Baseball in the Afternoon: Tales from a Bygone Era [Hardcover]

Robert Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 1993

A celebration of baseball's past presents dozens of true stories about the game in its halcyon days, many of them taken straight from the mouths of the men who lived them. 15,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Now 88, Smith ( Baseball ) here recalls sitting on the Boston Red Sox bench in the teen years of the century with the likes of Babe Ruth (then a pitcher), Stuffy McInnis and Wally Schang. He absorbed the tales told not only by these athletes but also by much older men who had played with 19th-century stars Cap Anson, A. G. Spalding and Charley Comiskey. Smith's diamond anecdotes reach back to the 1870s, a feast for readers along with his reminiscences of Waite Hoyt, Hal Chase, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and such non-players as Judge K. M. Landis, the sport's first czar. With this eyewitness account, Smith makes a valuable contribution to the history of baseball. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Smith, who was born in 1905, authored the praised Baseball in 1947. Here he writes intimately of the game before 1950, recalling both his own play in sandlot and pickup games and the early stars he saw or about whom he heard stories. He speaks fondly of Babe Ruth, Dizzy Dean, and other famous players--especially on the Red Sox team--but criticizes the early game's banning of black players and faults Judge Landis's handling of gambling. He rounds out his tale with stories of baseball's origins and the Civil War's influence, the game of softball, minor league hijinks, and the misadventures of umpires. This excellent and highly enjoyable book is warmly recommended for any sports collection.
- Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hosp. Medical Lib., Tucson
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 4, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671739301
• ISBN-13: 978-0671739300
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,549,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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