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When Towns Had Teams
Baseball has been called America's pastime. Whether that is still true is fodder for debate. Yet 50 years ago, there was no doubt which sport captured the imaginations of most Americans, and in particular the sports fans of Maine. For the first time, "When Towns Had Teams" takes the reader back to the days when semi-pro and town team baseball was king. Representing the towns, teams, and players who made this special period special and unique, it is must reading for anyone who loves Maine, and the heritage of this truly special time from our past.
- GenresBaseball
287 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
4 people want to read
About the author
Jim Baumer
7 books4 followersJim Baumer is a Maine-based writer who cares about people and the places that define them. A regional writer with a passion for his home state, Baumer’s first book, "When Towns Had Teams," has become the definitive book about the kind of baseball that was the heart and soul of small town life in the state just after WWII, and for the next three decades, before disappearing. The book provides a snapshot of a place and time that has all but faded from view.
In 2004, he began RiverVision Press, a small press committed to publishing books about Maine and the unique qualities that characterize the state. When Towns Had Teams was RiverVision’s first release and the book was awarded an IPPY by Independent Publisher as their top nonfiction title for the Northeast in 2006.
He followed up his first release with the popular "Moxietown," in 2008. The book is now out of print after selling-out two press runs. In 2012, Down East Books, a venerable Maine publisher known for their books about Maine and New England’s unique qualities released Baumer’s third book, "Moxie: Maine in a Bottle," which took the subject of Moxie to the next level, widening the reach of Baumer’s knowledge about the iconic New England soft drink that was invented in 1884, and introducing him to a wider audience of Moxie fans.
With the release of his latest book, "The Perfect Number: Essays & Stories Vol. 1," Baumer has now put out four books in nine years—while that may not qualify as prolific, it’s still a respectable output for a writer that does much more than just write to make a living.
In addition to his books and running RiverVision Press, Baumer offers support services to other authors, helping them launch their own books independently. Drawing on his own successes as an small press publisher, Baumer knows the ropes, and brings considerable sales and marketing savvy to bear on the publishing process.
Along with writing and publishing, Baumer serves as a consultant and is an effective community organizer.
In 2004, he began RiverVision Press, a small press committed to publishing books about Maine and the unique qualities that characterize the state. When Towns Had Teams was RiverVision’s first release and the book was awarded an IPPY by Independent Publisher as their top nonfiction title for the Northeast in 2006.
He followed up his first release with the popular "Moxietown," in 2008. The book is now out of print after selling-out two press runs. In 2012, Down East Books, a venerable Maine publisher known for their books about Maine and New England’s unique qualities released Baumer’s third book, "Moxie: Maine in a Bottle," which took the subject of Moxie to the next level, widening the reach of Baumer’s knowledge about the iconic New England soft drink that was invented in 1884, and introducing him to a wider audience of Moxie fans.
With the release of his latest book, "The Perfect Number: Essays & Stories Vol. 1," Baumer has now put out four books in nine years—while that may not qualify as prolific, it’s still a respectable output for a writer that does much more than just write to make a living.
In addition to his books and running RiverVision Press, Baumer offers support services to other authors, helping them launch their own books independently. Drawing on his own successes as an small press publisher, Baumer knows the ropes, and brings considerable sales and marketing savvy to bear on the publishing process.
Along with writing and publishing, Baumer serves as a consultant and is an effective community organizer.
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October 25, 2010
A massive amount of local baseball history is packed into one book. What turned me off was that I wasn't alive to see many of the people Baumer discusses and therefor had little connection to them (they are never treated as "characters," but more like news stories).
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