The Bookshelf Conversation: Rick Wolff

(This could also be considered on of those “Things We Keep” entries.)

Happy “Golden Anniversary” to The Macmillan Baseball Encyclopedia!

Fans of a certain age no doubt have (or had) a copy of this massive door stop. My edition, pictured below, weighs in at more than 2,700 pages and five pounds.

The Baseball Encyclopedia, J. Reichler 6th Edition Hardcover Macmillan 1985

Now, there have been several books with a similar or even same title, but the original first came on the scene in 1969. It was later taken over by Simon and Schuster; the last version of the real McCoy was published in 1996, its demise in no small part attributable to the Internet. Nevertheless, a copy still sits on my shelf as well baseball reference book junkies.

Admittedly, the Encyclopedia wasn’t perfect, but it was a worthy effort and adored by fans, writers, and researchers. It was even the inspiration for a Dave Frishberg song.

Baseball-Reference.com’s “Bullpen Front Page” section offers this brief description of the project. And here are a few more items about the MBE:

“The Macmillian Baseball Encyclopedia, the West System, and Sweat Equity“, from SABR’s Fall 2010 Baseball Research Journal.
“Did Babe Ruth actually hit 715 homers? How building the first computerized stats database almost changed the most important number in sports,” by Joe Posnanski.
“The Baseball Encyclopedia was born 50 years ago, 2337 pages landing with a thud,” by Tom Hoffarth, Los Angeles Times

Image result for rick wolff All this is prelude to my conversation with Rick Wolff, who served as editor for the MBE for the seventh, eighth, and ninth editions, and offers a fascinating look into its preparations and production.

In addition to the MBE, Wolff has edited a number of baseball books, featuring such authors as Pete Rose, Roger Angell, Peter Golenbock, the Elias Sports Bureau, Roger Kahn, and many more.

He is also an expert of coaching youth sports, publishing a number of books on the topic as well as appearing on numerous sports talk shows, including his eponymous WFAN show, The Sporting Edge with Rick Wolff.