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Major League Baseball American League (AL) Team Programs and Scorecards Collection

 Collection
Identifier: BAS 610

Scope and Contents

This collection contains more than 1,200 programs and scorecards published by Major League Baseball teams in the American League. Teams published programs and scorecards for purchase by fans attending the games. The programs and scorecards usually contain at a minimum roster and lineup information and space for attendees to keep score of the game. The programs tend to become larger, longer, and more substantial over the years and sometimes contain additional information about the teams, players, coaches, and other subjects. Many programs also include advertisements. Most of the programs in the collection date from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with scattered examples from earlier and later years.

For many years, teams issued substantially the same program or scorecard for every game of the season. When holdings of a team’s programs/scorecards from one season include examples of more than one type of program, the various program types are indicated in the scope and content note. To qualify as an alternate type, programs/scorecards must show either a substantial difference in content (other than in the scorecard insert) or have been produced for an alternate venue (such as a spring training program).

Some programs in this finding aid are indicated as either "scored" or "partially scored." "Scored" programs must meet two criteria. First, they must be scored completely, with an entry for each batter that appeared in the game. Second, they must employ a notation specific enough to allow for a reasonably thorough recreation of the game's play-by-play. A key point in this regard is the attribution of putouts and assists; no program utilizing a notation with generic out markings is categorized as “scored.” Programs indicated as "partially scored" have been scored either incompletely or in a notation that leaves obvious questions regarding the game's play-by-play. Thus, "partially scored" programs may have only the lineups entered, or they may be scored completely but ambiguously. "Scored" games have, almost without exception, been dated; "partially scored" games usually lack dates. Other features that may characterize individual programs - autographs, for example, or ephemera like ticket stubs - are present as noted.

Formats include programs and scorecards.

Dates

  • Creation: 1903-2007

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical / Historical

Scorecards and programs for baseball games were first printed in the late nineteenth century for fans to keep track of the game and for teams to publicize their games and their players. Scorecards included space for fans to keep score, and many scorecards featured pre-printed lineups. Through the years, scorecards became more substantial and sometimes evolved into the multi-page published game programs that were common in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century.

Extent

8 Cubic Feet (16 document cases (letter sized))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Programs/scorecards are arranged alphabetically by the most recent geographical location of the home team franchise (as of 2023) and then arranged by season. Within each season and type, programs are listed alphabetically by opponent.

Status
Completed
Date
January 2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University of Notre Dame Rare Books & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
102 Hesburgh Library
Notre Dame IN 46556
574-631-0290