Online Index to Historical Baseball Guides

May 13, 2015/in /by

This article was written by Sean Lahman

Editor’s note: A version of this page was originally posted at SeanLahman.com in August 2014 and has been updated many times since then with new guides as they are found and/or digitized. We are pleased to publish the Online Index to Historical Baseball Guides at SABR.org. Thanks to Sean Lahman, John Thorn, Carlos Bauer, Mark Aubrey, and Caleb Hardwick for their contributions. Please also check out Mark Aubrey’s extensive list of Baseball Guides, which includes some titles not mentioned here.

Although statistical based newspaper and magazine articles had appeared before, the first known baseball guide made its appearance in 1859: the Base Ball Player’s Pocket Companion published by Mayhew and Baker. In the 150 years that have followed, these annual baseball guides have been one of the most important primary sources for baseball researchers. What makes the guides valuable is that they compile an entire season’s worth of information into a single volume; standings, rosters, playing statistics, etc. For many seasons, these guides are the only significant record of minor leagues, amateur and semi-pro leagues, and other baseball organizations. They are an invaluable resource for researchers.

Many of the early guides have been digitized and made available online. The Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Library and the Internet Archive are among the institutions that have posted collections of baseball guides. However, each of these collections has gaps. I have compiled this index to baseball guides available online, with links to each one. When multiple online versions of the same guide exist, I have linked to each one separately.

Please note that most of these guides are in the public domain. In cases where copyright protection may still apply, I link only to authorized sources.

In addition to the index of guides, here are some useful reference sources on the subject of annual baseball guides:

Baseball Guides Galore – A history of baseball guides, who published them, and when, written by Ralph E. LinWeber
John Spalding’s guide to baseball guides, record books & registers, 1869-1995 – hard to find but useful reference
Baseball Reference Books: A chapter from the indispensable guide, How to Do Baseball Research
SABR Guide to Minor League Statistics, 3rd edition
SABR Research Resources

Index of Baseball Guides

Jump to:
Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player (1861-1880)
Wright & Ditson Baseball Guide (1885-1912)
Spalding Guide (1880-1941)
Reach Guide (1883-1939)
Sporting News Guide (1942-2007)
SABR Emerald Guide (2007-2015)
Other baseball guides

Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player (1861-1880)

1860 – Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player | Download PDF (Source: John Thorn Collection)
1861 – Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player | Download PDF (Source: John Thorn Collection)
1864 – Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player | Download PDF (Source: John Thorn Collection)
1867 – Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player | View online (Source: Baseball Chronology)

Wright & Ditson Baseball Guide (1885-1912)

1884 – Wright & Ditson Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1910 – Wright & Ditson Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1911 – Wright & Ditson Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)

Spalding Guide (1880-1941)

1880 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1881 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1882 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1883 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1884 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1885 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
1886 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1887 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1888 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1889 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1890 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1891 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1892 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Smithsonian)
1893 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1894 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1895 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1895 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1896 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Hathi Trust)
1896 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Google)
1898 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1899 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1901 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1902 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1902 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1903 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1904 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1905 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1906 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
1907 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1907 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1908 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1909 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1909 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1910 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1910 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1910 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1911 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1911 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1912 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1913 – Spalding Base Ball Book | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1913 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1913 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1913 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1913 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1914 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1914 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1915 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1915 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1915 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1916 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1916 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1916 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1917 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1917 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1917 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1918 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1919 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1919 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1919 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1920 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1921 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1922 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1923 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1924 – Spalding Record | Download PDF
1925 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1926 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1927 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1928 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1929 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
1930 – Spalding Guide | View online (Source: Library of Congress)
1933 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1934 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1936 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1937 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1938 – Spalding Guide | Download PDF
1940 – Spalding-Reach Guide | Download PDF
1941 – Spalding-Reach Guide | Download PDF

Reach Guide (1883-1941)

Sporting News Guide (1942-2007)

SABR Emerald Guide (2007-2015)

Other guides

1876 – Bryce’s Canadian Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1890 – Players League Guide | Download PDF
1891 – Hancock’s Indoor Base Ball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1896 – Victor Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1900 – LeSport Guide Officiel | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1904 – Tony Murnane Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1905 – John McGraw Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1905 – Lajoie’s Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1906 – Lajoie’s Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1908 – Tony Murnane Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1910 – Bull Durham Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1911 – Bull Durham Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1911 – Moreland Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1913 – Cleveland Amateur Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1914 – Cleveland Amateur Baseball Guide | View online (Source: Internet Archive)
1943 – Commissioners’ Guide | Download PDF
1945 – Barnes Guide | Download PDF
1946 – Barnes Guide | Download PDF

Search the Research Collection

SABR Analytics Conference