Description:
Conceptually, visually, informationally, and just for the tactile fun of it, America's Game touches 'em all. The idea behind it is breathtakingly simple; Tim Kurkjian, longtime contributor to Sports Illustrated and ESPN's Baseball Tonight, takes us on a tour of some of the more interesting artifacts on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The interactive aspect of the book's execution is also simple, but it adds a whole other dimension that turns this short gem into a solid hit that virtually breaks the glass on the display cases to put fans in better touch with baseball's history. How does it work? Easy. America's Game is made up of 15 two-page chapters, each on a specific theme--"Evolution of the Game," "The Babe," "Jackie Robinson," "Baseball and World War II," and "The Business of Baseball," among them. Across each thematic spread, several photos from Hall's memorabilia collection accompany Kurkjian's lively prose. But there's something else: a facsimile of an important document or other fascinating artifact that can actually be removed from the book for further examination. For example, along with the story and pictures of Babe Ruth, there's a pocket holding a copy of the actual contract transferring the Bambino's rights from the Red Sox to the Yankees. "World War II" comes with the letter that FDR wrote to Commissioner Landis ordering the game to be continued for the duration in the interest of national morale, and "Business" showcases Curt Flood's letter to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn requesting free agency. There are several scorecards, including one from 1884 and another from a Negro League game with a young Willie Mays; the scouting report on a green shortstop named Mickey Mantle; a pair of tickets to the 1949 All-Star Game at Ebbets Field; and a scrap with the hand-written lyrics of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Which seems perfectly fitting, because America's Game is very much like the crackerjacks we remember when we sing that song every seventh-inning stretch: the book has lots of good stuff to chew on and comes packed with unexpected prizes too. --Jeff Silverman
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