The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-13
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BY JACK GUENTHER

BY JACK GUENTHER
United Press Staff Correspondent
New York, Feb. 13-(UP)-When
baseball writer wonders how many
doubles Arkie Vaughan srnacked
into left field at the Polo Grounds
in June of 1888, who struck out
oftenest after 4 p m. last season, or
whether the winning hand of the
big game that night in Chicago was
four kings or a full house-he just
picks up the telephone and dials
Circle 1922.
I Then he asks for Bill Brandt.
Within Is seconds the writer has
obtained all the specific information
he has requested and in another
minute he finds he has been fur
nished with complete case histories
of all subjects involved, including
Arkie Vaughan, left field, the Polo
Grounds, Forbes field, eastern day
light saving time, and the relative
merits of flush and straight.
This is the way Bill Brandt
works.
Technically, this husky gentleman
with the steel-rimmed spectacles is
known as the head of the National
League Service Bureau. Actually,
he is a one-man baseball encyclo-
pedia, the editor and staff of the
annual National League Green Book
and the purveyor of more facts and
statistics than you can find during
a three day visit to Henry Morgen-
thau's office.
Info Galore
Into the green book, 56-page
volume designed to fit inside the
cover of portable typewriter,
Brandt stuffs rosters Of every Ma
tional league team, their records
against every other team through
every season since 1900, personal
sketches of every rookie coming up
during the year, and enough other
assorted statistics to keep squad
Of bookkeepers on 24-hour duty for
month
For instance, he devotes seven
pages to pitchers alone. He lists
their team by team records, their
homer ball" records, their "home
run suppress on" records and the
men they find hardest to strike out
easiest to give bases on balls and
toughest to force into double plays
He records the names of men who
have hit more than 100 home runs
and who have batted out more than
1000 hits during their National
League careers.
dialed Circle 1922 today my
self, and, as usual, Brandt was
right there. I didn't want to know
who led the current standings in
the Tommy Holmes Opponents
oattlng Averages contests or who
had driven in the most runs since
1876. asked him a little informa-
ton about Bill Brandt, and for
once he begged down. 1t took him
10 minutes to deliver.
1 discovered that this ANONYMOUS
historian had spent 25 years as a
baseball writer himself in Philadel-
phla and New York. that he has
edited all eight editions of the
Green Book which have been pub
Eshed 70 date, that he has COM
pied one Of the most thorough Ii
braries of baseball statistics in the
country, and that he is completely
unknown to the fans.
Brandts Green Book--it was so
named because originally it was de-
signed to give information on
rookie players-Was conceived bv
r'ord Prick in 1884 to furnish writ
ers with facts they couldn't obtain
anywhere else. 1t is in the process
OF organization every day of the
year and 1t takes into considera-
ton all 40 recognized leagues anc
all their players.
1t is distributed free to baseball
and feature writer's and the fans
never see a copy unless they pick
one up second hand. A fan in the
backWoodS district of Cuba's sugar
belt obtained one and he wrote
letter to the editor arguing the ac-
curacy of some obscure figure. The
top circulation, reached year OR
two ago. was $500.
Brandt, working with the Elias
Statistics Bureau, turns out the
volume all by himself. 1t is re-
printed in part In thousands of
newspapers, magazines and house
organs, and it has served as the in
spiration for hundreds of the rainy
day stories and notes columns you
read from time to time on the
sports pages or hear on the radio.
To a writer it is invaluable.
Glad you like it," Brandt said
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