By Patricia Millen
Heritage Books, 2001, $12.95, ISBN: 0-7884-1775-4, 98 pgs soft cover

This marvelous little book of baseball history combs diaries and letters for references to baseball prior to and during the American Civil War. For those who believe Abner Doubleday was the inventor of baseball in 1839, the selected passages will astound you--baseball in one form or another was played well before the ACW and Doubleday.

While the prose is more recitation than imagination, the historical research is absolutely superb. And while references to "Bass-ball" or "Base Ball" or other variations might sometimes stretch the definition of our modern game, there is no denying the inventive progression of the game over the years. The illustrations are well chosen to reinforce the text.

The main aspect of the book shows not so much the spread of baseball during the ACW, as the acceptance of new rules. The so-called "New York" or "Knickerbocker" rules were but one of many regional flavors. As regional regiments came together in armies, games would occur in camp and they'd have to decide the rules to be used. Ditto when it was a prison camp.

As you'd expect, the book contains many an amusing anecdote. One of the best occurred during a game near Alexandria, LA, from the writings of George Putnam.

"The game, played by men of the 114th NY, was interrupted by rebel skirmishers who shot the right fielder, captured the centerfielder, and ran off with Putnam's only ball." (p.22)

Or this one from Confederate Lt. William Peel (11th Miss.) who had been captured at Gettysburg and sent to a prison camp.

"29 July 1864. There was a party engaged in a game of baseball. The man at the bat struck with all his might, but missed the ball. The bat--a very large one--flew out of his hands and struck Capt. Fellows, who stood a few feet from him, plump in the forehead. The Capt. uttered a low exclamation, threw both hands to his head, staggered and would have fallen to the ground but was caught by a gentleman near him. He lay quite insensible for several minutes, but bashing his head at length revived him." (p. 34-35)

Other interesting tidbits revolve around Doubleday's role (or lack thereof) in "inventing" baseball, whether caught fly balls should be outs, and the switch from the National Association of Base Ball Players to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players.

This delightful little book encapsulates the baseball experience of the ACW. It's certainly a shorter alternative to say, a Ken Burns documentary. If there's a baseball fan and ACW buff you know, From Pastime to Passion: Baseball and the Civil War is a great little tome.

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