Seasons in Hell: With Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and "The Worst Baseball Team in History"-The 1973-1975 Texas Rangers [Paperback]

Mike Shropshire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

“Even before the start of spring training, Herzog had said, ‘If Rich Billings is the starting catcher again, we’re in deep trouble.’ When that evaluation was passed along to Billings, he simply nodded and said, ‘Whitey, obviously, has seen me play.’”

 

In early 1973, gonzo sportswriter Mike Shropshire agreed to cover the Texas Rangers for the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, not realizing that the Rangers were arguably the worst team in baseball history. Seasons in Hell is a riotous, candid, irreverent behind-the-scenes account in the tradition of The Bronx Zoo and Ball Four, following the Texas Rangers from Whitey Herzog’s reign in 1973 through Billy Martin’s tumultuous tenure. Offering wonderful perspectives on dozens of unique (and likely never-to-be-seen-again) baseball personalities, Seasons in Hell recounts some of the most extreme characters ever to play the game and brings to life the no-holds-barred culture of major league baseball in the mid-seventies

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Disastrously hilarious.”—USA Today

(USA Today )

“This is a funny, revealing, Ball Four–like romp through mid-seventies baseball. . . . Shropshire offers the perfect antidote for those weepy-eyed tributes to baseball’s pastoral beauty.”—Booklist

(Booklist )

About the Author

Mike Shropshire is a longtime journalist who has written for numerous newspapers and magazines such as Sports Illustrated and is the author of several books, including When the Tuna Went down to Texas: How Bill Parcells Led the Cowboys Back to the Promised Land. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 245 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803292775
• ISBN-13: 978-0803292772
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost worth it for Whitey's quotes alone, September 23, 2007

By 

M. Johnson (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seasons in Hell: With Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and "The Worst Baseball Team in History"-The 1973-1975 Texas Rangers (Paperback)

I happened to stumble upon this book while searching on Amazon. I'm glad I found this. The book ostensibly is about the 1973-1975 Rangers but most of the book is on the 1973 team, which was one of the worst teams in MLB history. Whitey Herzog, who managed the team for most of the '73 season, is a source of numerous great quotes in the book. While discussing a pitcher nearly throwing a no-hitter against the team, he says if anyone threw a no-no against the Rangers, "they oughta slap an asterisk on it." He discusses the plan for pitching phenom David Clyde, and wraps it up by saying, "then we're gonna bottle his sperm."

Speaking of Clyde, his sad saga is expounded upon in great detail here. Then-Rangers owner Bob Short, desperately looking for a way to get fans into Arlington Stadium, rushed Clyde to the majors at the age of eighteen shortly after he was drafted. Clyde's career got off to a good start, but he soon faded and he was done in the majors by 24. In another attempt to get fans, Short dumped Herzog and replaced him with Billy Martin. Martin's story is all too familiar: Takes over a team, quickly snaps them into shape, almost as quickly wears out his welcome with the front office and his players, gets fired, lather, rinse, repeat. Amazingly, Martin took the Rangers who finished last in the AL West and went 57-105 in '73 to a second place finish and a 84-76 record in '74. However, both the Rangers' players and front office tired of his act and fired him in '75.

Shropshire's fantastic memory and biting sense of humor makes this an enjoyable read. The book's only drawback is the terrible editing job. Don Larsen's last name is misspelled "Larson." Even worse, Muhammad Ali's first name is mispelled "Mohammad." In the afterword, he refers to Aaron Sele as a left-hander. One problem: Sele is a right-hander. Despite these blunders, this is a fun, quick read. Recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gonzo Goes to a Baseball Game, September 9, 2010

By 

Roger D. Launius "Historian" (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seasons in Hell: With Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and "The Worst Baseball Team in History"-The 1973-1975 Texas Rangers (Paperback)

As a Texas Rangers beat reporter for the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" in 1973 Mike Shropshire thought he had a great gig, following a major league baseball team around America with a good expense account. Perhaps so, but it was gig that required him to follow and write about what could arguably be called the worst team in MLB history. In 1973 the Rangers compiled a 56-105 record. Among other standouts that year retread pitcher Jim Merritt pitched a three hit shutout and then promptly called a press conference to announce that he had doctored the ball with KY jelly to throw the outlawed spitball. Also during 1973, high school phenom David Clyde made his MLB debut with the Rangers just 22 days after being drafted. He did well in that outing, striking out the side in the first inning after walking the first two batters and winning the game 4-3. But David Clyde never lived up to his hype and lasted only five years in the major leagues and won only 18 games in his career.

At some level Shropshire's book is more of a comedy routine than a baseball book. It chronicles, but without much attention to dates, circumstances, etc., the crazy experiences of covering this lousy team. Whitey Herzog--who had a gift for saying what he thought, led this group, whom Shropshire calls F-Troop, Whitey's Menagerie, and other less complimentary names throughout--was fired near the end of the 1973 season and replaced by Billy Martin for the 1974 campaign. Martin was a hard-driving, hard-drinking, cantankerous personality who knew how to win baseball games and he seemed to work his magic with the Rangers as well. They finished 84-76, placing second in the division; probably as good as anyone could have done with that team. Of course, Martin did have one great player that Herzog had traded for just as he left the Rangers, Ferguson Jenkins, who won a team record 25 games in 1974. No one has topped that record for the Rangers since.

But Billy Martin was a problem and in 1975 he was sacked about halfway through the season when he got into trouble with team management. He was forever in this kind of trouble and he then went on to manage the New York Yankees, where he would continue that pattern, eventually serving five different but equally turbulent tenures as teh Bronx Bombers' manager.

This is an enjoyable book, somewhat in the style of Jim Bouton's "Ball Four" but not so revelatory. I was also reminded of the whole gonzo journalism trend of the era, and also of the egotism of a Norman Mailer or a Truman Capote who always made himself the central character in his works. It talks about what you might already anticipate. These Rangers were not very good, and the players were neither particularly talented nor inspired. They tended to carouse, drink, and get into trouble, sometimes being led by Billy Martin in accomplishing all three. If you want reminders of these horrific seasons in Rangerland, this is the book for you.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book!, June 15, 2005

By 

Jeffrey P. Radighieri (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seasons in Hell: With Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and "The Worst Baseball Team in History"-The 1973-1975 Texas Rangers (Paperback)

I absolutely loved this book. It rivals Moneyball in terms of recent excellent baseball nonfiction. The author adeptly describes his experience following the absolutely awful 1973-75 Texas Rangers and their sad existence at the time. Great info on what goes on behind a ball club's closed door. And what is most priceless are all the witty quotes and one liners from 1973's manager, the great Whitey Herzog. Get this book. It's a great read. You won't be sorry.