Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century: The Official Major League Baseball Guide [Paperback]

Marc Okkonen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- A brilliant array of major league baseball uniforms from 1900-1991 crowds the pages of this unique sports history. With its high proportion of full-color photographs, it's an invaluable resource for long-standing veterans of the game as well as recently converted devotees. The evolution of uniforms is fascinating to peruse.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Okkonen, a baseball historian and illustrator, has compiled the first complete record of 20th-century major league baseball uniforms. He provides a brief historical overview of major trends in uniform design, as well as an essay on each major league team which links uniform changes to team history. The bulk of the book is a year-by-year pictorial register covering the years 1900 to 1991. The text is clear and lively, but the graphics are so small it is difficult to discern color variations and patterns. The work's historical value would be greatly increased if descriptions of the uniforms were provided. Indexing is minimal. This is essential for collections specializing in baseball history, and useful for public libraries or where demand warrants.
- Terry Madden, Boise State Univ. Lib., Id.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806984910
• ISBN-13: 978-0806984919
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,172,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only True Reference Book, March 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century: The Official Major League Baseball Guide (Paperback)

I purchased the original hardcover edition of this fantastic book in 1991 and the subsequent updated softcover edition in 1993 and found that not only had Mr. Okkonen added the uniform additions from the previous two years but also updated and corrected the earlier edition. Such attention to detail obviously makes this book a must-have for any true baseball fan. The explanations of color usage, choices and changes from 1900 to 1993 are insightful and amazing. Each team's uniforms and historical evolutions are also a great feature. I would love to see an updated 2000 edition. The fact that the first two editions are so hard to come by emphasizes the popularity of the books. So how about it, Marc? An update shouldn't be so difficult; just seven more years. Batting practice jerseys and caps need not be included, just home, away and alternate uniforms to keep all of us who love the grand old game in the know.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Okkonen: My Constant Reference, December 19, 2001

By 

James R. Battenfield (Apple Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Baseball uniforms of the 20th century: The official major league baseball guide (Hardcover)

I have been collecting MLB replica/current baseball caps since the late sixties. I guess that makes me a fanatic. I received a postcard from Marc Okkonen a few years ago, and thought his 1991 volume was without sequel. Now I have heard that there is a 1993 revision of this fine book, with corrections. (Baseball lovers need this). I started getting serious about tracing the history of team caps in 1995, so I have a bit of a gap that a "new" Okkonen could help me fill. I have found a few errors in the book; in fact the author said there were some. Where can anyone go to improve and update Okkonen? Until further notice, he is my constant reference for cap styles, a monumental piece of research, which I use "for the love of the game."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Reference Book, February 27, 2002

By 

Clay Woody (Albuquerque, New Mexico United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baseball uniforms of the 20th century: The official major league baseball guide (Hardcover)

When I discovered BASEBALL UNIFORMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY, I was overjoyed. It is a true missing link of baseball information. Of all the pictures of ball players I poured over through the years, players who graced the diamonds during the first 50 years of this century, the one thing I could never discern was the COLOR of their uniforms. However hard you studied the permeations of gray and black in the photographs, you could not accurately guess the colors. Similarly, it was difficult to detect the exact year each major league uniform changed. This book solved those mysteries for me. I place it among my most valuable baseball books, a collection which encompasses maybe 80 books. I would love to see a similar book done on baseball uniforms of the 1870s-1890s, as well as a book on football uniforms of the 20th Century. Kudos to the author and publisher!