Baseball Guides
Baseball statistics and guides have been a part of the sport since the early days. There have been a variety of publishers, focusing on a range of leagues and accomplishments.
In 2014 Sean Lahman assembled a list of guides available online, now found at archive.org.
I found some more guides that he didn't have listed, as well as some supplemental baseball material.
Contents
- 1 Spalding's Official Base Ball Record
- 2 Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player
- 3 Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide
- 4 Reach's Official Base Ball Guide
- 5 Wright & Ditson's Base Ball Guide
- 6 De Witt's Base-ball Guide
- 7 John McGraw's Scientific Baseball
- 8 Spalding's Chicago Amateur Base Ball Annual
- 9 Spalding's Cleveland Base Ball Book
- 10 Spalding's Denver Base Ball Book
- 11 Spalding's Minneapolis Base Ball Book
- 12 Spalding's Metropolitan (New York City) Base Ball Book
- 13 Spalding's Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs
- 14 Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues
- 15 Spalding's Official College Base Ball Annual
- 16 Spalding's Library of Athletic Sports
- 17 Misc.
- 18 Canadian Guides
- 19 Indoor Base Ball
Spalding's Official Base Ball Record
American Sports Publishing Company published many different athletic books. In the baseball community, they are mostly known for Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide. I recently became aware of their Spalding's Official Base Ball Record.
From their own descriptions:
No. 1 - Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide - The leading Base Ball annual of the country, and the official authority of the game. Contains the official playing rules, with an explanatory index of the rules compiled by Mr. A. G. Spalding; pictures of all the teams in the National, American and minor leagues; review of the season; college Base Ball, and a great deal of interesting information. Price 10 cents.
No. 1A - Spalding's Official Base Ball Record - Something new in Base Ball. Contains records of all kinds from the beginning of the National League and official average of all professional organizations for past season. Illustrated with pictures of leading teams and players. Price 10 cents.
- 1908 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1909 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1910 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1911 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1912 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1914 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1915 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1916 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1917 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1918 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1919 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1920 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1921 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1922 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Record | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player
- 1860 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1862 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1865 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1866 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1867 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1869 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1870 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1871 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1872 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1873 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1874 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1875 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1876 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1878 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1879 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1880 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
- 1881 – Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Northern Illinois University)
Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide
- 1876 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
- 1878 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
- 1884 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1934 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1939 – Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
Reach's Official Base Ball Guide
- 1901 – Reach's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1903 – Reach's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1905 – Reach's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 – Reach's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1917 – Reach's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1919 – Reach's Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Wright & Ditson's Base Ball Guide
- 1884 – Wright & Ditson's Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1910 – Wright & Ditson's Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1911 – Wright & Ditson's Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
De Witt's Base-ball Guide
- 1876 – De Witt's Base-ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
John McGraw's Scientific Baseball
- 1910 – John McGraw's Scientific Baseball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1912 – John McGraw's Scientific Baseball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 – John McGraw's Scientific Baseball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Chicago Amateur Base Ball Annual
- 1905 – The Chicago Amateur Base Ball Annual and Inter-City Base Ball Association Year Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Cleveland Base Ball Book
- 1913 – Official Guide of the Cleveland Amateur Base Ball Association | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1914 – Official Guide of the Cleveland Amateur Base Ball Association | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Denver Base Ball Book
- 1905 – Spalding's Denver Amateur Base Ball Year Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 – Spalding's Official Denver Base Ball Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1914 – Spalding's Official Denver Base Ball Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Minneapolis Base Ball Book
- 1905 – Spalding's Minneapolis Amateur Base Ball Year Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Metropolitan (New York City) Base Ball Book
- 1909 – Spalding's Official Metropolitan Base Ball Book and Official Inter-city Base Ball Association Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 – Spalding's Official Metropolitan Base Ball Book and Official Inter-city Base Ball Association Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs
- 1877 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1878 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1880 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1881 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1882 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1883 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1884 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1885 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1886 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1887 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1888 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1889 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1890 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1891 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1892 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1893 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1894 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1895 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1896 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1898 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1899 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1900 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1901 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1902 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1903 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1904 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1905 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1906 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1907 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1909 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1910 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 - Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues
- 1902 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1903 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1904 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1908 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1910 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1911 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1912 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1914 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1915 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1916 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1917 - Official Guide of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Official College Base Ball Annual
- 1912 – Spalding's Official College Base Ball Annual | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1913 – Spalding's Official College Base Ball Annual | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1914 – Spalding's Official College Base Ball Annual | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Spalding's Library of Athletic Sports
- 1886 – The Art of Base Ball Batting | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1889 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1903 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1905 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1906 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1907 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1908 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1910 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1919 – How To Play Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1920 – Base Ball For Beginners | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1921 – Base Ball For Beginners | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1921 – How To Organize A League, Manage A Team, Captain A Team, ... | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Misc.
- 1866 – The Base Ball Player's Book of Reference (Haney's) | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1871 – Proceedings of Convention of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1879 – American Manual of Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1888 – Base-Ball. How To Become A Player (Ward) | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1888 – Sphere and Ash. History of Base Ball. (Morse) | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1889 – Morse's Annual Base Ball Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1894 – Constitution and Playing Rules of the Eastern League of Professional Base Ball Clubs | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1897 – Tuohey's History of the Boston Base Ball Club | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
- 1902 – Church's Base Ball Vol. 1 (1845-1871) | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
- 1907 – Pocket Manual - Base Ball History | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1912 – Base Ball and Base Ball Players (Roff) | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1914 – Richter's History and Records of Base Ball : the American Nation's Chief Sport | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
Canadian Guides
- 1876 – The Official Rules of the Canadian Association of Base Ball Players (Bryce) | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1886 – Rules of the Maple Leaf Base Ball Club, Guelph, Ontario | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1900 – Le Sport, Guide Officiel : Baseball, Ligue de l'Est, Ligue Provinciale, Ligue de Montréal, Ligue Nationale, Ligue indépendante | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
Indoor Base Ball
- 1891 – Hancock's Indoor Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1897 – Spalding's Athletic Library - Indoor Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1898 – Spalding's Athletic Library - Indoor Base Ball | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
- 1903 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1904 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1905 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1906 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1907 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1908 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1909 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1910 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1911 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1912 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1913 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1913-14 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1914-15 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1916 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1917 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1918 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1919-20 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1921-22 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1925-26 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
- 1926 – Spalding's Indoor Official Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)