In 1990, at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford, a local historian named Linda Gradofsky discovered an original copy of the world’s first known baseball periodical, The Bat and Ball. The May 1, 1867 publication “Devoted to our National Game” was the “Second Season” of the series. Published without photographs or advertisements, the paper was written for Hartford’s earliest baseball fans. Columns included season previews of clubs from around the nation as well as scores from recent games played.
In 1990, Linda Gradofsky, a local historian, unearthed an original copy of “The Bat and Ball,” the world’s first known baseball periodical, at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford. Dated May 1, 1867, this discovered issue was part of the “Second Season” series and was dedicated to “Our National Game.” The publication was tailored for Hartford’s early baseball enthusiasts. It featured columns with season previews of various national clubs and scores of recent games.
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“The Bat and Ball” was available on Hartford’s streets for five cents per copy, with an annual subscription of fourteen issues costing fifty cents. The publication covered “base ball” events across the nation during the post-Civil War period, including a section on cricket. At this time, baseball was still a burgeoning sport, rapidly gaining popularity. The demand for detailed sports coverage was growing, and Hartford was at the forefront of sports journalism.
And yet, somehow, the author(s) are unknown to this day. “The Bat and Ball” is still somewhat of a mystery. Here’s the full publication of the Second Season—No. 1:
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