Shameless self-promotion, part two: Now it can be told

June 6, 2011 · 5 comments

Remember how when you were a kid in school you didn’t like to talk about your tests right after you took them because you were afraid you’d jinx it? Well, that’s the way I felt about this bit of news. But now that it’s official…

I have just signed a contract for my first book. Sometime in 2013, God willing, the University of Nebraska Press is scheduled to publish 501 Baseball Books Literate Fans Must Read Before They Die (working title).

Much of the selections will be made based upon my own library of some 2,000 volumes, but those date back only to the early 1970s, so if anyone out there has any suggestions on older titles, please feel free to drop me a line.

Of course, just my luck, the world will end either at the end of the year (according to Harold Camping’s updated prediction) which means all this was for nothing, or in 2012, which means the additional work of going over proofs, etc., will be for nothing.

But in the meantime, the best thing is, I’ll be working with copy editors and proofreaders!

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Tagged as: University of Nebraska Press

{ 5 comments }

1 BaseballinDC June 6, 2011 at 5:02 pm: Ron – Congratulations! Nebraska is the best publisher of baseball books. When can we start lobbying for titles to be included?
2 Anonymous June 6, 2011 at 5:23 pm: Thanks. “Lobbying?” Typical DC attitude, which I should think involves some remuneration in the form of a cash-filled envelope…?

Again, I’m looking for pre-1960s material if you can think of any. 🙂
3 Bill Lewers June 6, 2011 at 8:28 pm: Congratulations, Ron!

A few of my pre-1970 favs include:

(I assume you’re aware of the classics like the Putnam Series, the Fireside Book volumes 1-3, the Mark Harris books)

Any novel by Frank O’Rourke. Flashing Spikes, Never Come Back, Nine Good Men are all good choices.

One of the Chip Hilton baseball stories by Clair Bee. Strike Three and Pitchers’ Duel are probably the best.

So You Want to Run a Ball Club? by Milt Woodward (The Sporting News, 1951)

A Hand in Sport by Willard Mullen (not just baseball but there a lot of his great baseball cartoons included)

How to get to First Base by Marc Simont and Red Smith (A delightful little children’s book)

The Hy Turkin Baseball Encyclopedia (1951) is a classic of great historical significance but it’s obviously been outdone by its successors.

That’s all I can think of for now. This is one book I’m looking forward to!
4 Anonymous June 6, 2011 at 8:31 pm: Thank you, Bill. I’ll certainly look into these suggestions.
5 Bluenatic June 7, 2011 at 2:23 pm: Roger Kahn has mentioned Christy Mathewson’s Pitching in a Pinch (1912) in more than a few of his books. A classic.