Dave Heller - Gettysburg Eddie Plank: A Pitchers Journey to the Hall of Fame

Producing a book is largely a solitary projectthe idea, the research, the writing, and so on. But it definitely takes more than one person to get said book published.

After I got word that my book on Ken Williams had been published by McFarland, I mentioned to my editor, Gary Mitchem, that I had an idea taking shape on a new project. Gary said he would love to hear about this new manuscript. It was all the push I needed to go forward full steam.

McFarland is such a great repository for telling baseballs history, and I am very grateful to Gary and his staff for not once but twice turning one of my ideas into a book which others can hold in their hands and read.

Its hard to describe the feeling when someone tells you theyve read one of your books, and trust me, I never take it for granted.

I also never take for granted the people who didnt know me but still offered their help.

Roughly 30 minutes after I wrote the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museums research department inquiring about a clip file for Eddie Plank, I surprisingly received everything in a PDF file. Fortunately, they already had scanned it all, and instead of making arrangements to have it mailed to me, I was able to peruse articles on Plank not long after sending my email. Talk about service.

By the way, Ive been to the Hall of Fame a few times and even was allowed to comb through articles and magazines in their research library for another book. I thank them for their help throughout the years and, of course, cant make a high enough recommendation to visit.

John Heiser at the Gettysburg National Park pointed me in the right direction in trying to determine if Eddie in fact ever was a tour guide there, and I thank Frederick Hawthorne and Steve Slaughter of the Association of Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides for providing me the information.

Amy Lucadamo of the Gettysburg College archives department helped explain Eddies time at the college and what certain designations meant in subsequent yearbooks. Over a year later, I contacted Amy again about possibly getting use of some photos, and she quickly got me the authorization. So when you see those pictures in the book, you can thank Amy, too.

As a former boss of mine once said, the internet is the greatest resource human beings have ever had at their fingertips. He said that two decades ago, but the sentiment remains. Not only could I email everyone mentioned above, but also thanks to scanning of newspapers there are incredible resources one can access right from home, including the Library of Congress Chronicling America and newspapers.com.

My local library, Whitefish Bay Public Library through the Milwaukee County Library system, allowed me to access census records and Eddies draft card.

My mom, Elaine Lyon, is probably the one responsible for books being in my life. She is a former librarianif I want to know which libraries own my books, I have a good sourceand I know shes proud each time I get something published. In fact, on the day I am writing this, she told me she cant wait to read this book (itll have been around another year before shes reading these words) and trust me, my mom reading a baseball book is not her usual genre. Now, if it were about Syracuse basketball, maybe.

My brother and I always joke about my dadtheres a lot of material there, but in this case its how he ended up with two sports-crazed sons, while he has never had any real interest in sports beyond casual viewing in his later years. One thing about my dad: hes from Philadelphia (if youre ever with him in another city, something will remind him of Philly). When I told him I was publishing on Eddie Plank, who pitched mostly for the Philadelphia Athletics, I got a story about where he was when he heard the Athletics were leaving town for Kansas City. Most parents (myself included), tell and retell the same old stories. This one, though, I had never heard. In fact, it was probably the first time the Athletics had ever been discussed between the two of us. So, in some way I feel like this book of mine intertwines with my dad more than previous ones. At the very least, it will remind him of Philly.

When I wrote my first book, my boys, Laben and Kieran, were just thatboys, aged four and one. Now my boys are men, aged 22 and 19. When your kids are young, you try to teach and inspire them. What Ive learned is the tables kind of turn as they get older. Of course, Im still trying to guide them, but watching all theyve accomplished academically, athletically, socially, etc., theyve ended up inspiring me as I continue to chase my dream of writing books. And here we are.

I always seem to mention my wife, Shelly, last. Maybe I should be putting her first. Theres not enough space in this book to put down everything shes doneand doesfor me. It all enables me to do what I love, sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, researching and writing about a baseball player shes never heard of before. But always encouraging, always proud, always behind me 100 percent. Im a pretty lucky guy.

Im also lucky that you took the time to read this as well as my book. Like I said, I dont take you for granted, either. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story of Eddie Plank.