Early Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1825-1908

by Dean A. Sullivan, Dean A. Sullivan

This compilation of 120 primary writings documents baseball’s first century, from a loosely organized village social event to the arrival of the National League. Collecting from a wide range of sources—including newspaper accounts, letters, folk poetry, songs, and annual guides—Dean A. Sullivan of Fairfax, Virginia, progresses chronologically from the earliest known baseball reference (1825) to the creation of the Doubleday Myth (1908).

Genres: Baseball, Sports, History, Nonfiction

326 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 1995

Reviews

[Joe Santoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more a curated collections of articles than a book, when the editor comments on as far as their significance and why he included them. If you're looking for a narrative history, this book is not it.

It is super interesting though, showing how the game evolved from a trendy exercise fad to the national pastime. It also has quite a bit about the creation (and attempted challenge) of the reserve clause, which I didn't know much about previously. While some of the documents are a bit tiresome as far as legal minutae and the listing of attendees at meetings, quite a bit of it is great stuff... well worth it to read and as a reference.

[Chip Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good history of the early game taken directly from newspaper articles of the day. I did catch an error though. The author in one of the preambles to a certain article referred to Phillies owner John Rogers as being from New York instead of Philadelphia.