Angels Yearbook Joining the American League along with the Senators in 1961, the Los Angeles Angels have always taken a backseat to the established Dodgers. The original LA Angels drafted wisely and within a few years had produced a winning team. The Angels had no yearbook in 1961 - its franchise first book appeared in 1962. In 1966, the moved into the Big A at Anaheim and became the California Angels.	Athletics Yearbook One of only two franchises to play in three different cities durign the 50s and 60s, the Athletics played to indifferent crowds regardless of its venue. The Athletics of the 50s are reknown for its steady pipeline of talent which it provided the Yankees including Roger Maris. The 60s version of the franchise saw the introduction of Charlie Finley to baseball - along with the development of the first multi-color uniforms, a designated pinch runner, and a live mule for a mascot. Many of the team's Kansas City yearbooks can be difficult to find.	Braves Yearbook Another three city franchise, though unlike the Athletics, the Braves were winners everywhere they played. After appearing in the 1948 World Series, the team suffered a drop off before reemerging with pennants in 1957 and 1958. After the team moved to Atlanta in 1966, the focus moved to Hank Aaron and his quiet pursuit of the all-time home run record. Despite never hitting 50 home runs in his career, Aaron eventually caught the Babe in 1974. Yearbooks for the pennant winning 1958 and World Championship 1957 teams are in high demand.
Cardinals Yearbook One of baseball's most successful franchises, the St. Louis Cardinals first yearbook appeared in 1951 - a period which saw over a 10 year drought in the team's fortunes. In the mid-sixties, the farm system began to pay off and a collection of home-grown talent - Gibson, McCarver, Shannon, Carlton - along with some crafty trades led the team to three pennants and two World titles in five seasons.	Cubs Yearbook One of the earliest known yearbooks was the Chicago Cubs issue of 1934. The team was at its heights - having won two pennants in the decade. The Cubs issued additional yearbooks from 1948 through 1957, before discontinuing their publication in 1958 through 1984. Cubs yearbooks are always in high demand.	Dodgers Yearbook The Dodgers' yearbooks of the fifties featured the classic Mullen artwork of the team's mascot - the Brooklyn Bums. The Boys of Summer were a team stocked with stars that basically defines the romanticism for the public of the Fifties as baseball's golden age. The 1955 yearbook is in very high demand. In 1958, the team of course moved to LA and played before record crowds. The 1958 and 1959 yearbooks are difficult to find and highly desirable.
Giants Yearbook The Giants move west in 1958 shocked the baseball world and broke up the storied subway series with New York. The team's first season in SF was at tiny Seals Stadium - making yearbooks from that season extremely scarce and desirable. The Giants franchise of course was built for over 20 years on the overall excellence of Willie Mays, perhaps the best player of the period.	Indians Yearbook The Indians first yearbook was issued in 1948, coincident with the team's first World Champsionship since 1920. The early Indian yearbooks were frequently called Sketchbooks. Several books in the tail-end of the Fifties are scarce and in high demand.	Mets Yearbook The Amazing Mets are among the highest demand yearbooks from the 60s. The team's initial 1962 Baby in Diapers book frequently sells for $350+ in excellent condition. Though the team initially set new standards for losing, the early Met yearbooks feature many interesting veterans - Piersall, Hodges, Ashburn - which were soon replaced with a strong young nucleus of stars such as Seaver, Ryan, Swoboda and Koosman.
Orioles Yearbook Baltimore was a huge bastion for minor league baseball - developing early stars such as Keeler, McGraw, Ruth and Lefty Grove. After 50 years, the team finally was delevered a major league franchise in 1954 as the Browns were sold and moved to Baltimore by Bill Veeck. The first Orioles yearbook in 1954 is in extremely high demand - as are all mid 50s books for the team. In the mid-60s, after a brief fling with the Baby Birds of 1960, the team developed a solid nucleus and went on to capture four pennants in six seasons.	Phillies Yearbook The Phillies issued its first yearbook in 1949, one season before the team's surprise pennant winner of 1950. The early guides are in extremely high demand. The Phillies of the 50s were built mainly around the Hall of Fame arm of Robin Roberts. Later into the 60s, the team came together behind field leader Gene Mauch and played some exciting baseball.	Pilots Yearbook The Pilots were baseball's one-year wonders - appearing as an expansion franchise in 1969 in a declining ballpark. The team's owners failed in their commitment to get a new park for the team, prompting Baseball to pull the franchise and bring baseball back to Milwaukee after a four-year absence. Given its limited success, the Pilots of Seattle would be little remembered except for Jim Bouton's classic Ball Four, which provided a daily diary of the teams exploits and characters.
Pirates Yearbook The Pirates scaled the peaks in 1960, after toiling in the second division throughout the 50s. The team's surprise pennant - capped by an even more shocking win over the powerful Yankees - was short-lived. The team's veterans (Law, Groat, Face) all soon broke down and the franchise declined for most of the 60s until its re-emergence in 1970. Due largely to the presence of great Roberto Clemente, the Pirates Yearbooks from the middle 50s are always in high demand.	Red Sox Yearbook The most star-crossed franchise in Baseball, the rabid support of Red Sox fans makes their yearbooks in high demand. Despite boasting the most powerful line-up of the Fifties, the Red Sox managed a series of mediocre finishes throughout the decade, bottoming out in the early 60s. The Impossible Dream Red Sox of 1967 seemed like a mirage the next season when Lonnie broke his leg over the winter and dissention again racked the team. Since 1975, the Red Sox have been extremely competitive, giving up lots of highlights and heartbreaks for the Red Sox Nation. Of course, the 2004 World Championship means all is forgiven.	Reds Yearbook Baseball's first professional franchise, the Reds issues their first Yearbook in 1947 with the Whip, Ewell Blackwell on the cover. While competitive in the Fifties, the Reds didn't break through until 1961 when the team rebounded from a poor season to capture the pennant. Always on the verge of success, the Reds didn't reappear in the Fall Classic until 1970 - when a new group of players cam together to dominant the early part of the 70s.
Senators Yearbook Washington without baseball was unthinkable despite the team's consistent 27 year struggle in the second division. When the up-and-coming group of Senators moved to Minnesota after the 1960 season, Major League baseball immediately installed an expansion franchise in the capital, ensuring a continued run of last place finishes. The Senators issued their first yearbook in 1947, and several of the later fifties books are highly sought due to the influx of future stars (Twins) players.	Tigers Yearbook The Tigers issued the Hobby's earliest yearbook - way back in 1934. The guide reflected the team's turnaround as the Bengals captured the pennant before falling to the Gashouse Gang Cardinals. With storied players like Hank Greenberg and Al Kaline, the Tigers captured the Series in 1945 and 1968, while remaining competitive for most of the time in between. After a 15 year absence, the Tigers reintroduced the team yearbook in 1955`.	Twins Yearbook Minnesota welcomed the moribund Senators in 1961 as the cellar-dweller moved from the National's capital to the great white north. The move coincided with the team's introduction of several impact young players such as Allison, Pascual, Rollins and Killebrew. After just four seasons, the Twins took the American League pennant, forcing the superior Dodgers to a 7th game. The team maintains a strong fanbase through today and its yearbooks are always in demand.
White Sox Yearbook One of the original franchises in 1901, the White Sox have a storied history marred by the curse of 1919. The Sox managed only one Series appearance since the Black Sox scandal - that being in 1959 when the Go Go Sox ended the Yankees string of four straight pennants. The White Sox first team Yearbook was issued in 1951 and has a guide value of $250. The team was competitive for most of the 50s and 60s and boasted their share of stars - including Hall of Famers Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio.	Yankees Yearbook The New York Yankees issued its first Team Yearbook in 1950 as the Bombers were about to begin their most dominant decade. Initially called sketch books, the Yankees yearbooks chronicle the development from team to dynasty, coincident with the introduction of Mickey Mantle in 1951. Yankees fandom reached such heights in the 50s that a parallel set of yearbooks for many years was issued by Jay Publishing.