Hall of Fame Yearbooks.

[Lordstan]

It occurs to me that these books seem to get no love.
I have collected them since the 80's. At first, I got the older ones as the covers were perfect mediums for getting autographs. I continued to add over the years and am now 2 editions (1945 and 1953) short of the complete run from 1939 to 1980.
Being that I have nothing better to do I figured why not present a little primer for those that are interested. (As a disclaimer: I am not a professional writer, so please forgive any lack of eloquence). I have included pictures(not to scale) along the way to show as examples. At the end will be a link to the Photobucket folder with all of my collection.


Size
The HOF yearbook has changed quite a bit since the beginning.
They started out small and grew in size both dimensionally and in number of pages.

1939-1949 they were 6x9in and had around 20-30 pages.



1949-1969 8x10in size 30-40 pages. It grew most years as pictures of new inductee plaques were added.


1970-1973 8.5x11in


1975


1981-Present 8.5x11in


Format
From 1939 – 1980 the books were read in a landscape orientation.
Since 1981 they are read in portrait orientation.


Content

From 1939 to 1969 the content and flow of the material stayed the same.
The first , up to 20 pages or so, were spent documenting and describing subjects including the origins and history of baseball to that point in time, the Hall itself and it’s displays, Cooperstown’s importance in baseball history, etc. Pictures of Doubleday, HOF displays, notable past and present baseball figures, and Cooperstown are interspersed in the historical descriptions.
Following that are pictures of the Hall of Fame plaques of all the current inductees, in order of induction. The last page usually shows that years inductees.

In 1970, the content flow changed. There are fewer pages of history. Somewhat more pages and pictures of HOF displays are present. Following that are the HOF plaques, still in induction year order, but now each plaque also has a paragraph about the player either above or below it.
The final few pages show the inductee records, HOF game results, and miscellaneous induction ceremony pics.

Starting in 1981 the Yearbook became the book everyone is familiar with today. There are lots of beautifully laid out pictures with a blurb about each inductee. (Very Hollywood if you ask me. I prefer the old school ones.)


Dating

The newer editions, since 1981, are very easy to tell the year because the pictures of the inductees are on the covers. The older ones are a bit more difficult to date without inspecting more closely.

There are two ways to date the older editions. The first is to look at the plaques. The last plaques listed are the persons inducted that year. This is the only way for the books from 1939 to 1949 as there is no copyright date listed. Starting in 1949, there are copyright dates on the inside of the first page.


General cover design

From 1939-1949, the cover is a leatherette type material with a cutout revealing the BBHOF building picture which is on the next page. The backs are blank with same material. (see pictures above). The 1939 has the date on the cover. The rest do not.

From 1949-1969 the cover is composed of baseball diamond surrounded by 4 drawings of a pitcher and batter. Colors can vary from red to blue to silver, for the 1964 silver anniversary edition. The backs are blank.

From 1970-1980, the cover is composed of 5-7 pictures of the town, buildings, and displays. The backs have a large area filled with replica signatures of many inductees.

From 1980-present, the cover is a painting or picture of the inductees. The back usually has more HOFer pictures.


Binding

In the years 1939-1969 the books were bound using staples.

From 1970-1973, they were spiral bond with plastic spirals bindings.


From 1974-1980, the bindings were a flat glued design.

From 1981-present, the bindings have varied.


Years made

I wrote to the HOF library and they sent me a listing what HOF yearbooks they had and how many copies. They couldn’t tell me whether the editions with multiple copies were the same cover/format.

YEAR COPIES YEAR COPIES YEAR COPIES
1939 1 1956 2 1968 2
1942 2 1957 3 1969 3
1945 2 1959 3 1970 3
1946 3 1960 2 1972 3
1948 2 1961 2 1973 3
1949 4 1962 2 1974 3
1951 3 1963 2 1975 3
1952 2 1964 2 1976 2
1953 2 1965 2 1977 2
1954 3 1966 2 1978 3
1955 3 1967 2 1980 2

The first year on record, according to the BBHOF, is 1939. This followed by an undated book but has Gehrig's plaque so is either a revised 1939 or a 1940.(Yay! Gehrig's induction year- Thanks Jimmy{Kingofclout} for the trade last year for mine)





As you can see, the years 36-38, 40-41, 43-44, 47, 50, 58, 71, and 79 all appear to not have had any yearbook made.

Additionally I have found multiple editions made in 3 years so far.
In 1949 I have found 3 editions. One is the older smaller version. The other two match the next generation of format, but one is blue and the other is red.




In 1951 and 1952, there were red and blue editions made. In 1954, there were 2 red editions made.

I think they are very nifty collectibles. They currently are not very expensive, but are often difficult to find. I hope you enjoyed my brief primer and collections of yearbooks.

BTW Please let me know if any of you have the 1945 or 1953 editions.

My collection link
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F%20Yearbooks/

Best to all,
Mark

[mr2686]

Great write-up Mark. I always thought "program" and "yearbook" were interchangeable for the HOF but it looks like they are separate...at least they are now. I see the 1959 on ebay listed as "program". Was there once just one item produced per year and it's considered both a program and yearbook?

[Lordstan]

Thanks Mike for reminding me.

I do need to clarify a bit the difference between the HOF program, yearbook, and scorecard. Unfortunately, due to a lack of understanding, these words are often used interchangeably and incorrectly.

The HOF program is a fairly new publication for the BBHOF. As far as I can tell the HOF started making induction ceremony programs beginning in 1982. These commemorate and are distributed at the induction ceremonies themselves. They are usually very thin in comparison to the Yearbook. The cover and contents are different from the Yearbook. I believe these are usually freely distributed.

This is the 1984 HOF YEARBOOK.


This is the program (not mine. I got the pic off of ebay)


The scorecard is a third publication which is sold at the HOF Game played at Doubleday field. It is truly a scorecard with the grids in place for scoring of the game. Neither the HOF yearbook nor the program have ever had grids for scoring a game. Most of the scorecards are very thin and sometimes even a one page folded cardboard material. I believe these are also free to those attending the game.

Scorecards appear to have been produced starting in 1939. I can't confirm whether or not they have been produced every year. I would assume they would've been made every year there was a HOF game played.

The 1939 scorecard is a little different from the other years. It is listed as a program for Doubleday field, and is more along the lines of what a regular season game program would be like. There are multiple pages with ads and article. Towards the center are the scoring grids, without team names.
As I have never handled any of the scorecards from the 1940's I can't say when the HOF switched to the thinner format. The earliest one on ebay is 1943 which appears to be one page. Perhaps the 1939 edition is the only one like that as it was the first HOF game and 1939 was the centennial celebration of baseball.

Here is my copy.


Here is the 1943 edition I found on ebay





Hope that clears any confusion.

Best,
Mark

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Mark- This is outstanding work! I have picked them up at random over the years but had no idea what was out there.

I hope more publication collectors rally to present their specialties. I did this a year or so ago with the Putnam team history books and was able to add a great deal to my knowledge thanks to folks like Max Weider.

Once again great job!

[stone193]

Hi Mark

Thanx for the writeup! That's more than I ever knew.

Very nice signed items. The '39 copy is classic.

I know you spent some time on this and appreciate the effort - good job and thanx for sharing.

[Lordstan]

Wow what are the Odds? Three replies all Mikes!

Well thanks guys. One of the best aspects of this site is the sharing of information. Just my humble contribution.

Best,
Mark

[mr2686]

All great Mike's think alike! This reminds me of my early years playing in a softball league. We were all friends and hadn't realized that our entire infield had a first name of Mike...that is until the first pop up and someone yelled Mike you got it

[scmavl]

Wow, very cool! If you decide to sell that signed '70-73 book, please let me know.

[Tigerden]

Mark Thanks for sharing. I always wanted to know more about these HOF publications. Years ago, I owned a 1957 red cover copy signed by Wahoo Sam Crawford, the year he was inducted. In fact, I purchased it from someone who lived in Wahoo Nebraska. I often wondered if the copy was owned at one time by a close friend or family member who may have attended the ceremony. Wish I did not part with it. Adam

[Lordstan]

Jarrod,
Thanks.

My collection of these began innocently enough with me getting the 1966 edition, the year I was born, and starting to get autographs on it.
Back in the 1980's, my father and I were dealers who went to about 40 shows per year. These older versions just weren't common to find. I then acquired the 1957 and 1977 editions. I thought they were just a great medium for autographs. At the time a lot of older HOFers were still alive, so getting them was easy. It also helped that in the early 80s Mantle and Dimaggio were $7 per autograph. The next event in the time line was a group purchase of about 20 of them at one of HOF weekend shows. From then on I was hooked. The ones in my collection that have no signatures have been acquired later. I just don't think it is worth it to spend the ridiculous auto prices today for group items like these, so I left them blank. Over the last 5 yrs or so I have added in the books from the 1940's.

Here is the 1966, 1957, and 1977 editions.







Adam,
That would've been an awesome book to own. Too bad you sold it. Now if someone had a Gehrig signed 1939 edition.....that would be incredible.


An interesting fact I just learned is that because Gehrig was a special election, there was no HOF induction ceremony and no evidence that he ever visited the HOF at all. It's interesting that it never dawned on me that there was no famous speech quoted from. One would think that given the emotional response to his speech at Yankee stadium, there would've been some mention of a speech in Cooperstown as well. I'm sure the sentiment from Lou would've been the same and equally moving.

Thanks all for your comments.

Best,
Mark

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Wow! Those signatures are impressive.

I started getting HOFers to sign the really nice coffee table book on the Hall from the 50th anniversary in 1989, the first year I made the trip.

After looking at your covers the thing that struck me the most after the "wow factor" was that you can read each and every signature. Today's athletes are tough. I read a statement a short time ago that Stan Musial promised himself that he would make every autograph as legible as possible.

My favorite current scene is watching the tennis players come off the court at the US Open and it look like they are just making a check mark on the items they are signing?

[mr2686]

Hey Mike, it sounds like we're both collecting autos in the 50th anniversary book. How many sigs do you have so far? I'm at 68 and counting.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Mike- You have me beat by a country mile! I think I am in the 25 neighborhod. I quit going to shows back in the 1990s so it put the brakes on the project. Last one was two years ago in Little Rock when Al Kaline was in town to honor George Kell shortly before his passing.

Before that it was Fergie Jenkins at a minor league game. I think my first one was Luke Appling! My wife gave me the book for Christmas in 1989, we had made the trip to Cooperstown (and Canton and the then College Hall in Kings Island) that July.

I did go to my first show in years back in May in Arlington, TX but there were no HOFers there that day.

I am very impressed with your 68! We have family plans to make the inductions next year in Cooperstown. It should be a great chance for my daughter and I to add to the total.

[scmavl]

I love the '77 as well (my birth year). Just a superb collection, Mark.

[scmavl]

Also, any reason Monte Irvin signed the '66 and '77 yearbooks twice?

[Lordstan]

I probably just didn't notice that he had signed the first time.

[Gary Dunaier]

For the past few years the HOF published the YBs in hardcover as well as softcover - the HCs were sent to members at the Sustaining level and above. (I don't think they were offered for sale to the public.)

2010 was the last year the HOF published HC yearbooks - this year only SCs were available. Don't know when HCs were first produced.

[Cooptown]

Thanks to Mark showing me the way, I have just stumbled upon this topic now. Great stuff, Mark.

I have a few HOF yearbooks, but I collected the HOF programs (the free ones that were given out at the Induction). My father and I attended HOF Induction Weekends from 1987-1999. We would collect HOF Induction Programs, and then go to the Post Office to have them "cancelled" with a special Cooperstown Post Office postmark. I have a number of these signed, yet I can only seem to find 2 in my photobucket:




After that, other things in my life started to pop up: College, girls, summer jobs, drinking with my buddies, etc. We started to go again in 2007 (Ripken and Gwynn), then the following year in 2008 for Gossage and Williams. I really cherished those HOF Induction Weekends; both when I was younger and when I was "all grown up" again in the 2000s.

My father became ill during the spring of 2009, and passed away. I started this project when he was sick, and still continue it today. It makes me feel like I am still collecting with him when I add a new signature. While I have more valuable pieces in my collection, this is probably my favorite. In 1989 there was a special weekend devoted to the 50th Anniversary of the Baseball Hall of Fame in June. The Post Office also released the Lou Gehrig stamp this same weekend, and there was an old timers game, featuring some HOFers. I had Bob Feller sign the program, and it sat in a closet for about 20 years. When my Dad became ill, I started the project up again, and this is what it looks like today. It's currently out to add Lou Brock via a private signing, which would bring the total to 16. I wanted to start a multi-signed HOF project that linked me up to time spent with my Dad, was small enough to mail for private signings, and was also small enough to fall under the "small flat" fees at signings.


Mike and Mike-can you provide me with any other info, including a picture, about that 1989 coffee table book? I would LOVE to get my hands on one. Thanks. And thanks to Mark for starting such a great and informative thread.

[mr2686]

Coop, Here's a link at Amazon to a paperback version, but I recommend you hold out for the hardback one. If I get off my butt I'll scan the rest of my book and post the link so you can look at it.
http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Hall-...6443985&sr=8-1

[Cooptown]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Coop, Here's a link at Amazon to a paperback version, but I recommend you hold out for the hardback one. If I get off my butt I'll scan the rest of my book and post the link so you can look at it.
http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Hall-...6443985&sr=8-1

Thanks for sharing! I would love to see both of your books that are signed!!!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Coop- I am new to scanning but will try to get some on there this week.

[Lordstan]

I just updated the first post to include the 1939 edition I found..

[kdixon]

I have put my 70-73 booklet with 33 hall of famers in Bill Goodwins current auction. Some of the autographs include Dizzy Dean, Joe Dimaggio, Jackie Robinson, Casey Stengel, Zach Wheat and Ted Williams.
http://www.goodwinandco.com/LotDetai...-(plus-Eleanor

[Cooptown]

Mark-Love the 1939 one!!! Very nice; where did you get it?

Kenny-Quite an impressive book.

Also, I have two additions to my 1989 50th Anniversary Program. Private signing with Lou Brock set up on SCN and a private signing with Gary Carter set up through JP's.

Most likely wont be going out in the mail for awhile until I see a really good deal I can't pass up on. I dont think I mentioned it earlier in this post, but I had it sent out to Herzog at one point (before adding Lasorda, Harvey, Brock, and Carter) and thought it was lost. Somehow made its way back to me.

[Lordstan]

Coop,
Didn't see your question before.
I got the 1939 book on ebay.
Paid a bit more than the others, but well worth it.
Best,
Mark

[mr2686]

Coop, you have some really nice autos on there...a lot of the oldest living hof'ers and recently deceased. You may want to hustle and get people like Berra, Kiner, Musial and Weaver since they're all getting up there in age.

[Lordstan]

Mike,
I've told him the same thing. It's especially true with Musial.
The great man is really getting shaky.
It will be a tremendous loss for our country, baseball, and collectors when he passes. I hope it isn't soon, but it wouldn't surprise me at any time.
Mark

[mr2686]

It's really sad in Musial's case because he seemed so vibrant and strong for so long and his sig was the same way up until about a year or so ago. I saw where Lasorda recently had a heart attack, and I've heard Berra talk recently and he's seems to really be slowing down as well. I don't think people will realize what we've lost until these greats have passed. They are the last links to a great baseball era.

[Lordstan]

I agree 1000%. It seems that only 10yrs ago, there were so many players from the 50's still with us. Now, it just seems like so few of the greats are left.

[Cooptown]

I've tried to cut down on spending money on autographs within the past 6-12 months or so. I am actually liquidating some of my collection that doesn't involved HOFers. I grew up a huge Syracuse Basketball fan and I am attempting to get Syracuse basketball season tickets. I'm not talking about the upper tank; I want pretty good seats. It's not cheap, but I am trying to meet all of the donation and seat licensure requirements the first year so as to not worry about it later. I'm 34 right now, and figured that if I can get in on these seats when I am not married and dont have any kids, they will be something I will have in my family to use for years to come. Syracuse basketball is central NY's equivalent to SEC football in the South.

[bender07]

Originally Posted by Cooptown

I've tried to cut down on spending money on autographs within the past 6-12 months or so. I am actually liquidating some of my collection that doesn't involved HOFers. I grew up a huge Syracuse Basketball fan and I am attempting to get Syracuse basketball season tickets. I'm not talking about the upper tank; I want pretty good seats. It's not cheap, but I am trying to meet all of the donation and seat licensure requirements the first year so as to not worry about it later. I'm 34 right now, and figured that if I can get in on these seats when I am not married and dont have any kids, they will be something I will have in my family to use for years to come. Syracuse basketball is central NY's equivalent to SEC football in the South.

I'm with ya brother. Go Orange! Next year's going to be a good one!