– by Lowell Reidenbaugh (1985)
REVIEWED BY MARK A. LARSON
This book is a delight. From the moment I turned to page one, I could hardly put it down. Being a fan of baseball and The Sporting News, plus having a keen interest in the publishing business, “TSN First Hundred Years” was very special to me. Reidenbaugh captures the feeling of those beginning – often chaotic – days of TSN back in March 1886. And he gives the reader a true feel for each of the eras since. The book itself is divided into nine chapters that highlight baseball history as well as the role The Sporting News played in it. Each chapter is then subdivided into an overall historical review of the game in that period and individual issues pertinent to TSN. It’s easy reading without being juvenile.
The first section deals with the early days of modern baseball, covering the period from TSN’s founding to the turn of the century. It chronicles the formation of the publication by the brothers Spink – Al and Charles. And touches upon TSN’s primary competitor in those years, Francis Richter’s Philadelphia-based “Sporting Life.” (TSN began, and remains, in St. Louis.) Later known as “The Baseball Bible,” TSN originally covered a variety of non-baseball topics. Included in early issues was even a column called “The Stage” which reflected Al Spink’s interest in theater. It wasn’t until much later that TSN only covered baseball.
“The Sporting News First Hundred Years” is chock full of historical photos of both baseball and developments at the newspaper itself. Also included are numerous reproductions – in their original form –of articles, editorials and front-pages that appeared in TSN over the past century. Someone without a knowledge of the game would certainly get a good history lesson. Yet the book also serves as an excellent refresher course for the more-than-casual fan. And most of the information on TSN itself is probably not known by more than a handful of people.
As baseball entered the 20th century, the American League was born and TSN became stronger and stronger. Editorially, TSN was becoming a dominant force – particularly when Taylor Spink took over as editor and publisher after his father, Charles, died in 1914. Under Taylor Spink’s leadership, TSN made great strides forward both as a baseball voice that couldn’t be ignored, and as a successful publication. It was during this period (Taylor Spink was editor and publisher until 1962) that The Sporting News became baseball’s “Bible.” However, contrary to popular myth, TSN covered baseball exclusively for a relatively short period. Other sports have nearly always been given space, but to a much lesser degree.
Baseball changed throughout the past 10 decades and so has The Sporting News. In 1962, Taylor Spink died and the responsibilities of editor and publisher were passed on to his son, Johnson Spink. Johnson had served a 23-year apprenticeship under his father, so he was no newcomer to the TSN scene. It was under Johnson Spink’s direction that TSN expanded its non-baseball coverage. He came to realize that America now had more than one national pastime. Color cover photos and more modern graphics and page layout made their appearance under Johnson Spink. But by the mid-1970s, he was nearing retirement age. There was no family heir, so Johnson Spink sold The Sporting News to the Times Mirror Co. in early 1977. He stuck around for a few more years and then retired. (Many will argue that TSN has been in decline since the Times Mirror takeover.)
In addition to The Sporting News itself, the company also produces several paperback publications on an annual basis. These include the Baseball Register, Baseball Guide, and various other sports guides. Plus, annual baseball, football and basketball yearbooks are published in a magazine format. “The Sporting Goods Dealer” – a sporting goods industry magazine – is also a long-time product of TSN. Hardback books are now published frequently too. (“The Sporting News First Hundred Years” is published by TSN Books.)
As I stated at the outset of this review, I found this book to be a real treat. It’s for the baseball fan. It’s for those who are interested in publishing history. And it’s even extra special for those interested in both. Over the past few years I’ve found The Sporting News hardback books to be somewhat uneven in quality. One that I found particularly lacking was “Cooperstown: Where Baseball’s Legends Live Forever.” “The Sporting News First Hundred Years,” however, is top-of-the-line. Author Lowell Reidenbaugh spent months researching this book – and it shows. He’s done a terrific job.
• • • • • •
• Originally Published in Jan. 1986 “Twin Times” •
THIS ARTICLE FROM THE “TWIN TIMES” NEWSLETTER – OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TWIN CITIES SPORTS COLLECTORS CLUB – IS REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. IT HAS BEEN RETYPED, BUT NO CONTENT HAS BEEN CHANGED (EXCEPT FOR VERY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, CORRECTIONS TO ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND THE ADDITION OF GRAPHICS). COMMENTS OR INFORMATION IN THE ARTICLE MAY BE OUT-OF-DATE.
To keep up-to-date on additions to BaseballCardFun.com, subscribe below*
* Your email address will never be shared and is only used to announce new articles
BaseballCardFun.com 