Printable Version

Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, June 28, 2008

By the Book: “The Baseball Brothers”

Author: Anne Fredrickson

About the book: “The Baseball Brothers” is a children’s book about the Fredrickson Brothers Baseball Team. The team, which played traveling amateur ball in the 1920s, was made up entirely of brothers. The book tells the true story of 12 brothers who played baseball together in the Lakeville, Minn., area in the 1920s. The team was made up of nine players, a batboy and two coaches, then aged 11 through 36. Through working together on the farm and playing together as a team, the brothers developed lifelong friendships. None of the brothers moved farther than 13 miles away from the farm where they were raised. In the book, a child tells of her grandfather’s days on the team. She tells of how the novelty drew fans from miles around on horseback and in old Model Ts. The story recounts the brothers’ most famous feats, including a game-saving tackle at home plate and an unlikely victory over a tough opponent.

About the author: The book is written by Anne Fredrickson, daughter-in-law of one of the original ball players. She was born and raised in La Crosse and graduated from Aquinas High School before earning a degree in journalism from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Fredrickson is a freelance writer and editor. She lives on a hobby farm in Northfield, Minn., with her husband, Duane, and four children. Her home is a portion of the farm formerly owned by Otto Fredrickson, the organizer of the Fredrickson Brothers team. Illustrations are by Kathryn Weaver, a St. Olaf College sophomore from Overland Park, Kan.

Buy the book: available online at www.whitebarnbooks.com