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The Keystone Corner: Thomas Edison Turns Two
Thomas Edison didn’t invent baseball any more than Abner Doubleday did. But his interest in the game might hold the key to unlocking a surprising secret.
The Deadball Era was a time when pitchers threw hundreds of innings, home runs were rare, and the game was played spikes up, a time marked by the consolidation of Major League Baseball, initial moves toward its antitrust exemption, development of the Doubleday myth, and the arrival of The Bambino—all things that would change the game forever.
But baseball is always a reflection of the times in which it is played, and the Deadball Era was much more than a frame for the game. It was a time of seismic technological, social, and political change—an era of firsts. Powered flight. Large-scale assembly lines. The Panama Canal. The birth of American Empire. And so much more.
And just as baseball had its larger than life personalities—Mathewson, Cobb, Wagner, Ruth—so, too, did the larger world. Roosevelt. Ford. The Wright Brothers. Einstein. But one man of an earlier day stood out well into this new era, perhaps because he literally invented much of it. That man was a diehard baseball fan—Thomas Edison.
Fresh from his victory in The Federal Case, young attorney Andy Dennum and his cartographer girlfriend, Keiley Barefoot, use Edison’s love of baseball to uncover the secrets hidden in the estate of the inventor’s last surviving offspring, “Uncle Frank” Culbertson. You won’t believe what they find.
The Deadball Era was a time when pitchers threw hundreds of innings, home runs were rare, and the game was played spikes up, a time marked by the consolidation of Major League Baseball, initial moves toward its antitrust exemption, development of the Doubleday myth, and the arrival of The Bambino—all things that would change the game forever.
But baseball is always a reflection of the times in which it is played, and the Deadball Era was much more than a frame for the game. It was a time of seismic technological, social, and political change—an era of firsts. Powered flight. Large-scale assembly lines. The Panama Canal. The birth of American Empire. And so much more.
And just as baseball had its larger than life personalities—Mathewson, Cobb, Wagner, Ruth—so, too, did the larger world. Roosevelt. Ford. The Wright Brothers. Einstein. But one man of an earlier day stood out well into this new era, perhaps because he literally invented much of it. That man was a diehard baseball fan—Thomas Edison.
Fresh from his victory in The Federal Case, young attorney Andy Dennum and his cartographer girlfriend, Keiley Barefoot, use Edison’s love of baseball to uncover the secrets hidden in the estate of the inventor’s last surviving offspring, “Uncle Frank” Culbertson. You won’t believe what they find.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 24, 2023
1 person is currently reading
About the author
J.B. Manheim
12 books9 followersJB Manheim is Professor Emeritus at The George Washington University, where he developed the world's first degree-granting program in political communication and was later founding director of the School of Media & Public Affairs. In 1995 he was named Professor of the Year for the District of Columbia.
He learned his love of baseball collecting splinters in Little League, watching Dizzy Dean on the Game of the Week, and huddling with his grandfather for warmth on July nights at The Mistake By The Lake, AKA, Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
Manheim applies his expertise in politics and the ways of Washington and his understanding of baseball behind the scenes to provide a new perspective on the game through both fiction and nonfiction.
JB Manheim is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.
He learned his love of baseball collecting splinters in Little League, watching Dizzy Dean on the Game of the Week, and huddling with his grandfather for warmth on July nights at The Mistake By The Lake, AKA, Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
Manheim applies his expertise in politics and the ways of Washington and his understanding of baseball behind the scenes to provide a new perspective on the game through both fiction and nonfiction.
JB Manheim is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 16, 2024
Not a book I would have chosen on my own, this book was loaned to me by my brother, who occasionally reviews books for a baseball magazine. While only loosely tied to baseball, this book is an interesting and compelling, if certainly fictional, account of a group of items that come into the hands of an unsuspecting heir to an uncle's estate, that are then traced back to having belonged to Thomas Edison. But how did they wind up in the possession of Sam's uncle Frank? Leading the charge to find the answer is a young lawyer and his cartographer girlfriend. There are enough twists and turns in this mystery to keep the reader interested and entertained, whether you like baseball as much as Edison did, or not at all. Well written and researched.
January 17, 2024
I selected this book because I am a huge baseball fan
It was a very enjoyable story that is more about Thomas Edison than baseball. However, it was an entertaining story.
The science of the story carried the -lot without making it too complicated. Additionally, I learned an incredible amount of detail about the life of Thomas Edison.
It is a very good read and I recommend it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was a very enjoyable story that is more about Thomas Edison than baseball. However, it was an entertaining story.
The science of the story carried the -lot without making it too complicated. Additionally, I learned an incredible amount of detail about the life of Thomas Edison.
It is a very good read and I recommend it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 26, 2024
Fascinating tale of Thomas Alva Edison, his inventions and his love and connection to baseball back in the Deadball era. A relative of Edison inherits some items and he seeks legal help. Lots to unpack in this story-science, archeology, cartography, legal matters, and what are the items worth and where are they? The story takes place in New Jersey and the government and other organizations are involved. Well done! Will have to read the other books in this series.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews