There are books about sports and then there are great books about sports. THE BARRY HALPER COLLECTION OF BASEBALL MEMORABILIA (Harry N. Abrams, three volumes, $35.00) is a great book about sports. It is one that really belongs on every fan's bookshelf.
Based on an auction Sotheby's held last September of more than 2,500 items owned by Barry Halper - the greatest private collection of baseball memorabilia ever assembled - this publication is an elegant slip-cased three-volume catalogue. The result is a deluxe set that includes more than 1,500 color photographs of rare and unusual items from every era of baseball.
THE BARRY HALPER COLLECTION OF BASEBALL MEMORABILIA sports an individual description of each auction item, very interesting historical information and the final auction price list. The auction at Sotheby's produced a record sale of $21.8 million and included items (all featured in flawless photos in the boxed set) like Mickey Mantle's glove, the only signed Ty Cobb jersey, and the signed agreement from 1920 that sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees from the Red Sox.
There are insightful essays in this publication by Peter Golenbock, Yogi Berra and Ted Williams. One of the volumes is purely informational about the auction. A second volume focuses on baseball's early years and the third volume showcases the modern era from the 1940s on. To turn the pages of this beautifully put together work is to re-live baseball history. A sampling of a couple of the items shows the depth and nostalgia to be found in THE BARRY HALPER COLLECTION OF BASEBALL MEMORABILIA.
Item 2059: Pete Rose National League Hit Record Cleats - "Pete Rose was wearing these red Mizuno cleats when he broke Stan Musial's National League hit record of 3,630. Each cleat has been inscribed by Rose as follows: 'Pete Rose - 8-10-81 - 3,631. Inside each shoe is Rose's number "14" in black marker; the cleats show heavy wear and still have red clay stuck to the bottom; in excellent condition." $1,500 - $2,500.
Item 276: Nineteenth Century Baseball Catcher Figurine - "This unusual figure is probably modeled as early baseball great Buck Ewing, who was the premier catcher of his day. Two small holes drilled in reverse do not detract from its otherwise excellent appearance. Height 8 1/2 in." $700-$1,000.
With its true bargain $35.00 price tag, its splendid range of items includes 1,000 uniforms, 400 bats, 30,000 baseball cards, pins, gloves, contracts, works of art, 928 pages and 1,623 illustrations - most in full color. "The Barry Halper Collection of Baseball Memorabilia" has so much going for it. It is a publication to own, to pore through, to go back to again and again. A bravo to all those associated with this project.
Book Ends: "USA Today Baseball Weekly 2000 Insider" by Gary Gillette and Stuart Shea (Total Sports, 444 pages, $14.95) is a lode of facts, figures and opinions about the national pastime. If you are one for baseball reference - this is the book for you. THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES by Ted Patterson (Taylor, $22.95, 254 pages) is a trade paperback whose sub-title declares: "Four decades of magic from 33rd Street to Camden Yards". For fans of the Os, this is a must read. Memorabilia, stats and informative prose bring the team's history to life.
» Harvey Frommer is the author of 30 sports books, including "The New York Yankee Encyclopedia" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball,"and "Growing Up Baseball" with Frederic J. Frommer. His latest A YANKEE CENTURY will be published by Berkley in October 2002.
Also by Harvey Frommer
» Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson
» Remembering Irving Rudd
» Subway Series
» Midsummer Classic: Midsummer Mockery
» Yankee Stadium's First Opening Day
» The Birth of Baseball's First Professional Team
» Yankee Stadium's First Opening Day
» Gehrig's Streak
» Willie Mays and the Month of May
» Reese was no Pee Wee
» Yankees vs. Red Sox: Baseball's Greatest Rivalry
» Celebrating Hank Greenberg
» Bobby Thomson's Famous Homer Lives On
» Remembering the Yankee Clipper: Joe DiMaggio
» Shoeless Joe Remains a Scapegoat
» The Mets Have Always Been Amazing
» More submissions
Copyright © 2002 by Harvey Frommer. Posted July 2, 2002.
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