Table-top baseball game, titled "Baker's Ball Game for Men and Boys," produced by the W. J. Baker Co. of Newport, Kentucky, in 1920. This is one of the most desirable of all table-top baseball games, notable for both its size and and colorful graphics. It is also rare. This is the first example we have offered and we cannot recall having seen more than a few others at auction in the past twenty-five years. 

The board, or "playing field," is bordered by four walls (five inches in height), which keep the ball in play. Action begins with the spring-loaded metallic pitcher "pitching" the ball to the metallic, spring-loader batter, who either hits the ball or misses, where it is caught by a catcher holding a basket. The result of a batted ball is determined by the section of outfield wall that it hits, the base of which lists various outcomes (Home Run, Out, 1-Base Hit, etc). Decorating the walls are generic illustrations of Cincinnati Reds players. The fact that this game was made in Kentucky, which borders Cincinnati, and features images of Reds players (the Reds won the 1919 World Series) indicates that it might have been a regional issue, which would explain its rarity today. 

The game (27x26x5"), which is constructed of both wood and cardboard (with leather-covered exterior), displays moderate wear commensurate with its age and former use, including a few light water stains, minor abrasions, and general wear. All the components are original, and both the pitcher and batter remain in perfect working order. The ball and the three metal baserunners which originally came with the game are no longer present. This is one of the finer examples we have seen and it would be among the highlights of any advanced baseball-game collection.