Jack Standfast's Great Pitching

Dime novels--small cheap books geared toward boys--were best sellers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The most popular subject was the Wild West but there were also numerous dime novel series devoted to sports, especially baseball.

Despite its name, the series here was intended for both boys and girls, and Jack Standfast was likely an imitation of the All-American Frank Merriwell character. At least two writers, working under the name Horace Paine, authored Standfast stories, which included tales of his "Keen Batting" and "Clever Catch."