Before They Were the Cubs

“While this book focuses on the first professional baseball team in Chicago, it also serves as an overview of the how the game developed throughout America.... extensive research...a solid historical work...valuable...recommended”—Choice
“a colorful narrative of baseball in 19th-century America...a must read...recommended”—Midwest Book Review
“What a book to whet the appetite of any baseball fan and a must-read for fans of the Chicago Cubs...a tremendous amount of research...the newspaper accounts of the day that are included are pure magic.”—The Free Lance-Star
“Jack Bales’ meticulously researched and documented book on the Cubs of the 19th century--and their glorious dynasty in the first decade of the 20th century--is also a compelling read about one of baseball’s most beloved franchises. The writing and the subject matter are first rate, and the illustrations are well-chosen and extremely well reproduced, making the book a visual as well as a textual pleasure. Not just for Cubs fans, any reader who enjoys--or wants to learn more about--19th century baseball will find this book fascinating.”—Tim Wiles, former research director at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, and lifelong Cubs fan
“One great thing about baseball is that its key issues repeat every generation: labor vs. management, values vs. market realities, fans vs. opponents. Jack Bales’ wonderful Before They Were the Cubs shows these issues emerging at the very beginnings of professional baseball and how the people who ran, played, watched, and wrote about the game dealt with its severe growing pains. As a Chicagoan, I found it especially fascinating!”— Stuart Shea, author, Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines.