Harper Collins has published a great coffee table book entitled “Baseball Americana.” It’s by Harry Katz, Frank Ceresi, Phil Michel, Wilson McBee, and Susan Reyburn, it’s a lot of people’s names, but it’s a big book. There are so many great pictures and information in this book from the Library of Congress. There’s even a panoramic picture of the first Black World Series in 1924. Here is my review of “Baseball Americana”…

I’m a huge baseball fan and when I can read a book about the historical past of baseball, I jump at the opportunity. Some of the things in “Baseball Americana” are things that aren’t shown in any other book. Some of the material that this books includes are a picture baseball being played in 1787, the first ever baseball card, a rare color photograph of Satchel Paige, and even a lithograph of the first ever professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869.

The book goes in a chronological order that is easy to follow. If you are more interested in the period of 1900-1920, it’s easy to find all of the information and pictures that go along with that time period. One of my favorite things in the book are old rate advertisements that the baseball players were in. There’s even one of Jackie Robinson endorsing Chesterfield cigarettes, I doubt that would go over well these days. No matter what team you follow, you will find something in “Baseball Americana” that you will enjoy.

This huge coffee table book is a conversation piece and a great book to pick up and instantly start thumbing through. I sat down and read the entire book in about a day, but when you start looking at the magnificent photography, it could last you weeks.

If you are a fan of baseball, you will find things in this book that aren’t even in Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. It’s an amazing collection of pictures, stories, old cartoons depicting baseball, and much more. It’s a must read and at $29.99, it’s a steal. Here is a Youtube video with some of the pictures from the book.