It’s not often that one gets to read something that is a verifiable piece of history. Such is the case with Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide. I had this one on my list of baseball books I wanted to get to for some time. Luckily, Summer Game Books republished the book in recent years, and I got my hands on a review copy. Republish is an important phrase, as the original version of Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide was published in 1907. Hence, my statement about getting my hands on a verifiable piece of history. But history on its own does not mean high quality. Will that be the case for this tome of black baseball from years gone by? Or, will it stand up to the test of time?
First off, this version of Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide includes an introduction and notes from Gary Ashwill. If you’re not aware of Ashwill, he is a figure in baseball research who is worth getting to know. He specializes in Negro Leagues history, but even that is a bit of a misnomer. He specializes in the history of black baseball in America and abroad. That includes the Negro Leagues era, as well as before and after said era. His introduction to Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide is about what you’d expect from him. Well researched, well written, and a great way to start the book off. His notes end the book, and they are just as well researched and help to add context to all the figures White writes about in his eponymous guide.
The bulk of the book itself is written by White. It’s a hodgepodge of game recaps, playing tips, team breakdowns, and thoughts on the game. Put more simply, it’s a wonderful little window into the world of black baseball in America in the early 1900s. White is a skilled storyteller, and he’s also meticulous in his retention of information. It’s rare that he doesn’t have something meaningful to say about a player or team that is mentioned. He’s also aware of what people want to hear, and that’s why, for instance, the section on the art of pitching is written by Rube Foster, arguably the best pitcher in baseball at the time. It doesn’t really matter if Foster’s assertions about how to pitch are correct or not. What matters is that they are fascinating to read and that White has collected them and put them out for the entire world to read for themselves.
The strength of White’s effort is in its ability to cover a wide range of topics in both an in-depth and succinct fashion. Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide is not a long book; it’s more of a pamphlet really. Yet, in its brief pages, there exists a wealth of knowledge and a real feeling that you are dipping your toes into important baseball history waters. From the moment I started reading this title, I knew I was reading something special, and when I had finished, I felt just a little closer to the world of black baseball in the 1900s.
Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide is an important work. It’s also a very easy read that contains plentiful bits of information, fun tidbits about the game of baseball in 1907, and remains timely to this day. Did it make me mad to read the sections about how black players were being excluded from society? Of course it did. Am I happy that White put his feelings on these matters out in the open for everyone to read? About as happy as my dog when someone opens the treat jar. If you are a fan of baseball history and any part of you wants to know more about black baseball before the Negro Leagues, you owe it to yourself to read Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide.
Lead photo courtesy of Gary Cieradkowski – Summer Game Books
