Customer Reviews

Fire & Spirit: The Story of the 1950 Phillies

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Fire & Spirit is poorly written. It contains many grammatical errors, is poorly edited, lacks fresh material, and is frequently not objective. After reading Paul Rogers' "Whiz Kids," I was disappointed that this author had done so little original research, particularly interviews and first person accounts of those involved. While readers with no previous knowledge of the 1950 team may glean a cursory familiarity, they should not expect a book of either literary quality or balanced reporting.

This book purports to capture the fire and spirit of the famed 1950 "Whiz Kids". If it did it would be a welcome addition to the definative story of the "Kids" told by Robin Roberts and Paul Rogers. Unfortunately it is little more than an elongated term paper. Anyone with an adequate amount of research time and a microfiche of Philadelphia newspapers from the period could have produced the same, perhaps better, results.

The author chronicles the season from begining to end but in the interim, his narrative is sadly unable to capture either the drama of the season or the personality of the team. There is no effort to get behind the headlines and boxscores to the real story within the story.

Save your time and money or, better yet, spend it on the Roberts/Rogers version of the Whiz Kids historic season. Their book is a page turner that will not disappoint you.

I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and really felt like I was part of the team and their quest for the National League pennant. While the book doesn't break any ground it does feed the baseball fanatic with statistics......one of my favorite things about the game.

I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and really felt like I was part of the team and their quest for the National League pennant. While the book doesn't break any ground it does feed the baseball fanatic with statistics......one of my favorite things about the game.

Fire & Spirit really captured the feeling of the Phillies pennant chase in 1950. I really liked the way the writer takes the reader from the inception of the team to the building of the franchise that thrilled the city of Philadelphia. I found myself transported into Shibe Park as I read the goings on throughout the season. And I felt the anxiety Phillies fans must have felt when they watched their lead dissipate near the end of the season. LONG LIVE THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL.