Miracle Collapse: The 1969 Chicago Cubs [Hardcover]

Doug Feldmann (Author), Don Kessinger (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

Civil unrest at home, war abroad, and political uncertainty gripped the nation as the 1970s approached. In the summer of 1969, as a tumultuous decade of American history neared its end, Major League Baseball presented sports fans with a thrilling distraction: a pennant race that pitted the Chicago Cubs, those much-loved perennial also-rans, against the defending National League champs, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the upstart New York Mets.

Miracle Collapse is the story of how one of the most talented Cubs teams ever to take the field—with Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and ace pitcher Ferguson Jenkins among their ranks and led by the irascible manager Leo Durocher—raced to an early division lead and a seemingly certain pennant, only to unravel spectacularly at the season’s end.

A time capsule in which baseball lore jockeys with history, Doug Feldmann’s book draws readers into the lives of these legendary Cubs players and their fierce bond with the city of Chicago. During this magical summer of baseball peaks and valleys, life goes on: Durocher “disappears” for a few days before his wedding; players leave the team midseason for National Guard duty; play is interrupted to announce man’s landing on the moon. It is against this backdrop that Miracle Collapse captures a baseball season for all time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As Steinberg states on his web site, ‘Time travel is possible.’ In 1921, he and Spatz will take you back to see this pivotal season for yourself.”—Baseball America

(James Bailey Baseball America 20090928)

“1921 is an incredibly comprehensive look at a pivotal baseball season—for the sport, for New York, for an America finally distancing itself from war. Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz have created a mosaic of a year in baseball that is both illuminating and entertaining.”—Frank Deford

(Frank Deford 20100801)

“Two decades into the twentieth century, much of baseball was still playing a turn-of-the-century game. 1921 represents one of the pivot points in baseball history, as the old style and its proponents, embodied by John McGraw and his Giants, began to give way to what would become the modern game, as embodied by Babe Ruth and his Yankees.”—Bob Costas

(Bob Costas )

"Spatz and Steinberg . . . are most adept at obtaining and presenting their findings in a manner that is both educational . . . and entertaining."—Ron Kaplan, ForeWord

(Ron Kaplan ForeWord )

"This carefully researched book is a good example of what baseball can teach about US culture and history."—B. Tavakolian, Choice

(B. Tavakolian Choice ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Doug Feldmann, who grew up in the Chicago area, is a professor in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University and is the author of five books. He is also a part-time scout for the Cincinnati Reds.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080322026X
• ISBN-13: 978-0803220263
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,538,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Doug Feldmann is a professor in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University and a former scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres. He completed his Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies at Indiana University, his master's degree in Secondary Education at Rockford College, and his bachelor's degree in English and History at Northern Illinois University (where he played baseball and football). Dr. Feldmann has written extensively on baseball history and the sport's sociological impact on urban and small-town America. He has been a multiple-time nominee for the Casey Award and the Seymour Medal from the Society for American Baseball Research. A former coach of baseball and football at the high school and college levels, Dr. Feldmann is married and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attn. history buffs, Cubs fans...., November 25, 2006

By 

J. Mullen "Cubsfan" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miracle Collapse: The 1969 Chicago Cubs (Hardcover)

Attn. Cubs fans and history buffs....
This is the book for you. Most books on the Cubs are mundaine, lifeless, and contain the same old things us Cubs fans have heard time and time again. In this book, Doug Feldmann has breathed new life into the team we all know and love. Even though the story highlights its defeat, the lore and lure of the team shines through thanks to the author's uncompromising use of detail. There's so much that Cubs fans have to learn about that fateful year of 1969.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Day by day, December 30, 2006

By 

W. S. Bike (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miracle Collapse: The 1969 Chicago Cubs (Hardcover)

"Miracle Collapse" does a great job in providing a day-by-day description of what happened during the Chicago Cubs' 1969 schedule. It provides great deal on the nuts and bolts of the season--long-forgotten facts on who was starting at certain positions at what point of the season, who was acquired by trade or purchase and for whom, and what rookies were expected to actually make a difference on that veteran team. What it lacks is a lot of human interest, personal interviews, and anecdotes. Rick Talley's "The Cubs of '69" does a better job at the human interest part, but is riddled with errors. "Miracle Collapse" is not and is meticulously researched. For any Cub fan whose scar of '69 will not heal, "Miracle Collapse" and "The Cubs of '69" are a tandem that is a must-buy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Miracle Collapse-The 1969 Chicago Cubs, December 4, 2007

By 

James V. Hissong "Mr. Cub 9" (Yorkville, Il. U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Miracle Collapse: The 1969 Chicago Cubs (Hardcover)

The basis of the book was a synopsis of the 1969 season in review, month by month, until the final depressing month of September when the Cubs ran out of gas. The book did not include any sort of interviews of players, coaches or fans opinions of why the Cubs did not win in 1969 or what they could have done differently to change the final outcome of the season. It basically gave a recap of the results of the games until the final outcome of the season ending failure by the Cubs.