OT?: Book recommendations?

[Writehooks]

"Baseball: The Early Years" by Harold Seymour (Oxford University Press, 1959).

Traces the growth of the sport from the time of the first recorded game at Valley Forge during the Revolution to the formation of the two present major leagues in 1903. Besides meticulously chronicling the game's early development, Dr. Seymour details the influence of baseball on American business, manners, morals, social institutions ... and show business. 365 pages of terrific storytelling.

[btcarfagno]

"Ed Delahanty in the Emerald Age of Baseball" by Jerrold Casway

Great stuff not just on baseball of the time but the life of a star ballplayer of the time as well. Really great stuff.

Tom C

[wolterse]

This is my favorite topic to discuss. There are so many great books out there. Here are a couple that I recommend:

Chief Bender's Burden - Tom Swift
The black prince of baseball - Donald Dewey

[Old Hoss]

I second the recommendation of "Fifty-Nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had." An interesting, easy-to-read book that includes some nice photographs, baseball cards, and scorecard covers.

I also recommend anything by Peter Morris, who is the author of five great books. You can see what he has written by following this link: http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Morris/e..._athr_dp_pel_1

Hope this helps,
Charles

[Kawika]

Both Peter Morris' The Catcher and Spalding's World Tour are in my on-deck circle. Have heard that they are great reads.

A couple of indispensable books are the SABR Deadball Players of the AL and NL volumes. They offer mini-bios (typically two or three pages) of the players who grace our vintage cards. Definitely desert island caliber. Similar territory and similarly wonderful would be They Played the Game: The Story of Baseball Greats by Harry Grayson (1945), copies to be had on Alibris.

Fleming's The Unforgettable Season is on my top shelf of baseball books. I disagree with Frank that it is better than Crazy '08. It is just different. Both are equally excellent and you will not be able to put either one down once you've started reading. You'll only regret that every baseball season didn't get the same treatment.

Baseball's Golden Age: The Photographs of Charles M. Conlon by Neal McCabe. Better than porn. 'Nuf ced.

[carrigansghost]

The Great Red Sox Spring Training Tour Of 1911: Bill Nowlin

Red Sox before the Babe: Donald Hubbard.

These are the next two on my trip to the bookstore.

Rawn

[vintagechris]

Deadball Stars of the American League and Deadball stars of the National League are must reads IMO. Hard to start reading them and not stop.