Lot 8.  New England Baseballist- A Weekly Journal, an Advocate of the National Game, Field Sports and the Drama. So reads the Masthead surrounding a small baseball wood cut. The New England Baseballist is very rarely offered, rarer even than the The Ballplayers Chronicle (lot 10). The first issue of the Baseballist was August 6, 1868. Box scores and accounts from the first issue included those for the Union Club, Mutuals, Tri-Mountain, Atlantics, Eckford and others. The Baseballist continued for 22 issues to December 31, 1868, each of 4 pages and most with a 4” square woodcut on the front page of a baseball player. On January 9, 1869 The National Chronicle succeeded the Baseballist with a more diversified look at American Sports and Amusements. The publication continued with 4 pages (expanded later on), the box scores continued in season as well as many articles including several on the 1869 Red Stockings, until June 18, 1870 when the publication ceased. The pages are all loose, but in excellent condition and very readable. The pages are housed in a 9” x 14  1/2” blue slipcase from the Cleveland Public Library where the collection was de-accessed from the Mears Collection. Minimum Bid $5,000.

Lot 9.  Five New York Clipper Volumes  from 1858, 1861 and 1863, 1864 and 1865. Volume 6 from 1858 is missing the first 4 issues and the last. There is another extraordinary baseball woodcut on the front page from July showing the great match between New York and Brooklyn at Fashion Course on July 20, 1858. A detailed story on the game with box score is in the issue. There are a few horse racing woodcuts on the covers of some early issues. The volume is not bound and the pages are loose but in excellent condition and there is a special leather cover matching the slipcase.  Volume 9 from 1861 is complete from Issue 1 on April 20, 1861 to the last (Issue 52) on April 12, 1862. An index is on the last page. The baseball coverage is even more extensive than before including an account of the Grand Match for the Silver Ball, which included Jim Creighton and Dickey Pearce and foreshadowing the Dodger-Giant rivalry. Volume 11 from 1863 is bound within the slipcase. Starts with Issue 1 on April 18, 1863 and conclude with issue 52 on April 9, 1863. Once again the baseball coverage is extensive. Volume 12 from 1864, also bound within the slipcase starts with the first issue of April 16, 1864 which has a substantial woodcut of the 9 leading Billiard players of the year.  It concludes with the 52nd issue of April 8, 1864.  The August 12th issue has an extensive account of the Championship match between the Mutuals and the Atlantics, a game that would be immortalized in the Currier Ives Print “The American National Game of Baseball”. Finally, Volume 13 from 1865 is bound within the slipcase starts with the first issue of April 15, 1865 and concludes with the April 7, 1865. The early issues have much on the assassination of President Lincoln including a woodcut of John Wilkes Booth. The baseball narratives and box scores start to include familiar names such as Dickie McBride, Al Reach, Birdsall, the Rogers’, Joe Start, etc. The volumes are in excellent readable condition although many pages or groups of pages are loose. Winning Bid $1,000.

Lot 10.  1867 The Ballplayers Chronicle and the 1868 American Chronicle of Sports and Pastimes. Written and Edited by Henry Chadwick (“The Father of Baseball”), the Chronicle was baseball’s first weekly devoted (nearly) completely to baseball. The Chronicle covered nearly every important team of the late 1860’s. The offered first volume, while not bound or within boards, is in excellent condition and can be read easily. Includes every issue in 1867 from the first issue dated June 6, 1867 to the last in 1867 dated December 26, 1867. It also includes a title sheet and a 2 page summary of contents detailing what is in the 30 issues of 1867. The last issue of 1867 states “The American Chronicle of Sports and Pastimes” " The above is the title of our paper, with which we commence our second volume…….”, “The change of name has been made in accordance with our original programme ….to publish a family journal of outdoor sports and home amusements of which the American game of baseball would be the leading specialty." The offered volume is complete to July 23, 1868 and is missing the last issue of July 30th. The Ballplayers Chronicle is a historic paper. We know of only two sales, both of only the first volume. One was an ebay sale March of 2006 for $12,988 and the other in an obscure book auction, which went for only $6,600. I’ve never seen the 1868 volume offered. Minimum Bid $5,000.

Lot 11.  100 different issues of The Sporting Life from 1897 (33), 1898 (40) and 1899 (27). The 1897 issues all feature a baseball woodcut, mostly of baseball players and include Jesse Burkett, Cap Anson, Bid McPhee, Buck Ewing and Boston NL Champs, The 40 issues from 1898 include Flick and Lange and the 1899 issues, when the covers went from woodcuts to photos, include Van Haltren, Clarke and Ewing. Condition is good. Many issues are intact and many are not. All are complete and readable. Winning Bid $1,283.

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