|
Vintage Baseball Novels
6 Lots
 Lot 564. Scarce 1914 Baseball Novel by John (Marie) Hopper: “Coming Back with the Spitball.” Subtitled “A Pitcher’s Romance,” Hopper’s book tells the riches to rags to riches story of fictional New York Giants pitcher Tom Carsey, whose career is revived by the spitball. A quarterback at the University of California, Hopper earned a law degree and then embarked on a career in journalism with the “San Francisco Chronicle.” He wrote several novels and more than 400 stories that appeared in such publications as “The Saturday Evening Post,” “Collier’s” and “Harper’s.” Published by Harper & Brothers with a 1914 copyright, this copy of his 70-page novel was printed in February 1914; it may be a second printing. It is vg without a dust jacket. The paste-down cover illustration shows a scuff in the upper left and edge chips. One of the four photo illustrations is loose.
Minimum Bid $40.
|
 Lot 565. 2 Elmer A. Dawson Novels from the Buck and Larry Baseball Stories Series. Dawson was part of the Edward Stratemeyer stable of writers that turned out such series as the Hardy Boys, Bobsy Twins and Nancy Drew. The Dawson name, probably a pseudonym, is associated also with the Gary Grayson Football Series. The Buck and Larry Series consists of five novels written for young adults, but enjoyed by adult readers as well. The last of the series, “Larry’s Speed Ball,” is relatively uncommon. Published in 1932 by Grosset & Dunlap, this first edition is vg in a g-vg dust jacket. Stains on the front and back cover do not carry through to the book’s interior. The binding is tight. The jacket is intact and stained along the spine and in the upper left front. The other book, “Larry’s Fadeaway,” is the third in the series. A 1930 first edition, it is vg-ex with sunning briefly at the top and 2.5” up from the bottom of the spine. The sunning was made possible by missing sections of the dust jacket, which has a f+ to g appearance from the front. Sections along the spine and back are missing, and some tape has been used to reinforce the inside of the dust jacket.
Minimum Bid $40.
|
 Lot 566. 7 Early 1900s Baseball Novels from the Edward Stratemeyer Syndicate. Stratemeyer’s organization was a prolific purveyor of prose for pubescent pupils. Many adults also enjoyed the syndicate’s novels, which included Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Baseball Joe and numerous other sports and non-sport series. Many books were written through a process that Henry Ford might have created had he chosen publishing instead of car construction. Most of the authors wrote under pseudonyms. With one exception, these eight books have imprinted illustrated covers and are without a dust jacket. All are first editions unless otherwise noted. Three books are attributed to Allen Chapman: “The Boys of Spring Hill,” 1900, paste-down cover illustration shows moderate wear, flyleaf removed, g-vg. “The Darewell Chums on a Cruise,” 1909, flyleaf inscription, vg. And “Fred Fenton the Pitcher,” owner’s name on the flyleaf, vg. Two books are from the Baseball Joe series by Lester Chadwick: “Baseball Joe of the Silver Stars,” 1912, flyleaf inscription, vg-ex. And “Baseball Joe Champion of the League,” 1925, vg book and dust jacket. Two Dave Porter books carry the Edward Stratemeyer name: “Dave Porter at Oak Hall,” 1905, vg. And “Dave Porter and His Rivals,” 1911, vg-ex.
Minimum Bid $30.
|
 Lot 567. Scarce “Bartley: Freshman Pitcher” and 3 More William Heyliger Baseball Novels. Heyliger wrote these books for young adult readers. All four are first editions. D. Appleton and Company published the “Bartley” book in 1911, and “The Captain of the Nine” the following year. Both books were printed in September. Both have writing on the flyleaf and are vg without dust jackets. The binding of “The Captain of the Nine” is slightly loose. “Big Leaguer” is the third Heyliger book. This 1936 hardback is vg+ in a g dust jacket. The final book is a pocket-sized 1937 offering from Saalfield Publishing: “Three-Finger Joe,” complete, outer spine gone, f-g.
Minimum Bid $50.
|
 Lot 568. 15 Gilbert Patten Baseball Novels – 8 as Frank Merriwell Novelist Burt L. Standish. Patten was a prolific writer of dime novels and other stories. One of his employees in the 1890s was Edward Stratemeyer, who subsequently managed an organization that produced numerous baseball novels for young adults. Ten books in this collection are hardbacks with pictorial covers; two have dust jackets, which are noted. Five books are Frank Merriwell softcovers published by Street & Smith, which produced pulp fiction and sports annuals until 1959. The books are first editions unless otherwise noted. Patten’s books under his own name are: “The Rockspur Nine,” 1900, price on flyleaf, vg-ex, and “Clif Stirling: Captain of the Nine,” 1910, vg+. Patten also published as Morgan Scott: “Rival Pitchers of Oakdale,” 1911, g+ to vg, and “The New Boys at Oakdale,” 1913, name on flyleaf, vg. Three books by Patten as Burt L. Standish are not part of the Merriwell series: “Lefty O’ the Big League,” 1914, vg+; “Lefty O’ the Blue Stockings,” 1914 third printing, inscription on second inside page, vg+; and “Courtney of the Center Garden,” 1915, name stamped on flyleaf, vg+, f-g dust jacket. There are three hardback versions of the Merriwell books: “Frank Merriwell’s School Days,” 1901, inscription on flyleaf, g+ to vg; “Frank Merriwell’s Skill,” 1903, flyleaf removed, g-vg book and dust jacket; and Frank Merriwell’s Secret, 1904, g+ to vg. The Street & Smith softcovers are: “Frank Merriwell’s Faith,” No. 60, 1900, back cover missing, otherwise complete, p-f; Dick Merriwell’s Day, No. 114, 1904, g, nice front cover; “Frank Merriwell’s Marriage,” No. 125, 1905, f; “Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona,” No. 217, 1912, g-vg; and “Frank Merriwell’s Winners,” New Medal Library No. 476, 1902, g+.
Minimum Bid $95.
|
 Lot 569. 21 Early Baseball Novels by Zane Grey, Horatio Alger, Harold Sherman, Other Writers. In the early 1900s, baseball truly was the U.S. National Game. To serve a public that couldn’t get enough of the sport, publishing houses annually turned out dozens of novels targeting young adults, but appreciated by adult readers as well. Typically, these novels reinforced the values of commitment, perseverance and hard work. Unless otherwise noted, the books in this collection are first edition hardbacks with pictorial covers and without dust jackets. One novel in this collection by Horatio Alger has baseball content: “Bound to Rise or Up the Ladder,” 1908, pencil writing inside, g+. Zane Grey is best known for his western stories, but he cashed in also on the nation’s fascination with baseball: “The Short-Stop,” fourth printing, 1914, vg+ book, g+ dust jacket; “The Read Headed Outfield and Other Baseball Stories,” 1920 edition, vg; and “The Young Pitcher,” 1939 edition, inscription inside front cover, vg-ex book and vg dust jacket. Seven books are by Harold M. Sherman, six from his “Home Run Series,” which is complete. Many topics attracted Sherman’s attention. He wrote self-help books, books on psychic phenomena and ESP two plays that were produced on Broadway, and movie and TV scripts. Three of his Home Run Series books were published in 1928: “Safe!” vg-ex book and dust jacket; “Bases Full!” vg+ to ex book and dj; and “Hit by Pitcher,” vg+ to ex/vg. The other books from the series are: “Hit and Run!” 1929, vg+/g-vg; “Batter Up!” 1930, flyleaf inscription, vg+/g-vg; and “Double Play!” 1932, vg-ex/vg. The other Sherman book is a the pocket-sized “Last Man Out,” 1937, vg from Saalfield Publishing. The other authors and their books are: Etta Anthony Baker, “The Captain of the S.I.G.s,” 1911, vg; George Barton, “The Bell Haven Nine,” 1914, vg+; Matthew M. Colton, “Frank Armstrong: Captain of the Nine, 1913, vg; A. T. Dudley, “With Mask and Mitt,” 1906, g-vg; J. W. Duffield, “Bert Wilson’s Fadeaway Ball, 1924 edition, vg; Hugh S. Fullerton, who had a central role in uncovering the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, “Jimmy Kirkland and the Plot for a Pennant,” 1915, dedicated to Charles A. Comiskey, g-vg; MacGregor Jenkins, “Shiner Watson,” 1929 stated first edition, ex; Owen Johnson, “The Varmint,” 1910, vg; Edward Stratemeyer, “Dave Porter at Oak Hall,” 1905, ex-library, flyleaf inscription, otherwise vg; and Charles E. Van Loan, “Score by Innings,” 1919, flyleaf inscription, g-vg.
Minimum Bid $75.
|
|
