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1868 "Fragment" Book of Poetry with Early Baseball Poem
Offered here is a long-forgotten book of poetry, titled "Fragments," written by Moses Owen (C. A. Alvord, New York, 1868). What makes it interesting to collectors in our field is one of the final poems in the book titled simply "Baseball." While this is not the earliest known baseball poem, it is certainly one of the earliest, and predates the rise of professional baseball. The first stanza refers to baseball as our "National Game," which shows how quickly the game's popularity had spread following the Civil War. It is also important to note that this poem is probably unknown to most historians because it appears to have been published only in the pages of this slim volume. We have never seen it reprinted in any anthology, nor have we been able to discover any information regarding the author. As such, it is a literary rarity, the likes of which should appeal to any baseball bibliophile or aesthete. The 112-page hardbound book (6.25x8.5") displays heavy wear to the leather boards and a vintage inscription on the front flyleaf. Light separation is seen along the spine, but the pages all remain firmly bound. The pages are clean and bright.
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