Posted By:
barrysloateHi Rick- yes, I've had quite a few, and some were dated, although I don't know how reliable that dating is.
S. Babcock, who was a prolific publisher of children's chapbooks in the 1830's and 40's, used this same cover for numerous titles. In 1835, he published one of the earliest books in America that included both basic rules for the game of baseball as well as a full page woodcut of children playing the game on the Boston Commons. Titled "Boy's Book of Sports", it was also republished in 1838 and 1839.
Because of Babcock's early interest in the game, it's not surprising that he would include a picture of a boy hitting a baseball on the cover of subsequent books. It's one of the earliest images of the game in America.