Lot 228. 1891 Sporting Life Guide and 1889 Chadwick Guide. The very rare 1891 guide was Sporting Life’s only venture into a Guide. There are 212 pages and offers a fairly concise history of baseball. It concludes with a good summary of the Players League in 1890. The guide features about a dozen full page woodcuts including Mike Kelly and some obscure League presidents and owners. The 1889 Chadwick guide is more colorful and much more common. It is more a rules book. There is a light stain on the cover which is barely noticeable and is otherwise in excellent condition. It comes with a very elaborate black case made especially for it with “CHADWICKS BASEBALL MANUAL ---------- 1889” embossed in gold leaf on a green leather square. Minimum Bid $500.
