Wheat Province Diamonds
A Story of Saskatchewan Baseball
by Paul Hack and Dave Shury

Baseball has long been more than a game to the people of Saskatchewan.  Like the weather and crops, baseball has made its way into the lives of the province's diverse peoples.  Ball games brought people and their communities together to celebrate the joy that comes with the crack of the bat and the umpire's call to "Play ball!"

Dave Shury and Paul Hack have combined to present a publication that captures the love of the people of Saskatchewan for baseball.  The authors are true believers in the power of the bat and ball.  Dave Shury has dedicated a major part of his life to the game.  The historic writing, dedicated collecting of memorabilia and photographs that made this book possible are a small part of this man's lifelong devotion to the diamond game.  Paul Hack, a media man for all seasons, has followed the foul balls and home runs of prairie baseball for more than half a century.  

Dozens of photographs help to illustrate the rich history of prairie ball.

Available from :
The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
292 - 22nd Street, 
Box 1388
Battleford, Saskatchewan
S0M 0E0
(306) 446-1983
  

The House of David Baseball Team 

by Joel Hawkins and Terry Bertolino

A pictorial history. A complete history of the team, broken down by eras, with chapters on uniform identification, player biographies, and the most comprehensive player listing ever attempted.

Winner of The Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award, 2000.  

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Ted "DOUBLE DUTY" Radcliffe : 36 Years of Pitching & Catching in Baseball's Negro Leagues
by Kyle P. McNary

There once was a baseball player who pitched for 36 years and won more games than Dizzy Dean and Bob Feller combined.  He was so confident in his abilities that he often informed batters what pitch he would throw and struck them out anyway.  He pitched every game as if his life depended on it.

There once was a baseball player who caught for 36 years.  He was so certain in his abilities that he dared baserunners to steal, then gunned them down with bullet throws and laughed as they trudged back to the dugout.  At bat he dared pitchers to throw something at his letters -- if they were foolish enough to oblige he would hit the ball a country mile.  He belted more hits than Stan Musial and more home runs than Joe DiMaggio.  He viewed every game as a battle of wits and nerve.

The most remarkable thing about these two players in that they are actually one player -- Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe.  Sportswriter-playwright Damon Runyon gave Radcliffe his unique nickname after watching him perform the double duty of catching Satchel Paige in the first game of a doubleheader and pitching a shutout in the next.

Double Duty was one of the many underappreciated stars of Negro League baseball who helped blaze the trail that Jackie Robinson followed in integrating the major-leagues.  A hard-hitting, steel-armed, fast-talking American hero.

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   The Rajah of Renfrew
   The Life and Times of John E. Ducey, 
   "Edmonton's Mr. Baseball" 
   by Brant E. Ducey

The Rajah of Renfrew is the story of one man's passionate love of baseball. Not just an American game, baseball has deep Canadian roots. The game reached across the country with the railroads, drawing players and fans together in the spirit of fun and the celebration of local pride. 

Baseball has been an essential strand in Edmonton's social fabric since its arrival in the 1880's, when Edmonton was just a distant outpost in the Northwest Territories. A training ground for rising young stars and a settling place for long-time heroes, this "bush league" town has been a thriving baseball centre for more than a century. Edmonton's baseball history boasts a long record of thrills and cheers - long-standing rivalries, stunning upsets, joyful comebacks, and legendary triumphs. 

John E. Ducey played a central role in bringing professional ball to the prairies. One of a core of devoted sportsmen and promoters, Ducey's career in Edmonton baseball spanned four decades. From his first school-yard teams to the 1959 Edmonton Eskimos, the snappy, sharp-dressed Ducey was a tireless ambassador for the game, truly deserving the fond nickname "Mr. Baseball". 

The Rajah of Renfrew is an important document of Edmonton's sports history, featuring dozens of contemporary photos - many never before published - and conversations with the men who played on those long-ago diamonds. It includes appendices detailing the records of Edmonton's many professional teams and listings of local players who made it to the major leagues. Full of light-hearted anecdotes, historical detail, and local colour, this volume is perfect for all baseball enthusiasts.

Glory days of summer: the history of baseball in Oklahoma
by Bob Burke, K.A. Franks, and Royse Parr

(Left to right: Royse Parr, Bob Burke, Kenny Franks)

The History of Baseball in Oklahoma -- Oklahoma's influence on baseball in America is phenomenal. One of every ten of the 14,000 men who have played major league baseball since 1876 have come through Oklahoma. Many of the diamond heroes were born or died in Oklahoma while others played sandlot, college, or minor league baseball in the Sooner State. Some of the names are legendary, Mickey Mantle, Warren Spahn, Carl Hubbell, Lloyd and Paul Waner, and Dizzy and Daffy Dean. Others are more obscure such as Cat Clanton of Antlers who struck out in his only major league at bat. Oklahoma and baseball are inseparable. The players and their stories are woven permanently into the fabric of American life.

A revised edition of The Professional Baseball Player Database is now available.  If you're looking for pro ball stats (majors and minors) Old Time Data has a nice package available. The Professional Baseball Player Database covers the years 1927 to 1997 and features year-by-year records for every player listed in the official Baseball Guides for those seasons plus many others who were omitted from the Guides because of limited playing time.  Records for the Mexican League from its independent seasons (1937-1954) are also included along with statistics from the independent loops from 1993-1997.  The records presented are not extensive (BA, HR, RBI for hitters; W-L, ERA for pitchers), but the CD an invaluable resource which I use extensively.  The database is such that you can search by player, team, or league and, with this new edition, by major league affiliation.
  
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