The Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field And The Story Of The Brooklyn Dodgers (Hardcover)

by Bob McGee (Author)
Key Phrases: greatest ballpark, ballpark site, new ballpark, Ebbets Field, New York, National League (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Bob McGee has crafted a meticulously researched and vivid portrait of Brooklyn’s long affair with the American game." -- Brian Naylor, National Public Radio

Bob McGee has crafted a loving read…a celebration of what was and a lament of what should always be. -- New York Daily News

For a fan of Brooklyn baseball, this book is a must...fine detail in easy to read text. -- NY Sports Day

For the old time fans of the Dodgers of Brooklyn, [TheGreatestBallparkEver] has much appeal and much to recommend it. -- Harvey Frommer, frommersports: the Book Review

The greatest book ever written about Ebbets Field....Brings us right back to those wonderful years. -- The Brooklyn Spectator

Product Description

"I’ve been in and around baseball for seventy years now and this undoubtedly is one of the finest books I’ve ever read. For a moment I thought I was sitting in Ebbets Field and was ready to order a hot dog."—Arthur Richman, senior advisor for the New York Yankees

"For the old time fans of the Dodgers of Brooklyn, [TheGreatestBallparkEver] has much appeal and much to recommend it." -Harvey Frommer, frommersports: the Book Review

"Bob McGee spins a magical tale about the ball park, and readers will come away with an understanding of its mystique for generations of Dodger fans."—Stan Isaacs, weekly columnist at thecolumnists.com

Generations after its demise, iconic Ebbets Field remains the single most colorful and enduring image of a baseball park, with a treasured niche in the game’s legacy and the American imagination.

In this lively story of sports, politics, and the talented, hilarious, and charming characters associated with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Bob McGee chronicles the ballpark’s vibrant history from the drawing board to the wrecking ball, beginning with Charley Ebbets and the heralded opening in 1913, on through the storied eras that followed. McGee weaves a story about how Ebbets Field’s architectural details, notable flaws, and striking facade brought Brooklyn and its team together in ways that allowed each to define the other. The author, who puts Dodgers fans in the driver’s seat, illustrates poignant examples of how the people who came to play and those who watched and rooted both managed to inspire, endear, and captivate a nation. Ebbets Field was hallowed ground, a cherished place that continues to resonate in memory, long after the walls came down and the cheers subsided.

Drawing on original interviews and letters, as well as published and archival sources, The Greatest Ballpark Ever explores the individual struggle of Charley Ebbets to build Ebbets Field, the days of Wilbert Robinson’s early pennant winners, the era of the Daffiness Boys, Larry MacPhail and the tumultuous field leadership of Leo the Lip, Branch Rickey and the fiery triumph of Jackie Robinson, the golden days of the Boys of Summer, and Walter O’Malley’s ignominious departure. Memorable personalities including Casey Stengel, Zach Wheat, Dazzy Vance, Babe Herman, Van Lingle Mungo, Frenchy Bordargaray, Dolf Camilli, Pistol Pete Reiser, Pee Wee Reese, Mickey Owen, Hugh Casey, and Cookie Lavagetto are all here, as well as Oisk, Skoonj, Gil, Campy, Newk, the Duke, and many more.

With humor and passion, The Greatest Ballpark Ever lets readers relive a day in the raucous ballpark with its quirky angles and its bent right-field wall, with the characters and events that have become part of the nation’s folklore.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (June 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813536006
• ISBN-13: 978-0813536002
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #783,923 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sorry Mr. Kahn, this is my new BIBLE, August 29, 2005

By	S. Grossman "'I still hate O'Malley" (Mount Laurel, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a 58 year old Brooklyn Dodger fanatic who still and always will hate O'Malley, Mr. McGee's book is my new bible. He gives you the entire history of Baseball in Brooklyn without being boring, without preaching facts and making me feel that I was still living on Eastern Parkway. This is one book that I read very slowly as I didn't want it to end. He brought back many great memories and also brought back the tears I shed when they left and even more when on that cold February day they tore down the Hallowd Walls of that place called Ebbets. He brought me back to the times when I snuck in to watch games, layed on my stomach on Bedford Avenue to sneak a peak at the only spot to look under the Center Field fense to watch a game,saved our Borden's Elsie Dixie Cup tops to get Bleacher Seats and to turn in a Bedford Blast for a free admision to the bleachers. He even spelled Gladys Goodding's name correctly, something not done in some of the other Brookly Dodger books.

A job well done, Mr. McGee. My only disappointment in your book is that I finally ran out of pages. But, It is a book I will read over and over and over again and to all who miss Ebbets Field,the Brooklyn Dodgers and still hate O'Malley, DO NOT miss this book

Steve Grossman, Mount Laurel, NJ

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Both Historic and Nostalgic, August 25, 2005

By	C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you are a baseball fan interested in the game's history you will enjoy this effort on the Brooklyn Dodgers and their history. Whether they were called the Dodgers, Superbas, or Robins the Brooklyn version of the team has cemented its place in baseball history. Author Bob McGee provides us with a detailed account of the team's history dating from the opening of Ebbets Field in 1913 until their infamous move following the 1957 season orchestrated by a man who's name will not appear here. Some readers may find they are being told more about the team than they care to know. However, if you are a fan of baseball history this will not be a problem for you. The team's inability to win a World Series haunted the team throughout their history from their first Series appearance in 1916 until that glorious year of 1955. At one period of time the team was nicknamed the Daffiness Boys, an early version of the New York Mets of the early 1960's. The best was saved for last with the arrival of the post war Boys of Summer in the early 1950's who were immortalized in literature by Roger Kahn in 1971. Several pictures also add to the book. One, in particular, of the inside of the Ebbets Field Rotunda, I had never seen before. If you remember the Brooklyn Dodgers, I do, or if you were a fan of the team you will enjoy this book. As I said in my title, it is at once both historic and nostalgic.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brooklyn As It Once Was-The Greatest Place to Grow Up, December 3, 2006

By	H. F. Miglino "bert miglino" (Old Bridge, New jersey United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What differentiated this book from the countless others witten about the Brooklyn Dodgers was the author's attention to small detail. Now being from Brooklyn myself I appreciated this. The references to Steeplechase and the clown with paddles, Jim McElroy bring the Torre brothers to games at Ebbets field, the old Washington Park, Jack Kaiser, etc. For the average baseball fan outside of Brooklyn this is a great way to experience what once was. Even though I was only 6 when the Dodgers left and never saw a game at Ebbets Field the only logo's I display on anything I wear are Brooklyn Dodgers hats or shirts. You can't believe how many compliments I get. McGee in his writing really connects the Dodgers into the everyday life of every Brooklynite. I could only imagine what it must have been like (neither of my parents were sports fans nor did I have brothers or sisters). Growing up on the streets of Brooklyn you never had to worry how much junk food you ate because you would constantly burn it off playing stickball or basketball in the schoolyards. I find it interesting the players lived right in the neighborhoods, todays players live in castles and mansions, how could they ever connect to today's fan. I read this book very slow in order to digest every detail, there are plenty to digest. I highly recoomend this book to anyone baseball fan or not to get a glimpse into what was the "greatest place in the world" to grow up in. I only regret the Dodgers were not there when I could have appreciated them. I had the pleasure of meeting the author at a book signing and if he is ever in your area make it your business to meet him. The only thing better than the book is actually meeting Bob McGee.