Customer Reviews

Baseball When the Grass Was Real: Baseball from the Twenties to the Forties, Told by the Men Who Played It

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you loved Larry Ritter's "The Glory of Their Times," then you definitely should read this one. It follows the same format and lets some of baseball's greats (and not quite so greats) from the 20s and 40s tell it like it was. It'll make you yearn for the good ol' days of Ruth, Gehrig, and Foxx.

THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD BOOK BY DONALD HONIG. THIS IS ABOUT THE MEN WHO PLAYED IN THE 20'S 30'S AND 40'S. SOME GREAT STORIES AND INTERVIEWS ARE WHAT YOU GET IN THIS MUST READ BOOK. WISH IT HAD MORE BUT WELL WORTH READING FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED ABOUT BASEBALL WHEN THE GRAS REALLY WAS REAL. VERY RECOMMENDED.

If Lawrence Ritter's "The Glory Of Their Times" is number one in the list of oral histories of baseball, then Donald Honig's "Baseball When the Grass Was Real: Baseball from the Twenties to the Forties Told by the Men Who Played It" ranks a close second. True to Ritter's form in interviewing and editing the tapes for an oral history of baseball by those who played it, Honig does a great job of having the players tell of their time in baseball, the stories of what it was like in the majors and the history - the time that they played. Everyday life and the public perception of ball players had changed between the time Ritter's interviewees played in the majors and Honig's group had played, the difference being interesting in itself. Honig's subjects tell of a time that is still remarkably different from ours by a group that also is rapidly diminishing, victims of old age. The book is a remarkable slice of history, definitely worth the time and money to read for anyone who is interested in baseball and history.

Donald Honig has created a gem for baseball fans who appreciate the players and the game of the 20's through the 40's. Even the not-so-avid fan will recognize many of the stars featured in Honig's book. This list includes Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Charlie Gehringer, Johnny Mize, Wes Ferrell & Ted Lyons just to name a few.

As good as the stories are that the "stars" tell, it's the other players who relate the best tales. In particular, Billy Herman's tale about his night as Ernest Hemingway's dinner guest is almost worth the price of the book alone. Cool Papa Bell's stories of his experiences in the Negro Leagues and "barnstorming" against Major League players are priceless. Rip Sewell's explanation of how he began to throw his "Eephus pitch" is one of the few times that I've seen in print.

If you enjoyed Lawrence Ritter's, "The Glory of Their Times", a book about baseball's very early players, then you will love Honig's book. These two works are worth a place in every baseball fan's collection!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

In the mid-1970's author Donald Honig traveled the USA with his tape recorder and let 18 ex-ballplayers tell their stories. The result is a superbly readable oral history of baseball from the 1920's-1940's. Each ex-player does his part, coming through with moving memories that inspire and illuminate. We hear from Bob Feller, Charlie Gehringer, Billy Herman, Ted Lyons, Lefty Grove, John Mize, Spud Chandler, and many others. Each man is blessed with certain eloquence as he describes his upbringing, his start in baseball, and his years on the field. I particularly enjoyed Bob Feller describing his pitching technique, Cool Papa Bell's recall of barnstorming with Negro League squads, and Pete Reiser's initial years in the show. But many other tales are just as good, and the pages never drag. A few older readers may recall some of the events described here. The rest of us get a feel for baseball in the pre-television era when the parks were smaller, the crowds lighter, the nation poorer, and the grass real.

Sadly, at this writing only Bob Feller and Max Lanier remain, but the memory of each player survives in these eloquent pages. Readers might also enjoy THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES, an earlier oral history from author Lawrence Ritter.

I'm shocked this book hasn't gotten more acclaim. It is one of my favorite books of all time and the greatest book on baseball you'll ever read! I'm writing this just having learned of the passing of Bob Feller, and this book gives an excellent account of not only Feller's career, but of the careers of so many of baseball's all time greats that I guarantee you'll love this novel.

Seriously. If you're a true baseball fan and don't like this book, write me and I'll buy the book back from you!

Stephen Prosapio
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Author, Dream War

I rate "The Glory of Their Times" number one among all sports books. This book also deserves five stars and is a great sequel to Ritter's classic although not at quite the same level. "Baseball When The Grass Was Real" takes up where "The Glory of Their Times" ends. One of the highlights of the book is Billy Herman's commentary on spending a night at Ernest Hemmingway's house and his recounting of Hemmingway's boxing match with Dodger pitcher Hugh Casey. Clyde Sukeforth's insights on Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey are another highlight of the book.