Baseball Books Revisited

[ebbets55]

For some reason, I have had a voracious appetite for 19th Century Baseball as of late. Hanging out with Mike one weekend really didn't help that problem. He had a lot of cool 19th century items to drool over.

Anyway, I just finished two great books. One is entitled A History of Early Baseball - Playing for Keeps: 1857-1876 by Warren Goldstein. The other is called But Didn't we Have Fun? An Infomral History of Baseball's Pioneer Era 1843-1870 by Peter Morris. It started with the Knickerbockers and ended with the Red Stockings and contained a wealth of information in between. I highly recommend them. I learned a ton.

JD

[Centerfield]

Can see Elysian Field from my window!!!

[Centerfield]

Actually, let me clarify. Elysian Field is long gone, but Elysian Park is still here, literally across the street from where Elysian Field stood. The Maxwell House Coffee factory was built on the actual site of the field, but that was torn down within the past 6 years. Toll Brothers is completing a luxury condo complex there now. NJ Governor Jon Corzine will be living there and rumor has it that A-Rod bought there as well. Elysian Park, across the street, was featured in "On the Waterfront". Just some useless info to chew on...

[ebbets55]

I remember. Next time we are gonna walk down the street and play catch on the site. So what if we break a window in the new luxury condo complex. I'm game.

JD

[Centerfield]

I'm game! You know, the original plans for the new buildings had a designated area for an old-time baseball diamond. That was scrapped soon after the town approved construction, though. Cut too much into Bob Toll's profits, I guess. I had visions of 19th century reenactments or Hoboken uniforms like Jackson wore at the end of "Eight Men Out". But alas, not to be.