In 1892 Joshua Pusey secured a patent for the compact cardboard match, and then sold it to the Diamond Match Company. It took some time to catch on, but matchbook advertising became one of the most successful and cost efficient adverting mediums of all time. Reaching for a single matchbook given away to a patron exposes the advertisement 20-40 times. Baseball was a popular theme to attract customers to a product or service.

  Designated U1 by the American Card Catalog, the 1934 Diamond matchbook covers measure about 1-1/2 x 4-1/8. The front of the matchbook feature a sepia tone baseball player picture pose with a silver boarder. The cover borders can be found in red, green, blue or orange. The saddle (area between the front & back panels) has the players name and team.

 The back features a short career bio, topped by a crossed bats, glove & ball design. The inside is blank. Variations include: 18a -Ralph Boyle (Error, photo actually Virgil Davis) 18b -Ralph Boyle (Correct Photo), 73 -Chas. Grimm (Fielding), 74 -Chas. Grimm (Portrait), and 140a -Lynn Nelson (Error photo actually Eugene DeSautels) 140b -Lynn Nelson (Correct photo).

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "Group I" - covers with no advertising issued in sets by Diamond during the 1930s, each set having a particular topic (i.e, baseball stars, football stars).

  Baseball schedules were often used by matchbook advertisers. The idea being after all the matches are used the baseball fan, will keep the schedule for their favorite team, saving the advertising on the other side. Distillers commonly used matchbook schedules, distributing them to bars where baseball fans gathered for a drink and a smoke. Taverns & lounges also used this medium to promote their establishment.

  There was a time when smoking cigars & cigarettes at the game was permitted. Cigarettes were even sold at the ballpark. Some teams printed their own complimentary matchbook schedules., and made them available at the ballpark. The Philadelphia Athletes printed such matchbooks, this style in different colors with Connie Mack's White Elephant, from about 1938-1943. The covers also promotes the sale of reserved seating.

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "Matchbook" - cover with matches; most collectors strip the matches out; hence, "match cover" the foldable card

This Brooklyn Baseball Club "The Dodgers" 1939 home game schedule matchbook offers a chance to win Free Tickets! When You have all the letters to spell "DODGERS" present them at 215 Montague Street (Ebbets Field), and receive a pass for two, good for any one game.

 The letters were hidden under the striker, as pointed out by directional arrows. The red, white and blue cover has directions by train.

 The Brooklyn- Manhattan Transit lines - BMT, Brighten Beach line to Prospect Park, and the Interborough Rapid Transit lines - IRT, 4th or 7th Avenue line to Franklin Avenue.

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "Striker" - The abrasive strip on a matchbook or matchbox upon which a match is struck.

  Dubbed as Baseball's unofficial headquarters, Toots Shor's Restaurant was owned and operated by Bernard "Toots" Shor at 51 West 51st Street in Manhattan from 1940 to 1959. It was the place to be in New York City, frequented by celebrities such as Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, Yogi Berra.

  It was also Joe DiMaggio's home away from his hotel room, and a place of gathering of sports and Broadway figures, who came to see and be seen.

 In the eyes of Toots Shor, the restaurants glory years were those when the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants were riding high in New York. Owner of the New York Giants Horace Stoneham was a regular as well. In 1951 Shor hosted a party held in conjunction with the National League’s 75th birthday. Hall Of Famers in attendance were the likes of Kid Nichols, Charley Gehringer, Mel Ott, Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, George Sisler, Pie Traynor, Mickey Cochrane, Cy Young, Fred Clarke, Jimmy Foxx and Ed Walsh.

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "For Safety" - footer used on various older covers.  

  Matchbook from Joe DiMaggio's World Famous Restaurant & Cocktail lounge, overlooking the world-famous Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. In 1937, a season removed from his All-Star rookie season with the New York Yankees, Joe DiMaggio invested $25,000 in the restaurant. Named "Joe DiMaggio's Grotto," he brought his brothers in, and left Tom in charge to run the business.

Their farther Giuseppe was a lifelong fisherman, as were generations of DiMaggio's before him. Not long before the restaurant was opened, the father and older brothers setout every morning to take crabs off the ocean floor. Joe received a wholesale price of 22 cent a crab for his catch.

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "Panel" - a section of the outside of a cover (i.e., front panel, back panel).

 In 1958, New York Yankee greats, Yogi Berra and Phil Rizzuto put up a $1,200,000. - 40 lane bowling center in Styertown, Clifton, New Jersey. Stars from baseball, television, radio, and local political figures, were among the 5,000 who crowded the new Rizzuto-Berra Bowling Lanes, for it's opening on March 28, 1958.

 Mantle was mobbed by the kids as he walked from the parking lot into the bowling center as were other Yankee players on hand, like Don Larsen, Bill (Moose) Skowron, Hank Bauer, Bobby Shantz, Tony Koubek, Johnny Kucks. Gil McDougald, and Manager Casey Stengel.

 They were only a few of the Yankee stars on hand for the opening, including master of ceremonies Mel Allen. The establishment also featured a trophy case, with such items as American League's Most Valuable Player Plaques, won by both Berra and Rizzuto, and a cocktail lounge shaped like Yankee Stadium.

 Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "Matchcover" - foldable cardboard covering for the matches in a matchbook; also used to describe a matchbook after the matches have been stripped out.

Mickey Mantle opened a bowling center the following year. The grand opening took place at 200 Exchange Park North in Dallas Texas on February 7, 1959. The 32-lane building was a $400. investment, with Mantle, and his associates putting up $100,000. and the Brunswick Company financing the balance.

 The bowling center became part of a contract dispute in 1959. The Yankees wanted Mantle to take a $15.000 cut in pay, and Mantle said he

would not take the cut, but deserved a $3,000. raise to $75,000. He publicly stated he would be more than happy to stay in Dallas and run his bowling alley rather than accept the pay cut. Mantle received the raise, and the following year sold some of his stock. He stated that he had been overburdened with absentee ownership of the lanes, and it was hurting both the bowling center and his ball play. Mantle remained as a major stockholder and the lanes continued under the name of "Mickey Mantle bowling center."

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "Pressing" - the process of flattening stripped covers, often in some sort of vise-like device.

  In 1960 the Continental Cigar Company, makers of Bat Cigars ran a Louisville Slugger baseball bat promotion. For only $2.00, and two empty Bat cigar 5-paks, you had your choice of a Louisville Slugger Softball or Little League baseball bat.

 The inside of this 20 strike matchbook features the offer that reads; "Get Famous, Louisville Slugger * Softball or Little League, Baseball Bats, for Your Son - Nephew -Grandson - Or For Your Own Team No Limit, - Pick Up A Bat 5-Pak For, Further Details." The back of each 5-pak Bat Cigars had an order form for the Louisville Slugger offer.

Matchbook Collecting Terminology: "20-Strike" (30 or 40) - generic term for covers with 20 matches, 30 matches, 40 matches, or that sized cover.

  Tony Piet was a major league infielder from 1931 to 1938. Piet played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers. He shortened his surname, Pietruszka, to Piet because it couldn't fit on the Forbes Field scoreboard. After retiring from baseball in 1938 he opened what would become one of the largest Pontiac dealerships in the World. It covering more than three city blocks on Chicago's southwest side, 6603-37 S. Western Ave.