Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms: A Lifetime of Memories from Striking Out the Babe to Teeing It Up with the President

by Elden Auker, Tom Keegan

Kick back and take a trip in time to meet some of baseball’s all-time great personalities, with one of them as your own personal guide. Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms brings baseball legends to life through the eyes of Elden Auker, a submarine-style pitcher in the American League from 1933 through 1942. Auker, one of the last living pitchers to have faced Babe Ruth, teamed with baseball greats Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, Jimmie Foxx, Charlier Gehringer, and Mickey Cochrane, played against the likes of Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Dizzy Dean, and Bob Feller, and struck up off-the-field friendships with many of them. He takes readers behind the scenes and into the clubhouse for stories like the time Babe Ruth pummeled a sticky-fingered roommate who later went on to have a Hall of Fame career of his own.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, History, Nonfiction, Biography

218 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"Baseball careers and Oreo cookies have short shelf lives. They vanish before you realize it. Man cannot live on baseball and Oreos alone. Anyone who tries to do so is bound for disappointment." -- Elden Auker

Auker's claim to fame is ten seasons (1933-1942) in major league baseball, with six of those as a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. His contributions helped the franchise win consecutive World Series championships in '34 and '35. (His other teams were the Boston Red Sox - his single year there coincided with future superstar Ted Williams' rookie season - and the St. Louis Browns, these days known as the Baltimore Orioles.) He retired at only 32 years old to spend three years assisting with the war effort - during America's time in WWII - by working in aircraft/weapons manufacturing.

Although Auker may not be a super-known quantity in the MLB history, he appears to have been a decent guy of solid Midwestern stock and was also a pretty good raconteur. For those that enjoy baseball and/or American history he has 'up close & personal' stories about personalities (players Babe Ruth and Hank Greenberg; presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan) and his experiences.

[Shay Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elden Auker played on two World Series teams for the Detroit Tigers in the mid-1930's as part of a ten year MLB pitching career. This book is a treasure trove of stories about his life, with many fascinating stories from both his playing days and his later life. I know my baseball, but this book included lots of stuff I never had heard about before. I recommend this book to anyone who loves baseball.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chapters on Ted Williams aloe are reason to read this treasure of a memoire.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are three reasons why this is one of the best books of memoirs by a major league baseball player. The first is that Auker played with and against many of the legends of the game. The names of the other players are Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Grove, Williams, Cochrane, Gehringer and the Deans among others. His firsthand accounts of his interaction with other players, specifically Dizzy Dean and Ted Williams run counter to much of what others said about them.
For example, he describes Dizzy Dean as a very articulate man, quite different from his public persona. He also explains that Ted Williams was a naive rookie that dressed poorly because he was sending every penny that he could to his mother, to pull her out of difficult circumstances. His opinion of Leo Durocher is consistent with that of all other sources.
The second reason is that Auker operated in a more sophisticated arena when his baseball career was over. He describes an encounter with Senator Harry Truman and a lengthy social engagement with Joseph Kennedy Senior that included some very frank comments about how he earned his fortune and what he thought of his sons. The meeting took place after the death of Joe Junior and Senior expressed his angst over his demise in World War II.
The third reason is that the writing is excellent, the action moves along very well, with very little excess verbiage. Some of the books by athletes that are ghostwritten are poorly done with awkward prose. This one makes them look shameful.

[Dennis Garone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Mr Auker interviewed on WFAN (Mike Francesa) in 2000. He was promoting his book and his stories and wit talked me into buying the book.
I never read it then.

While cleaning a cabinet I came across the book and decided to read it. I am glad I did. The players he speaks about from the 30 s and 40s are way before my time but their reputations and skills are interesting to hear about almost 90 years ago.

His career covered the torch passing from Ruth/Gehrig to Greenberg/Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio.

A quick read with lots of anecdotes, stories and opinions.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little folksy but a lot of inside information that has never been revealed.

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good history of the 1930's baseball by a player. Good stories though many have been in other publications. Auker is a good storyteller and his life after baseball is also a good view of the times.

[Mike Picano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autographed with a personalized letter to me. Elden was my old neighbor up near Bryson City, NC. He was amazing to hang out with and talk about Babe Ruth and the World Series. Great book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and intimate look at 1930's baseball. Auker competed against, and offers wonderful stories about, some of the luminaries of the game. Going into this book, I was a little worried Auker was going to "awww shucks" the narrative, and offer only platitudes and vague tales, but I had that fear dispelled immediately with his clear-eyed and damning take of Leo Durocher and the mystery of Babe Ruth's missing $100 bills! Well worth the reading for fans who want a look behind the scenes of old time baseball.

[Michael Holbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories, but also sometimes boring. An obvious “as told to” book, it contains loads of stories of how baseball was before it was a multi-millionaire’s game. If you enjoy baseball, as well as its history, you’ll enjoy this book. It definitely tries to keep the “By golly, gee wilikers” homespun feel, yet makes no bones about the player’s feelings for certain players … cough, cough… ahem …Pete Rose …”

[Spiros · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely memoir of Auker's life, in and out of Major League baseball. Unlike most baseball memoirs, it is not arranged chronologically: Auker and his co-writer have faith that we will be able to follow the threads. In his 10 year career, Auker won 130 games, and didn't seem to come across any teammate or opponent that he didn't have a good word for, with the glaring exception of Leo Durocher.

[Michael Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good "baseball" book for the fan and non-fan alike. The fan will like the peek behind the curtain on some of the greats of the game as told by someone who played during the era. The non-fan will like the story of a man who happened to play baseball and the lives of some of the interesting people inside and outside of baseball that he met.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book of anecdotes from baseballs earlier days. It had some funny stories about the famous players from the 30s. If you enjoy baseball history it is definitely one to add to your list.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top 10 baseball books I've ever read, maybe top 5. Funny, touching, simple first hand account of the first 90 years of Elden Auker.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a little bit of everything from the golden age of baseball. The stories were funny, pointed, and honest. A very good book for any fan of the game.

[Thomas Nahigian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice visit to the past, when Elden Auker knew Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Feller, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams.

[Harriet Lobascio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elden Auker who? But he knew/met all the baseball greats. A small book with great baseball stories. A fun, light reader for baseball enthusiasts.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful little memoir about old-time baseball.