Bookshelf review: Baseball Books: A Collector’s Guide

by Mike Shannon (McFarland, 2007)

As one who collects baseball books, I was happy to come across Mike Shannon’s latest offering. After reading it, however, I find myself depressed, contrary to the author’s philosophy.

I — along with everyone else, according to the author — will never be a “completist,” that is one who acquires every baseball book ever published. I have neither the time, money or space to do so, nor I would want to even if all the planets were properly aligned. As he writes, “there are a lot of ‘bad’ baseball books (books which are erroneous, poorly written, or graphically dull).”

Now that I’m off the hook on that aspect, I learned I do not treat my books properly. I keep them in my attic and my basement, contrary to Shannon’s advice. I know he’s right about atmospheric conditions; the heat of the attic and the humidity of the basement cannot be good for my library. Unfortunately, there’s no place else to put them. Unless my family moves out.

Shannon, editor of the acclaimed Spitball magazine and author of Diamond Classics (McFarland, 2004), splits his new book into two main sections: the hows and whys of collecting, and a substantial price guide of what one should expect to pay for titles he has included for their collectibility.

Of particular interest is his section “Which Baseball Books to Collect,” which includes a number of publications that include “best of” or “essential” lists when it comes to building a library of ones own. One outstanding source is The Whole Baseball Catalogue (edited by John Thorn and Bob Carroll), which features a particularly interesting — if somewhat dated — section on baseball books.