24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When the Pirates Mattered, June 8, 2006
I must admit up front that I am a huge fan of the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. They were the team that first captured my attention as a young boy and helped to make me a life-long baseball and Pittsburgh Pirate fan. Steve Blass, Roberto Clemente, Manny Sanguillen, and Willie Stargell became my baseball heroes, and forever shaped my idea of what ideal baseball players should be. The outstanding World Series of 1971 was the first I ever watched, and it is still the standard by which I judge all others. With that in mind, I brought high expectations to Bruce Markusen's new book about the team, and I am happy to say that he did not disappoint me.
Markusen recreates the arc of the Pirates' '71 season, from the deal making in the winter of 1970, to spring training, and on through the regular season with a chapter devoted to each month. Along the way he introduces the reader to many of the fascinating and quirky characters who made up the '71 Pirates squad. One of the most rewarding parts of his book is his blow by blow recreation of the extraordinary and historic 1971 World Series. He breaks it down with a chapter for the first two games in Baltimore, one for the next three in Pittsburgh, and a chapter apiece for games six and seven in Baltimore. Baseball fans, and particularly Pirates fans, will be enthralled by his vivid description of one of the all-time great Baseball Fall Classics. In addition to recreating the Pirates' season, Markusen also includes an interesting post script "Where are they now?" chapter that brings each player from the '71 team up to date.
While he recreates the exciting '71 season, Markusen returns repeatedly to the theme of his title - that the 1971 Pirates team changed the face of baseball with its color blind approach to picking talent. No previous team had such a diverse racial mix between White, Black, and Latino players. Pirates' management totally disregarded the unwritten practice that had been common through the `50s and `60s of having a quota for ethnic players on a team, in favor of picking the best talent available regardless of race. The Pirates' clubhouse was a loose place full of boiserous and friendly play rather than racial tension, and the Pirates' manager, Danny Murtaugh, saw only Pirate black and gold, not black and white, in his players, and was liked and respected by all. In a game played on September 1st, 1971, Murtaugh sent out a line-up made up completely of Black and Latino players in all nine positions, a first in Major League history. When asked after the game if he realized what he had done, Murtaugh replied, "Did I have nine blacks out there? I thought I had nine Pirates out there." Markusen argues convincingly that the success the Pirates had with their color blind strategy influence the rest of baseball to emulate it, and fundamentally changed the game.
One thing that should be noted; the subtitle, `Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates' is a bit misleading. While there is plenty of mention of Clemente in the book, it is really a team story, and it doesn't dwell on him any more than many of the other players. This doesn't detract in any way from the book's quality. It is both fast moving and fun. As a history of one of the great modern teams that significantly impacted the game, most baseball fans should enjoy it. If you are a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, the only excuse not to read it is if you are functionally illiterate.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seeing Roberto Clemente is even better, August 20, 2006
This book is about the Pittsburgh Pirates first and Roberto next however it was hard not to have Clemente on my mind throughout the story. As a boy in the fifties my father would give me $1.00 for the bus ride and right-field seats to the Pirates at Forbes Field. I will never forget the 'basket catches' and deadly throws to third base if any player dared to try and steal third. The Pirates played at Three Rivers in 1971, not a great stadium for baseball (or for football for that matter), seeing 10-12 games that season. Bruce Markusen captured my experience in surprisingly more detail than I would of remembered. This is great read for anybody who loves baseball, how teamwork can make a difference, seeing a manager at his best at the end of his career and performance from some of the best athletes in the game.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Well Done Review of the 1971 Pirates' Season, June 9, 2006
Reviews of various team seasons have become popular over the past several years, and Bruce Markusen has provided us with a commendable effort of the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. I am a fan of the Detroit Tigers, but respected this Pirates team enough to organize a Little League trip to Pittsburgh in August of 1972 to see this team play. The only reason I give this book four stars instead of five is because books of this sort are often heavy on what took place from inning to inning in several games. I found this true here, also. The author gets his title for the book from the diversity of players that made up the team's roster (black, white, and Latino). Since the 1971 Pirates other teams have thankfully adopted the belief that a position on the roster should be based strictly on ability. The 2006 Tigers of Jim Leyland emphasized out of Spring Training that he will select the best 25 players. Author Markusen also provides us with a "Where Are They Now" of each of the team members. The book is a quick read (213 pages). You don't have to be a Pirates' fan to enjoy the book, just an appreciation of baseball history.
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