Let’s Go Giants!

A Day in the Bleachers by Arnold Hano, illustrations by Mark Ulriksen and forward by Andrew Hoyem. Arion Press, 2006.

It’s spring, it’s Opening Day, it’s time for baseball and perhaps a visit to the Rare Book Room. You might not think to look in Special Collections for baseball books, but you might also be pleasantly surprised. Here’s a fine example: A Day in the Bleachers by Arnold Hano, illustrations by Mark Ulriksen and forward by Andrew Hoyem. This Arion Press edition pays homage to the legendary catch made by Willie Mays during the first game of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians. Here’s the link to the Arion Press’s virtual tour of this beautifully produced tribute. The Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor, also part of Book Arts & Special Collections, offers quite a few tempting titles about the game as well. According to Wes Westrum, “Baseball is like church, many attend but few understand” -- kind of like Special Collections maybe? Enjoy the game and happy reading.

Baseball is a funny game by Joe Garagiola, 1960.

Butchered baseball: illegal text by F.S. Pearson; with illogical illustrations by R. Taylor; with Mel Allen at bat and Tom Meany on deck, 1952.

Choice cartoons from Sports Illustrated selected by Charles Preston; with a foreword by Sidney L. James, 1957.

Clowning through baseball by Al Schacht; grammar and adjectives by Murray Goodman; foreword by John Kieran; illustrations by Willard Mullin, 1941.

Curve ball laughs by Herman Masin, 1955.

It's only a game by Charles M. Schulz and Jim Sasseville; edited by Derrick Bang, 2004.

Li'l leaguer by Al Liederman, 1960.

The New Yorker book of baseball cartoons edited by Robert Mankoff with Michael Crawford, 2003.

Say it ain't so! by Mac Davis; illustrations by Arnold Spilka, 1953

A sports bestiary by George Plimpton; with drawings by Arnold Roth, 1982.

A Treasury of baseball humor edited by Stan Lomax and Dave Stanley, 1950.

The wit and wisdom of Yogi Berra by Phil Pepe, 1974.

p.s. Be sure to save the special keepsake supplement to today's SF Chronicle (30March2011) which includes a beautiful painting of the World Champs by Mark Ulriksen.