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Herb Pennock: Baseball's Faultless Pitcher
Herbert Jefferis Pennock (1894-1948) was a Hall of Fame pitcher for the dynastic 1920s New York Yankees. Considered one of the best left-handed pitchers in history, Pennock won 241 games on the mound, never lost in his five World Series starts, and came within four outs of pitching the first no-hitter in a World Series in 1927. More than just a great pitcher, Pennock was well-respected by teammates and locals alike. He was known as a principled, practical gentleman, with an intellect that matched his pitching skills and a humanity that bested both.
In Herb Pennock: Baseball's Faultless Pitcher, Keith Craig recounts Pennock's ascent from well-to-do Kennett Square to the heights of major league baseball. Signed by the Philadelphia A's legendary Connie Mack as an 18-year-old school boy, Pennock would flourish into a dependable pitcher for the New York Yankees. He was part of the iconic Murderer's Row team and played a crucial role in their World Series victories. For 22 seasons, Pennock's forte was control, not power; he studied each hitter, every at bat, and exploited all weaknesses. When Pennock's playing career came to an end, he used that same single-minded diligence as the General Manager of the woeful Philadelphia Phillies, where he reinvented the team through the careful development of its farm system that resulted in the 1950 pennant-winning Whiz Kids.
Including interviews with Pennock's family members and Kennett Square residents who personally knew the baseball legend, Herb Pennock: Baseball's Faultless Pitcher is the first biography to paint such a complete picture of Pennock and the times he lived in. Featuring original photographs provided by his family, this book delivers an invaluable look into the life of a great ballplayer, savvy front-office executive, and honorable man.-- "Gregg's Baseball Bookcase"
In Herb Pennock: Baseball's Faultless Pitcher, Keith Craig recounts Pennock's ascent from well-to-do Kennett Square to the heights of major league baseball. Signed by the Philadelphia A's legendary Connie Mack as an 18-year-old school boy, Pennock would flourish into a dependable pitcher for the New York Yankees. He was part of the iconic Murderer's Row team and played a crucial role in their World Series victories. For 22 seasons, Pennock's forte was control, not power; he studied each hitter, every at bat, and exploited all weaknesses. When Pennock's playing career came to an end, he used that same single-minded diligence as the General Manager of the woeful Philadelphia Phillies, where he reinvented the team through the careful development of its farm system that resulted in the 1950 pennant-winning Whiz Kids.
Including interviews with Pennock's family members and Kennett Square residents who personally knew the baseball legend, Herb Pennock: Baseball's Faultless Pitcher is the first biography to paint such a complete picture of Pennock and the times he lived in. Featuring original photographs provided by his family, this book delivers an invaluable look into the life of a great ballplayer, savvy front-office executive, and honorable man.-- "Gregg's Baseball Bookcase"
437 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 4, 2018
It's almost kind of funny to review a book like this, because the audience for it is pretty simple: If you would ever pick up a book about Herb Pennock, you'll like the book :). Though far too dense (content-wise) to appeal to a mass audience, this is perfect tome for hardcore fans of baseball history.
"Baseball's Faultless Pitcher" is pretty much a straight bio of Pennock, focusing mainly on two areas:
1. His playing career, including coming up to the big leagues with Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics, making a name for himself in Boston, and then having his best years on the "Murderer's Row" Yankees.
2. His time as GM of the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1940s, turning an absolute moribund franchise into the pennant-winning "Whiz Kids" of the 1950s.
Pennock is an intriguing biographical subject for a number of reasons: His upbringing was quite wealthy, yet he still possessed an innate drive to succeed at everything he did. As a player, his successes were largely overshadowed by Ruth, Gehrig, and the like, but his presence on those teams (as a rare solid lefty pitcher of the day) as nearly as important. His physical stature was not intimidating whatsoever, yet his pinpoint control and assortment of slow curves allowed him to succeed for many years. His shrewd business practices turned the Phillies franchise completely around in the span of five years.
Again, I think the take-home message about this book is that if you'd ever be inclined to pick it up, you'll find something to enjoy within its pages. The fact that I had to use inter-library loan to find a copy three states from my own doesn't speak all that well towards its mass success, but if you can or want to find it, it is worth your time to do so.
"Baseball's Faultless Pitcher" is pretty much a straight bio of Pennock, focusing mainly on two areas:
1. His playing career, including coming up to the big leagues with Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics, making a name for himself in Boston, and then having his best years on the "Murderer's Row" Yankees.
2. His time as GM of the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1940s, turning an absolute moribund franchise into the pennant-winning "Whiz Kids" of the 1950s.
Pennock is an intriguing biographical subject for a number of reasons: His upbringing was quite wealthy, yet he still possessed an innate drive to succeed at everything he did. As a player, his successes were largely overshadowed by Ruth, Gehrig, and the like, but his presence on those teams (as a rare solid lefty pitcher of the day) as nearly as important. His physical stature was not intimidating whatsoever, yet his pinpoint control and assortment of slow curves allowed him to succeed for many years. His shrewd business practices turned the Phillies franchise completely around in the span of five years.
Again, I think the take-home message about this book is that if you'd ever be inclined to pick it up, you'll find something to enjoy within its pages. The fact that I had to use inter-library loan to find a copy three states from my own doesn't speak all that well towards its mass success, but if you can or want to find it, it is worth your time to do so.
March 15, 2023
Stupid title and obsequious writing!
May 30, 2016
Hi all,
Just finished reading Keith Craig's book: "Herb Pennock: The Faultless Pitcher." Interesting read, straightforward writing. The most interesting part is the author's belief that Pennock never made the telephone call to Branch Rickey that had a racial slur about Jackie Robinson. Craig presents evidence in an attempt to dispute that. Since the very unreliable (and opportunistic) Harold Parrott of the Dodgers was the original source of the anecdote, he might have a point. But you will have to judge for yourself.
Here is the link to my review:
http://bobdangelobooks.weebly.com/the...
Bob
Just finished reading Keith Craig's book: "Herb Pennock: The Faultless Pitcher." Interesting read, straightforward writing. The most interesting part is the author's belief that Pennock never made the telephone call to Branch Rickey that had a racial slur about Jackie Robinson. Craig presents evidence in an attempt to dispute that. Since the very unreliable (and opportunistic) Harold Parrott of the Dodgers was the original source of the anecdote, he might have a point. But you will have to judge for yourself.
Here is the link to my review:
http://bobdangelobooks.weebly.com/the...
Bob
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