For years, Michigan-based genealogist Jim Ward <freepagesgenealogy.rootsweb.com/~jimward52/ward.htm> knew his paternal grandfather, Alphonsus Ward, mostly from family recollections of an aging man with failing eyesight. But then a photo made his family history search a whole new ballgame. The caption read "Stanton (Mi) Baseball Team 1915." Under an inked #3, there was Grandpa Phon — a strapping 6-foot-2 player-manager. The other players were named, too; Jim's already located some of their descendants. Now he's headed to his state library to scan old newspapers for box scores and articles about his granddad the athlete.

From the majors to local or school teams, old athletic records often are as accessible as yesterday's sports page. That's because legions of dedicated sports historians — from professional curators to enthusiastic fans — have saved this material, preserving even the most obscure athletic events. It's a trove of genealogy data. After all, no one keeps statistics like a sports fan. So step up to the plate and follow our game plan to rack up those family tree points.