Richter’s History and Records of Base Ball, the American Nation’s Chief Sport

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About the Book

Richter’s History and Records of Base Ball, the American Nation’s Chief Sport, originally published in 1914, is the most comprehensive and ambitious among the early books about baseball. “This volume,” Richter writes, “is designed to supply the growing need of a concise, yet complete, record of our National Game” and “to serve this purpose in such a form as to make it valuable, possibly indispensable, as a book of special information, of ready reference, and of general interest to all love’s and students of the great game.”
The book is divided into three parts. Part I covers the origins of baseball, the first professional league, the National and American leagues, the American Association, baseball tours, warring leagues, the World Series, and the minor leagues. Part II includes team and individual performance records through 1914, Richter’s takes on the great pitchers of early baseball, and brief commentary on two classic poems inspired by the game. Part III includes the history and text of the first National Agreement, the development of baseball playing rules, and information on the pioneering players, owners, executives, and writers.

About the Author(s)

Francis C. Richter was well known in his day as the editor of the Reach guides and as the publisher and editor of The Sporting Life.

Bibliographic Details

Francis C. Richter. Series Editors Gary Mitchem, Marty McGee and Mark Durr
Format: softcover (6 x 8)
Pages: 476
Bibliographic Info: 56 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2005
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1727-8
Imprint: McFarland
Series: The McFarland Historical Baseball Library

Book Reviews & Awards

“One of the best but least-heralded developments in the recent history of baseball literature was the inauguration of the McFarland Historical Baseball Library in 2003”—I>Spitball; “it remains the most ambitious and comprehensive among early baseball books”—Sports Collectors Digest; “invaluable McFarland Historical Baseball Library series”—Edward Achorn, The Providence Journal.