“Hand-written memories from those who lived the game” only begins to tell the mission of Baseball By The Letters. Too many baseball writers are frustrated ex-(amateur) players. Their looks at the game’s history are overshadowed by endless commentary, almost implying that the commentator could have outplayed said major leaguer once upon a time.

I wanted to let the major league history makers tell their stories THEIR WAY. Sometimes, the facts left out are the most telling in a retiree’s recollection of his time in baseball. Whether it’s one sentence or one page (sometimes more!), an eyewitness account of baseball’s past shouldn’t be obscured by one so-called historian’s endless critical blabbing.

My Little League career ended at age 15. The men who have “only” one win, a single hit or just a day of major league service still outperformed me. I tip my cap to all of them.

I write to these names from baseball’s headlines as myself, a wide-eyed fan who hopes to learn first-hand about times and places I‘ve only imagined. When they reply, I share all.

The sharing isn’t limited to this blog. I’ve been donating copies of all correspondence to the Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, New York.

Once, I wrote for autographs. Now, I request memories.

Some fans dwell on statistics: Baseball by the numbers.

I choose the people and their insights. I believe in Baseball By The Letters.