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riff raff wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 18:38 pm

OldRed wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 17:19 pm

tokyojoe1954 wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 14:35 pm I bought one during the 1981 baseball strike. Before the internet this was the equivalent of Baseball Reference.com
If I could have just one book for the rest of my life it would be Baseball Encyclopedia.
(Baseball Encyclopedia shows stats for every player who ever played.)

I had two. At one time it was only way you check a player's stats or career stats. I kept the list of players I had met, but not sure it is up to date.

Did you get the Sporting News weekly? It was the best

Yes, I did. But it was only good for current MLB and Minor League players. When I worked in newspapers there was always someone that also worked at the Sporting News and they would always bring a bundle of current, often, not mailed yet Sporting News. When not, I always subscribed for home delivery.

tokyojoe1954 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2026 06:08 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑16 Feb 2026 00:01 am

Melville wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 17:16 pm Why would I need one?

Post of the year, folks!
That made me literally laugh out loud.

You would use it to see baseball stats in pre-internet days.

Yep. I was laughing at Mel's response. Classic!!!

riff raff wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 18:38 pm

OldRed wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 17:19 pm

tokyojoe1954 wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 14:35 pm I bought one during the 1981 baseball strike. Before the internet this was the equivalent of Baseball Reference.com
If I could have just one book for the rest of my life it would be Baseball Encyclopedia.
(Baseball Encyclopedia shows stats for every player who ever played.)

I had two. At one time it was only way you check a player's stats or career stats. I kept the list of players I had met, but not sure it is up to date.

Did you get the Sporting News weekly? It was the best

We started fantasy baseball in 1981. We used to do the stats from the Sporting News with a calculator.
Then our commissioner bought a Timex computer and wrote a program; made our lives a lot easier.
The Sporting News was great!

Melville wrote: ↑16 Feb 2026 08:09 am

riff raff wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 18:38 pm

OldRed wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 17:19 pm

tokyojoe1954 wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 14:35 pm I bought one during the 1981 baseball strike. Before the internet this was the equivalent of Baseball Reference.com
If I could have just one book for the rest of my life it would be Baseball Encyclopedia.
(Baseball Encyclopedia shows stats for every player who ever played.)

I had two. At one time it was only way you check a player's stats or career stats. I kept the list of players I had met, but not sure it is up to date.

Did you get the Sporting News weekly? It was the best

That, and Baseball Digest.

I had TSN, BD and BE!

rockondlouie wrote: ↑16 Feb 2026 10:56 am

Melville wrote: ↑16 Feb 2026 08:09 am

riff raff wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 18:38 pm

OldRed wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 17:19 pm

tokyojoe1954 wrote: ↑15 Feb 2026 14:35 pm I bought one during the 1981 baseball strike. Before the internet this was the equivalent of Baseball Reference.com
If I could have just one book for the rest of my life it would be Baseball Encyclopedia.
(Baseball Encyclopedia shows stats for every player who ever played.)

I had two. At one time it was only way you check a player's stats or career stats. I kept the list of players I had met, but not sure it is up to date.

Did you get the Sporting News weekly? It was the best

That, and Baseball Digest.

I had TSN, BD and BE!

The same three that I had! The Encyclopedia was huge, yet I hauled it around a dozen college apartments. I did roofing for a while to get money to get back to college and I stored my cash in the BE.

Don't forget about annual "Who's Who in Baseball" showing all of the current players . We'd start checking Walgreens magazine rack in January.

How about the Elias Baseball Analyst?

I had one from 1993, but I got rid of it. There was no need for that huge book anymore. All the stats you need are online in multiple locations. The thing weighed about 20 pounds.

I had three over the years. The last one I bought one in the mid-90s was published shortly before they stopped producing it. Man, I poured over those things back in the day.

I still have them in a box somewhere.

Sport Magazine was pretty good back in the day. They would do deep dives into a players' personality. Always looked forward to a new edition. Sporting News, "The Bible of Baseball" was the best.