Baseball's First Inning: A History of the National Pastime Through the Civil War

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.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments      Preface      Prologue: Reliving the Past      1. No Rounders!      2. If Not Doubleday, What About Cartwright? If Not Cartwright, What About Adams? Or Wheaton?      3. What About Rounders? What About Old Cat?      4. The Jolly Old Knickerbockers, 1845–1856            5. The Base Ball Club      6. The Transition Years, 1857–1859      7. Mad Dogs and Englishmen: Other Antebellum Sports      8. Why Not Cricket?      9. The Southern Front: Sporting Life in Antebellum New Orleans      10. Baseball in Philadelphia      11. The Massachusetts Game      12. Year of the Excelsiors, 1860      13. Abner Doubleday Invents the Civil War, 1861      14. The Sporting and Not So Sporting Press      15. The Manly Fly Game vs. the Boyish Bound Rule and the Fair Pitch vs. the Jerk      16. The Eckfords Take the Championship, 1862–1863      17. The Evils of Championship Play, 1864      18. The Road to Professionalism      Appendix A: Letter from Frank Pidgeon of Eckfords re: Professionalism      Appendix B: Rules and Regulations of Base Ball as Adopted by the Convention of Base Ball Clubs Held February 25, 1857      Appendix C: Location of Grounds      Appendix D: Extended Box Score, Brooklyn–Philadelphia, 1862      Appendix E: Records of Top Teams, 1857–1864      Appendix F: Knickerbocker Rules, September 23, 1845      Appendix G: Knickerbocker Matches with Other Clubs      Chapter Notes      Bibliography      Index     

About the Author :
William J. Ryczek is a finance professional from Wallingford, Connecticut, who writes about early baseball, football, the Yankees, and the Mets.

Review :
“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.