The Rival Pitchers: A Story of College Baseball by Lester Chadwick. - 1910. - Illustrated Edition. Howard Roger Garis, was an American author, best known for a series of books, published under his own name, that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, an engaging elderly rabbit. Garis and his wife were possibly the most prolific children's authors of the early 20th century. Many of his books were illustrated by Lansing Campbell. The Rival Pitchers is the fictional subject of a series of 14 baseball books written between 1912 and 1928 by Lester Chadwick, a pseudonym for author Howard R. Garis which pays tribute to baseball writing pioneer Henry Chadwick.