Two large references originally published as books form the core of BaseballLibrary.com.

• The Ballplayers, edited by Mike Shatzkin, has over 6,000 biographies and 800,000 words in its book form which is available in an Idea Logical Press 2-volume paperback edition. The book was originally published in 1990 and is complete through the 1989 season. MORE INFO

• The Baseball Chronology, edited by James Charlton, a day-by-day account of baseball history, was published in book form in 1991. In the coming months, we'll update and enhance the Chronology to cover the last decade of baseball history.

In addition to these two major works, BaseballLibrary.com also includes a host of baseball history features that have been produced over the past few years by the Idea Logical Company for Sportsline. These include:

• Baseball's Greatest Teams, adapted from a feature originally published in 1998 as Run For Glory. We tracked the Yankees' record-setting season with a day-by-day comparison to the records of other dominating teams at similar points in the season. The team capsules were later expanded and have now been re-posted as part of BaseballLibrary.com.

• Flashbacks, originally produced in 1999 as Flashback Fridays. Think of it as "Today in Baseball History", with a twist: each Friday, we looked back at an interesting event that happened on that date, be it tragic or triumphant or even trivial.

• Historical Matchups, originally produced in 1998 and 1999. Who was better: Joe D. or The Mick? The Sultan of Swat or Hammerin' Hank? Since baseball fans enjoy these arguments, we've given them something to stoke the fire: side-by-side comparisons of baseball's biggest stars. And if you'd like, you can cast your vote and get an instant read on the vox populi.

Plans already include the addition of other books, pictures, features, and even original contributions from baseball historians everywhere. (If there's a specific entry you'd like to see, please e-mail BOLcontent@idealog.com with your suggestions.)

The Ballplayers was created from 1986-1989 by a team of about 100 editors, writers, and researchers, largely recruited from the ranks of SABR (The Society for American Baseball Research). The project was originally conceived and organized by Mike Shatzkin and Jim Charlton. Shatzkin went on to complete the project as Editor, with Stephen Holtje serving as Managing Editor and coordinating the many contributors.

William Morrow published the original hardcover edition, illustrated with 500 photographs, in 1990. It went out-of-print in 1993. By 1998, copies of the original $39.95 hardcover, of which 35,000 were printed and distributed, were selling for $80 and more, when they could be found. In 1999, The Idea Logical Press published a facsimile of the original as a 2-volume paperback edition; the retail price for the new edition is $70 for both volumes, although many Internet booksellers have offered it at substantial reductions from that price. You can find more information about the new edition at theballplayers.com.

Jim Charlton and his army of fifty researchers compiled The Baseball Chronology in a four-year period, culminating in 1991. The Chronology lists every important or significant event in the history of baseball, including all the individual highlights from the majors and minors, the Negro leagues, the Japanese leagues, Latin American ball, and collegiate baseball.

Unfortunately, the Chronology is out of print. To date, no second edition has been released, but you can search for a used copy at Amazon.com.