The organizers of Illinois' bicentennial celebration say it's a time to celebrate the state's influence on music, art, transportation, agriculture and more. In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says it's also a good time to recognize the state's impact on sports writing, especially on America's national pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.