BASEBALL by [BASEBALL] CRANE, Newton - 1891

1865. Unbound. Very Good. Porcelain plate. Approximately 8" in diameter. Two chips to the rim not affecting the image, some wear, very good. The plate has an embossed alphabet around the inner rim, with a transfer image in brown in the center of the plate depicting a baseball game, with "American Sports" at the top of the image, and "Base Ball. Running to First Base" below the image. No back marks and undated, but consistent with German export ware of the period between 1865-1875. Very uncommon.

[Vernon, California?]: Pacific Coast League, 1911. Softcover. Very Good. Octavo. [8]pp. Stapled wrappers. One horizontal fold, the front wrap age-toned, some marginal tears on a couple of pages, very good. Program for a game between the Vernon Tigers of Vernon, California, and the Los Angeles Angels. The program features photos of several players, center score card/roster pages with pre-printed players' names, ballpark rules: "Bottle and cushion throwing prohibited," and some amusing baseball related advertising. Founded in 1903, the PCL was the highest level of western baseball until the Dodgers and Giants moved to California in the 1950s. Vernon was one of only two cities in Los Angeles County that was "wet," and with alcoholic beverages as an attraction, the Tigers attracted big crowds by the standards of the day. They weren't bad either, winning three pennants during their 17-year history. Very early memorabilia from the PCL is scarce.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1955. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. First edition. Illustrations by Kurt Wiese. A modest stain on the rear board else near fine in an attractive, very good or better dustwrapper with a small corresponding stain on the rear panel and a couple of tiny nicks at the crown. Inscribed by the author: "To John Orban with best wishes of Freddy and Walter R. Brooks." Our favorite title among the highly collectible series of books about Freddy, an intelligent pig-detective. Freddy is embroiled in the search for six missing Martians who are being forced to travel the country as a barnstorming baseball team. A significant highspot in porcine-detective literature, and exceptionally scarce signed.

Chicago, Ill: J. Regan & Co, 1910. Softcover. Very Good. First edition. 93pp. Illustrated wrappers. Pages a bit browned with small nicks and tears at the extremities, an attractive, very good copy of a fairly fragile volume. A children's book on baseball containing various poems, songs, anecdotes, and other material. *McCue* pg. 82.

New York: The Morning Newspaper Baseball League, 1908. Hardcover. Near Fine. Cord-tied thick boards, die-cut into the shape of a baseball mitt. [114]pp. Elaborately illustrated souvenir volume. Some small scrapes on the front board, else near fine. Enumerates the various teams that played in the tournament. Rare. Not in *OCLC*, and we've never seen another copy.

1865. Unbound. Very Good. Porcelain plate. Approximately 8" in diameter. Two chips to the rim not affecting the image, some wear, very good. The plate has an embossed alphabet around the inner rim, with a transfer image in brown in the center of the plate depicting a baseball game, with "American Sports" at the top of the image, and "Base Ball. Running to First Base" below the image. No back marks and undated, but consistent with German export ware of the period between 1865-1875. Very uncommon.

[Vernon, California?]: Pacific Coast League, 1911. Softcover. Very Good. Octavo. [8]pp. Stapled wrappers. One horizontal fold, the front wrap age-toned, some marginal tears on a couple of pages, very good. Program for a game between the Vernon Tigers of Vernon, California, and the Los Angeles Angels. The program features photos of several players, center score card/roster pages with pre-printed players' names, ballpark rules: "Bottle and cushion throwing prohibited," and some amusing baseball related advertising. Founded in 1903, the PCL was the highest level of western baseball until the Dodgers and Giants moved to California in the 1950s. Vernon was one of only two cities in Los Angeles County that was "wet," and with alcoholic beverages as an attraction, the Tigers attracted big crowds by the standards of the day. They weren't bad either, winning three pennants during their 17-year history. Very early memorabilia from the PCL is scarce.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1955. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. First edition. Illustrations by Kurt Wiese. A modest stain on the rear board else near fine in an attractive, very good or better dustwrapper with a small corresponding stain on the rear panel and a couple of tiny nicks at the crown. Inscribed by the author: "To John Orban with best wishes of Freddy and Walter R. Brooks." Our favorite title among the highly collectible series of books about Freddy, an intelligent pig-detective. Freddy is embroiled in the search for six missing Martians who are being forced to travel the country as a barnstorming baseball team. A significant highspot in porcine-detective literature, and exceptionally scarce signed.

Chicago, Ill: J. Regan & Co, 1910. Softcover. Very Good. First edition. 93pp. Illustrated wrappers. Pages a bit browned with small nicks and tears at the extremities, an attractive, very good copy of a fairly fragile volume. A children's book on baseball containing various poems, songs, anecdotes, and other material. *McCue* pg. 82.

Garden City: International Collectors Library First ICL edition. Publication date unspecified. Originally published by Harcourt Brace in 1952. Issued unsigned; this copy is signed by Malamud on the half-title page. Faux leather-covered boards with gilt stamping, satin pagemarker. Issued without dustjacket. Corners just touched. Bright, tight copy in Near Fine condition. The International Collectors Library was a Doubleday book club that issued reprints of classics and high points of modern fiction. Uncommon as such.. Signed by Author. First Thus. Hardcovers. Near Fine/Not Issued. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.