My Baseball Diary
James T. Farrell

New Forward by Joseph Durso

April / ISBN 0-8093-2189-0 / paper / $19.95t
304 pages / 5.5 X 8.5

Writing Baseball
Baseball / Memoir

"[T]his collection of essays and novelistic excerpts still reminds us just how talented a writer Farrell was. . . . A fine collection that will be of most interest to old-time baseball fans and Farrell aficionados."–Publishers Weekly

"More than 40 years old, and inconceivably out of print for 30 of them, Farrell's Baseball Diary, one of the first gems in a new series of baseball reissues from Southern Illinois University Press, is as rare as a starter who can go nine these days: an ancient text that stays fresh on the wizardry of its ebullient prose. . . . [It is] a colorful collection of beautifully crafted remembrances, profiles, observations, and fictional excerpts that span the first 50 years of his seven-decade romance with the game."–Jeff Silverman, Sports editor, Amazon.com

First published in 1957, My Baseball Diary chronicles James T. Farrell's enduring passion for the game, from his earliest baseball memory at the age of six through his reminiscences of his first World Series game in 1917 to his later meetings with and recollections of Hall of Famers Ray Schalk, Eddie Collins, Red Faber, Ty Cobb, and Gabby Hartnett.

"'I'll tell you why James T. Farrell wrote books,' Ralph Kiner was saying in Shea Stadium not long ago. 'He couldn't make it as a second baseman for the Chicago White Sox.'"–Joseph Durso, New York Times

"Subjective, informal, autobiographical, partisan, nostalgic, My Baseball Diary is primarily and unapologetically a fans' book, one of the earliest and finest examples of the genre, which ultimately delivers, as the best fans' books do, some cogent insights into the nature of fanship."–Mike Shannon, Diamond Classics

"For any dedicated fan—especially any White Sox fan—[My Baseball Diary] is a delightful mixture of baseball reminiscences."–Edgar Branch, James T. Farrell

"It must have taken Mr. Farrell much time and considerable research. . . . He has captured a surprisingly large number of famous baseball scenes and players."–Saturday Review

James T. Farrell, born in 1904 on Chicago's South Side, remained an avid White Sox fan from his youth until his death in 1979. A major voice in American realism and author of the Studs Lonigan trilogy, Farrell wrote extensively about baseball, incorporating the baseball-playing memories of his youth into his novels and composing essays that recaptured the legendary heroes of his boyhood and preserved his passionate love for the game. He won nine varsity letters in high school.

"Baseball was part of my growing up. As a matter of fact, I understood the game and could follow the plays before I could read or write."

—James T. Farrell,
My Baseball Diary

"Highly recommended to Farrell fans and to baseball fans."

—Robert Daley,
New York Times

"Strictly for those who know, remember, andómost importantócare about the national pastime."

—William German,
San Francisco Chronicle