We're sort of back in Baseball Digest mode for this edition. While there's some excellent research here, much of the content is lightweight. Most of it is interesting, which certainly counts.

The lead article, a biography of Deacon White by Joe Overfield, is excellent, giving a fine glimpse of why White was important to baseball history and a star in his time. John Tattersall contributed a history of the Grand Slam, which was more interesting than I expected. Ray Gonzalez reviewed Gehrig's streak: Or, more accurately, the instances where Gehrig either didn't play the full game or spent part (or all) of the game away from first base. The best piece is Dick Cramer's exploration of the effects of relief pitching; I believe this is the first article publishing a coherent history of the fireman, though it's far less detailed than subsequent work. There are also nice pieces exploring the early professional careers of Babe Ruth (by Al Kermisch) and Lou Gehrig (by Norton Chellgren).

Perhaps one groundbreaking article is enough to ask. All in all, this is a decent effort, again edited by Bob Davids with help from Kermisch, Tom Hufford, and Bob McConnell.



This review was also published on a dabbler's journal. ( )