We Played the Game: 65 Players Remember Baseball's Greatest Era, 1947-1964

by Danny Peary

The inside story of the best years of baseball history -- as told by the men who played the game, 1947-1964. It was a fascinating era which began when Jackie Robinson & Larry Doby pioneered baseball integration; & it ended when the N.Y. Yankees lost their dominance of the game. This was the era of Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, &, for the first time, baseball games were televised -- live. The collective voices of 65 ballplayers tell the story of the era: from pitching no-hitters & arguing with managers to alcoholism, groupies, race problems, salary negotiations, & fights on & off the field. This volume tells the real story of a wonderful era of baseball history -- in the words of the only men who could tell it, those who made it live for us. Photos.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

672 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 1994

Reviews

[Harold Kasselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous book(or Atlas, it was so long and the pages so big), and should be a must read for any baseball fan. The author chronicles the "golden era" of baseball through the words of sixty five players from the era. There was a nice mix of stars and utility players, although there were no super stars that contributed their memories which was a disappointment. This was a different game than what we see today or even after the demise of the reserve clause. It was a time said Spider Jorgenson, a former Brooklyn Dodger, when there was little to no fraternization between clubs and players. He pointed out that in the 1947 World Series that umpires sat in the stands for the sole purpose of policing that policy. It was a time when players left their gloves on the field of play between innings. Eddie Stanky "The Brat" would often fill his glove with dirt so when the opposition had to move the glove, they would get a mound of dirt.(gloves were removed after the 53 season.) Brush backs, hitting batters, and retaliation were a given as well. Several pitchers were labeled mean for their tendency to hit batters if things weren't going well-Ewell Blackwell, Early Wynn, and then later Drysdale and Gibson. One pitcher and episode struck me in particular. That was in 1954 when a journeyman pitcher named Marion Fricano deliberately beaned Cass Michael, a former all-star second baseman and ended his career at age twenty eight. Apparently Fricano took exception to five straight hits. It amazed me that Del Ennis, former Phil and Card, said that he would have preferred that MLB not count sacrifice flies as outs because it would have raised his batting average twenty points rather than mandate helmet liners. (of course the sacrifice fly rule was changed but helmets were mandated too). It was also interesting getting the perspective of racial harmony in those days. Mudcat Grant and several others felt that they had the respect of white players on the field, but after games the white players didn't ask them to join them for dinner or drinks. Several white players felt there was no tension beginning around 1950 and that blacks were welcome if they wanted to hang out.. It was clear, however, that for the most part the players didn't fully integrate aside from a few exceptions. This is a long book, but it truly is a great history lesson of the pre-union days when guys cared most about playing the game first and money came second. The consensus of the players was that they felt blessed to have played in the majors despite the autocracy of the owners and their General Managers. The one criticism I have is that it became repetitive having every player talk about who drank, who hung out with whom, which restaurants did they go to, were there cliques, etc. I also found it interesting to hear from their peers which players were the greatest of their eras. No big surprises there but it was still fun. I found this quote from former Reds pitcher Hershell Freeman best summed up the players of that time span: " Looking back, I'd say baseball was harder then. There were more players and more farm clubs and only the very best players made it to the big leagues. The outstanding players from that day would have been outstanding in any era. Every day you would face a Hall of Fame type player."

[Chris Gager · Rating 4 out of 5]

A door-stopping monster of a book(mine's a hard-bound) picked up for NOTHING at our local library's book sale. Because nobody around here wants the leftovers, these books are being offered for free. I picked up a bunch, I did my part, but still, a small pile will wind up being tossed in the recycle hopper at the local dump(I think). This happens every day around this country. BOOOO! Anyway, this is a great book for someone my age, as it covers the first couple of decades after WWII, precisely the time in which my fanhood(Red Sox!) developed and deepened. I was a big baseball(and other) card collector so this will bring back those memories too.

I'm at the beginning of 1951 in this collection of reminiscences. It's fun enough to read, but the stories get to sounding kind of similar, flat and a bit boring after a while. I don't know if a non-fan could stomach it. As for me I find that I recognize the players more and more as time passes(and I get "older"). I was much more a Red Sox/American league fan than a National League fan and the leagues were more separate back then. I started collecting baseball cards in the mid-fifties and I haven't quite gotten there yet. Looks like it'll be a while before I'll be done with it.

I just noticed that this book is in my "read' section. Nope! When I am done it'll be an accomplishment.

Well into it now - up through 1957, about the time my interest in baseball was moving towards its semi-obsessive peak, where it would linger for many a year. I have very clear memories of following Lew Burdette's amazing performance in the '57 World Series. This was my first year away from "home" - Massachusetts, from which we moved to Boulder in the wake of my parents' divorce. Baseball cards were bought any time I had money to spend - usually by getting it(begging...harassing... stealing) from my mother.

Almost done now right in the middle of 1946, the last year covered. This has been an enjoyable read for me, a lifelong baseball fan whose earliest years as a Red Sox fan(mid-1950's to 1964) are covered here. The enduring topics contained in their testimonies are being traded, drinking problems, integration, love of baseball, family challenges when Dad is on this weird schedule and has to move around a lot and MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. Even when allowing for inflation, these players were grossly underpaid relative to today's. As of the end of the book there is no player's union, but there will be... soon... and the rest is history.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good oral history of baseball covering 1946 (even though the title says 1947)-1964. While viewed as the "Golden Age" of baseball, and as a timeless period, the sport saw many changes. The 65 players who tell their tales range from Hall of Famers like Harmon Killibrew and Brooks Robinson, to stars like Don Newcome and Tim McCarver to everyday players and guys who only made it to the bigs for a cup of coffee.

The book moves chronologically, with each year divided up into three chapters of remembrances - The NL, the AL and the World Series. There are no interstitial chapters or prologues which explain major happenings for the given year (something I think would have improved the work). If you didn't grow up in these years and have no memory of them, you have to wait for a particular player (or group of them) to remark on a happening to get a feel for its specific importance. Many years have a specific theme running through the narratives of the given players: 1946 - returning from the War; 1947 - Jackie Robinson and the breaking of the color barrier; 1949 - the shooting of Eddie Waitkus; 1951 - Mantle; 1953 - the Westward expansion; 1958 - the transition from trains to planes; 1961 - Mantle & Maris.

Comments on friendships, how players on the road spent their down time, who drank and who didn't are also common in the discussions.

It's a great read for those interested in the history and evolution of baseball and pretty much that's it. It's long at over 600 pages and the book is oversized with a two column format - which would dissuade any but the most ardent fan or historian. Still a really interesting and unique work.

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was born in 1945 so this book covers the years (1946-1964) that I discovered baseball and grew to love it.
It is a great reference book of the era as it is the players observations and it is a widely quoted book in the many books written about the teams, players and owners of this period.
My problem with the book is that there is no narrative that ties all the statements and facts together. You have player A saying manager X was the best he played for, then player B saying manager X was the worst he ever player for. Unless you have read or followed the teams and/or players through other sources it is hard to separate the facts.
I read the book from cover to cover which probably not the best way to read it as there is a very uneven coverage of teams from year to year as players changed teams and retired.
Overall a great read for any baseball fan.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Episode 282: “We Played the Game BASEBALL BY THE BOOK podcast NOV 16, 2020 ⋅ 59:06 Inspired by "The Glory of Their Times," Danny Peary spent two years in the early 1990s traveling the country searching for retired baseball players. The result was a massive oral history featuring interviews with 65 former stars, journeymen and bench warmers from "Baseball's Greatest Era, 1947-1964." Peary joins us to discuss his classic book.

[Russell R · Rating 5 out of 5]

good baseball book

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a lifelong love affair with the game of baseball, and this book is different and remarkable in that it is a collection of interviews with 64 players who played the game between 1948 and 1964, baseball's golden age. In the first person, these players reveal the glory and the heartache of being a major leaguer prior to the reserve clause and a strong players union. It was a difficult task negotiating with stingy owners and GM's, and unless you were top of the line you were treated with something less than respect, for there was always somebody down in the minors waiting to take your place. Pitchers pitched longer, pitched with sore arms, and pitched more often. Position players never admitted to any injury, for if they sat for a day to recover it might turn into forever. Many managers were fickle that way, and didn't play players they didn't know very well or like. I once wanted to play the game, but after reading the book am perhaps glad that I didn't. And I admire those who did even more. This book also chronicles the integration of the game and how blacks and other persons of color were treated at the beginning. It is not only a book about baseball. It is a book about culture, the American experience, and everyday life. I highly recommend it to anyone brave enough. It is not a small book. And in some ways it is quite sad.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories from a transformative time in the game. Almost on par with the touchstone, Glory of Their Times.
This book paints a very interesting picture of both labour relations and race relations in major league baseball during this era. It is also very illuminating to read about teams moving to new cities for the first time in half a century. And the baseball stories are just great in and of themselves. Not everyone is a star, but everyone has their story. I particularly enjoyed Vic Power, Ryne Duren and Eddie Joost's takes on the game.

[Jim Melcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top-shelf baseball oral history from the post war era until 1964.

[Ted]

I've just looked at this book, and I may not have read it. I have so many baseball books, will correct at a later date.