John McMurray chairs the Larry Ritter Book Award subcommittee beginning 2006, succeeding Paul Rogers. The selection committee comprises Al Blumkin, Mark Dugo, Jan Finkel, Scott Flatow, David Fleitz, David Jones, John McMurray, Paul Rogers, Gabriel Schechter, Tom Simon, and Doug Skipper. Please nominate books with 2007 publication dates by email to John McMurray (jmcmurray04@yahoo.com).
Winners:
5th Award, 2006
Richard Bak, Peach: Ty Cobb in His Time and Ours (Sports Media, 2005)
2005. Jeffrey Powers-Beck, The American Indian Integration of Baseball (University of Nebraska, 2004)
2004. James E. Elfers, The Tour to End All Tours: The Story of Major League Baseball's 1913-1914 World Tour (University of Nebraska, 2003)
2003. Jim Reisler, Before They Were the Bombers: The New York Yankees' Early Years, 1903-1915 (McFarland, 2002)
2002. Martin Kohout, Hal Chase: The Defiant Life and Turbulent Times of Baseball's Biggest Crook (McFarland, 2001)
Seventh Award, 2008 (2007 publications)
As you read new books this year, keep the Ritter Award definition in mind: "the best book published each year, primarily set in or primarily about the deadball era." Nominate a book by email to John McMurray (jmcmurray04@yahoo.com)
Sixth Award, 2007 (2006 publications with some 2005s not previously considered)
Fifth Award, 2006 (2005 publications)
Fourth Award, 2005 (2004 publications)
Third Award, 2004 (2003 publications)
Second Award, 2003 (2002 publications)
First Award, 2002 (2001 publications)
Note. The selection committee named only the winner for 2002 and 2005 publication years; the winner and finalists or nominees for other years.Candidates, publication date 2006
Gil Bogen Johnny Kling: A Baseball Biography Gene Carney Burying the Black Sox: How Baseball's Cover-Up of the 1919 World Series Fix Almost Succeeded Susan Dellinger Red Legs and Black Sox: Edd Roush and the Untold Story of the 1919 World Series Timothy M. Gay Tris Speaker: The Rough and Tumble Life of a Baseball Legend William H. Kashatus Money Pitcher: Chief Bender and the Tragedy of Indian Assimilation Bruce A. Rubenstein Chicago in the World Series, 1903-2005 John C. Skipper Wicked Curve: The Life and Troubled Times of Grover Cleveland Alexander Jack Smiles Ee-Yah: The Life and Times of Hughie Jennings, Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Sparks Frank 'Home Run' Baker: Hall of Famer and World Series Hero Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story Bernard A. Weisberger When Chicago Ruled Baseball: The Cubs-White Sox World Series of 1906
(with some 2005s not previously considered)Winner, publication date 2005
Date: 19 Jun 2006 From: C. Paul Rogers (crogers@mail.smu.edu) I am pleased to announce that the Larry Ritter Award Committee has named Peach: Ty Cobb in His Time and Ours by Richard Bak as the Larry Ritter Award winner for the best baseball book of 2005 concentrating on the Deadball Era. Committee members this year were Al Blumkin, Scott Flatow, John McMurray, David Shiner and me. Paul RogersNominees and Winner, publication date 2004
Date: 6 Jul 2005 From: C. Paul Rogers III (crogers@mail.smu.edu) By a very close vote, the 2004 Larry Ritter Award winner for the best baseball book devoted to the Deadball Era is Jeffrey Powers-Beck's The American Indian Integration of Baseball (Univ of Nebraska). Six excellent books were nominated, five in addition to the winner. Bad Bill Dahlen by Lyle Spatz The 1917 Chicago White Sox by Warren Wilbert The Black Prince of Baseball by Dewey & Acocella Armando Marsans - A Cuban Pioneer in the Major Leagues by Peter T. Toot Christy Mathewson by Michael Hartley The selection committee this year was Dick Thompson, David Shiner, Al Blumkin, Scott Flatow, Steve Constantelos and me as chair. Paul RogersFinalists, publication date 2003
Date: 17 Apr 2004 From: C. Paul Rogers III (crogers@mail.smu.edu) The five 2003 Ritter Award finalists, alphabetical by author: Tinker, Evers and Chance: A Triple Biography by Gil Bogen (McFarland, Feb 2004) The Tour to End All Tours: The Story of Major League Baseball's 1913-1914 World Tour by James E. Elfers (University of Nebraska) Autumn Glory: Baseball's First World Series by Louis Masur (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) The Player: Christy Mathewson, Baseball and the American Century by Phillip Seib (NY: Four Walls Eight Windows) The 1917 White Sox: Their World Championship Season by Warren N. Wilbert and William Hageman (McFarland, Feb 2004)Call for Nominations, publication date 2003
Date: 17 Jun 2003 15:07:47 -0500 The subcommittee is accepting nominations for the 2003 award from now to the end of the calendar year. To nominate a worthy book bearing a 2003 publication date, simply email me. Paul Rogers (crogers@mail.smu.edu)2nd Winner
Date: 17 Jun 2003 15:07:47 -0500 From: "Rogers III, C." (crogers@mail.smu.edu) To: deadball@yahoogroups.com Subject: [2nd annual Ritter Book Award] I would like to advise the group that the subcommittee responsible for selecting the annual Larry Ritter Award for the best Deadball book of the year has named Jim Reisler's Before They Were the Bombers - The New York Yankees' Early Years, 1903-1915 (McFarland 2002) as the 2002 winner. We will make formal presentations of both the 2001 (Martin Kohout's Hal Chase biography) and the 2002 winners at our Deadball Committee meeting in Denver next month. Thanks are due to subcommittee members Al Blumkin, Scott Flatow, David Shiner, Tom Simon, and Dick Thompson. The subcommittee is accepting nominations for the 2003 award from now to the end of the calendar year. To nominate a worthy book bearing a 2003 publication date, simply email me. Paul RogersCall for Nominations, publication date 2002
Date: 11 Dec 2002 From: C. Paul Rogers III (crogers@mail.smu.edu) To: deadball@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: Ritter Book Award nominations The Larry Ritter Book Award Selection Committee is seeking nominations for the 2002 Ritter Book Award for the best book written on the deadball era in the year 2002. The books must have a 2002 publication date to be eligible. The award presentation will be made at the Deadball Committee meeting at the SABR Convention in Denver this summer. This is the second year of the award and books already nominated are Before They Were the Bombers - The New York Yankees' Early Years, 1903-1915 by Jim Reisler (McFarland 2002) and A Prince at First - the Fictional Autobiography of Baseball's Hal Chase by Ed Dinger (McFarland 2002). Last year's inaugural winner was Hal Chase - the Defiant Life and Turbulent Times of Baseball's Biggest Crook by Martin Kohout (McFarland 2001). Please email your nominations to me off list. C. Paul Rogers III Professor of Law and former Dean SMU School of Law P.O.Box 750116 Dallas, Texas 75275 Phone number 214 768-2700 Fax number 214 768-31421st Winner
Date: 4 Oct 2002 [edited by pgw, 10 Oct 2002] From: C. Paul Rogers III (crogers@mail.smu.edu) To: deadball@yahoogroups.com Subject: 1st annual Ritter Book Award I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Deadball Era Committee's 1st Annual Larry Ritter Book Award for the best book written about the Deadball Era is Martin Kohout for his "Hal Chase: The Defiant Life and Turbulent Times of Baseball's Biggest Crook" (McFarland 2001). The award was for books on the Deadball Era published in the calendar year 2001. Other nominees were Robert Cottrell's "The Best Pitcher in Baseball: the Rube Foster Story" (NYU Press 2001); David Fleitz' "Shoeless: The Life and Times of Joe Jackson" (McFarland 2001); and Mark Okkonen's "The Ty Cobb Scrapbook" (Sterling Press 2001). The selection subcommittee consisted of Deadball Era Committee members Al Blumkin, Scott Flatow, David Shiner, Tom Simon, Dick Thompson, and Paul Rogers. C. Paul Rogers III Professor of Law and former Dean SMU School of Law P.O.Box 750116 Dallas, Texas 75275 Phone number 214 768-2700 Fax number 214 768-3142 Note. We plan to announce subsequent winners at the Annual Convention of SABR, June or July. --Ed.Finalists, publication date 2001
Finalists were announced at the Annual Convention of SABR in June. The Best Pitcher in Baseball (The Rube Foster Story) by Robert Cottrell (NYU Press) Shoeless: The Life and Times of Joe Jackson by David L. Fleitz (McFarland) Hal Chase: The Defiant Life and Turbulent Times of Baseball's Biggest Crook by Martin Donell Kohout (McFarland) The Ty Cobb Scrapbook by Marc Okkonen (Sterling Publishing)Announcement of Award, Call for Nominations
Date: 21 May 2002 From: C. Paul Rogers III (crogers@mail.smu.edu) To: deadball@yahoogroups.com Subject: Ritter Award Nominations C. Paul Rogers III Professor of Law and former Dean SMU School of Law P.O. Box 750116 Dallas, Texas 75275 Phone: 214 768-2700 Fax: 214 768-3142 Email: crogers@mail.smu.edu The Deadball Era Committee has established the Larry Ritter Book Award to honor the best book each year set primarily in or about the deadball era. We have formed a Ritter Award Subcommittee whose membership is Al Blumkin, Scott Flatow, David Shiner, Tom Simon, Dick Thompson and me. The purpose of this email is to solicit your nominations for the best deadball era baseball book published in 2001 for the subcommittee's consideration. Please email your nominations to me at my individual email address, crogers@mail.smu.edu, by the end of the month, May 31st. Nominations should be limited to books with a 2001 publication date. Once the nominations are closed, the subcommittee will begin the process of selecting the winner, which will be announced later this year. In the future, we hope to make the announcement and presentation at the Deadball Era Committee meeting at the annual SABR convention in the summer. Due to delays beyond our control, we will not be able to announce the winner for 2001 in Boston. Thanks in advance for your help in nominating worthy books for the first annual Ritter Award. Paul Rogers