Wow! eBook
Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870: The Clubs and Players Who Spread the Sport Nationwide
Author(s): Leonard Levin Peter Morris,William J. Ryczek,Jan Finkel (Author)
- Publisher: McFarland & Co
- Publication Date: 15 April 2012
- Edition: Illustrated
- Language: English
- Print length: 275 pages
- ISBN-10: 0786468432
- ISBN-13: 9780786468430
Book Description
By 1871, the popularity of baseball had spread so thoroughly across America that one writer observed, “”It is as much our national game as cricket is that of the English.”” While major league teams and athletes that played after this prophetic statement was made have been exhaustively documented and analyzed, those that led the game during its pioneer phase from 1850 to 1870 have received relatively little attention. In this welcome work, leading historians of early baseball provide profiles of more than fifty clubs and their players, from legendary teams such as the Red Stockings of Cincinnati and the Nationals of Washington to forgotten nines like the Pecatonica (Illinois) Base Ball Club and the Morning Star Club of St. Louis. Engaging narratives bring these long-ago clubs back to life, stimulating more research on this fascinating era and creating a standard reference source for all who study America’s national pastime.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“this is a scrupulous work that will enchant avid historians of early baseball”―Library Journal.
About the Author
Award-winning author William J. Ryczek is a banking executive in Wallingford, Connecticut. His writing interests include the early history of baseball and football, the Yankees, and the Mets.
