Update on Grosset & Dunlap sports books…..

Over the past few years I have had a great deal of success finding Grosset and Dunlap sports books in decent condition.  The series was issued in variations and updates over the years.  I have not found a definitive list. I have sent a a couple of letters to Penguin (the company that owns the Grosset and Dunlap library) but have not heard back.  Below is a summary of everything I have and know about the series.  

The books were initially issued by A.S. Barnes in dust jackets in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.  By the mid-1950’s Grosset and Dunlap took over the titles and reissued them in dust jackets in the “The Big League Baseball Library” series.  I have no idea if Grosset and Dunlap merged with or bought out A.S. Barnes.  Maybe they just bought the rights…I can’t find anything on this piece of the puzzle.  G&D added and dropped a few titles, but for the most part republished and updated what was already on the market.  Some of the more popular titles were even issued two separate times in the Big League Library. Later in the 1950’s and early 60’s, the Big League Baseball Library was issued in color board covers.  And finally, in the 1960’s and into the 1970’s, G&D changed the name of the series to “Grosset Sports Library” and added football, hockey, basketball, golf, and one miscellaneous sports title. In all there are as many as 5 (or more?) publications of the same book – usually updated. 

An example of this is pictured below.  “The Artful Dodgers” by Tom Meany was first published in 1953 by A.S. Barnes in dust jacket with a Trolley Dodger on the cover. Then Grosset issued a “Big League Baseball Library” (BLBL) version three times: 1) they changed the dust jacket cover, and put painted faces of popular Dodgers on the cover in 1954. (Reese, Robinson, Hodges, Campanella) 2) they issued the title in dust jacket with actual pictures of the Dodgers on the cover in 1958. (Reese, Snider, Podres, Hodges) and 3) in 1963 they updated the book, changed the cover to color board and kept faces on the cover of the LA Dodgers. (Fairly, Podres, Wills, Drysdale, Davis) Last, they changed the series name to “Grosset Sports Library” (GSL) and still using color board covers reissued The Artful Dodgers in 1966 with the Trolley Dodger on the cover again. GSL also had numbers assigned on the spine of the book, in this case 2401.

Following is an inventory listing of what I have, what I know of that I need, and a few variation notes.

From the AS Barnes Series:

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1953
• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1952
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1952
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1946
• Milwaukee’s Miracle Braves, Tom Meany 1954
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1952
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1947
• Strikeout Story, Bob Feller 1947
• Baseball’s Greatest Teams, Tom Meany 1949
• Baseballs Greatest Hitters, Tom Meany 1950
• The Incredible Giants, Tom Meany 1955
• Do You Know Your Baseball, Bill Brandt 1947

I still need the following titles from A.S. Barnes’ series (dust jacket):

• Clowning Through Baseball, Al Schacht
• My Greatest Day in Baseball, John Carmichael 1945
• The Gashouse Gang, J. Roy Stockton
• Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Ken Smith 1952
• Baseball’s Greatest Pitchers, Tom Meany
• Yogi Berra, Joe Trimble 1954

From Grosset and Dunlap’s Big League Baseball Library Series (dust jacket):

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1954
• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1958
• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1959
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1959
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1951
• Milwaukee’s Miracle Braves, Tom Meany 1954
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1957
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1951
• Strikeout Story, Bob Feller 1947
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1951
• Baseball For Everyone, Joe DiMaggio 1948
• Inside Baseball, Arthur Daley 1950
• Baseball’s Greatest Players, Tom Meany 1953
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame, Ken Smith 1958
• Baseball Complete, Russ Hodges 1952
• My Greatest Day In Baseball, John P. Carmichael 1951
• Pitching To Win, Bob Feller 1952
• Yogi Berra, Joe Trimble 1956
• Roy Campanella, Dick Young 1952

I still need the following titles from the Big League Baseball Library (dust jacket) series:

• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1949
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1956
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1950 (F.J. Low Co, publisher)
• My Greatest Day In Baseball, John P. Carmichael 1950
• Pitching To Win, Bob Feller 1948

From Grosset and Dunlap’s Big League Baseball Library Series (color board):

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1963
• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1963
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1963
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1957
• Lucky To Be A Yankee, Joe DiMaggio 1971 (#2409)
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1963
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1951
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1963
• Baseball For Everyone, Joe DiMaggio 1948
• Inside Baseball, Arthur Daley 1950
• Baseball’s Greatest Players, Tom Meany 1953
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame, Ken Smith 1966
• Baseball Complete, Russ Hodges 1963
• My Greatest Day In Baseball, John P. Carmichael 1963
• The Amazing Mets, Jerry Mitchell 1964

From Grosset Sports Library (color board):

• The Artful Dodgers, Tom Meany 1966 (#2401)
• The National League, Ed Fitzgerald 1966 (#2412)
• The Magnificent Yankees, Tom Meany 1966 (#2410)
• Babe Ruth, Tom Meany 1971 (#2402)
• The Jackie Robinson Story, Arthur Mann 1956 (#2408)
• Inside Baseball, Arthur Daley 1950 (no number)
• Baseball’s Greatest Players, Tom Meany 1953 (#2405)
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame, Ken Smith 1966 #2406)
• Baseball’s Hall Of Fame (Revised), Ken Smith 1970 (#2424)
• Baseball Complete, Russ Hodges 1963 (no number)
• The Amazing Mets, Jerry Mitchell 1966 (#2390)
• Yogi Berra, Joe Trimble 1965 (#2415)
• Pro Football’s Hall Of Fame, Arthur Daley 1971 (#2508)
• Comeback Quarterback, George Sullivan 1969 (#2502)
• Mr. Clutch, The Jerry West Story, Bill Libby 1971 (#2427)
• Sports Shorts, Mac Davis 1968 (#2398)
• Gordie Howe, Stan Fischler 1967 (#2397)
• Run To Daylight, Vince Lombardi 1967 (#2396)
• Arnold Palmer, Golf Digest 1967 (#2395)
• Sandy Koufax, Jerry Mitchell 1966 (#2393)
• Willie Mays, Arnold Hano 1966 (#2392)
• The Making of a Pro Quarterback, Ed Richter 1966 (#2391)
• Pro Quarterback: My Own Story, Johnny Unitas/Ed Fitzgerald 1968 (#2389)
• Inside Pro Football, Ed Higdon 1970 (#1789)
• Wilt Chamberlain, George Sullivan 1966 (#2394)
• Wilt Chamberlain (Revised), George Sullivan 1966 (#2428)

I still need the following titles from Grosset Sports Library (color board):

• The American League, Ed Fitzgerald 1966

There are several earlier editions of the Grosset Sports Library, notably by other publishers that I will not pursue.  however, if I do find an earlier version issued by Grosset, I will include that in this collection. 

Other notes:

The American League and The National League by Ed Fitzgerald are a little different in the Grosset Sports Series because they have a different logo on the spine.  Instead of the torch/flame that most of this series carries, these have a trophy logo. I have not seen any other books with a trophy logo. 

 

The Comback Quarterback (The Earl Morrall Story) was a difficult book to find of the Sports Series.  Not sure why this is….late issue date? Short run?

Lucky to be a Yankee was issued twice under the Big League Baseball Library Series on color board.  One had no number and the other (1971 date) had a number on it.  It’s kind of an oddity in all of this because by 1971, the series had definitely moved on to the “Grosset Sports Library” issues.

Last there are a couple of strays….I have a copy of Bob Feller’s Strikeout Story that is published by Grosset and Dunlap (dust jacket) but it has no logo at all. 

And I have a copy (missing dust jacket) of Lou Gehrig, Pride of the Yankees by Paul Gallico 1942.  I know there is a movie version of this book with photos of Gary Cooper.  The version I have has no relation to the film. I would like to find both – with the dust jackets. 

The most difficult book to find in the Grosset Sports Series has “The American League” by Ed Fitzgerald.  I have never seen it on eBay in the six-plus years I have been looking. maybe it's just bad luck, but I suspect they either didn't publish this version - or it is in very short quantity.  Lombardi’s Run To Daylight has an earlier publication date of 1963 with (it looks like) Prentice Hall.  I am definitely going to pursue that book – but a first edition can get rather pricey.  That’s brings the story of my book collection up-to-date.  It has been fun finding these books, reading a bit, and adding to my library.