and training and conditioning). It is a laudable effort to include a reasonably detailed file on 127 selected players and officials. One questions why many notable players were omitted, for example Bob Feller, Robin Roberts and Larry Doby. Several books and articles have been written about or by these players in the last twenty years (1972-1992). A similar criticism is directed toward team histories. The Providence Grays are included, yet other franchises with comparable historical background are excluded.

A positive feature of The Baseball File isextra categories not covered in other baseball bibliographies. Notable examples are racism, unionism, drug abuse, cheating, and violence. More complete annotation of many topics would be helpful to the researcher and is a suggestion for a revised edition. Nor isthere an author index. There isa distinct lack of mainstream materials published about baseball. Examples are baseball guides, The Baseball Register, Baseball Digest, and selected yearbooks. A section on baseball fiction would be a significant addition to the bibliography.

It iseasy to be overly critical when one reviews a bibliography of such magnitude. The long history and popularity of baseball lends to vast publications about this sport. The authors have made a noble effort to compile a portion of the pertinent material. The above mentioned shortcomings do not negate the value of this publication to the serious researcher of Americas great pastime, baseball.

THE CELEBRANT by Eric Rolfe Greenberg, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 1993, pp. 264. Reviewed by JohnR. Schleppi, University of Dayton.

Despite the picture of Christy Mathewson on the cover of the book and commentaries from many sources, The Celebrant isnot a novel about the life of the great turn-of-the century pitcher of the New York Giants. While Mathewson's accomplishments are the theme around which Eric Greenberg builds this fine fictional piece, it is the narrator's Jewish immigrant life and family that are the core of the novel. Greenberg gives a short description of the Kapinski family's immigration to New York City in the late 1880's. But the family's struggle to build a jewelry business isthe central story line. The business isdominated by Uncle Sid and his no-nonsense approach to life, an approach that conflicts with the up-coming generation and its attempts at Americanization. All of the familiar roles are here: Uncle Sid, whose whole life is the business, portrays old country values; Eli Kapp, whose business savvy yet reckle! gambling habits give the novel a feeling of impending disaster, represents th new generation; Albert, Eli's younger brother, joins the firm and tries tl maintain the conservative direction of Uncle Sid but also introduces moden business practices such as marketing research; and finally there isJacob, th~ central figure and narrator of the novel, who Americanizes his name to Jacl K~PP. As the obedient Jewish boy at the beginning of the century, Jack turn to the family business after being discouraged from pursuing a moderatel! promising baseball career as a pitcher. Jack recognizes that his baseball abilit) islimited. However, his fascination with the game and his life-long followinc of the New York Giants give the novel itscontinuity. While accompanying hi: swaggering brother Elion a business trip to St. Louis, Jack sees the Giants' Mathewson pitch a no-hitter. At that, Mathewson is a tall, commanding, almost elegant performer-and a college graduate. Jack, the designer for the jewelry firm, develops a ring to commemorate Mathewson's no-hitter which the firm crafts, and Eli presents to Mathewson. Jack is reluctant to meet Mathewson, believing that one does not get too close to individuals who may be heroic. He is content simply to be "the Celebrant" of Mathewson's accomplishments. However, Jack's abiding love of the game draws him back to baseball, again through brother Eli, but this time to the Giants and their Manager John McGraw. While Mathewson represents elegance in sport, McGraw symbolizes the roughness of America and sport. McGraw, having seen Mathewson's ring, also would like a championship commemorative, and Jack reluctantly agrees to design one. And it is on the strength of these commemorative rings that the family business gains ensuing contracts. The expanding jewelry company moves from the pure celebration of baseball to the commercialism of baseball, a change which Jack abhors. This commercialism is dramatically shown in the novel as the baseball players obtain appearance fees and jump leagues frequently with the formation of the American League, and later the Federal League. The jewelry company's success, enhanced by its contracts for championship rings through baseball's National Commission reads much like a history of Jewish life: success, with an undercurrent of impending doom. Eli'sgambling and his questionable acquaintances through the years produce a constant success-failure tension throughout the novel. Catastrophe finally arrives when the Black Sox scandal of 1920 touches the Kapp family and Eli's involvement with gamblers leads him to commit suicide. His death is one of the few melodramatic scenes in the book, perhaps a little too heavy on symbolism. Elidrives his car over Coogan's Bluff and somersaults with a crash into the side of the Polo Grounds. Eli's gambling finally taints the company, which eventually loses itscontract with the National Association. Fortunately, the company maintains its other business, showing its resiliency and