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 Spalding, A. G. (Alfred Goodwill) (Signed) - 1911

New York: American Sports Publishing Company. Very Good. 1911. First Edition. Hardcover. Inscribed by the author as follows: "To my esteemed friend Mr. U. S. Grant with my compliments and Christmas Greetings, A. G. Spalding, Point Loma Calif. , Dec. 25, 1911". This is of course Ulysses S. Grant Jr. Spalding and Grant were good friends while both lived in the San Diego area. Bright blue cloth with lettering in gilt. A large image in gilt of Uncle Sam with bat in hand on the front. Illustrated with many photographs, a few large folding plates. The 3-page folding illustrations of "Knickerbocker and Excelsior Teams, 1858" toward the front has a couple of extra creases to one edge. One 4-page folding plate is neatly split along one fold (exceedingly repairable I would think). The other much longer plates are clean and fine. The spine is somewhat sunned(darkened) with the gilt here being a bit duller than on the front which is very bright. A very good, tight copy. An important note: On the inscribed page there are underlying erasures beneath U. S. Grant's name, A. G. Spalding's name, and the first word in the city, Point. This copy came from a very old San Diego family estate with connections to U. S. Grant, Jr. So I cannot explain the erasures. All the handwriting matches everything I can find for Spalding and the one other signed copy I have owned. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; Signed by Author .