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(Baseball) AMERICA'S NATIONAL GAME: HISTORIC FACTS CONCERNING THE BEGINNING, EVOLUTION, DEVELOPMENT AND POPULARITY OF BASE BALL WITH PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF ITS VICISSITUDES, ITS VICTORIES AND ITS VOTARIES by Albert G. Spalding; cartoons by Homer C. Davenport. New York: American Sports Publishing Company, 1911. FIRST EDITION. 8vo - 8" x 5-3/8". Blue cloth covered boards with bright gilt titles and decoration of Uncle Sam holding a baseball bat to front cover and gilt titles to spine with light rubbing to the head of spine and corners, and minor wear to the tail of spine for what is a lovely copy of the book. Plain endpapers. xix, [1], 542 pp., plus [5] folded plates. This is an essential early text from one of the key pioneers of our national pastime. "America's National Game" traces the sport of baseball from its birth, to its growth in the military camps of the American Civil War, to the first professional teams, and forward through the first decade of the twentieth century; illustrated with a total of 114 black and white drawings and photographs including 5 wonderful fold-out plates. This copy is extra special, being inscribed by the author in black fountain pen ink, "To Mr. E. A. Steininger / with my compliments / A. G. Spalding / New York / Oct. 10 1911" on a blank preliminary page; a light bump to the front upper fore edge of the text block effects the first five leaves, i.e., inscription page, half-title, tissue-guarded portrait, frontispiece and title page. The condition of the book is VERY GOOD +. A "Letter of Authenticity" issued by PSA/DNA Authentication Services is included with the book. RARE inscribed and in such nice condition.