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From ABE
Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball [Baseball] Clubs. Official -1876 [The founding document of Major League Baseball]
National League of Professional Baseball
Bookseller: Gordon Hopkins Americana
(Yardley, PA, U.S.A.) Price: US$ 65000.00 (!!! Added by me)
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Book Description: Reach & Johnston 1876, Philadelphia 1876, 1876. Original Wraps. Book Condition: Very Good. First Edition. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. 48p; Extremely rare and historically important, original 1st edition of the 1st publication of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. This is one of only a handfull [4 or 5] of original examples of one of the rarest and most important 19th century Professional Baseball publications. Published by Reach and Johnston shortly after the meeting of the baseball teams that would form the National League, and only weeks before the start of the first National League season. This pamphlet has 48 pages, with 6 pages of pictorial advertisements for baseball uniforms, bats, hats, shoes, bases, baseballs [both Dead Balls and Reach's New Double Ball], etc. The first 24 pages are the first printing of the Constitution of the National League, followed by 18 pages of the Official "Playing Rules." This is followed by the "Official list of the Officers and Players of [the 8] Clubs belonging to the 'National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs' for the Season of 1876." It has been speculated that as few as 200 copies were printed of the founding document of Major League baseball, and 4-5 copies known to exist before this was found recently in northeastern Massachusetts. This is probably the finest condition example: bound in original pictorial paper wrappers, complete and tight. There are no tears, chips, corner loss, or repairs. A piece of baseball history in very good condition. Photos available upon request. Bookseller Inventory # 000568