* Catching up, Part 1

There’s a lot of material that’s fallen by the wayside as I try to keep this blog fresh with the latest in baseball book publishing information. But in the words of the revered philosopher, Regis Philbin, “I’m only one man!” So I’m using this space to try to catch up. Some of the items might be a wee bit moldy, but they’re pertinent nonetheless.

I had a little loose change, so in a pique of boredom, I bought a Mike Piazza bobblehead doll on eBay. I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was much sturdier than I remembered these things.

So, as I usually do, I got all het-up about these things and did a lot of reading and viewing. Some are pretty accurate (as mucha s they can be); others, such as this one of Kaz Matsui, are a little scary. Some of these are cute mementos, but looking in guides such as Warman’s Bobbing Head Field Guide (makes it sound like bird watching), one sees some are damned expensive.

* * *

On the Media produced this program in August, 2006 about baseball announcers. PBS produced Stealing Home, a documentary about Cuban baseball . The site features a transcript for the program, sources for further research, and a screensaver, which I haven’t seen.

* * *

Stephen C. Wood and J. David Pincus, co-authors of Reel Baseball, have a companion Web site that features movies from 1989-2002. Another place to discover more about “classic” baseball feature films is ClassicMovies.org.

* * *

In 2006, the Business of Baseball Web site feature an exhaustive forum with “32 voices” — writers, commentators and others in the know — about the State of the Game. Some of the more recognizable names (at least to me) include:

• Alex Belth, author of Stepping Up: The Story of All-Star Curt Flood and His Fight for Baseball Players’ Rights
• Will Carroll, The Juice: The Real Story of Baseball’s Drug Problem and Saving the Pitcher
  
• Jerry Crasnick, License to Deal
• Gary Gillette, ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, and The Ultimate Yankees Companion
• Jonah Keri, Baseball Between the Numbers
• Ron Neyer, The Big Book of Baseball Blunders, The Big Book of Baseball Lineups, and, most recently, The Big Book of Baseball Legends
• Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus
• John Thorn, Total Baseball, The Hidden Game of Baseball, The Complete Armchair Book of Baseball (add “complete” to “greatest” for words in book titles that rarely live up to their promise. If the book is “complete,” why is a second volume often published?)
• Andrew Zimbalist, Baseball and Billions, May the Best Team Win, In the Best Interests of Baseball?

* * *

Speaking of exhaustive, kudos to Bill Burgess and the folks at Baseball-Fever.com, for this list of key sportswriters in baseball history. The scores of writers mentioned include the publications for whom they wrote as well as other biographical information and pictures. This list is too copious to reproduce here, but it’s well worth the visit to see this historic “who’s who” of baseball writing, expecial in the days predating broadcast coverage, when the written word was the only means available to spread the gospel of the game to the American public.

* * *

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Eliot Asinof’s iconic Eight Men Out. Who knew that the 1919 Black Sox scandal would still generate so much interest 90 years later, with a feature film and dozens of books about the event? In fact, gambling is still considered the worst thing that could happen to the upright game of baseball in particular and sports in general. That’s why Pete Rose is still persona non grata despite his statistical accomplishments.

You can hear an audio excerpt here: [audiohttp://audible.edgeboss.net/download/audible/content/bk/blak/000069/bk_blak_000069_sample.mp3]

* * *

From Keyman Collectibles, this piece on classic baseball paperbacks of the 1940s-50s.

Announcement: Bowie Kuhn memorabilia goes on auction block

According to an item in the Feb. 25 issue of Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, Hunt Auctions will include “more than 140 items” from the estate of the late Bowie Kuhn. The former commissioner’s collection includes several rings from baseball events, autographed balls, contracts, and various awards. The lot is expected to go for “$150,00-$200,000.”

One item of note, since I’m into desks, is this piece, expected to go in the $5,000-$7,000 range, according to the auction’s Web site:

Bowie Kuhn’s Sheraton secretary desk c.1820-40. American mahogany slant front Sheraton style desk features a full secretary back with a galleried backsplash. The desk remains in fine original condition exhibiting some general use including light wear to the writing surface. The top right drawer of the base of the desk retains a period shipping label as sent from “Mrs. Louis Kuhn of Arlington, VA” to “Bowie Kuhn of Ridgewood, NJ”. The desk was frequently used by Commissioner Kuhn when conducting business from his home in New Jersey during his tenure with Major League baseball. One can imagine the late night discussions that took place at this very desk between Kuhn and the likes of Finley and Steinbrenner. Handsome piece of American antique furniture with desirable lineage within the family of the former Commissioner of Major League Baseball. 48″ wide, 55″ tall, 28″ deep. Includes letter of provenance from the Kuhn family: EX

Mini-Review: 100 Baseball Icons: A Century of Historic Baseball memorabilia

From Sportscollectorsdaily.com, a brief but fervent recommendation of photographer Terry Heffernan’s new project featuring items from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It’s a crazy business

Two items on the business side of the game:

• mentalfloss on odd contract clauses
• The Business of Baseball’s list of “most effective minor league promotions“

More auction news

In addition to the Black Sox papers that mysteriously resurfaced recently, another piece of baseball history is heading to auction.

Memory Lane, Inc, a Tustin, Calif. sports collectible enterprise, will be offering Christy Mathewson’s rookie contract, dated 1900.

“Vintage baseball contracts have become more sought after in recent years by collectors, and that demand has resulted in escalating values for the items. The record for player- signed contracts is the $996,000 price realized for Babe Ruth’s 1919 rookie-year contract, which sold in June of 2005. Collectors will be watching the sale of this Mathewson contract closely to see where it ranks among the highest- priced contracts sold to date.”

According to a press release, bids on the Mathewson contract are currently being accepted online (www.memorylaneinc.com) or by phone at 877-606-LANE. The auction closes at 8 p.m. (Eastern) on Dec. 8.

The Amazon Report: Among the more highly-regarded non-fiction books on Mathewson are:

• The Player: Christy Mathewson, Baseball, and the American Century
• Pitching in a Pinch: or Baseball from the Inside (Bison Book reprint)
• Matty: An American Hero: Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants

Additionally, one of the books adjudged the best pieces of baseball fiction is Eric Rolfe Greenberg’s Matty: An American Hero: Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants

Because I can put it on my bookshelf…