bought the book because I thought it would help me with the book I keep not writing. "Who Are These Guys?", which would be about the players in T206. I thought of the title while watching Butch and Sundance looking at the posse that was chasing them. There are well over 100 photographs, lots of information about many players that are in T206. (Southern Leaguers Jordan and Brietenstein are pictured in the minor league section.) 159 big pages.
I'll photo the cover and post it tonight. The cover was used for Fleer Tradition baseball cards a few years ago, shows a batter with the bat over the plate, he looks a bit like Matty, and a catcher ready for the delivery but not crouched much.
Frank