First Pitch

Gr 5—9—Thorn covers a lot of ground in this trim volume. First, the author debunks the stories surrounding Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright, credited today for their role in devising the modern game. He reveals that a commission, headed by sporting-goods magnate A. G. Spalding, chose to designate the Civil War hero and scholar Doubleday as baseball's inventor in an effort to boost the game's status as the all-American pastime. Cartwright, a star on the Knickerbockers, an early New York team, is credited with codifying baseball's rules, but his unsung teammates actually played a larger role. Thorn also explains that early versions of baseball have been played in America since the 1730s, first by children and eventually by adult amateurs. Its origins were international in nature as well, and can be linked to games played in ancient times. This trivia-laden account, supplemented with colorful graphics and historical sidebars, should find an audience among hard-core fans of baseball lore.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA