17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "A MUST READ FOR "OLD-SCHOOL" BASEBALL PURISTS!", April 12, 2008
This is a marvelously "put-together" baseball book containing the inner thoughts, dreams and actual accomplishments of eleven former Major League players from the (19)50's and 60's. The reason I say "put-together" rather than written is because this book was created by transcribing videotaped interviews into a manuscript. The author "tried to faithfully record the comments of the interviewees, correcting minor grammatical mistakes and occasional errors caused by the inevitable lapses of memory after several decades." The end result is a "STUNNING" recreation of when "BASEBALL WAS STILL A GAME!" Due to the fact that actual interviews have been transcribed, the reader benefits from this unique protocol and feels as if each player is sharing his personal stories directly with you.
The eleven players highlighted in this book include Hall Of Famers Duke Snider, Robin Roberts, Whitey Ford, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Billy Williams, 1957 World Series MVP Lou Burdette, two time World Champion and thrower of two no-hitters, Carl Erskine, twenty game winner and an eternal historical figure for throwing the pitch that resulted in "The Shot Heard Round The World", Ralph Branca, and "baseball lifer" Bill Rigney. Every one of these elite storytellers takes you back to where their dreams began and how honored they were to achieve their boyhood goals of playing in the Big Leagues. It's hard not to notice the modesty and unpretentious attitudes that these humble stars reveal, which is in sharp contrast to the attitudes and behavior of today's players.
There are so many "delicious" intimate details shared with the reader from the clubhouse and the playing field from the glorious years gone by, when baseball truly was "THE NATIONAL PASTIME". It is apparent to the reader that these "yesterday's hero's" are reliving the same joy, sadness, competitiveness, and aching of their days gone by as emotionally as the reader, who is reliving their cherished childhood moments through their hero's. It's refreshing as almost every star points out with dignity teachers, coaches or parents who made a difference in their life even over half a century later. It is also invigorating to see the same fierce blood start to boil as old rivalries or "bad" calls are rehashed. I found one exceptionally telling historical subject that was discussed reverently by ten of the eleven players, and that was Jackie Robinson. The enormous respect that Jackie "EARNED" from all these players on and off the field had not diminished one iota! In fact to me the most powerful emotionally piercing moment in this book, was not about any of the monumental accomplishments of these players, but of the sad regret of one:
BILL RIGNEY SAID: "I thought one of the worst things I did or one of the things I didn't do--and I regretted it all my life--is that opening day in the Polo Grounds on the eighteenth of April in '47 when Jackie Robinson hit his first home run. I didn't walk over to him and say, "Hey, I'm Bill Rigney, I just want to shake your hand and wish you the best of luck because it's not going to be easy for you, but I wish you the best," and leave it at that. And I regretted it all my life that I didn't do it, because I knew I was too late, you know, after I got to know him. You know just reading about it, you knew how tough it was going to be for him. Why I didn't do that, I don't know, because he was standing right there. All I had to do was walk over and say, "I'm Bill Rigney. I'm the shortstop for the Giants; I just want to wish you good luck." Big deal. But I regret that."
The highest praise I can give this book is to compare it to the seminal book written in 1972 "THE BOYS OF SUMMER" by Roger Kahn looking back on the Brooklyn Dodgers of the `50's. This book is a "BOYS OF SUMMER" with eleven players some of whom were Dodgers. I couldn't recommend this book any higher for a true "OLD-SCHOOL" baseball fan!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Personal Stories of Baseball Heroes, September 12, 2008
Today, with so many players having multi-million dollar contracts, I first looked at this book in the store because of the title. But it turns out to be even more interesting than I thought. It's interviews with a lot of the great players from back in the old days, and it really gives you a sense of what it was like for them personally to be playing the game back in the 50s and 60s. I was especially interested in the three interviews with members of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I grew up hearing a lot about guys like Duke Snider, but to actually read their stories from their point of view gave me a whole new perspective on them. It's not about stats and numbers, but about the personal things that influenced each player's career. Some guys talk about their mothers, others talk about their relationships with their managers, owners or other players. It's the kind of stuff you don't find in history books. I really recommend this book to all baseball fans.
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