Uppity: My Untold Story About The Games People Play [Hardcover]

Bill White (Author), Willie Mays (Foreword), Gordon Dillow (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2011

There are very few major personalities in the world of sports who have so much to say about our National Pastime. And even fewer who are as well respected as Bill White.

Bill White, who's now in his mid 70s, was an All-Star first baseman for many years with the New York Giants, St.Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies before launching a stellar broadcasting career with the New York Yankees for 18 years. He left the broadcast booth to become the President of the National League for five years.

A true pioneer as an African-American athlete, sportscaster, and top baseball executive, White has written his long-awaited autobiography in which he will be candid, open, and as always, most forthcoming about his life in baseball. Along the way, White shares never-before-told stories about his long working relationship with Phil Rizzutto, insights on George Steinbrenner, Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Bob Gibson, Bart Giamatti, Fay Vincent, and scores of other top baseball names and Hall of Famers.

Best of all, White built his career on being outspoken, and the years fortunately have not mellowed him. UPPITY is a baseball memoir that baseball fans everywhere will be buzzing about.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Honest, accomplished, and revered on and off the field, White, who played first base for the Giants, Cardinals, and Phillies, tells the story of his rise in baseball—how he weathered the racist catcalls from the stands and inferior accommodations, considering it all a necessary evil at minor league ballparks in his preparation for the big leagues during the Jim Crow era. Old pros Monte Irvin and Willie Mays, who wrote the appreciative foreword, shepherded him through the rough times, along with the "tough love" shown by New York Giants manager Leo Durocher transforming White into an All-Star first baseman. Upon concluding his stellar career on first base with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in 1969, he joined the colorful Phil Rizzuto in the broadcast booth to call New York Yankees games. His on-target comments about baseball's front office are grounded in the petty skirmishes and grand accomplishments of his five-year stint as president of the National League from 1989 to 1994. Sometimes brutally frank, White dishes the dirt on almost all of the leading baseball and broadcasting names in a truly controversial baseball memoir that will not be easily forgotten. (Apr.)
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Review

Sometimes brutally frank, White dishes the dirt on almost all of the leading baseball and broadcasting names in a truly controversial baseball memoir that will not be easily forgotten.
(Publishers Weekly
)

A baseball memoir that pulls no punches as it settles scores and attempts to set the record straight. (Kirkus Reviews
) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (April 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446555258
• ISBN-13: 978-0446555258
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars UPPITY:A MUST READ FOR ALL FANS OFSPORT March 26, 2011

By Thornton Geary

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you enjoyed listening to Bill White broadcast Yankee baseball you will want to read this book. If you are a baseball fan (or, for that matter, a follower of any sport) & want to get a better perspective on what life was like trying to break into the "big leagues" in the fifties & deal with the biases he faced... from the fans, other players as well as management you will love this book.

White, respected both as a unbiased broadcaster as well as a man with strong opinions, tells the story of his life & his story parallels many of the major changes in that occurred in American society in the 1950's & 1960's. When he left college to play minor league baseball in the south, blacks could not eat in restaurants, ride in the front of a bus nor attend schools with whites. Bill White gives the reader an idea of what life was like for him. It makes you realize that whatever he faced, blacks that lived in the south went through this everyday with little hope for improvement. He talks about how sports helped change our society and he was pleased to be a small part of some of these changes.

His stories on working for the Yankees as a broadcast partner of Phil Rizzuto brings some humor into the book and
the reader sees that Bill White does have a great sense of humor to go with his integrity. He discusses his role as National
League President and provides some insight into the inner workings of baseball. It is interesting to hear his thoughts and opinions on issues that arose and how his opinions sometimes differed with the majority opinion that we read about in the paper or saw on television.

This book is an easy read because White tells a story that, as Howard Cosell used to say "tells it like it is". It flows and
seems to be written from the heart. He pretty much leaves no stone unturned, yet it is a book that does not try to get back at anyone, but tells of the accomplishments of a very proud and honorable man...and along the way the reader is privy to a lot of interesting inside stories.

He seems to be the kind of person you would enjoy sitting down with and discussing anything and everything with over a nice long dinner.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book ! Two thumbs up ! March 26, 2011

By Pennsylvania Reader

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this book because as a Cardinal fan I always liked Bill White and thought he was also a classy president of the N.L. In addition I have a baseball library with over 1200 books. I knew I would enjoy it for these reasons, but this book exceeded expectations. It is well written and tells of the many phases of a very interesting life in baseball from behind the scenes. From his almost accidental entry into the minor leagues, to his 13 years as a player, 18 years as a broadcaster, 5 years as league president, White appears much as I thought. A man of intellect,decency and class. It is very enlightening as to the inner workings in baseball. An excellent book for any baseball fan.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Bill White Speaks His Mind March 29, 2011

By C. W. Emblom

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Author Bill White has played several roles in the game of baseball during his lifetime. He relates several disgusting experiences during his minor league days in the Carolina League. Here he was a highly educated person being heckled with vulgarities by slovenly individuals who spoke and acted as though they were 4th grade dropouts. Such people are to be pitied. It's true the mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you throw upon it the more it will contract.

Bill White is one of the few individuals who hit a home run his first time at bat with the San Francisco Giants. His mentor was none other than Willie Mays. His career took off following a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals with the 1964 Cardinals infield of Ken Boyer, Dick Groat, Julian Javier, and Bill White being the starting infield in that year's All-Star game. I can still hear Cardinals' announcer Harry Caray announcing a double play with, "From Groat to Javier to White." Bill White relates his experiences in being accepted in his St. Louis neighborhood and his relationship with general manager Bing Devine and managers Solly Hemus and Johnny Keane. Neither Curt Flood nor Bob Gibson got along well with Hemus, but White didn't have any trouble. I well remember listening to the Cardinals' drive to the 1964 pennant with Harry Caray and Jack Buck bringing the action on KMOX radio. The firing of Bing Devine and hiring of Bob Howsam, along with the resignation of Johnny Keane following the Cardinals' World Series triumph are all covered.

A trade to the Philadelphia Phillies following the 1965 season uprooted White from St. Louis, but he found the City of Brotherly Love to be a positive experience for him and his family. When Bing Devine was rehired at St. Louis he traded for White for a return to the Cardinals.

Bill White also relates several experiences teaming with Phil Rizzuto on the broadcasts of the New York Yankees. Rizzuto was one of a kind with his cliches and the two of them hit it off together. He also relates his last touching visit with the Scooter prior to his death. It goes without saying White also favors us with some George Steinbrenner stories as well.

The second half of the book deals with White's years as President of the National League including his dealings with various umpires, Reds' owner Marge Schott, Bart Giamatti and the Pete Rose gambling situation, his negative relationship with new commissioner Faye Vincent, and other issues White had to deal with. I wasn't particularly interested in this half of the book.

What is in the book is fine. I especially enjoyed the first half of the book, but the second half of the book dealing with the above subjects was not of particular interest to me.

Bill White speaks his mind and gives his honest opinions about the game of baseball from his perspective. You have to admire his honesty, and it is a book worth reading.