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Beadle's Dime Baseball Player

THE FIRST continuous series ever issued of Baseball booklets, giving instructions for the game,(1) was published by Beadle from 1860 to 1881, although a "Base Ball Player's Pocket Companion" had previously appeared in Boston, in 1859. Beadle's booklets were said to have had an annual circulation of about 50,000 copies. For at least 19 of the 20 numbers, Henry Chadwick was editor, and it is possible that he was editor of the 2oth also. All of the early numbers are unnumbered, and it was not until 1867 that the serial number of the annual was given. Probably no reprints were made of any edition after the appearance of the next issue.

Fig. 136. Beadle's Dime Baseball Player
Fig. 136. Type I-BP
First annual, 1860; small size, brown wrappers
REDUCED

Fig. 137. Beadle's Dime Baseball Player
Fig. 137. Type I-BP
Second annual, 1861; small size, buff wrappers
REDUCED

Fig. 138. Beadle's Dime Baseball Player
Fig. 138. Type II-BP
1865-66
Original, 6½ x 4 1/8 inches

Fig. 139. Beadle's Dime Baseball Player
Fig. 139. Type III-BP
Re-engraved, 1867-68. Same size as Fig. 138
REDUCED

Fig. 140. Beadle's Dime Baseball Player
Fig. 140. Type IV-BP, 1869-72
Same size. The engraved heading
has been replaced by type
REDUCED

Fig. 141. Beadle's Dime Baseball Player
Fig. 141. Type II-BP
Return to the earlier design
REDUCED

Notes

1 Henry Chadwick. Editorial in The Ball Player's Chronicle, February 6, 1868.
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