John thorn, baseballs preeminent historian, examines the creation story of the game and finds it all to be a gigantic lie. Since then he has written and edited a great many more, among them the hidden game of baseball, the game for all america, and the armchair book of baseball with statistician pete palmer, he created the official encyclopedia of the game, total baseball, now in its fifth edition. The national baseball hall of fame and museum by john thorn 19980519 jan 1, 1850. See all 7 formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
Five baseball books you should know society for american. I wrote my first sports book 45 years ago and since then have created dozens more. In all previous editions they stated that thompson deserved these honours. The 25 best baseball books of all time, ranked sporting news. He has been researching, editing and writing baseball books since the early 1970s, including the hidden game of baseball, the armchair book of baseball and treasures of the baseball hall of fame. The official encyclopedia of major league baseball.
In partnership with pete palmer, he created the hidden game of baseball and total baseball. Among the 2011 books accomplishments, it helped debunk alexander cartwright as baseballs founder and almost got doc adams, one of the games true pioneers, in the hall of fame this past year. Total baseball, the official encyclopedia of major league baseball, is a complete baseball library in a single volume. From sabr member john thorn at our game on february 15, 2016. The chicago distribution center will reopen for order fulfillment on april. Baseballs rogues its gamblers, fauxfounding fathers, and steroid users are the kind of people that get john thorn excited. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. This book, written in the 1980s, is kind of the beginning of advanced statistics in baseball, utilized to better measure player performance. A revolutionary approach to baseball and its statistics, john thorn, pete palmer, with david reuther is published by university of chicago press. John thorn has served as the longtime editor and author of total baseball with pete palmer, mike gershman, and david pietrusza and many other outstanding baseball books including. John thorn thorn, john used books, rare books and new books.
John thorn, the official historian for major league baseball, explains how americas national pastime has been culturally transformative, even radicalising. Yes, thats right, baseball started decades before abner doubleday supposedly. Curt smith, author of several excellent books about the legendary broadcasters of the game photo below left. Baseball in the garden of eden by john thorn kirkus. I was once addicted to the baseball encyclopedia, but total baseball is even better. John thorn official historian major league baseball.
But first, we need you to sign in to pbs using one. Thorn expertly sifts the mix of high and low motives accounting for the anointment of doubleday and cooperstown, resuscitates names and teams vastly more important to the games origins and cheerfully limns a parade of gilded age entrepreneurs, hucksters, journalists and promoters, whose charming fantasy of baseballs ancestry persists in. The most comprehensive baseball book ever with revolutionary new statistics and authoritative essays on all aspects of the game 1989, hardcover at the best online prices at. Official mlb historian john thorn takes us one step closer to finding the answer. A journal of the early game, a semiannual scholarly publication. Among the many books that have educated us about the birth and infancy of baseball, john thorns extraordinarily detailed and welldocumented baseball in the garden of. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Any fan of the game will enjoy this book and, if they are not careful, will find themselves learning. In addition to authoring several books, thorn has also worked with ken burns on his baseball documentary, while also discovering the documentation that traced the origins of baseball to. The national pastime by john thorn 1988, hardcover for. Thorn is the author and editor of numerous books, including total baseball. The official companion to the collection at cooperstown, the whole.
John thorns baseball in the garden of eden is and exquisite examination of the true origins of baseball, and he makes a compelling case for showing its provenance does lie with abner doubleday at cooperstown. Relief pitcher by thorn, john and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Every generation views the old game as better when they were young, that is the primary consistency. Now and then i am asked which books of baseball history are the best. Pete palmer is a statistician, baseball analyst, and a former consultant to sports information center. John thorn is the official historian for major league baseball. Perhaps because i read a lot of baseball information and thus was more familiar with the statistics in question and how they were developed, the book didnt provide any profound insights into better understanding. The secret history of the early game, he penned the ultimate story of the origin of our national pastime. The hidden game of baseball by john thorn goodreads. The latest edition, published in 2004, is its eighth. John thorn 1947 is the official historian of major league baseball, an honor that reflects his incomparable contributions to baseball history. All chicago ebooks are on sale at 30% off with the code ebook30. As of this edition, john thorn and pete palmer say that anson won the batting title and had the best batting average.
Reputed baseball historian john thorn has not only been named major league baseballs official historian in 2010, in his new book baseball in the garden of eden. From its earliest days baseball was a vehicle for gambling, a proxy form of class warfare. Official historian of major league baseball john thorn takes on the sacred legends of the game. Total baseball latest edition isbn 189496327x, first published 1989 is a baseball encyclopedia first compiled by john thorn and pete palmer in 1989.
John thorn cocreated the groundbreaking total baseball, the sabermetric classic the hidden game of baseball, and was the chief consultant for ken burnss television series baseball. The official encyclopedia of major league baseball, not only a complete record. John thorn, one of the countrys foremost baseball experts, wrote his first baseball book thirty years ago and since then has created a great many more, including treasures of the baseball hall of fame and the armchair books of baseball. He was the coauthor of total baseball, a wellknown baseball book, and many other baseball books, notably the hidden game of baseball. John thorn was named the official baseball historian for major league baseball by commissioner allan h. John thorn, the official historian for major league baseball, has written dozens of books about the game, including the total baseball encyclopedia series.
The hidden game of baseball with pete palmer, 1984, the complete armchair book of baseball, treasures from the baseball hall of fame. On wednesday, author, and official major league baseball historian, john thorn stops by to chat about his newest book baseball in the garden of eden. Baseball in the garden of eden was published with simon and schuster in. He has been researching, editing and writing baseball books since the early 1970s, including the hidden game of baseball, the armchair book. Baseball in the garden of eden, by john thorn sfgate. New york baseball 19471957, and the armchair book of baseball. As with the former, total baseball provides the complete annual and career pitching and batting statistics of every man that ever played in a major league contest. John thorn books list of books by author john thorn.
From its earliest days baseball was a vehicle for gambling, a proxy form. The official encyclopedia of major league baseball, total football. This essay puts the game into perspective, that is, enduring changes in life and society, baseball stays the same. The final full day began with meeting some old friends. Baseball in the garden of eden was published with simon and schuster in 2011. Baseballs official historian, john thorn, sets the record straight on the games earliest days. Thorn was the historical consultant for ken burns emmy awardwinning documentary baseball and frequently comments on the game for espn. John thorns baseball in the garden of eden reveals a secret history of the early game that is more fantastical and funny than any concocted story. The official encyclopedia of major league baseball hardcover feb. John thorn, a sports historian and author, has been the official baseball historian for major league baseball since 2011. Baseballs official historian explains the origins of our. The official encyclopedia of major league football, treasures of the baseball hall of fame, the hidden game of baseball, the glory days. A nearly inexhaustible resource of statistics and historical material, it will capture the curiosity of fledgling fans and deepen the delight of longtime lovers of the national pastime.
The national pastime by john thorn an apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Since march 1, 2011, he has been the official baseball historian for major. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The photos alone are worth the price of the book, but john thorn adds great anecdotes that remind us why the items in the photos are so special. Major league baseball official historian john thorn spent nearly 30 years writing the signature history of the games origins.
For him, they dont besmirch baseball history but write a counterhistory all their own. Their argument in this edition is that anson won the batting title fairly by the rules of the day and that it is not for us to take away this crown retroactively. John thorn official historian major league baseball linkedin. John thorn, major league baseballs official historian. The encyclopedia contains seasonal and career statistics in numerous categories for every major league player, as well as historical, opinion, and yearbyyear essays. Baseball in new york city 19471957 with the museum of the city of new york, collins, 2007, paperback 2008. He was appointed official historian of major league baseball in 2011. In the baseball community of historians, writers and sabr members, thorn has long been recognized as baseballs foremost historian. Play, a column for voices, the semiannual of the new york folkore society, commencing spring 2006. The best books on baseball five books expert recommendations. In the new world, features of play common to to the game we understand as baseball. Thorn born april 17, 1947 is a germanborn sports historian, author, publisher, and cultural commentator.
John thorn had an unconventional start for someone who would become major league baseballs official historian. John thorn wrote his first baseball book twentyfive years ago. Together thorn and palmer were the lead editors of total baseball. The restrictions, adopted in 1791, banned the games of wickets, cricket, baseball, batball, football, cat, fives or any game or games with balls within the distance of eighty yards from said meeting house. Thorn was born in a displaced persons camp in stuttgart, germany, in 1947. The end result is a history of baseball written like no other history i ever read on any subject. John thorn was named the official baseball historian for major league. Jim bouton, author of ball four this book is the masterwork we would expect from baseballs foremost historian. Forget the myth of abner doubleday as the games originator.
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