Presented is the opportunity to possess the Detroit Tigers' official financial ledger for the 1918 season, a one-of-a-kind item that provides a very rare, fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the financial records of one of baseball's storied franchises. This ledger includes all of the expenses of the team. The ledger has a sticker on the inside cover that shows that the book was manufactured by the Richmond & Backus Co. of Detroit, Michigan. The book is professionally bound. Of particular interest is that Page 100 is a page for Inaugural Hall of Famer Tyrus R. Cobb, showing that he was paid a total of $15,222.16 for the year. Cobb earned his "large" salary that year; although Detroit finished in 7th place in the American League, Cobb led the AL in batting, with a .382 average. Another page shows that future Hall of Famer Harry Heilmann, not yet a big star, earned $2,387.52 that season. Browsing the ledger shows all manner of expenses: A loan to the team's manager, Hall of Famer Hughie Jennings, for $1,000 for the year; grounds work ($100), office furniture ($22), scorecard account ($45), telegrams ($34), Moose Lodge ($63), charity (36), printing and stationary [sic] ($29), Saginaw Base Ball Club ($134), etc. There is even a page for the famous Joe Jackson, one of the infamous Chicago "Black Sox," but we are not sure why Jackson has a page. 

The ledger measures approx. 10x15.5", with a thickness of approx. 1.25". The entries are all in black or red ink, in neat handwriting, by an unknown hand. Machine stamped on the spine is "DETROIT BASE BALL CO." The ledger has 212 pages, and affixed to the last page is a job memo from The Richmond and Backus Company, the manufacturers, which lists the Job Number as "326568" and describes the binding as "Paged regular/Bind ends & bands." The covers show fine use, with some slight darkening, surface wear, and some very slight scratch marks. The pages exhibit some slight darkening, with some very minor foxing near some edges. The overall condition of the ledger, taking into account the more than a century age of the ledger, is EXCELLENT. This unique offering gives all sports fans a riveting, inside look of the 1918 finances of the Cobb-era, vintage Detroit Tigers.

Estimated domestic USA shipping cost only. Does not include handling or insurance: 23.49 Please feel free to contact us for a more accurate shipping cost.