This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s [Hardcover]

Larry Moffi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996

Baseball players are storytellers, and this book is a collection of stories about the game told by players from the 1950s. These are tales from the dozens of excellent players who loved the game and played it for many seasons, although not accumulating statistics that would enshrine them in the bronze of Cooperstown. Their experiences speak to us with confidence and insight, providing a perspective of the game in its entirety.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 1950s did much to shape baseball as it is played today: it changed from a day game to a night game, from train to jet, from radio to TV and from East Coast to West Coast. In this history, Moffi (coauthor, Crossing the Line) reports on interviews with 17 of the players who weathered the transition: not the Williamses, Mantles or Mayses but major leaguers who might be called near-great, from pitchers Mel Parnell and Virgil Trucks, both of whom pitched no-hitters and ended with ERAs under 4.0, to sluggers such as Roy Sievers, who hit more than 300 home runs, and exceptional fielders such as shortstop Marty Marion, who played on three World Series-winning teams. To a man they reject the romantic notion that they played only for love of the game and were indifferent to money. Any fan will enjoy this title as part of the history of the game, and it should particularly delight the over-50 crowd. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

There were many players in the late 1940s and 1950s who were genuine stars but somehow fell short of enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This Side of Cooperstown sports some fine interviews with such luminaries as Carl Erskine, Del Crandell, Vic Powers, and others who provide insight into the game and the period. Some of the true heroes of the time were, of course, black Major Leaguers who often endured abuse and ill will. Crossing the Line, which is organized like a reference book, offers profiles of black players of the period. Although both titles appeal to a limited audience-diehard fans of the 1950s and baseball researchers-comprehensive collections should consider.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: University of Iowa Press; 1st ed edition (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087745521X
• ISBN-13: 978-0877455219
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,727,273 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Side of Cooperstown, July 19, 2010

By 

Jocelyn - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s (Hardcover)

"This Side of Cooperstown" is the lively and highly enjoyable oral history of seventeen of major league baseball's most influential yet forgotten players. Informative, fascinating, and often humorous, the book focuses on recreating America's pastime during an era of unprecedented social change, when baseball was vital to the spirit of the nation. Moffi's adept and comprehensive writing assembles a vast array of anecdotes, both sweet and sour, while preserving the authenticity of voices and the integrity of the storytellers. Yet even more so than the actual histories, the dynamic voices of the seventeen players engage the reader. Because of these animated characters, "This Side of Cooperstown" is a great read for both baseball fanatics and causal fans alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listening Well To Capture the Soul of the Sport, July 5, 2010

By 

Sheppard Ranbom - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s (Hardcover)

These oral histories capture the careers of players who were not always at the heart of the order or rotation but who made a remarkable impact on their teams' success and, unwittingly, on the sport itself. Capturing the speech patterns and story lines of 17 stalwart players after their careers were over, This Side of Cooperstown depicts what it was like to be a ballplayer in the 1950s as baseball was beginning to be transformed from the all-white, low-budget pastime to the current era of big contracts, diversity, Moneyball statistics, and jet travel. The players depicted - from Vic Power and Alex Grammas to Carl Erskine and Tito Francona - are as colorful and more real than any described by Jim Bouton in a later era.

Author Larry Moffi, a baseball historian and critic (see The Conscience of the Game and Crossing the Line) comes through with a clutch performance, capturing the nuances of the arc of each player's career - and character. You'll learn what baseball was like for black and Latino players who broke through barriers or to be a college-educated player among the hayseeds. Whatever team you followed or from whatever era in which you started paying attention, This Side of Cooperstown offers something unique - the soul of the game as witnessed by its under-adulated stars who did not get the big bucks or the glory but who distinguished themselves on the field and in these pages.


Sheppard Ranbom

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In the Cooperstown of Baseball Books, June 30, 2010

By 

Hunter - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s (Dover Baseball) (Paperback)

"This Side of Cooperstown" is a delight from start to finish. I loved watching these guys play (I'm showing my age, I realize) and reading this book brings them -- and my baseball-crazed youth -- back to vibrant life. Thanks so much, Mr. Moffi! Anyone from my era will enjoy the volume -- and so will younger fans, who will gain exciting and moving insights into the game's rich history. My one complaint is that "This Side" is only 288 pages long; had it been three times the length, I'd have devoured it practically nonstop.