Calling On 19th Century Experts!

[Tim Kindler]

This past summer, I took a couple of my kids to visit Gettysburg for a week with some friends and their families. Wonderful family experience, I was in awe of the reverence, history, and patriotism of the place. Fast forward to a thread in October of last year started by Mike (insidethewrapper) about baseball cards that exist of Civil War Veterans. The members of the board had some really neat information and links to SABR information as well on some of the players. I started researching those players and made a really cool connection to one of the players in particular, Dennis Coughlin, who served at Gettysburg for the 140th New York division which helped save Little Round Top with Chamberlin's Maine regiment, and possibly the Union itself. I have pictures of the monument of the 140th New York with their commander Patty O'Rourke who was killed there. Again, a really cool connection to history for me and my children.

Anyway, all of this leads to this thread. I recently purchased 2 Beadle's Base-Ball Guides from the years 1864 and 1865, while the Civil War was still raging on. They are Beadle's 3rd and 4th additions of their rare, early guides. My hopes are to do research over the next few years to see if any of these players that are mentioned in these guides served in the Civil War. I realize that these players at this time were not considered "professionals" because they weren't paid and the leagues that they were in were not considered "professional" ( The National Association in 1871- 1875 is considered the 1st Professional League) I also want to see if any of these players mentioned in the guides played in the National Association, but this is research that I will enjoy over the future years.

I have attached some scans and this is where I need some input from fellow board members: 2 Interesting thoughts/ideas have arose in my mind after looking at the 1864, 3rd edition guide.

#1 Looking at the cover, there is a notation in period writing that I believe says: "Dr. J. B. Jones Compliments of the Author" On the Introductory page, it mentions a few of the guys who contributed to the writing of this guide and one of them is Dr. Jones of the Excelsior Club of Brooklyn. ( this is found about midway on the page). So, Do I have and early autograph of an owner/ president of one of the pioneering teams in early baseball history here? What do you think?

#2 On the copyright page, there is a notation from January 13th, 18th??? of 1896 which mentions page 9. Then the notation lists the names of Jack Crooks and Dummy Hoy. Jack Crooks has something written next to his name, but I can't make it out or sense of it....I believe it says Blow Ball. The word Blow, if it is that word makes no sense to me, and after reading page 9 of the guide which I have provided a scan of, still is puzzling to me. So my questions to the experts on the board are. #1 What do you think Crooks, Hoy , and Blow??? Ball have in common or mean in regards to the date listed? and Do you think these are autographs of the players or just a notation by the owner of the guide at this time. I bet it is the latter, but boy, if that is a Dummy Hoy autograph, it is something special because of his abilities to play the game at a high level even with his disability to hear.

Any thoughts on this fascinating guide would be of great interest to me. Thanks for your time and enjoy collecting everybody.
Thanks, Tim Kindler