Safe by a Mile [Paperback]

Charlie Metro (Author), Thomas L. Altherr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Charlie Metro's career runs the gamut of the specialties found in baseball-player, coach, manager, scout, inventor. Metro has lived baseball at every level from the Great Depression to today's multimillion dollar contracts. One of a kind, Metro's life mirrors the astounding changes in the game as well as in the nation. Metro's tale is full of heart and a wealth of anecdotes, the result of a fascinating life and a true love of the game.

Charlie Metro was born Charles Moreskonich in Nanty-Glo, Pennsylvania, in 1919. He played in the major leagues from 1943 to 1945 with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics. He managed for parts of two seasons, with the 1962 Cubs and the 1970 Kansas City Royals. He also coached the 1965 Chicago White Sox and the 1982 Oakland Athletics. Although he had far longer service in the minor leagues, he will probably be best remembered as one of the great scouts and teachers in baseball history.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Metro was just a journeyman player who, after coming up for a cup of coffee, had a long career as a scout, teacher, and sometime manager. He will never make the Hall of Fame, and yet his insights into the game of baseball are valuable. This thick book is especially strong on minor league baseball during the last half-century, as the peripatetic Metro seems to have visited every small town ballpark imaginable and come away with a tale to tell. For hardcore fans.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Metro''s career saved him from the coal mines of western Pennsylvania and afforded him the chance to play, then manage, in dozens of venues throughout the country. . . . With a cast that includes such varied personalities as Billy Martin, Richard Nixon, Lou Piniella and Dorothy Lamour, Safe by a Mile is a wide-ranging tale by one of baseball''s happiest wanderers."—David Plaut, USA Today Baseball Weekly

(David Plaut USA Today Baseball Weekly )

"Safe By a Mile by Charlie Metro with Tom Altherr tells the story of a baseball lifer. . . . A highly respected judge of baseball talent, Metro shares his insights about many players and managers in this engaging book."—Sacramento Bee

(Sacramento Bee )

"[Metro] will never make the Hall of Fame, and yet his insights into the game of baseball are valuable. This thick book is especially strong on minor league baseball during the last half-century."—Library Journal

(Library Journal )

"The man can flat out tell a tale."—Denver Post

(Denver Post )

"One hell of a read."—Rob Neyer, ESPN.com

(Rob Neyer ESPN.com )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 537 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803282818
• ISBN-13: 978-0803282810
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #747,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Baseball from the field level, July 2, 2009

By 

J. Pennington (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Safe by a Mile (Paperback)

Essentially Charlie Metro provides a glimpse into the world of minor league baseball and the world of scouts, managers and players. The tales he shares could have been scenes in any Baseball film. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Charlie and his insight into the game was sharp, his evaluation on Johan Santana's fastball during that interview is dead on. This was before Johan busted into the spotlight with the Twins.

I recommend this book to any Baseball fan, my only reservation is that someone who needs beer to get through a game may not get through this history.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real home run, April 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Safe by a Mile (Paperback)

Although I don't know much about baseball, I can tell you that you don't have to know much to enjoy this book. This stories are timeless and his love of the game is contagious.
However, if you do know a lot about baseball you will be delighted beyond belief. This is a great chance to hear inside, candid stories about all of your favorite players. And it seems as though Charlie Metro has met them all.
This book is a wonderful piece of History that should not be overlooked. Just read the first page and you will be hooked.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A bore of a book, January 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Safe by a Mile (Paperback)

The author is a baseball mediocrity who failed as both a player and manager. He offers little insight into the game and has nothing interesting to say. Read _Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms_ instead. Eldon Auker is a genuine character, a great baseball man, and his story provides more entertainment in 200 pages than Metro does in 500.