A Stitch in Time | Assouline

Sometimes the best things happen when least expected. Such was the case in 2017, when author Richard A. Johnson, curator of the Sports Museum in Boston, received a phone call from fundraising executive Brad Keltner proposing an exhibition of a remarkable and historical collection of baseball memorabilia. Keltner and his partner David Levanson have compiled an unprecedented collection of autographed baseballs from every team in Boston Red Sox history dating back to the club’s founding in 1901. Starting out as rival bidders at auctions competing for the desirable treasures they both sought, over a period of years Keltner and Levanson decided to collaborate, and have amassed the most historically significant and complete collection of its kind. A Stitch in Time highlights the stories behind iconic players from Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski to recent stars such as Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez and David “Big Papi” Ortiz. A journey through the history of one of America’s oldest baseball clubs, this volume is a must-have for memorabilia collectors and sports fans of all stripes. A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Richard A. Johnson has served as curator of the Sports Museum in Boston since 1982. He is a New York Times best-selling author, co-author and editor of numerous books, including Red Sox Century; Ted Williams: A Portrait in Words and Pictures; DiMaggio: An Illustrated Life; Jackie Robinson: Between the Baselines (all with Glenn Stout); New England Patriots: Yesterday and Today; A Century of Boston Sports; and Field of Our Fathers: An Illustrated History of Fenway Park. Johnson serves as a member of the selection committee for the Red Sox Hall of Fame, and has previously served as the chair of the Seymour Medal Committee, which selects the baseball book of the year on behalf of the Society for American Baseball Research. Slugger David Ortiz is regarded as the greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history and has earned a s