Books : The Only Game in Town: Baseball Stars of the 1930s and 1940s Talk About the Game They Loved (The Baseball Oral History Project)
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN num: 9780743273183
ISBN number: 0743273184
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: April 03, 2007
Publishing house: Simon & Schuster
Sale Popularity Level: 193850
Studio: Simon & Schuster
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Product Description:
The 1930s was the era of such baseball legends as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio. In The Only Game in Town, pitcher Elden Auker recalls what it was like to face these sluggers, while Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio remembers how he nearly ended his brother Joe's record hitting streak. Then, in the 1940s, baseball underwent tremendous change. First came World War II, and stars such as Bob Feller and future star Warren Spahn -- both among the ten ballplayers who discuss their playing days in this book -- left the game to serve their country. When the war ended, integration came to baseball. Jackie Robinson was soon followed by other outstanding African-American ballplayers, including Larry Doby and Monte Irvin, both of whom recall their pioneering experiences in Major League Baseball. Buck O'Neil describes scouting and coaching the subsequent generation of African-American ballplayers and helping them make it into the major leagues. Johnny Pesky and Tommy Henrich recall great Red Sox-Yankees rivalries, but from opposite sides, while Ralph Kiner remembers his remarkable ten-year stretch as the most feared home-run hitter of his day.
The ten ballplayers who spoke with Fay Vincent for this fascinating book bring back to life baseball from a bygone time. Their stories make The Only Game in Town a must-have for all baseball fans.
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In this delightful book that every baseball fan will cherish, ten outstanding ballplayers remember the heyday of the game in the 1930s and 1940s. It was the era of Gehrig and DiMaggio; of Foxx, Greenberg, and Williams; of Grove and Feller. Elden Auker, Tommy Henrich, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bob Feller recall some great rivalries: Auker pitched to Ruth and Gehrig, then faced Dizzy Dean in an unforgettable World Series; Henrich was a clutch player for the Yankees who alertly turned a passed-ball third strike into a World Series victory; Dom DiMaggio was a superb center fielder who batted .298 lifetime and nearly ended his brother Joe's hitting streak; Pesky, a Red Sox mainstay, was blamed for Enos Slaughter's dash home that was the most memorable play of the 1946 Red Sox-Cardinals World Series; and Feller was a teenager when he faced -- among others -- Foxx, Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio. But this was also the era of great Negro Leagues stars who never had the opportunity to play in the major leagues. Buck O'Neil remembers the outstanding players of his day who never got their chance or whose turn came too late -- Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige among them. Two great events happened in the 1940s, and one of them would change the game forever. World War II took some of these great players off the diamond and put them into a different kind of uniform. Warren Spahn pitched his very first game in 1942 and didn't pitch again until the war ended, getting his very first victory in 1946 (nonetheless he won more games than any other left-hander in history). As he recalls here, he served his country memorably in the war. Then in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier, followed only a few months later by Larry Doby, the very first African-American in the American League, who vividly describes what it felt like to be the only grey ballplayer in the clubhouse -- and the league. The game began to change after integration, and home run king Ralph Kiner remembers how some clubs were quick to sign African-American players and thrive. Meanwhile, some Negro Leagues stars, such as Monte Irvin, itched for the opportunity to face the major leaguers and prove that, like Robinson and Doby, they could compete with the best. All of these ballplayers recall their favorite memories: the games that mattered most, the players they all admired, the childhood experiences that shaped their lives, and the deep affection for the game that has always remained with them. Illustrated throughout, The Only Game in Town is a fascinating trip through two decades when baseball changed profoundly. Like The Glory of Their Times, it is a book that will find a permanent place on every fan's bookshelf.
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Rated by buyers 
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It was worth hearing these players' words verbatim, but it did make it awkward to read. Passing this off as original is a stretch; Fay Vincent "might" have compiled this stuff, but he certainly didn't do any real work.
It would have been better if they had put the questions that were asked, so you could follow a bit easier.
Rated by buyers 
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One would think that a former commissioner of baseball and skilled attorney would be able to product a fascinating set of reminesces that served to educate the reader about baseball during the Depression. Sadly, that's not the case.
It's unclear whether Vincent had any interaction with the players. These unfocused streams of consciosness don't really show any thought regarding what types of information was being sought. It's as if someone sent a tape and said "talk about what you remember from playing baseball for three hours and return" and then pretty much typed what they said verbatim.
In short, I was very disappointed. There's a great book to be written on baseball during the Great Depression, but this isn't it.
Rated by buyers 
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THIS IS ABOUT HOW BASEBALL WAS PLAYED DURING THE 1930'3 AND 40'S ACCORDING TO 10 OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THAT ERA. SOME OF THE PLAYERS INTERVIEWED ARE BOB FELLER, WARREN SPAHN, RALPH KINER AND BUCK O'NEIL. THE AUTHOR DOES A GOOD JOB AND MAKES THESE INTERVIEWS BOTH ENTERTAINING AND INTERESTING. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS AND SUGGEST THIS FOR FANS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH OR WHO ARE INTERESTED DURING AN ERA WHEN BASEBALL WAS A GAME AND NOT A BUSINESS. WHEN PLAYERS PLAYED FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME SOMETHING TODAYS GREEDY AND SELF CENTERED PLAYERS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
Rated by buyers 
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An oral history that catches the ethos of an earlier time in a most wonderful and unspoiled manner. Vincent's editing never disrupts the beauty or the simplicity of memories that flow from the passions of the men who played in the 30's and 40's. This is a work that ranks with those of Honig and Ritter. Easy read. An essential for the baseball library. An absolute delight.
Rated by buyers -
This is a book that any baseball fan needs to read. It makes us appreciate the game back when it was pure. When the game was truly the national pasttime, and the players such as Monte Irvin, Ralph Kiner, and so many others played a game they loved. Yes, it was a business, but it was also a game, which it's not anymore. It's a sport, no more, no less.
The stories of Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Satchel Paige, Jimmie Foxx, Casey Stengel, and the ones we love reading about are there, along with Warren Spahn and Tommy Heinrich, Bob Feller, and Larry Doby. The discuss their lives, teammates, and what made baseball great.
I wish I could give this more than five stars.
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