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Baseball's First Inning

A History of the National Pastime Through the Civil War

William J Ryczek author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:McFarland & Co Inc

Published:29th Apr '09

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Baseball's First Inning cover

This history of America's pastime describes the evolution of baseball from early bat and ball games to its growth and acceptance in different regions of the country. Such New York clubs as the Atlantics, Excelsiors and Mutuals are a primary focus, serving as examples of how the sport became more sophisticated and popular. The author compares theories about many of baseball's "inventors," exploring the often fascinating stories of several of baseball's oldest founding myths. The impact of the Civil War on the sport is discussed and baseball's unsteady path to becoming America's national game is analyzed at length.

“superbly researched”—Library Journal; “a baseball thrill the near-equal of seeing your son line a double past the third baseman...a ‘must have’”—John Shiffert; author of Base Ball in Philadelphia.

ISBN: 9780786441945

Dimensions: 254mm x 178mm x 14mm

Weight: 490g

269 pages