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The Victory Season: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball's Golden Age
The triumphant story of baseball and America after World War II.
In 1945 Major League Baseball had become a ghost of itself. Parks were half empty, the balls were made with fake rubber, and mediocre replacements roamed the fields, as hundreds of players, including the game's biggest stars, were serving abroad, devoted to unconditional Allied victory in World War II.
But by the spring of 1946, the country was ready to heal. The war was finally over, and as America's fathers and brothers were coming home, so too were the sport's greats. Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio returned with bats blazing, making the season a true classic that ended in a thrilling seven-game World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. America also witnessed the beginning of a new era in it was a year of attendance records, the first year Yankee Stadium held night games, the last year the Green Monster wasn't green, and, most significant, Jackie Robinson's first year playing in the Brooklyn Dodgers' system.
The Victory Season brings to vivid life these years of baseball and war, including the littleknown "World Series" that servicemen played in a captured Hitler Youth stadium in the fall of 1945. Robert Weintraub's extensive research and vibrant storytelling enliven the legendary season that embodies what we now think of as the game's golden era.
In 1945 Major League Baseball had become a ghost of itself. Parks were half empty, the balls were made with fake rubber, and mediocre replacements roamed the fields, as hundreds of players, including the game's biggest stars, were serving abroad, devoted to unconditional Allied victory in World War II.
But by the spring of 1946, the country was ready to heal. The war was finally over, and as America's fathers and brothers were coming home, so too were the sport's greats. Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio returned with bats blazing, making the season a true classic that ended in a thrilling seven-game World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. America also witnessed the beginning of a new era in it was a year of attendance records, the first year Yankee Stadium held night games, the last year the Green Monster wasn't green, and, most significant, Jackie Robinson's first year playing in the Brooklyn Dodgers' system.
The Victory Season brings to vivid life these years of baseball and war, including the littleknown "World Series" that servicemen played in a captured Hitler Youth stadium in the fall of 1945. Robert Weintraub's extensive research and vibrant storytelling enliven the legendary season that embodies what we now think of as the game's golden era.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
96 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Robert Weintraub
22 books33 followersRobert Weintraub is a sports columnist for Slate.com and has written for ESPN.com, Play, The Guardian, Football Outsiders, and many other publications, as well as written and produced for ESPN, Turner Broadcasting, ABC Sports, the Discovery Channel, and dozens of other television outlets. He lives in Decatur, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 22, 2016
The year 1946 was a watershed in Post-World War II America. It is the year that Robert Weintraub points out in his book, VICTORY SEASON: THE END OF WORLD WAR II AND THE BIRTH OF BASEBALL’S GOLDEN AGE that the United States had to reinvent itself from a collectivist society that was geared toward winning the war to one that could reabsorb millions of servicemen and women at a time when the country was unprepared to receive them. 1946 witnessed severe labor disruption, spiraling prices, wages that did not keep up with prices, and shortages of many goods and services. As domestic trauma seemed to increase each day people began to grow concerned about our former ally, the Soviet Union. Many feared a return to prewar depression and a new president who seemed unprepared for the office. As baseball returned to the national consciousness at spring training sites, Winston Churchill gave his “Iron Curtain” speech in Fulton, Missouri, and at the State Department, George Kennan called for the “containment” of the Soviet Union in his “Long Telegram.”
When the government removed price controls prices rose on average about 18%, but wages lagged far behind resulting in a flurry of strikes nationwide. Steel workers, miners, railroad workers all took to the picket lines almost bringing the nation to a halt. The result was higher wages something that baseball players returning from the war had difficulty achieving. Baseball was exempt from anti-trust legislation and through the “reserve clause” in contracts players were the property of the owners, in a sense a form of “indentured servitude.” 1946 represented the first time that teams were not missing players serving in the military and it was hoped by the players and their owners that their skills had not eroded during the war.
When I first picked up VICTORY SEASON I hoped that it would explain in detail how baseball served as a catalyst for returning a sense of normalcy to American life. Weintraub does make the attempt, but does not really develop this theme enough. The author does a magnificent job discussing some of baseballs endearing and not so endearing characters. Focusing on the alcoholic owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and later the New York Yankees, Lee MacPhail, we learn how he laid the foundation for Dodgers success in the 1940s and 50s, and then helped build the Yankees into the powerhouse that dominated baseball from 1949-1963. Branch Rickey is portrayed as a genius who knew how to evaluate talent and took over the Dodgers from MacPhail. He is also remembered as the person responsible for breaking the color barrier by recruiting Jackie Robinson, a strategy that Weintraub writes was motivated more for money that achieving racial equality. We meet Leo Durocher the ornery manager of the Dodgers whose life was intertwined with numerous show business types. Bill Veeck, the owner of the Cleveland Indians who brought many innovations to the game. Red Barber, a southerner who brought his gentlemanly ways to the broadcast of Dodger games. Jorge Pasquel, a Mexican millionaire created a scare among major league owners when he tried to lure major league ballplayers for his “La Liga” teams in different Mexican cities. Lastly, Robert Murphy a Boston lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board who tried to organize players to stand up to the owners. Though he would fail, he laid the ground work for Marvin Miller to organize the players and get the “reserve clause” struck down creating free agency.
Weintraub also integrates the experiences of many players who fought in World War II and how it affected their later careers. Among them are Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn, who would survive the Battle of the Bulge and earn a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star; and Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Feller who would see a significant amount of combat in the Pacific that greatly altered his view of life. Of all the players who fought in the war only two were killed; Elmer Gedeon who played briefly for the Washington Senators was shot down over France as his plane tried to destroy one of Hitler’s V1 rocket sites; and Harry Mink O’Neill, a Marine who played for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s and was killed on Iwo Jima.
Weintraub concentrates a great deal on the 1946 pennant races and World Series by focusing on Ted (the “splendid splinter”) Williams and the Boston Red Sox, and Stan (“the man”) Musial and the St. Louis Cardinals along with their amazing fan bases. During his narrative all the major characters involved in the pennant race are explored with wonderful anecdotes and details that will make any fan of baseball history ecstatic. The DiMaggio brothers, Bobby Doerr, Harry the Hat Walker, Pete Reiser, Jackie Robinson, Enos Slaughter are among the many stars of the game that Weintraub introduces and the reader gets to know. Much of what Weintraub explores is based on his vast research and interviews with the few survivors of the 1946 season, their families, and newspaper reporters who knew them.
It appears Weintraub is straddling the line of writing historical narrative at the same time as presenting an interesting sports book. He does an effective job integrating important aspects of the 1946 baseball season with the socioeconomic and political history of the period. Weintraub explores the transportation industry, particularly the early use of airplanes by teams, railroad strikes that hindered teams from reaching their destinations, the segregation of society depriving black ballplayers the same amenities that white players enjoyed, the postwar housing shortage limited where all players could live, and many other examples. When Weintraub focuses on this component of the story, it is fascinating, however, when he switches to the statistical component of baseball he seems to lose some of his effectiveness.
An area that is both interesting and effective is when Weintraub introduces certain historical details and relates them to what is occurring on the diamond. A number stand out, i.e.; aspects of the Nuremberg trials taking place in Germany-how a young guard smuggled a poisonous pill to Hermann Goering to facilitate his suicide, as well as describing how a truck strike in Boston during the World Series made it almost impossible to acquire day-to-day goods, especially baby food, among many other items.
For fans and players alike the return of baseball from the war years was an important vehicle in returning America to a more normal environment, but he goes a bit overboard comparing America’s victory in World War II with Enos “Country” Slaughter’s made dash home to win the 1946 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. For fans and students of the game 1946 is like a “coming attraction” for baseball and the “Golden Era” that would follow. Weintraub has written an interesting book that should satisfy those interested in the minutia of baseball history and how it was integrated into American society following World War II.
When the government removed price controls prices rose on average about 18%, but wages lagged far behind resulting in a flurry of strikes nationwide. Steel workers, miners, railroad workers all took to the picket lines almost bringing the nation to a halt. The result was higher wages something that baseball players returning from the war had difficulty achieving. Baseball was exempt from anti-trust legislation and through the “reserve clause” in contracts players were the property of the owners, in a sense a form of “indentured servitude.” 1946 represented the first time that teams were not missing players serving in the military and it was hoped by the players and their owners that their skills had not eroded during the war.
When I first picked up VICTORY SEASON I hoped that it would explain in detail how baseball served as a catalyst for returning a sense of normalcy to American life. Weintraub does make the attempt, but does not really develop this theme enough. The author does a magnificent job discussing some of baseballs endearing and not so endearing characters. Focusing on the alcoholic owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and later the New York Yankees, Lee MacPhail, we learn how he laid the foundation for Dodgers success in the 1940s and 50s, and then helped build the Yankees into the powerhouse that dominated baseball from 1949-1963. Branch Rickey is portrayed as a genius who knew how to evaluate talent and took over the Dodgers from MacPhail. He is also remembered as the person responsible for breaking the color barrier by recruiting Jackie Robinson, a strategy that Weintraub writes was motivated more for money that achieving racial equality. We meet Leo Durocher the ornery manager of the Dodgers whose life was intertwined with numerous show business types. Bill Veeck, the owner of the Cleveland Indians who brought many innovations to the game. Red Barber, a southerner who brought his gentlemanly ways to the broadcast of Dodger games. Jorge Pasquel, a Mexican millionaire created a scare among major league owners when he tried to lure major league ballplayers for his “La Liga” teams in different Mexican cities. Lastly, Robert Murphy a Boston lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board who tried to organize players to stand up to the owners. Though he would fail, he laid the ground work for Marvin Miller to organize the players and get the “reserve clause” struck down creating free agency.
Weintraub also integrates the experiences of many players who fought in World War II and how it affected their later careers. Among them are Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn, who would survive the Battle of the Bulge and earn a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star; and Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Feller who would see a significant amount of combat in the Pacific that greatly altered his view of life. Of all the players who fought in the war only two were killed; Elmer Gedeon who played briefly for the Washington Senators was shot down over France as his plane tried to destroy one of Hitler’s V1 rocket sites; and Harry Mink O’Neill, a Marine who played for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s and was killed on Iwo Jima.
Weintraub concentrates a great deal on the 1946 pennant races and World Series by focusing on Ted (the “splendid splinter”) Williams and the Boston Red Sox, and Stan (“the man”) Musial and the St. Louis Cardinals along with their amazing fan bases. During his narrative all the major characters involved in the pennant race are explored with wonderful anecdotes and details that will make any fan of baseball history ecstatic. The DiMaggio brothers, Bobby Doerr, Harry the Hat Walker, Pete Reiser, Jackie Robinson, Enos Slaughter are among the many stars of the game that Weintraub introduces and the reader gets to know. Much of what Weintraub explores is based on his vast research and interviews with the few survivors of the 1946 season, their families, and newspaper reporters who knew them.
It appears Weintraub is straddling the line of writing historical narrative at the same time as presenting an interesting sports book. He does an effective job integrating important aspects of the 1946 baseball season with the socioeconomic and political history of the period. Weintraub explores the transportation industry, particularly the early use of airplanes by teams, railroad strikes that hindered teams from reaching their destinations, the segregation of society depriving black ballplayers the same amenities that white players enjoyed, the postwar housing shortage limited where all players could live, and many other examples. When Weintraub focuses on this component of the story, it is fascinating, however, when he switches to the statistical component of baseball he seems to lose some of his effectiveness.
An area that is both interesting and effective is when Weintraub introduces certain historical details and relates them to what is occurring on the diamond. A number stand out, i.e.; aspects of the Nuremberg trials taking place in Germany-how a young guard smuggled a poisonous pill to Hermann Goering to facilitate his suicide, as well as describing how a truck strike in Boston during the World Series made it almost impossible to acquire day-to-day goods, especially baby food, among many other items.
For fans and players alike the return of baseball from the war years was an important vehicle in returning America to a more normal environment, but he goes a bit overboard comparing America’s victory in World War II with Enos “Country” Slaughter’s made dash home to win the 1946 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. For fans and students of the game 1946 is like a “coming attraction” for baseball and the “Golden Era” that would follow. Weintraub has written an interesting book that should satisfy those interested in the minutia of baseball history and how it was integrated into American society following World War II.
April 25, 2013
Three things going on in this book. First, the author traces the military experiences of many pro baseball players that served in WW 2 and the first year of baseball after the war. Second, he follows Jackie Robinson's first year in the minor and major leagues. Lastly, he gives you start to finish coverage of the 1946 pennant race culminating in an epic series between the Red Sox and Cardinals. This book will make a baseball historical junkie's heart beat a little faster. For the audience this book is aimed at the book is 5 stars all the way but for some with a more casual interest in the sport it is interesting with a hint of overkill.
May 23, 2013
I don’t usually read baseball books during baseball season. I like to save them for the off-season. It’s a great system where I don’t over-baseball myself during the summer (Is that even possible?), and it gives me some baseball in the winter when I start jonesin’ for it. I made an exception for this book because it sounded more interesting than the typical baseball memoir, and I didn’t think I could wait till December to read it. I’m glad I didn’t wait.
For a book that covers one season (the 1946 season) it is jammed packed with baseball history goodness. Not only do we get treated to the exciting pennant race leading to a seven-game World Series between the Red Sox and Cardinals, but we’re also given many glimpses into the military lives of the players who served in WWII, as well as the American history and culture right after the war. Plus, Weintraub throws in Jackie Robinson’s first year in the Bigs. This book is a massive undertaking of historical and baseball fact-checking. There were times when I felt the book was getting really bogged down with too much information, but the thing this book has going for it is baseball, and baseball is filled with funny, charming, poignant people and stories. So as soon as my attention would start to wander, Weintraub would throw in a great story.
What I really appreciated about this book was that it wasn’t sugar-coated. He shows the players in an honest light. If they had bad attitudes about their salary or teammates or whatever, he didn’t make them out to be saintly heroes. It’s easy to take the legends of baseball and make them sound larger than life, but Weintraub brings them back to earth showing us their gritty, human nature. This is especially true in the Jackie Robinson chapters.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I think any baseball fan would enjoy it.
For a book that covers one season (the 1946 season) it is jammed packed with baseball history goodness. Not only do we get treated to the exciting pennant race leading to a seven-game World Series between the Red Sox and Cardinals, but we’re also given many glimpses into the military lives of the players who served in WWII, as well as the American history and culture right after the war. Plus, Weintraub throws in Jackie Robinson’s first year in the Bigs. This book is a massive undertaking of historical and baseball fact-checking. There were times when I felt the book was getting really bogged down with too much information, but the thing this book has going for it is baseball, and baseball is filled with funny, charming, poignant people and stories. So as soon as my attention would start to wander, Weintraub would throw in a great story.
What I really appreciated about this book was that it wasn’t sugar-coated. He shows the players in an honest light. If they had bad attitudes about their salary or teammates or whatever, he didn’t make them out to be saintly heroes. It’s easy to take the legends of baseball and make them sound larger than life, but Weintraub brings them back to earth showing us their gritty, human nature. This is especially true in the Jackie Robinson chapters.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I think any baseball fan would enjoy it.
February 23, 2023
A fantastic look at the 1946 season of baseball, ending in a great World Series. Describes the conditions well, in that its the first year of post war baseball with all the star players back in action. Dives into other details if what's happening in the country at the same time, including Jackie Robinson' s first minor league season in Montreal.
Highly recommended, it does lose the narrative at times and goes on a little jog, which usually I don't like. However all of his little asides are well researched and are interesting so I don't mind.
Highly recommended, it does lose the narrative at times and goes on a little jog, which usually I don't like. However all of his little asides are well researched and are interesting so I don't mind.
November 20, 2023
I absolutely loved this book, a riveting account of the first full MLB season after World War II.
May 19, 2013
Robert Weintraub’s The Victory Season: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball's Golden Age focuses on major league baseball’s 1946 season, notable as the first post-World War II campaign and the beginning of what some call baseball’s golden age. Some star players who went to war returned for the ’46 season in excellent form, like Ted Williams and Bob Feller. Other players returned with less skill than before the war. Of course, still others paid the ultimate sacrifice and did not return at all.
Weintraub tells all of their stories against the backdrop of a home front emerging from a war footing to face new realities, and how that environment affected the national pastime. For example, after leaving military service, Jackie Robinson spent the 1946 season playing a championship season for the minor league Montreal Royals, warming up for his momentous breaking of baseball’s racial barrier the following season. Baseball owners also depended on what was known as the reserve clause to control players’ salaries and careers. But in 1946, the reserve clause faced two challenges that would first soften owners’ iron grip and eventually loosen the reserve clause. A wealthy Mexican league owner lured away some top talent fresh from the military with salaries far above what they could earn in America, and union organizers began to make small inroads into clubhouses filled with modestly paid players, most of whom needed to work a second job in the off-season in order to have incomes similar to the fans who paid to watch them play.
The Victory Season is filled with baseball greats, and Weintraub’s story-telling brings them to life in their war-time and post-war incarnations: Williams, Feller, Joe and Dom DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, Eddie Stanky, Leo Durocher, Johnny Pesky, Red Shoendienst and on and on. My favorite “character” here is Enos Slaughter. Known as Country Slaughter throughout the league, his infectious carefree demeanor and rambunctious playing style exemplified an American attitude set free from the shortages and worries of the way years.
A quick aside: In the early 1990s I met Enos Slaughter at a card show. Then in his mid-seventies, Slaughter was wearing a flannel shirt and looked like any senior citizen you might run into at Home Depot or a local coffee shop. He laughed, smiled, chatted, and shook hands with everyone who stood in line for his autograph. His 1946 persona as presented in The Victory Season meshes perfectly with my own impression from more than four decades later.
The Victory Season will appeal to fans of the Dodgers, especially the Brooklyn version, as well as Cardinals, Red Sox, and Indians fans. But it’s really a baseball book that will satisfy history buffs and a history book for all baseball fans.
Cross-posted on What's Not Wrong?
July 12, 2021
The year 1946 seems to have been a pretty interesting year in baseball, but this is probably not the book to read about it if you have another option. The writing is fluid and the author does a great job relating the baseball season and making it exciting and vivid -- but the actual focus of the book veers wildly from one train of thought to the next, and some of the juxtapositions are incredibly jarring.
So the main narrative of the book is the 1946 baseball season culminating in the Cardinals vs Red Sox World Series (I don't think I need to tell you who lost), but the book jams a bunch of other things in. This was Jackie Robinson's first year playing in integrated baseball, in the minor leagues. Great! That's interesting and relevant! 1946 is also right after the end of WWII, so we get to hear about what all the baseball players did during the war! Interesting, except for how the book occasionally jumps chronologically backwards to tell us about what a newly-introduced figure had done during the war -- a little confusing. But still interesting! And then of course some discussion of general historical events, for context!
In theory, this all sounds great, but jamming it all together creates incredible tonal whiplash. The book introduces a pitcher, and then talks about his WWII service, and how he ended up a prisoner of war. But don't worry, they played baseball in Stalag Whatever too! But sometimes when people chased after a foul ball the guards murdered them! This guy was never really the same pitcher after the war, the book informs us. Yeah, I bet. Geez.
The entire thing is like that. A recap of Game Six of the World Series! But, before we continue, a graphic description of the executions at Nuremberg! Now for Game Seven! Hooray!
So, yeah, basically it alternates "war is hell" with "baseball is great, though," and that didn't really work for me.
So the main narrative of the book is the 1946 baseball season culminating in the Cardinals vs Red Sox World Series (I don't think I need to tell you who lost), but the book jams a bunch of other things in. This was Jackie Robinson's first year playing in integrated baseball, in the minor leagues. Great! That's interesting and relevant! 1946 is also right after the end of WWII, so we get to hear about what all the baseball players did during the war! Interesting, except for how the book occasionally jumps chronologically backwards to tell us about what a newly-introduced figure had done during the war -- a little confusing. But still interesting! And then of course some discussion of general historical events, for context!
In theory, this all sounds great, but jamming it all together creates incredible tonal whiplash. The book introduces a pitcher, and then talks about his WWII service, and how he ended up a prisoner of war. But don't worry, they played baseball in Stalag Whatever too! But sometimes when people chased after a foul ball the guards murdered them! This guy was never really the same pitcher after the war, the book informs us. Yeah, I bet. Geez.
The entire thing is like that. A recap of Game Six of the World Series! But, before we continue, a graphic description of the executions at Nuremberg! Now for Game Seven! Hooray!
So, yeah, basically it alternates "war is hell" with "baseball is great, though," and that didn't really work for me.
April 24, 2021
1946 was hardly the best of times in America. Labor strife, housing shortages, food shortages, inflation, and unemployment due to the flood of returning veterans all contributed to unease. I don't recall learning much about this in History class. To this baby boomer, Alfred Eisenstadt's iconic photo of the sailor kissing a girl in Times Square? That's the end of WWII.
Weintraub does a fairly decent job of weaving this narrative into that of one of the more exhilarating baseball seasons of the mid-20th century. The stars were back: Williams, Musial, Feller to name three of the biggest. Adding to that, Jackie Robinson was in Montreal, a year away from breaking the color barrier. It was a golden age, 3 teams in NYC, none farther south nor west than D.C. and St. Louis. Air travel was rare, rail still being the primary mode. Sounds romantic, but hardly what players of the time thought.
Only one complaint...how does a proofreader miss the spelling of the last name of one of the more popular announcers of all time, not once, but twice? "Carey"? Yikes...
Weintraub does a fairly decent job of weaving this narrative into that of one of the more exhilarating baseball seasons of the mid-20th century. The stars were back: Williams, Musial, Feller to name three of the biggest. Adding to that, Jackie Robinson was in Montreal, a year away from breaking the color barrier. It was a golden age, 3 teams in NYC, none farther south nor west than D.C. and St. Louis. Air travel was rare, rail still being the primary mode. Sounds romantic, but hardly what players of the time thought.
Only one complaint...how does a proofreader miss the spelling of the last name of one of the more popular announcers of all time, not once, but twice? "Carey"? Yikes...
July 11, 2023
If I'm reading a nonfiction book about a subject that I know a lot about, I am looking for unique and informative insights along with good, absorbing writing. I most definitely found all these things in this entertaining book.
August 8, 2014
The Victory Season wraps three narratives into one amazing book: the return of baseball's players (and their country) to something resembling normalcy after the war, the thrilling 1946 season and the struggles within baseball to modernize, and the first season of professional baseball for one Jackie Robinson.
Season is at turns exciting and sobering, from heroic feats on the diamond and in war, to the brutal realities of conflict at home and abroad. Intermingled with the stories of legendary greats like Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Robinson are the stories of those who paid the ultimate price for their service, and the hardships faced by those at home both during and after the war. Author Robert Weintraub explains why the return of baseball was so critical at this particular point in America's history:
"Exhausted by years of war, the expected benefits of peacetime had largely been denied this fan. The prospect of more war loomed. Everyday goods that should have been in abundance were either impossible to find or cost a fortune. He or she had been forced to descend to bribery or the black market to house, feed, clothe and clean the family. In all likelihood, this fan had struggled to find a decent place to live, had either walked out on his job or been affected by others walking out on theirs, or had seen his cost of living skyrocket, and quite possibly all three...It may have been small recompense, but the thrilling baseball season...(was) powerful enough to put a smile on his or her face even though tomorrow promised another excruciating battle on any of a dozen fronts."
Luckily for the fans, the 1946 season was an incredible one with a movie-type ending, and one of the most famous World Series that has ever been played. Along the way there were no-hitters, broken records, famous homers, and best of all, the greats of the game back in their proper place. Certainly baseball was still suffering: racism, players held captive by horrendously imbalanced contracts, threats from other leagues, and greedy self-interested owners were just a few of the problems that baseball was aware of but not yet willing to come to terms with. But there were advances too: night baseball, plane travel, and a player pension plan appeared, promising better things for the future.
The book is supremely balanced, rather than merely the happy jaunt in the sun that the title portends. Weintraub acknowledges the fallacy of believing in any such Golden Age, calling it a "rather meaningless construct." He paints the idolization of that era as a sort of devil's bargain, wherein "postwar players willfully acceded to far less than they had coming to them, and their reward was to live on in a nostalgic halo, worshipped forever by fans who thought they too would play the game for peanuts, if only they could." Luckily for the players of that period, this book brought them an author worthy of describing their talents and troubles. A truly fantastic book.
Season is at turns exciting and sobering, from heroic feats on the diamond and in war, to the brutal realities of conflict at home and abroad. Intermingled with the stories of legendary greats like Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Robinson are the stories of those who paid the ultimate price for their service, and the hardships faced by those at home both during and after the war. Author Robert Weintraub explains why the return of baseball was so critical at this particular point in America's history:
"Exhausted by years of war, the expected benefits of peacetime had largely been denied this fan. The prospect of more war loomed. Everyday goods that should have been in abundance were either impossible to find or cost a fortune. He or she had been forced to descend to bribery or the black market to house, feed, clothe and clean the family. In all likelihood, this fan had struggled to find a decent place to live, had either walked out on his job or been affected by others walking out on theirs, or had seen his cost of living skyrocket, and quite possibly all three...It may have been small recompense, but the thrilling baseball season...(was) powerful enough to put a smile on his or her face even though tomorrow promised another excruciating battle on any of a dozen fronts."
Luckily for the fans, the 1946 season was an incredible one with a movie-type ending, and one of the most famous World Series that has ever been played. Along the way there were no-hitters, broken records, famous homers, and best of all, the greats of the game back in their proper place. Certainly baseball was still suffering: racism, players held captive by horrendously imbalanced contracts, threats from other leagues, and greedy self-interested owners were just a few of the problems that baseball was aware of but not yet willing to come to terms with. But there were advances too: night baseball, plane travel, and a player pension plan appeared, promising better things for the future.
The book is supremely balanced, rather than merely the happy jaunt in the sun that the title portends. Weintraub acknowledges the fallacy of believing in any such Golden Age, calling it a "rather meaningless construct." He paints the idolization of that era as a sort of devil's bargain, wherein "postwar players willfully acceded to far less than they had coming to them, and their reward was to live on in a nostalgic halo, worshipped forever by fans who thought they too would play the game for peanuts, if only they could." Luckily for the players of that period, this book brought them an author worthy of describing their talents and troubles. A truly fantastic book.
April 23, 2013
I liked the premise of this book, but found that the story was lacking because of the over kill of facts. If you are a baseball history buff you will love this book.
November 15, 2018
A really informative book with a lot of colourful stories; I only wish it had been organized a little better and pared down just a tad, because there was a LOT of information.
August 28, 2023
The Victory Season: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball’s Golden Age
By: Robert Weintraub
Published: April 2, 2013, by Little, Brown and Company
IF you are looking for a book that delves into detail about how baseball served as a catalyst for normalcy in America, than this is not the book for you. Weintraub scratches the surface of this theme, instead he portrays how baseball (as we know it) was saved from various outside influences- most notably, greed from the owners. Weintraub provides countless accounts of how the owners we staunch in their ideology of keeping wages to prewar levels and how an outside league (the Mexican Baseball League) accelerated the pace of pay for baseball players. Specifically- Jorge Pasquel, a Mexican millionaire. Pasqual created a sense of urgency amongst major league owners when he tried to lure major league ballplayers for his “La Liga” teams in different Mexican cities.
A central character in my life’s passion for baseball is Branch Rickey and the Dodgers. Weintraub does a wonderful job of portraying Branch Rickey as a genius who knew how to evaluate talent and took over the Dodgers from MacPhail. He is also remembered as the person responsible for breaking the color barrier by recruiting Jackie Robinson. An assertation that Weintraub alludes to is the true motivation for breaking the Color Barriers in the MLB- Money. Weintraub introduces us to Leo Durocher, the ornery manager of the Dodgers. Another credit to the modern game is Bill Veeck, the owner of the Cleveland Indians (aka Guardians).
One innovation from this period is in the way that baseball met the masses. Branch Rickey understood the importance and the financial significance of introducing the game to more fans than the stadium could hold. Branch hired Red Barber, a southerner who brought his gentlemanly ways to the broadcast of Dodger games.
Lastly, Robert Murphy, a Boston lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board who tried to organize players to stand up to the owners. Though he would fail, he laid the groundwork for Marvin Miller to organize the players and get the “reserve clause” struck down creating free agency.
By: Robert Weintraub
Published: April 2, 2013, by Little, Brown and Company
IF you are looking for a book that delves into detail about how baseball served as a catalyst for normalcy in America, than this is not the book for you. Weintraub scratches the surface of this theme, instead he portrays how baseball (as we know it) was saved from various outside influences- most notably, greed from the owners. Weintraub provides countless accounts of how the owners we staunch in their ideology of keeping wages to prewar levels and how an outside league (the Mexican Baseball League) accelerated the pace of pay for baseball players. Specifically- Jorge Pasquel, a Mexican millionaire. Pasqual created a sense of urgency amongst major league owners when he tried to lure major league ballplayers for his “La Liga” teams in different Mexican cities.
A central character in my life’s passion for baseball is Branch Rickey and the Dodgers. Weintraub does a wonderful job of portraying Branch Rickey as a genius who knew how to evaluate talent and took over the Dodgers from MacPhail. He is also remembered as the person responsible for breaking the color barrier by recruiting Jackie Robinson. An assertation that Weintraub alludes to is the true motivation for breaking the Color Barriers in the MLB- Money. Weintraub introduces us to Leo Durocher, the ornery manager of the Dodgers. Another credit to the modern game is Bill Veeck, the owner of the Cleveland Indians (aka Guardians).
One innovation from this period is in the way that baseball met the masses. Branch Rickey understood the importance and the financial significance of introducing the game to more fans than the stadium could hold. Branch hired Red Barber, a southerner who brought his gentlemanly ways to the broadcast of Dodger games.
Lastly, Robert Murphy, a Boston lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board who tried to organize players to stand up to the owners. Though he would fail, he laid the groundwork for Marvin Miller to organize the players and get the “reserve clause” struck down creating free agency.
March 26, 2018
A terrific look at the disruption of a sport that was a virtual national institution and a vivid picture of what happened to various players who went off to serve in the war that was that disruption. Some incredible stories of harrowing close calls in combat and utter boredom of being shelved in remote parts of the globe. But even more fascinating to me was the chaos that the war produced back home -- severe shortages of food, fuel and housing, which led to skyrocketing prices, which led to intense labor and voter unrest. All this was reflected in the players, who came extremely close to creating an aggressive union and going on strike. Oh, yeah...all that and some remarkable baseball history, too, as the Cardinals and Dodgers fought tooth and claw all season, while the Red Sox assembled a historic lineup to cruise to the World Series. And all the while, a guy named Jackie Robinson is put on the Dodgers' Triple A team in Montreal, the first step in a bold move to integrate the game. Unlike his experience in the States the following year, Robinson was adored universally by Canadian fans. Just a great convergence of drama and told quite well. I did feel the author ran out of gas a bit at the end, but then,...it may just be that I already knew very well how the World Series would play out. If you're into social history and love baseball, this is a good read.
September 6, 2019
I don't generally rate sports books 5 stars except for new-info bios for some of sports' greatest players.
This is a very solid 4, though, and would possibly be 4.5 on a half-stars scale.
Weintraub has done his research on his sports and general history. He's gotten quotable quotes from Leo the Lip and others. He's also framed the first year of postwar baseball in the context of exploding postwar attendance, and beyond the diamond, massive housing shortages, shortages of some foods and a number of clothing items and more. He also notes Branch Rickey's move on Jackie Robinson and looks at Robinson's one year in the minors.
There is one small error that Weintraub makes, and surprisingly, with sabermetrics.
Wins Above Replacement, by definition, is value above a replacement player, the sterotypical "Quad-A callup" as used by Baseball Reference. It is NOT wins above an average player, as Weintraub calls it. This is the first book of his I've read; it's a minor thing, but something to keep any eye on if he has other baseball books out there.
This is a very solid 4, though, and would possibly be 4.5 on a half-stars scale.
Weintraub has done his research on his sports and general history. He's gotten quotable quotes from Leo the Lip and others. He's also framed the first year of postwar baseball in the context of exploding postwar attendance, and beyond the diamond, massive housing shortages, shortages of some foods and a number of clothing items and more. He also notes Branch Rickey's move on Jackie Robinson and looks at Robinson's one year in the minors.
There is one small error that Weintraub makes, and surprisingly, with sabermetrics.
Wins Above Replacement, by definition, is value above a replacement player, the sterotypical "Quad-A callup" as used by Baseball Reference. It is NOT wins above an average player, as Weintraub calls it. This is the first book of his I've read; it's a minor thing, but something to keep any eye on if he has other baseball books out there.
March 8, 2019
You would think that focusing on one aspect of the 1946 baseball season would be enough of a challenge, but writer Robert Weintraub took on 3. That's a lot of facts, observations and anecdotes to keep organized and he did a yeoman's job of weaving Jackie's year, the players' war/postwar experiences, and the races for the Pennants and the World Series. Then there were subsets, such as his look at labor relations during that year. As a union guy, I found that part fascinating, along with the look at the Mexican league and its attempts to lure players -- unhappy with their pay from cheapskate owners -- across the border. He also gives some fine profiles of the players of note during that year. He doesn't pull punches. No romanticizing these guys. Warts and all. Bottom line, a comprehensive book, well researched, reported. and written.
January 24, 2021
Great Historical Read!
After reading "The House That Ruth Built" by the author Robert Weintraub I was anxious to get this one. I was not disappointed at all. The telling of the 1946 baseball season along with the added input of the state of the nation ( Rail strike, meat, and housing shortages etc.), made this an outstanding book. I enjoy books that not only relate to the main story but also the side notes into the various trials and tribulations of the characters, and our history. These players coming back from WWII were hero's in many people's eyes prior to the war but most definitely returned to the diamond bigger heros. We thank God for these guys everyday. May God Bless those who did not return to the diamond because they paid the ultimate price. A great read!
After reading "The House That Ruth Built" by the author Robert Weintraub I was anxious to get this one. I was not disappointed at all. The telling of the 1946 baseball season along with the added input of the state of the nation ( Rail strike, meat, and housing shortages etc.), made this an outstanding book. I enjoy books that not only relate to the main story but also the side notes into the various trials and tribulations of the characters, and our history. These players coming back from WWII were hero's in many people's eyes prior to the war but most definitely returned to the diamond bigger heros. We thank God for these guys everyday. May God Bless those who did not return to the diamond because they paid the ultimate price. A great read!
October 6, 2021
Among the books on baseball I've read, only "Crazy '08" is better. Like that book, Weintraub does a great job of working in the rather intense economic and social factors that impacted the players and the business of baseball. There are a lot of surprises here involving that context and some subplots that were new to me and completely fascinating. Plus, the war time stories of the returning veterans are incredible. Let's just say my already high opinion of the great Warren Spahn went even higher.
It's all that AND it's a great retelling of the sensational pennant race in the National League and the legendary World Series that followed.
Every time I set this book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I can't recommend it highly enough.
It's all that AND it's a great retelling of the sensational pennant race in the National League and the legendary World Series that followed.
Every time I set this book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I can't recommend it highly enough.
June 19, 2022
Glory Days …..
Today’s baseball is better, in fact. It is integrated, with the fall of the reserve clause players are fairly compensated based on their perceived worth and the sport’s revenue stream. Training and medical care is much better.
But the game was more romantic and lyrical in 1946, when American’s returned from war and craved a rest.
This book is an enjoyable read, especially for a child of the early 1950s as I am who recalls some of those players fondly. It brings to mind the magic of a kids’ game being player by grown men, but also recalls the serf-labor conditions the players faced along with the adoration of millions, but such hero worship wouldn’t buy the players bread or beef, let alone housing.
Yes, baseball is a more fair, less bigoted bit of big business now.
But as singer Paul Simon asked, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio ….?
Today’s baseball is better, in fact. It is integrated, with the fall of the reserve clause players are fairly compensated based on their perceived worth and the sport’s revenue stream. Training and medical care is much better.
But the game was more romantic and lyrical in 1946, when American’s returned from war and craved a rest.
This book is an enjoyable read, especially for a child of the early 1950s as I am who recalls some of those players fondly. It brings to mind the magic of a kids’ game being player by grown men, but also recalls the serf-labor conditions the players faced along with the adoration of millions, but such hero worship wouldn’t buy the players bread or beef, let alone housing.
Yes, baseball is a more fair, less bigoted bit of big business now.
But as singer Paul Simon asked, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio ….?
November 5, 2018
I'm a baseball junkie and this hit a triple! It touched on the players war time experiences but not as in depth as i had hoped all the while chronicling the 1946 season. it was easy reading but I would have liked a little more meat on the bone. Too much of the stories were superficial and all the major characters could have used more fleshing out. Jackie Robinson was a major side story but even his experience is given short shrift. I try not to be too negative because as a whole the book was entertaining and dealt with a year that is almost forgotten in baseball lore.
June 13, 2020
Odd book. It starts out describing the post-WWII resumption of major league baseball with the players who had been away in the military but then mostly transitions to discussion of the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals who met in the 1946 World Series. Occasionally the author breaks from major league baseball to describe Jackie Robinson's minor league season with the Montreal Royals.
It was OK but it wasn't really what I was expecting, which would have been a broader look at what was happening with more of the teams. Oh well.
It was OK but it wasn't really what I was expecting, which would have been a broader look at what was happening with more of the teams. Oh well.
August 18, 2019
It feels like it tries to hurry through some parts because it is already getting full (the paperback form tops out at over 400 pages) and as a result, you're left wanting more detail.
It is very readable with the chapters rarely exceeding 14 pages but because of the chronological layout of the methodology of the book, the bouncing around from topic to topic leaves you having to go back to remember why some of the lesser known names were important.
It is very readable with the chapters rarely exceeding 14 pages but because of the chronological layout of the methodology of the book, the bouncing around from topic to topic leaves you having to go back to remember why some of the lesser known names were important.
September 12, 2022
I received this book as a gift and finally got around to reading it. At first I found the stories disjointed and the anecdotes numerous and confusing, but as the season/book continued, everything came together and culminated in the (of course) World Series. Loved the Jackie Robinson accounts and the descriptions of not only the players but the fans and owners as well. A great look into baseball’s past.
June 26, 2019
Some areas were kind of boring, and it seemed like some chapters were scatterbrained, but overall, this book was pretty awesome and very interesting. Any baseball fan would enjoy this one. A lot of very interesting stuff was happening in baseball in 46 and I think the author did a good job of writing about it.
September 15, 2024
Probably the best book of the 1946 season that I have read. Weintraub does a good job covering the major players but also covers many of the minor players and their return. Much of the story has been covered in many books: Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, Larry MacPhail. This is an easy read.
May 17, 2020
This book gives an excellent overview of the 1946 season and what led up to it, including great discussions of WWII and the integration of baseball with Jackie Robinson. I would highly recommend it for any baseball enthusiast.
June 20, 2025
It was a slow start, but really picked up. I like that the vast majority of the focus was on baseball’s full year from returning from war and the parallel with Jackie Robinson integrating the minors. The World Series recap was riveting.
November 30, 2025
Long but thoroughly researched and technically written. The book recounts the stories of a number of war veterans and their contributions both to WWII and the '46 season - these tales are among the high points of the book.
August 30, 2019
One of th best and finest baseball books I've ever read; maybe top of my list.
May 12, 2020
Lots of sports history but also all the sights and sounds of the times. It remined me sort of how the recovery from this virus may go.
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