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- Title
The "X" Letters.
- Authors
Tholkes, Robert
- Abstract
Between October 1857 and January 1858, New York based Porter's Spirit of the Times, which covered Knickerbocker Rules baseball on a regular basis, published a series of 14 anonymous letters concerning the game. Identifying himself only as "X," the author stated his purpose as to "induce some prominent player to write or publish a book on the game." The letters described the origins of the game, profiled prominent clubs in New York and Brooklyn, offered advice on starting and operating a club, on equipment, and on position play, and, finally, commented on the issues of the day in the baseball community. As the earliest such effort, the letters are of interest as a window into a baseball community poised for the explosive growth that followed the Fashion Race Course games of 1858. The present article examines the value of the letters as a guide to 1857 baseball, and while the question, "Who was 'X'?" remains unanswered, the author found construction of his profile irresistible.
- Subjects
BASEBALL; HISTORY of baseball; BASEBALL players; BASEBALL teams; BASEBALL rules
- Publication
Base Ball: A Journal of the Early Game, 2014, Vol 8, p168
- ISSN
1934-2802
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3172/BB.8.168