Musicologist and folklorist Jerry Silverman has compiled this unique collection of 41 of the best baseball-inspired songs from 1867 to 1922athe golden era of the game. The songs in The Baseball Songbook represent the periods in which they were composed, with marches, ragtime, waltzes, two-steps, polkas, jazz, and more. They are descriptive, humorous, and inspirational, and their lyrics mirror the imagery of the time, from the flowery and high-falutina language of the mid-19th century to the raucous and jazzy lingo of the early 20th century. The book is decorated with the charming sheet music covers of all the songs and with many other vintage baseball illustrations. There is also fascinating historical information about the songs, the composers, and the performers, and, above all, the players and teams mentioned in the songs. It includes music, lyrics, and chords for each song and a CD with every song performed by the author. "It's a sweet, simple book that hearkens to a sweeter, simpler time." -Sports Illustrated