Mendoza's Heroes: Fifty Batters Below .200 [Paperback]

Al Pepper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2002

Numerous books have been written about baseball's champion batsmen. But, what about ballplayers who repeatedly produced little more than pathetic squibbers to third base, infield pop ups, and ego bruising strikeouts? What could possibly be their value to a baseball club? Plenty. Using eye-opening statistics, interviews with players, and illustrations, author Al Pepper produces remarkable biographies of fifty of major league baseball's worst hitters. Men like Brian Doyle, Choo Choo Coleman, Bob Uecker, Tony La Russa, Ted Beard, Charlie Manual, and 44 others finally receive their due. The origins of the famous Mendoza Line and a biography of its namesake Mario Mendoza is also included. In addition, the book serves as a rollicking tour through baseball history -- from the nineteenth century through today. Foreword by ex-big leaguer Mike Stenhouse.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Pocol Press; 1st edition (May 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929763115
• ISBN-13: 978-1929763115
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,936,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mendoza's Heroes give rare insight into The Game, July 11, 2002

By 

Brian Ames (St. Charles County, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mendoza's Heroes: Fifty Batters Below .200 (Paperback)

"Mendoza's Heroes" is a treat for any fan of baseball books - indeed, all true lovers of the game will be quickly caught in Al Pepper's world of sub-.200 batsmen. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, the stories of these mediocre Major Leaguers unfold across the course of the three centuries pro-ballers have been attempting to smash that stitched sphere into fair play (and beyond). From William Traffey of the 1878s Chicago White Stockings and 1883s Cincinnati Red Stockings to Mike Stenhouse, whose four-year MLB career a hundred years later spanned "cups of coffee" with the Expos, Twins and Red Sox, readers get rare insight into the workin' level of The Game. From the ubiquitous Bob Uecker to Ray Oyler, Bill Plummer, and Mario Mendoza himself (all in my own personal pantheon because they wore Mariner blue), readers are treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the guys who batted just a little better than you and I might (although their other on-field accomplishments are heroic in many instances). Slug-stars they are not, especially in this era of Bonds, Sosa and McGwire. Even so - by virtue of appearing in Major League uniform - neither are they mere mortals. Fun reading this, and congratulations to Pepper for a terrific, offbeat, homespun style that makes you want to read "just one more" of the player bios. "Mendoza's Heroes" is a grand slam for Pocol Press, which is batting 1.000 with its line of books on baseball history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Information, February 10, 2004

By 

KChernisky (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mendoza's Heroes: Fifty Batters Below .200 (Paperback)

While not an avid baseball fan as I'm sure most of you are, I found this book to be full of interesting facts and trivia. Baseball players of the old days are included and make for interesting reading! I passed my copy on to my dad for his leisurely reading (he is an avid baseball fan) and there was much for him to learn from Mr. Pepper's research. Thank you to him for compiling this information. For you lifetime baseball fans, happy reading!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars let's hear it for the bench warmer, June 7, 2002

By 

josh prager (new york, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mendoza's Heroes: Fifty Batters Below .200 (Paperback)

the superstars get all the ink. but the slap-hitter, the third-string catcher, that's where the fun is. and al pepper has done a good job mining the ranks of the unimpressive for interesting nuggets and storylines. 'mendoza's heroes' is a fun read.