As we are reminded by attending a local SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) gathering, as our country approaches its 250th celebration, baseball and sports in general hold a very special place in our community’s history.

‘Historic’ Bowman Field will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this summer. Eighty-eight years ago, Carl Stotz stumbled over a lilac bush, and the dream of Little League Baseball was born. Nature’s gift of streams, hiking trails, and mountains has provided thousands with sporting experiences for decades.

Among those historic treasures unique to our area is Otto Bookstore, opened in 1841 and believed to be the oldest independent bookstore in the country. The business began when a man was selling insurance. As a novelty, he began selling books and paper products only to discover the community had a hunger for books. And the rest, as they say, is history.

While not a sports venue, the West Fourth Street location has recently expanded its operation, and sports are molded into its DNA.

Stopping by to check things out, Otto’s general manager, John Shableski, was a gracious host.

“For about ten years, the business had been looking for a place along West Fourth Street to relocate,” he explained. “The Amber Rose business, adjacent to us, relocated, and its former space was available, which made perfect sense to us. Construction on our expansion began in early April, and we opened earlier this month and are now operating. It’s been a ride.

“For us, sports encompass everything from fishing to all the various team sports. Our inventory carries all the legendary sports stores and legends like Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth. But we have a history of fishing and hunting, biking, and an amazing range. Until I got here, I really thought of sports as being baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. But sports mean so much more to this community. So much of that is outdoors, as we live in such a wonderful place.

“Such books as A River Runs Through It, or A Walk in the Woods, are wonderful outdoor stories of sports. Sports are so much more than that. It’s not just about sports; some of the best stories are about the people behind the sport.

“The store expansion we’re undertaking affords us opportunities to do a variety of things. One of them provides more space for book signings. Recently, we had a signing by Jim Wexler, a Pittsburgh sportswriter, who has been covering the Steelers since 1995. He has written several books about the Steelers, including a great book on Troy Polamalu. It was a fantastic opportunity to have him here.”

When asked about local people who may have written sports books, Shableski offered some tales.

“One that I am familiar with was written by Marjorie Maddox last year about Branch Rickey. She is the director of creative writing at Lock Haven University and lives in Williamsport. Rickey was her great-uncle. She wrote a poem in a children’s book telling about Rickey’s persuasiveness in breaking baseball’s color barrier when bringing Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

“Tom Speicher, at Penn College, is another local author. Many people may know Tom from his radio work at the Little League World Series. He does great kids’ books. I think he has published six titles and is one of our best-selling local authors.

“Oscar Knade, the former Superintendent of the Williamsport Area School District, is our best-selling local author. In his first print run, we sold out all of his inventory. We had a great event for him here in celebration. It was fantastic.

“It wasn’t anything about sports. It detailed his life as an educator from his earliest days to when he arrived in Williamsport. His arrival was not met kindly by some. An editorial in the Sun-Gazette announced This punk kid from Philadelphia was going to be the superintendent of the vaunted Cherry & White. He was going to sully the reputation of this great institution.

“That book is a fantastic read. He writes just as he speaks. There is no one out there who keeps records like he does.

“The past two years, we have started reaching out to the visitors who come here for the Little League World Series via social media. At some point, the baseball fans start exploring the area for things to do. As a result, we have experienced a good increase in business during that time of the year.

“Because of how much sports means to our community, we are planning to expand our sports inventory at the store. There are so many great stories about sports and the characters involved. Sports are such a broad term. Locally, we have people who hike, great fishing, and hunting. It goes deeper than that. Conversations with the folks from PA Wilds about conservation in the area and how the hunting camps have done wonderful things as stewards for the environment. Sports for us are going to be a very considerable category. The opportunity is amazing.”

Sports are something we can all enjoy. You can count the Otto Bookstore as a member of that team!