"Baseball Joe" Matson's great ambition is to go to boarding school and play on the school team. Joe is a wide-awake country boy who loves playing baseball above all. He and his hometown chum Tom Davis enrol in Excelsior Hall and join the school nine. When not on the diamond, Joe is saving lives and assisting his father against the foes who are once trying to steal Mr. Matson's machinery patents. This is the second volume volume in the "Baseball Joe" series. Howard Roger Garis (1873-1962) was an American author, who wrote many books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate under various pseudonyms. As Victor Appleton, he wrote about the enterprising Tom Swift; as Laura Lee Hope, he is generally credited with writing volumes 4-28 and 41 of the Bobbsey Twins; as Clarence Young, the Motor Boys series; as Lester Chadwick, the Baseball Joe series; and as Marion Davidson, a number of books including several featuring the Camp Fire Girls. He is also remembered for having created the character of the lovable old rabbit, Uncle Wiggily Longears.

Baseball Joe Matson's great ambition is to become a professional baseball pitcher. The Baseball Joe series follows his career as he seeks to attain his goal. In this fourth volume, Joe accepts a contract to play baseball professionally, and leaves Yale to play on the Pittston team for the Central League, a "bush league" in the professional baseball hierarchy. Joe's career is helped by "Pop" Dutton, a famous pitcher now down on his luck, and hindered by a rival pitcher on the team, while at home, Joe's father is blinded by a chemical accident, and requires an expensive operation, which, if successful, will regain his sight. Lester Chadwick is one of dozens of house pseudonyms created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate in the early to mid 1900's, to "author" children's series. Contract writers were hired to write the books in the series under the various names, usually multiple writers contributing volumes to a particular series. Howard R. Garis is thought to have ghost-written most, if not all, of the 14-volume Baseball Joe series. - Summary by Donald Cummings

Baseball Joe Matson has recently moved to Riverside with his family, in this opening volume of Baseball Joe series. Joe is a wide-awake country boy who enjoys playing baseball. We follow his career in the series, and his adventures, as he joins Riverside's local nine and makes good, playing the position he most enjoys - that of pitcher, are recounted here. When not on the diamond, Joe is assisting his father against foes who are trying to steal Mr. Matson's machinery patents.Lester Chadwick is one of dozens of house pseudonyms created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate in the early to mid 1900's, to "author" children's series. Contract writers were hired to write the books in the series under the various names, usually multiple writers contributing volumes to a particular series. Howard R. Garis is thought to have solely ghost-written the 14-volume Baseball Joe series.

Joe Matson has recently moved to Riverside with his family. The wide-awake country boy, who loves baseball, joins the Riverside's local nine and gets the position he wanted - that of pitcher. When not on the diamond, Joe is assisting his father against the foes who are trying to steal Mr. Matson's machinery patents. This is the first volume volume in the "Baseball Joe" series. Howard Roger Garis (1873-1962) was an American author, who wrote many books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate under various pseudonyms. As Victor Appleton, he wrote about the enterprising Tom Swift; as Laura Lee Hope, he is generally credited with writing volumes 4-28 and 41 of the Bobbsey Twins; as Clarence Young, the Motor Boys series; as Lester Chadwick, the Baseball Joe series; and as Marion Davidson, a number of books including several featuring the Camp Fire Girls. He is also remembered for having created the character of the lovable old rabbit, Uncle Wiggily Longears.