The Babe Chases 60: That Fabulous 1927 Season, Home Run by Home Run [Paperback]

John G. Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1998

Homer-by-homer, this heavily researched work recounts the inimitable Babe Ruth's finest season. In that magical 1927 season, Ruth blasted homers off 33 different pitchers and hit at least one against every American League opponent. Two hurlers yielded four homers each to the Bambino, while seven pitchers allowed at least three. Interwoven with this recounting is the story of the budding rivalry between Ruth and teammate Lou Gehrig, as the two Yankees matched homers for much of the season. Fresh statistical analyses are provided and boxscores are included for all games in which Ruth hit a home run.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The spectacular events of the '98 baseball summer forced some people's imaginations to ponder both undreamed-of numbers and a pair of immense shadows cast from the Yankee past. If Roger Maris's 61 in '61 was the stuff of legend, that the mighty Ruth had clobbered his inconceivable 60 in 1927 entered immediately into the national consciousness as the stuff of full-blown myth. Indeed, so much myth swirls around the Babe that reality is often captive to the fable. Not here, though. Relying heavily on contemporary newspaper accounts of the daily progress of the '27 season, Robertson goes to bat for the truth in this fascinating and well-conceived compendium of research and analysis that also examines Ruth's complex and often testy relationship with teammate Lou Gehrig. Every game in which Ruth popped one comes with a full box score and some kind of historical and baseball context attached. The whole year, in fact, resonates with the larger context of Lindbergh, Coolidge's decision not to run, the Sacco and Vanzetti executions, and The Jazz Singer's heralding the talkies. Such perspective carries with it immediacy; as Ruthian as the Ruth fable is in the end, Robertson makes it feel like it happened just yesterday. --Jeff Silverman

Review

"leave it to McFarland & Company...to bring Ruth back into the discussion" -- The Cincinnati Enquirer

"this volume is for the comprehensive collection" -- Library Journal

"those who followed the daily doings of McGwire and Sosa will find the Bambino's home run quest to be just as riveting" -- USA Today Baseball Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786405031
• ISBN-13: 978-0786405039
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #792,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( R ) > Ruth, Babe

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GOOD JOB DESCRIBING THE CHASE FOR 60, November 8, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Babe Chases 60: That Fabulous 1927 Season, Home Run by Home Run (Paperback)

THE AUTHOR DOES A VERY JOB DESCRIBING BABE'S ASSULT ON 60 HOMERS IN 1927. HE GIVES US MANY FACTS ON TEAMATES, PENNANT RACE, AND BASEBALL IN GENERAL DURING THIS SEASON. ALSO SOME FACTS ON THE BABE'S LIFE ARE ALSO PRESENTED. MR ROBERTSON DOES A GREAT JOB, AND THIS IS WELL WORTH READING BY HISTORIANS AND YANKEE FANS. THE ONLY REAL NEGATIVE IS I HAD HOPED IT CONTAINED SOME PICS, BUT STILL HIGH QUALITY READING. VERY RECOMMENDED.