The Men in Blue: Conversations with Umpires (Bison Book) [Paperback]

Larry R. Gerlach (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bison Book | Publication Date: March 1, 1994

The philosopher Jacques Barzun thought that "whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." And whoever wants to know baseball had better learn about umpires. As Larry Gerlach points out in The Men in Blue, these arbiters transform competitive chaos into organized sport. They make it possible to "play ball," but nobody loves them.

Considering the abuse meted out by fans and players, why would any sane person want to be an umpire? Many reasons emerge in conversations with a dozen former major league arbiters. While nobody loves them, they love the game. Gerlach has elicited entertaining stories from these figures under fire--about their lonely travels, their dealings with umpire baiters, battles for unionization, breaking through the color line, and much more. From Beans Reardon, who came up to the National League in 1926, to Ed Sudol, who retired in 1977, here is a witty and telling portrait of baseball from the boisterous Golden Age to the Jet Age of Instant Replay.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Despite their importance, umpires are the invisible men of baseball. Players and fans insult them, though never by printable names. Official histories ignore them. . . . Now, through the efforts of Larry Gerlach, the umpires strike back. . . . As The Men in Blue amply testifies, all of them seemed to enjoy every minute of their misery. So will any reader who spends a summer evening with Gerlach’s despised dozen."—Time

(Time )

About the Author

Larry R. Gerlach is a professor of history at the University of Utah. A frustrated player, he took to umpiring only to learn that he "couldn’t call the pitch either." Writing about baseball, he says, is a way of "staying in the game." He is also author of the introduction to the Bison Books edition of Harry S. Johnson’s Standing the Gaff: The Life and Hard Times of a Minor League Umpire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803270453
• ISBN-13: 978-0803270459
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 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: #998,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Umpires as You've Never Known Them, December 10, 1997

By 

Trent Diamanti (Coupeville, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Men in Blue: Conversations with Umpires (Bison Book) (Paperback)

Larry Gerlach has done all baseball fans a supreme favor by compiling oral history accounts from umpires who judged the game from every possible angle. "Men In Blue" will linger in your mind for weeks, as one rich anecdote after another comes to mind. Umpires never enter the game for glory; most feel they are doing a poor job if you notice them. And to a man, they say that umpiring can be taught, but never learned; you either have critical judging ability or you don't. After reading this book, your whole impression of baseball as a simple game will have no legs to stand on. Not only do umpires rule, they make or break a great American tradition.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, May 25, 2003

By 

Randy Given (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Men in Blue: Conversations with Umpires (Bison Book) (Paperback)

This book is fascinating reading! Granted, because I have umpired some Little League games (and hope to umpire more), I may have more interest in this topic than the typical reader. However, I think even the "typical reader" would enjoy this book. I kept thinking that I did not want the book to end. A sequel would be more than welcome!

The interviews are laid out well and the reading is easy and entertaining. It is tied together well so that it does not seem like a jumble of questions and answers (it is not a question-and-answer format, but more of a prose format).

You get a feel for the game that you may never have gotten before. You get to hear a little about some of the great names of baseball (Williams, DiMaggio, Robinson, etc.) from a new perspective. It is amazing how similar all the different umpires feel about some players and managers. It certainly heightened my respect for the game, especially for the Men in Blue.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dealing with the Men in Blue, July 12, 2000

By 

Paul Bohannon (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Men in Blue: Conversations with Umpires (Bison Book) (Paperback)

Every high school player should read this book. So should every college player or pedestrian professional baseball player. Men in Blue provides sound insight from the men who made the call on what makes them mad, makes them like a player, and how they make the rules fit the situation.

Gerlach provides the fan a better understanding of umpires. It convinced me to think twice before beefing at the ump when I go to games. Although written a bit like a text book without the excitement of a novel, the messages are clear and well presented.

Must reading for any true baseball enthusiast.