Library Guides: Joyce Sports Research Collection: Major League Baseball Publications

Major League Baseball Publications Overview

The Joyce Sports Research Collection, Department of Special Collections, University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries holds thousands of publications by major league baseball teams and by major leagues. The collection includes about 1500 media guides, 575 team yearbooks, 2400 programs (including regular season and exhibition games), about 300 team newsletters, and other items.

MLB Media Guides

Major League Baseball American League (AL) Team Media Guides Collection, 1942-2018
This collection contains media guides published by Major League Baseball teams in the American League. The annual guides published prior to each MLB season generally included a review of the previous season (including statistics), a preview of the upcoming season (including schedules and opponent information), and photographs and bios of players, coaches, and staff. Other content sometimes included broader material about the history of the franchise, information about the city, and other information for members of the media. Some guides contain information about other personnel associated with the team. Some guides contain advertisements. The media guides tend to become larger, longer, and more substantial through the years. Formats include media guides. BAS 540
Major League Baseball National League (NL) Team Media Guides Collection, 1942-2018
This collection contains media guides published by Major League Baseball teams in the National League. The annual guides published prior to each MLB season generally included a review of the previous season (including statistics), a preview of the upcoming season (including schedules and opponent information), and photographs and bios of players, coaches, and staff. Other content sometimes included broader material about the history of the franchise, information about the city, and other information for members of the media. Some guides contain information about other personnel associated with the team. Some guides contain advertisements. The media guides tend to become larger, longer, and more substantial through the years. Formats include media guides. BAS 541

MLB Team Yearbooks

Major League Baseball American League (AL) Team Yearbooks Collection, 1948-2001
This collection consists of Major League Baseball annual team yearbooks published by American League clubs. Aimed at fans, yearbooks typically contained information and articles about players, managers, and coaches, as well as statistics and schedules. Most yearbooks also featured numerous photographs of players and personnel and other team-related images. Some yearbooks contained advertisements. Materials include annual team yearbooks. BAS 570
Major League Baseball National League (NL) Team Yearbooks Collection, 1946-2001
This collection consists of Major League Baseball annual team yearbooks published by National League clubs. Aimed at fans, yearbooks typically contained information and articles about players, managers, and coaches, as well as statistics and schedules. Most yearbooks also featured numerous photographs of players and personnel and other team-related images. Some yearbooks contained advertisements. Materials include annual team yearbooks. BAS 571

MLB Team Newsletters

Major League Baseball American League (AL) Team Newsletters Collection, 1946-1970
This collection consists of Major League Baseball team fan newsletters published by teams in the American League. The newsletters promoted interest in the clubs, and each newsletter typically contained brief stories about players, accounts of recent games, details for upcoming games, news about ballpark promotions, or other information about the team. Most newsletters also contained photographs, cartoons, or other images. Some newsletters included advertisments. Materials include published newsletters. BAS 590
Major League Baseball National League (NL) Team Newsletters Collection, 1936-1972
This collection consists of Major League Baseball team fan newsletters published by teams in the National League. The newsletters promoted interest in the clubs, and each newsletter typically contained brief stories about players, accounts of recent games, details for upcoming games, news about ballpark promotions, or other information about the team. Most newsletters also contained photographs, cartoons, or other images. Some newsletters included advertisments. Materials include published newsletters. BAS 591

MLB Programs

A collection of more than 2400 major league baseball regular season and exhibition game programs and scorecards. Most of the programs in the collection date from the decades of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s; examples from the first two decades of the 20th century number about less than one hundred. There are 26 examples from the 19th century: see the holdings for Boston Braves NL; Chicago Cubs NL; Brooklyn Dodgers NL; Philadelphia Phillies NL; Providence Grays NL; Washington Nationals NL; and for the American Association (1882-1891).

The collections also includes world series and all-star game programs.

Major League Baseball National League (NL) Team Programs and Scorecards Collection, 1876-2007
This collection contains more than 1,000 programs and scorecards published by Major League Baseball teams in the National League. Teams published programs and scorecards for purchase by fans attending the games. The programs and scorecards usually contain at a minimum roster and lineup information and space for attendees to keep score of the game. The programs tend to become larger, longer, and more substantial over the years and sometimes contain additional information about the teams, players, coaches, and other subjects. Many programs also include advertisements. Most of the programs in the collection date from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with scattered examples from earlier and later years. The collection includes several dozen examples from the nineteenth century, ranging from 1876 to 1894. For many years, teams issued substantially the same program or scorecard for every game of the season. When holdings of a team’s programs/scorecards from one season include examples of more than one type of program, the various program types are indicated in the scope and content note. BAS 611
Major League Baseball American League (AL) Team Programs and Scorecards Collection, 1903-2007
This collection contains more than 1,200 programs and scorecards published for games in the American League. Major League teams and other publishers printed programs and scorecards for purchase by fans attending the games. The programs and scorecards usually contain at a minimum roster and lineup information and space for attendees to keep score of the game. The programs tend to become larger, longer, and more substantial over the years and sometimes contain additional information about the teams, players, coaches, and other subjects. Many programs also include advertisements. Most of the programs in the collection date from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with scattered examples from earlier and later years. For many years, teams issued substantially the same program or scorecard for every game of the season. When holdings of a team’s programs/scorecards from one season include examples of more than one type of program, the various program types are indicated in the scope and content note. BAS 610
Major League Baseball American Association (AA) Team Scorecards Collection, 1883-1889
This collection contains scorecards published by Major League Baseball teams in the American Association. Teams published scorecards for purchase by fans attending the games. The scorecards usually contain at a minimum roster and lineup information and space for attendees to keep score of the game. Some scorecards also include advertisements. BAS 613
Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series Programs and Scorecards Collection, 1911-2010
This collection consists of Major League Baseball World Series game programs and scorecards. The World Series programs typically contain pictures, articles, and statistics about the players on the teams playing in the World Series. Some programs also include pictures and information about team managers, team owners, other team personnel, league officials, historical articles, information about the host city, and advertisements. The programs tend to become longer and more substantial through the years. The scorecards typically only contain rosters and/or information about the players for fans to keep score of the game. Formats include programs and scorecards. BAS 620
Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game Programs Collection, 1937-2009
This collection consists of Major League Baseball All-Star game programs. The programs typically contain photographs, statistics, and rosters of the players on the All-Star teams from the two leagues. Many programs also contain articles about the history of the All-Star game, stories about the current season, information about team owners or league officials, and advertisements. The programs tend to get longer and more substantial through the years. Formats include programs. BAS 625

Misc. MLB Team and League Publications

Major League Baseball (MLB) Organizational Record Books Collection, 1968-1980
This collection contains organizational record books published by Major League Baseball teams. The record books contain historical statistics related to the franchise and lists individual and team records in various statistical categories along with other historical data about the team. Formats include record books. BAS 210

Annual reports of the National Commission, the three-person committee that oversaw organized baseball from 1903 to 1920. These are the personal copies of August "Garry" Herrmann, who chaired the National Commission for the duration of its existence.

Title: Annual report of the National Commission, created by the National Agreement for the Government of Professional Base Ball : embracing its proceedings
Publisher: Place of publication not identified : The Commission
Publication History: Annually, 1905-1921

Location: Department of Special Collections, 102 Hesburgh Library
Call No.: Special Coll.Rare Books Large GV 880 .N38