Houston is no newcomer to baseball. Imported from the north-east, the sport made its way to the Bayou City as early as the 1850s. This book chronicles each step in the development of Houston baseball from town ball to the emergence of a game that modern fans would recognise. Historian and long-time baseball devotee Mike Vance has crafted a fascinating history that will gratify enthusiasts and shed new light on the game that made Houston a sports town. The book covers the nineteenth-century flourish of Americas favourite pastime in Houston in far more detail than has ever been studied. Dizzy Dean, Chick Hafey, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo are just a few of the legendary names to appear as Vance details Houstons ascension from minor to major league play. This definitive history of Houstons passion for baseball brings together politics, personalities, and love of the game. Richly illustrated and expertly told, Houston Baseball will delight fans of Houston baseball past and present.