Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox [Paperback]

Allan Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2000

1918. The date resonates with every Boston Red Sox fan the year their team won its last World Series championship. But beyond the franchise's legendary curse, what is known of the men who were crowned baseball's best on September 11, 1918?During that tumultuous summer, the Great War in Europe cast an ominous shadow over the national game, as enlistments and the draft wreaked havoc with every team's roster. Players and owners fought bitterly over contracts and revenue, the parks were infested with gamblers, and the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs almost called off the World Series. And a Boston player known as The Colossus 23-year-old Babe Ruth began his historic transformation from pitching ace to the game's greatest slugger.Allan Wood has written the first complete account of Boston's last champions, mining 80 years of history and illuminating the season in which the Red Sox won an unprecedented fifth World Series title. And befitting a modern-day Red Sox fan's pessimism, Wood poses a chilling question: Was the 1918 World Series fixed?

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The 1918 season was momentous for the Red Sox. It was played under wartime restrictions; it saw their fifth World Series crown the last to date; and the Bambino began to change from ace pitcher to slugging outfielder. Wood, a Red Sox fan and sportswriter, backtracks to George Herman Ruth's youth as a rebellious urchin who was reoriented to his Hall of Fame career under a mentor at a Baltimore orphanage. Wood proceeds to provide an admiring story of the Red Sox triumph, despite depleted rosters and threats of a government shutdown and players' strike. Sure to attract Boston area libraries and most sports collections elsewhere. Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hosp. Lib., Tucson, AZ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A Red Sox tale with a happy ending ... give him a prominent spot on the vast Red Sox bookshelf." -- Boston Phoenix, June 7, 2001

"An entertaining and exhaustive account of a tumultuous season." -- Sports Illustrated, June 11, 2001

"Wood's original research lends urgency to what is sure to become a classic sports book." -- Seven Days, May 30, 2001

"[P]articular emphasis on [Babe] Ruth making the transition from pitcher to slugger and dominating headlines on and off the field." -- Boston Herald, April 6, 2001

Fresh research ... uncovers possible evidence that this World Series ... might have been influenced by gamblers. -- Baseball Weekly, March 21-27, 2001

One of the most important and least known years in baseball history. Wood has done remarkable, revelatory research... -- Robert W. Creamer, author of 'Babe: The Legend Comes to Life'

The possibility that the 1918 series was fixed is certain to inflame New Englanders. -- Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 438 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse Star (December 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595148263
• ISBN-13: 978-0595148264
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,566,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Birth of the Sultan of Swat & The Late Summer Classic, June 1, 2001

By 

J. C. Aston "Baseball fan" (South Gate, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox (Paperback)

In 1918, Wood's main focus is on the dramatic and historic 1918 season, in which the Red Sox took their sixth Junior Circuit flag, then continued on to beat the Chicago Cubs in the World Series four games to one, becoming the first team to win five World's Championships. As we know, 1918 is also the last world title for the BoSox. Also featured are the amazing exploits of the young pitching phenom George Herman Ruth. This was the year that Ruth burst on the baseball world not as the Cy Young-like lefthander he had been, but as the soon-to-be Sultan of Swat most of us think of when we hear the name "Babe". Wood also goes into great detail on the undisciplined Ruth's season-long feuding with his manager, Ed Barrow, as well as with the Sox' owner Harry Frazee. Ruth was desparate to play first base, the outfield, or even come in as a left-handed shortstop so he could play every day and hit more homers. Management wanted him on the mound, where he was still one of the most dominant pitchers of the dead-ball era. Wood tells of at least three times where Ruth 'quit' the Red Sox, only to show up at the park the next day. Another major part of the book is told through the backdrop of World War I. In early 1918, Major League Baseball inexplicably failed to request an exemption from the government's "work or fight" order (while other entertainment industries, such as theater and the nascent motion picture crafts, were granted exemptions). This meant that players were obligated to either join the active military or find war-related work until the cessation of hostilities. With a September 15 deadline, baseball's answer was to cut the regular season short, with the last games being played on Labor Day and the World Series starting on September 5. Ironically, the Armistace would be signed only eight weeks after the end of the "Late Summer" Classic. This book offers an interesting history of the early days of the game, the early days of the most famous baseball player of all time, and an insight into the background of the "Curse of Babe Ruth". This book is a must read for baseball historians and Red Sox fans. Yankee fans will also draw fiendish pleasure from the book, as a reminder of the eight decades of frustration suffered by fans of the Red Sox.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for All Red Sox Fans, February 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox (Paperback)

This book tells you the whole story of the last year the Red Sox won the World Series. The star of the show is none other than Babe Ruth. The book is also a biography of Ruth's life up to that year - and he was an amazing character!

"1918" also gives you a picture of baseball during those times. I was amazed to learn that gambling on baseball was rampant, and the owners and players argued about money just like they do now.

This book is packed with fascinating information, and also really fun to read. If you're a baseball fan, a Red Sox fan or a fan of the Babe, you'll love it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner for baseball fans, September 13, 2003

By 

M. M. McMahon (Rockport, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox (Paperback)

This is a well-written account of Babe's last championship season with Boston. If you are a Red Sox fan, it's a must read. If you know a Red Sox fan, this makes an excellent gift. 1918 is no longer a reminder of failure, but just another season when Boston won the world series.