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

~ (Author) "POMPANO STADIUM, ORDAINED according to the billboard in the parking lot as the Spring Home of the Texas Rangers, could be identified as one of..." (more)
Key Phrases: press lounge, official scorer, Billy Martin, Bob Short, David Clyde (more...)

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 )

Product Description

"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.

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 245 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803292775
• ISBN-13: 978-0803292772
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #380,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Jeffrey P. Radighieri (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wretched team, great book, April 12, 2008

By	Mary G. Longorio "Texasbookgirl" (Eagle Mountain, UT) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Anyone who thinks baseball is the overly groomed, PR conscious, coddled player, outrageous money game we see today has missed the true glory days of the sport. Not that the Texas Rangers of 1973 through 1975 were anywhere near glorious....they were wretched. When the Washington Senators were sold down south and arrived in the old orange monstrosity that was home to the Texas Rangers, baseball fans in the metroplex thought they were in heaven. It only took a seson or two to disabuse them of this belief. I was in the stands at Arlington stadium nearly every home game.....not as a fan, as an employee. Mike Shropshire was along for the ride as a sportswriter for a local paper and was front row for the wreckage that was the early Rangers. Castoff players, oddball owners, pugnacious managers were all part of the scene. Back in the day, players weren't sequestered and standoffish, stadium staff often found them in the same watering holes we frequented after games. This is a hilarious look at the early days of the Rangers, the emergence of Billy Martin as their manager, the beginning and end of David Clyde and a cast of unbelievable players. It is a must-read for anyone who yearns for the "good old days" of the sport and who remembers the 70's.

1 of 1 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 (REAL NAME)

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 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.