You're Missin' a Great Game: From Casey to Ozzie, the Magic of Baseball and How to Get It Back (Hardcover)

by Whitey Herzog (Author) "I'll never forget the first spring training game in 1956, my rookie year..." (more)
Key Phrases: good baseball people, first fastball, good baseball man, World Series, Kansas City, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Herzog didn't earn his nickname as baseball's White Rat simply because of his hair color. Former manager of the Royals, Angels, and Cards, Herzog is one of baseball's great tacticians and blue-collar philosophers. He's tenacious and volatile; when the game's on the line, he's never held back, all of which is good news for the reader. For the fan, the color is less rosy. From Herzog's knowledgeable vantage point, baseball's integrity, despite a marvelous '98 season, is very much on the line these days, in danger of striking itself out as it loses touch with its fundamentals. Power is in, and subtlety's out. Singles hitters swing for the fences. Finesse, like bunting, is on the verge of extinction. Small-market teams can't compete. Free agency destroys loyalty. The wild-card, six divisions, and the extended playoffs undercut the pennant races. The game is in chaos.

Naturally, all of that--and more--has the Rat looking back at the good old days, gnawing over what worked; he's not afraid to show his teeth. His passionate screed raises questions, chews on problems, and spits out interesting solutions in a colloquial breeze that blows air more fresh than hot. Circling the bases of this personal-insider's journey, he examines why his baseball heroes--Casey Stengel, Ted Williams, Tom Seaver, and Ozzie Smith, for starters--are just that, and why the game needs more of them. "Baseball itself is a little nearsighted right now," he complains, "and there ain't any harm in riding it some. Maybe we can be the bench jockeys." Why not? Herzog's certainly shown a knack for bringing home winners from that position before, and the fun of Missin' is the ease with which it invites us all to join him for the ride. --Jeff Silverman

Review
What makes the book work is that Herzog wants to talk about the things that people don't like to talk about. -- The New York Times Book Review, Bill James

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684853140
• ISBN-13: 978-0684853147
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,435,113 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a disappointment, May 1, 1999

By A Customer

I hate to rain on everyone's "Whitey parade", but I was disappointed with the book. Maybe my expectations were too high; knowing Herzog to be a baseball "lifer", I was expecting a book filled with insights about today's game and "inside baseball". While there are some gems , they are hard to find. Too much of the book is filled wth Herzog's rants about almost every facet of the game today and anecdotes that often are not amusing nor insightful except to expose Herzog's enormous ego.His constant self aggrandizement detracts from his message. Maybe self aggrandizement is his message.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book But Whitey Got Carried Away At Times, January 2, 2003

By	D. Giesen "intrigued reader" (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: You're Missin' a Great Game (Paperback)

Whitey Herzog's book absolutely savaged contemporary baseball. His roadmap for constructing the 1982 Cardinals was a path all too forgotten. Just ask whoever signs Texas Ranger Alex Rodriguez's $250.0 million paycheck.

Whitey's essential theme is that wining baseball begins with complementary chemistry, good defense and the ability to move over and ultimately drive home a run in a close game. All feed into the basic premise that a good quality pitching staff, managed well ensures pennants will fly.

Some of the stories are priceless. Trading Ted Simmons; dealing with Gary Templeton; and, understanding Joaquin Andujar are "geez, I can't put this down" stories. Don't read too fast -- the "Pete Rose moment" in this book is priceless.

The most compelling read, however, is how Whitey destroys the concept of statistics for statistical purposes. Winning baseball and certain good statistical performance from key players, notably home runs, do not always correlate -- a theme that runs through this book over and over again.

While this book should be the bible for gerenal managers and others constructing baseball teams, it gets occasionally carried away in excessive collequialisms. Whitey at times forgets substance is more important than style.

But the style excesses are far overwhelmed by the substance that Whitey offers into the business of baseball. It's a must read, especially if you're a Cub fan trying to understand why your team hasn't won a World Series in nearly a century.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, Vibrant look at baseball , August 8, 2007

By	K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You're Missin' a Great Game (Paperback)

This treatise by Whitey Herzog is like the White Rat himself; straightforward, gruff, and thought-provoking. Herzog criticizes today's homer-centered, steroid-based play, recounts his years as manager and general manager, and analyzes many additional factors. A skilled handler of pitching staffs, Herzog describes his actions here in readable detail. He also offers views on many facets of baseball, including finances, labor relations, franchise competitiveness, trades, the designated hitter, player development, teams he managed in the playoffs (Kansas City) and World Series (St. Louis), etc. Herzog blames the Cardinal loss in the 1985 Series on that famous bad call, but this is only probable, as KC still had two good hitters due up in a one-run game. Herzog also suggests a host of changes for the game, many sensible, others debatable. Readers might not always agree with Herzog or his salty language, but his words should make them think as deeply about the game as he does.

This slightly-dated (1999) book remains a valuable and fast-paced read, but with enough factual errors (Lou Brock stole 118 bases not 114, Bud Grant lost four Super Bowls not three, Marvin Miller became union head in 1966 not the 1970's) that one wonders why publishers seldom assign to their baseball books editors versed in sports trivia. Still, despite minor flaws, this is a thoughtful look by a man who'se love for baseball comes through loud and clear.