Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player

This 1882 edition of Beadle and Adams's annual The Dime Base-Ball Player is a reference work rather than fiction. The first section contains advertisements for baseball uniforms and equipment from Peck & Snyder, listing various cap styles, flannel shirts, belts, hose, and complete outfits with pricing. The main content includes the revised rules applicable to professional, amateur, and college clubs for 1881; statistics on professional league records from 1880; college club championships; and batting and pitching averages. The instructional sections explain field measurement, proper team management, pitcher strategy, positioning of fielders, and guidance for team captains regarding player treatment and discipline. The preface traces baseball's evolution from 1857 to the present, comparing it favorably to cricket as a democratic sport requiring both physical and mental skill.