The points of issue
First printing, A.S. Barnes, New York, 1957, with 1957 on the verso of the title page. Baseball memoir, approximately 276 pages. First of two baseball books Farrell contracted to write for A.S. Barnes.
Is this the true first?
US first edition (A.S. Barnes, New York, 1957). A simultaneous Canadian issue was published the same day; the US issue is catalogued as the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and the modern Southern Illinois University Press reissue (Writing Baseball series) are identified as such; the 1957 A.S. Barnes hardcover is the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of My Baseball Diary a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing, A.S. Barnes, New York, 1957, with 1957 on the verso of the title page. Baseball memoir, approximately 276 pages. First of two baseball books Farrell contracted to write for A.S. Barnes.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US first edition (A.S. Barnes, New York, 1957). A simultaneous Canadian issue was published the same day; the US issue is catalogued as the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings and the modern Southern Illinois University Press reissue (Writing Baseball series) are identified as such; the 1957 A.S. Barnes hardcover is the true first.
I have a first edition of My Baseball Diary — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.