Mailbag: Spitball and Baseball History & Art

We’re getting to the time of year when spring training is about a month away and publishers are warming up as well. The bulk of baseball titles won’t be released until after opening day, but the handful of glossy magazines, which seem to be dwindling year by year, will be on newsstands shortly.

Last week I received the latest editions of the old favorite Spitball and new-kid-on-the-block Baseball History & Art (the estimable Mike Shannon serves as editor-in-chief for the former and editor for the latter). While they differ dramatically in content and presentation, any fan of the topics covered by both look forward to their arrival.

(No wisecracks about the desk, okay?)

The Winter 2015 issue of the quarterly BH&A continues in its mission to offer about some of the major and minor characters of the game supported by wonderful illustrations in the form of paintings, photos, cards, etc., some created specifically for the content.

The current lineup includes:

• A profile of Baseball Reliquary found Terry Cannon
• A tribute to the ballparks of the Brooklyn Dodgers, dating back to pre-Ebbets Field days
• A look back at MLB’s only double no-hit game
• A review of one of my favorites, The Great Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book
• An appreciation piece on Babe Herman

To be honest, the new reader might find BH&A a bit daunting. There’s a lot of material to take in and trying to tell the real cards from the ones created just for the publication can be confusing. Nevertheless, there’s no denying the care and, yes, love, that goes into a project like this. It reminds me of of the defunct 108, a similarly impressive glossy that lasted just a few issues in the mid-2000-aughts.

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Of longer lineage is the biannual Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine, which has been around for 35 years. Shannon would tell you it’s pointless to compare the two publications.  The digest-sized Spitball is comprised almost exclusively of short fiction and poetry with a bit of artwork tossed in, as well as regular columns on cards and book news. Spitball hosts one of the most prestigious baseball book award with the CASEYs, inaugurated in 1983 (here’s a full list of the winners).

Tagged as: Baseball Art & History, Spitball Magazine