1981 Official Baseball Rules booklet

« Prev Item Next Item »

1981

Overview

A 64-page, A6-size Official Baseball Rules pocketbook published by the National Baseball Congress of America. It has a front and back cover printed in brown and cream on lightweight card. The front cover depicts a batter preparing to bat with a catcher standing behind him. The title of the booklet with the name of the publisher and copyright holder is printed at the bottom of the front cover. The price of the booklet is printed in the top left-hand corner. The inside front cover has a detailed diagram of a baseball diamond. The inside back cover has detailed drawings of layouts for home base, 1st, 2nd and 3rd bases and the pitcher's plate. The back cover is blank. Inside pages list the rules of the game and are printed with black text on fawn-coloured paper.

Historical information

Western Australia and Australia followed the Official Rules of Baseball as directed by the National Baseball Congress of America. Each year the book of rules was revised if changes to the rules had occurred. Page 1 inside each edition listed the number and name of a new rule or changes in wording. Rules 3.5 and 6.10(b) were listed on page 1 in the 1981 edition.

The booklet belonged to Charlie Hodder, a renowned Western Australian player and coach in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-100-2020.765

Item type

Books (Instructional)

Themes

Social History

Sport

Material

Card

Paper

Width

10 cm

Height or length

13.5000 cm

Depth

0.4000 cm

Inscriptions and markings

[Front cover]
'60c'
'1981 Official Baseball Rules'
'Published by the National Baseball Congress of America'
'Reprinted by Special Permission from Official Baseball Rules, Revised Edition'
'Copyright 1981 by Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner of Baseball'

Contextual information

This code of rules, written to govern the playing of baseball games by professional teams in America, was also used by baseball teams in Australia. It was donated to the Baseball WA Museum & Archives by Western Australian player and coach Charlie Hodder.

Keywords

Baseball Rules Book

National Baseball Congress of America

Place made

United States

Year

1981

Statement of significance

A document with historic significance, containing rules that governed the game of baseball in Australia in 1981. It is rare and comes with good provenance.

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

Last modified

Thursday, 14 May, 2026

Completeness

100

Item feedback

Baseball WA