Read more
Although many people know Williamsport as the "birthplace of Little League Baseball, " it is also a city with a rich professional baseball tradition. Since the earliest days of the Pennsylvania State Association, professional minor league baseball has flourished in Williamsport, and hundreds of players and managers have passed through historic Bowman Field on their way to the major leagues, including Jim Bunning, Ferguson Jenkins, and Nolan Ryan. Gateway to the Majors is a comprehensive history of professional minor league baseball in Williamsport from the earliest days up to the present.The accompanying appendix of former Williamsport players who played in the Major Leagues is a valuable reference tool for baseball historians. In addition, this book illustrates how the city's relationship with baseball forged a distinct civic identity and national reputation as "Baseball Town, USA."
About the author
James P. Quigel Jr. is Head of Historical Collections and Labor Archives, Paterno Library, Penn State University. He grew up in the Williamsport area and has been a lifelong fan of Williamsport baseball. Louis E. Hunsinger Jr. is a local baseball historian who lives in Williamsport. He is a reporter for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette and a member of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR).
