John Thorn to Headline Baseball-Themed Fundraiser for Library

Think you know everything there is to know about baseball? The Friends of Red Hook Public Library challenge you to think again! John Thorn, Official Historian of Major League Baseball, will challenge the myths of baseball’s origins during a talk and book signing of Baseball in the Garden of Eden (Simon & Schuster, $26), at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at the Red Hook Firehouse.

Thorn is the authority on the history of baseball, as evidenced by his appointment as Official Historian as well as his extensive body of work which includes the encyclopedia Total Baseball, his role as chief consultant to Ken Burns’s 1994 PBS documentary, Baseball, and an ongoing role as a commentator on ESPN, PBS, The History Channel and many other venues. He was described by colleagues, when awarded the Bob Davids Award from the Society for American Baseball Research, as “a baseball historian who, by restoring early baseball to our awareness and by encouraging a new generation of researchers, has done perhaps more than anyone else to help us grasp the unity of our game’s history and development; and a keen student of baseball statistics, who through his writing and publication has given crucial impetus to the sabermetric revolution.”

Ballpark-style refreshments (hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, crackerjacks and drinks) will be available, teams that attend are encouraged to come in uniform – and come early to test your pitching speed!

All are welcome to attend this fundraiser. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for those 15 years old and younger. Tickets are available for purchase at the library, at the event or by calling Sandy at 845-757-3031. Books will be available for purchase at the event; exchange your ticket for $5 off each purchased book, courtesy of Oblong Books & Music, co-sponsor of the event.

Red Hook Public Library was founded in 1898 and serves the community of Red Hook and its need for lifelong learning. Since 1935, the library has made its home in a building designed by Orson Squire Fowler. Built by Red Hook Tobacco Factory owner Allen Barringer Hendricks, the house is one of the finest examples of octagonal architecture in the Hudson Valley.

For more information, call the Red Hook Public Library, 845-758-3241. To get involved with the Friends of Red Hook Public Library, contact Sandy at 845-757-3031. The library is located at 7444 S. Broadway in Red Hook and on the Web at www.redhooklibrary.org.

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