The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball [Hardcover]

Jonathan Fraser Light (Author), Timothy J. Wiles (Foreword), Tim Wiles (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 078640311X | ISBN-13: 978-0786403110 | Publication Date: August 1997

More than any other sport, baseball has developed a niche in the American psyche. Researchers spend years on detailed statistical analyses of minute parts of the game, while others wax poetic about its players and plays. Many trace the beginnings of the civil rights movement to the Major Leagues' decision to integrate, and the words and phrases of the game (for example, pinch-hitter and out in left field) have become common in our everyday language.

From AARON, HANK onward, all of what might be called the cultural aspects of baseball are covered (as opposed to the number-rich statistical information so widely available elsewhere). Biographical sketches of all Hall of Fame players, owners, executives and umpires, as well as many of the sportswriters and broadcasters who have won the Spink and Frick awards, join entries for teams, owners, commissioners and league presidents. ADVERTISING, AGENTS, DRAFTS, ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES, SUPERSTITIONS, TRIPLEHEADERS, and YOUNGEST PLAYERS are among the thousands of subjects.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?A reference work with a far different approach than such standards as The Baseball Encyclopedia. Instead of merely listing players and statistics, this book covers a broad range of topics with articles arranged in an easy-to-use alphabetical format. For example, there are such unexpected topics covered as alcoholism in baseball, baseball in France, facial hair, and the dumbest players. Other topics include the histories of venerable ballparks and franchises, perfect games and no-hitters, famous players and managers, and much, much more. Leading off many of the articles are apt and well-written quotes from sports writers, past and present. Interspersed throughout are black-and-white photographs, although most pages include only text. The index is extensive. The fact that this nearly 900-page compendium of facts, fallacies, and lore was researched and written by one person is, frankly, awe inspiring. It's like one of those reference works from the last century. It's quirky, highly individual, and endlessly fascinating.?Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Updating his excellent first edition (1997), Light continues his work in providing a human perspective on baseball. Where other substantial and useful baseball encyclopedias focus on chronology, statistics, championships, and franchises, The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball looks more at the individuals and society surrounding America's pastime. Of course, there are entries on every team, almost every prominent player, and the records. But entries are also embellished with quotes from the baseball community and commentaries that flesh out the meaning behind the subject. This labor of love is a work where one really gets the sense of baseball as a social activity, one played by people with personalities and quirks as entertaining and bizarre as they are skilled and crafty. The entry on the Hidden ball trick explains how the trick works and retells the stories of some interesting times the trick succeeded. Under Facial hair, we learn about players who were famous for their beards or moustaches, teams that banned facial hair, and facial hair as a fashion statement for players in the nineteenth century. Entries on the hardware of the game (e.g., Pitching rubbers, Catcher's equipment, and Bats) give a real sense not just of the item's function but of how it was seen by baseball players from its invention to adoption.

Like the first edition, the work is alphabetically arranged and contains numerous cross-references between entries, more than 100 black-and-white photographs, and an excellent index. Baseball at all major professional levels (including Negro League and All-American Girls Professional Baseball League) receives some coverage, although major league baseball is the focus. Most entries include quotes that often illustrate and almost always entertain. The work has limited citations (usually just single works) at the ends of entries and no bibliography.

This is not the source for the detailed statistics that many serious baseball researchers need; instead, see works such as Baseball: The Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia (Sport Classic, 2004). But for those who seek to understand baseball as a human, social, essentially cultural activity, this work is a classic that has been improved in this new edition. Given the updates (now current through the Red Sox's curse-breaking 2004 season) and additions to historical information, the second edition is a welcome addition to reference collections containing baseball sources. Highly recommended for most collections. Jeff Kosokoff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 896 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078640311X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786403110
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,648,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authoritative, addictive, and amusing baseball lore., January 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Seattle, WA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball (Hardcover)

Authoritative and fun to read. What more can you ask of a reference book?

This is not a book of statistics. Obviously a "labor of love," Light has dug up and cross-checked thousands of baseball-related facts about the game's people, places, history, equipment, records, legends, etc...including the inside scoop on many famous "incidents."

According to the forward by its Director of Research, the Hall of Fame staff was so impressed with Light's work that they pitched in to help.

The author is thorough. I thought I knew a lot about baseball till I started reading Light's book. My estimate: 90% of the stuff in here was new to me. Example: there's a section on "Fastest Pitchers" that includes a fascinating story of a "1950s phenom and flame-thrower" named Steve Dalkowski. Never heard of him.

Light writes in a short, crisp style that encourages reading. The book is addicting. Like any good encyclopedia, you start off on one topic, then your eye catches something else and off you go exploring... then you wonder where the last two hours went. Our 17 yr. old son casually picked up the book and disappeared with it for entire afternoon ... he came back and pronounced the book, "totally awesome." High praise, indeed.

The author's wry wit, uncommon in an "encyclopedia," is evident in many entries. For example, in the section on "Fans:" Light writes, "On May 15, 1921, Ty Cobb went into the stands and attacked a particularly vehement heckler. Cobb apparently ignored the fact that the fan had lost his hands in a printing accident. Cobb was suspended for 10 days."

Much of the fun of the book is found in the numerous quotations sprinkled liberally on virtually every page. Light seems to take particular delight in the many gaffs of announcer and former ball player, Jerry Coleman, e.g. "There's a fly to deep center field. Winfield is going back, back. He hits head against the wall. It's rolling toward second base!"

How it is physically set up: a one volume, quality-bound work, organized alphabetically by topic. It is generous with "white space" ... thus avoiding the "densely packed," intimidating look of many reference books. It has boldface references to related subjects elsewhere covered in the book ...which sets you off on your expedition.

The word "classic" is over-used. But Light has written a classic baseball book. Get it...for yourself or for a fan you love. You won't regret it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little-known gem, December 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball (Hardcover)

This is one of the most ambitious baseball research projects ever undertaken, and a book that should be in every serious baseball fan's library. It must be said, though, that the book's lack of footnotes or citations make it troublesome as an academic reference, and there are quite a few factual errors --which, I suppose, inevitably accompany such a vast work. But if you can get past those quibbles, this is a wonderful book to own.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Reference Book for Anything Baseball!!, February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball (Hardcover)

This reference contains references to almost anything that you could want to know about the history of the sport. The anecdotes and quotes add a special touch that stats books don't capture. The range of references includes not only the players in all of the leagues (Major, minor, black and womens), but also information about the equipment and environment which baseball has been played in. I would highly recommend this encyclopedia to anyone who has a baseball fan in the house!