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The Cooperstown Chronicles: Baseball's Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises
Professional baseball has always consisted of a variety of characters, from likeable youngsters to notorious rebels. From 1871 to the present, the sport has witnessed the likes of Germany Schaeffer, an infielder with a penchant for “stealing” first base; Joe Medwick, the only player ever removed from a game for his own safety; and first baseman Hal Chase, noted for being one of the most corrupt players in baseball history.
The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game’s well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player’s personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years.
However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.
The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game’s well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player’s personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years.
However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.
- GenresSportsBaseballNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 26, 2022
It was an interesting read. I'd like to see another edition
May 31, 2015
Review title: Just another baseball book
Mildly interesting accounts of baseball players careers, lives, and deaths, with a focus on the bad (beanballers and brawlers) and the sad (drunks and suicides). The accounts of the players lives off the field are of some interest and might have been more interesting if expanded. The accounts of the players' careers between the lines are both boring and beside the point in most of the accounts.
Another problem is the selection criteria particularly in the chapter on strange demises. Since baseball has a 150 year history it is safe to say that the majority of players who have ever played have passed on, some during or just after their careers, some after long retirements. Russo doesn't seem to have a consistent approach and quite frankly what the subtitle calls "strange" seem fairly straightforward, not strange, and frankly sometimes boring. Maybe he should have picked a smaller subset of the most interesting and expanded on those stories.
This would be a "skip it" for me.
Mildly interesting accounts of baseball players careers, lives, and deaths, with a focus on the bad (beanballers and brawlers) and the sad (drunks and suicides). The accounts of the players lives off the field are of some interest and might have been more interesting if expanded. The accounts of the players' careers between the lines are both boring and beside the point in most of the accounts.
Another problem is the selection criteria particularly in the chapter on strange demises. Since baseball has a 150 year history it is safe to say that the majority of players who have ever played have passed on, some during or just after their careers, some after long retirements. Russo doesn't seem to have a consistent approach and quite frankly what the subtitle calls "strange" seem fairly straightforward, not strange, and frankly sometimes boring. Maybe he should have picked a smaller subset of the most interesting and expanded on those stories.
This would be a "skip it" for me.
September 12, 2015
About 100 pages were worthwhile. I was glad to get a clearer picture of Ty Cobb's personality and actions. However, the focus on how people died made this a strange read. I didn't anticipate this, even though it did say demise in the title. I was expecting it to be more of the demise of their careers, like a Joe Cowley.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews