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An October to Remember 1968: The Tigers-Cardinals World Series as Told by the Men Who Played in It
An October to Remember 1968: The Tigers-Cardinals World Series as Told by the Men Who Played in It recalls one of baseball's most celebrated championship series from the voices of the players who still remain--a collected narrative from a bygone era of major-league baseball as they reflect fifty years later.
Modeled after Lawrence S. Ritter's celebrated book, The Glory of Their Times--for which the author traversed the country to record stories of baseball's deadball era--An October to Remember 1968 will likewise preserve the days of baseball past, gathering the memories of the remaining players of the great Tigers and Cardinals teams to assemble their accounts into a vibrant baseball collection.
The 1968 World Series came at a time of great cultural change--the fading days of fans dressing up for ballgames, the first years of widespread color TV--and was an historic matchup of two legendary teams, pitting star power head-to-head and going the distance of seven hard-fought games.
From the voices of the players themselves, An October to Remember 1968 illustrates in detail what it was like to be a 1968 Tiger, a 1968 what it was like to win it all and to lose it what it was like to face Bob Gibson peering in from the mound, Al Kaline digging in at the plate; what it was like, in the player's own words, to remember the days of that most special period in the history of America's national pastime.
Modeled after Lawrence S. Ritter's celebrated book, The Glory of Their Times--for which the author traversed the country to record stories of baseball's deadball era--An October to Remember 1968 will likewise preserve the days of baseball past, gathering the memories of the remaining players of the great Tigers and Cardinals teams to assemble their accounts into a vibrant baseball collection.
The 1968 World Series came at a time of great cultural change--the fading days of fans dressing up for ballgames, the first years of widespread color TV--and was an historic matchup of two legendary teams, pitting star power head-to-head and going the distance of seven hard-fought games.
From the voices of the players themselves, An October to Remember 1968 illustrates in detail what it was like to be a 1968 Tiger, a 1968 what it was like to win it all and to lose it what it was like to face Bob Gibson peering in from the mound, Al Kaline digging in at the plate; what it was like, in the player's own words, to remember the days of that most special period in the history of America's national pastime.
- GenresSportsBaseballNonfiction
353 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2018
18 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 18, 2020
I would give this 0 stars if I could, it really is that bad. The writing style is disjointed and convoluted, do not recommend.
August 17, 2020
This is a complete waste of time. Do not buy unless you want to lose brain cells. It is poorly written and written by a 16 year old.
May 2, 2022
It was a fun read. If you are a baseball fan and feeling nostalgic for the type of baseball played during the golden era, then this read is for you. '68 was the tail end of the golden era of baseball. I vaguely remember the series and I certainly remember nearly all the prominent Tigers players. It was an age when the minimum salary was $7,000.
This book is a series of raw interviews with several survivors of both teams. The flaw of the book is that it was written about 45 years after the series. Many of the players and coaches were dead. The author was trying to piece together the story of the '68 season and series by interviewing the survivors 45 years after the fact which is always difficult. Also, the author did little editing. It was like reading a rather long magazine article. Still, I appreciated the interviews. I really liked the story of Cardinals Catcher, Tim McCarver who was sent to the mound to try to slow down Cardinal Cy Young winning pitcher, Bob Gibson. Gibson would say something like, "What are you doing out here? The only thing you know about pitching is that you can't hit it."
Dick Tracewski of the Tigers told a story about Sandy Koufax. Manager Walter Alston would come to the mound and ask "Sandy, how'd you feel?" Sandy said, "I don't feel worth a damn but I'm better than that guy warming up." 31 game winner Denny McLain said that he was warming up in case Mickey Lolich tired in game 7, after both Mickey and Bob Gibson pitched 3 complete games in the series. McLain said, "Oh I would've loved to come in... I just never believed that the ball was in anybody's hands better than mine." Bob Gibson gave up 38 earned runs the entire '68 season. He won 251 games in his career and pitched 258 complete games! '68 was the year of the pitcher and there were no better than Gibson and McLain, but the star of the World Series was the rubber armed Mickey Lolich. Back then catchers called the pitches and managers would be scared to yank a starting pitcher like Gibson for a reliever. It was truly a different game.
The ball players would ramble on, telling old baseball stories and occasionally compare it to today's game. A few of them said that the game has changed but it's not all bad. One player said 9 out of 10 changes he thought were for the better. In fact, a few lamented that they wish they would have taken more pitches like modern player do but back then, striking out was a disgrace. The modern ballplayer doesn't seem to mind. They also like the way the modern ballplayer is taken care of by management. These guys all had to find a job in the off-season, and they all worked after retirement.
I found one note that said that Tiger's shortstop, Ray Oyler, who was inserted in the 9th inning of 4 games for defensive purposes but never made a play. I just watched the 7th game of the '68 World Series and he in fact, caught a line drive in the 9th. Also, the author let several players tell their version of the infamous Gates Brown hot dog story and every version was a little different. Time plays tricks on a man's brain. All-in-all, it still works.
I just read Cantor's book about the '68 season. That book focused on the Tigers and this book gives about equal attention to both teams. Also, Cantor covered the Tigers as a beat writer and his bias toward certain players was discernable. Donley seems to have no bias and merely composed an entire book of eye-witness interviews. If you crave baseball nostalgia and you want to learn more about the '68 series and the golden era of baseball, then this book is worth reading. Just don't expect Dan James Brown "The Boys in the Boat" caliber writing.
This book is a series of raw interviews with several survivors of both teams. The flaw of the book is that it was written about 45 years after the series. Many of the players and coaches were dead. The author was trying to piece together the story of the '68 season and series by interviewing the survivors 45 years after the fact which is always difficult. Also, the author did little editing. It was like reading a rather long magazine article. Still, I appreciated the interviews. I really liked the story of Cardinals Catcher, Tim McCarver who was sent to the mound to try to slow down Cardinal Cy Young winning pitcher, Bob Gibson. Gibson would say something like, "What are you doing out here? The only thing you know about pitching is that you can't hit it."
Dick Tracewski of the Tigers told a story about Sandy Koufax. Manager Walter Alston would come to the mound and ask "Sandy, how'd you feel?" Sandy said, "I don't feel worth a damn but I'm better than that guy warming up." 31 game winner Denny McLain said that he was warming up in case Mickey Lolich tired in game 7, after both Mickey and Bob Gibson pitched 3 complete games in the series. McLain said, "Oh I would've loved to come in... I just never believed that the ball was in anybody's hands better than mine." Bob Gibson gave up 38 earned runs the entire '68 season. He won 251 games in his career and pitched 258 complete games! '68 was the year of the pitcher and there were no better than Gibson and McLain, but the star of the World Series was the rubber armed Mickey Lolich. Back then catchers called the pitches and managers would be scared to yank a starting pitcher like Gibson for a reliever. It was truly a different game.
The ball players would ramble on, telling old baseball stories and occasionally compare it to today's game. A few of them said that the game has changed but it's not all bad. One player said 9 out of 10 changes he thought were for the better. In fact, a few lamented that they wish they would have taken more pitches like modern player do but back then, striking out was a disgrace. The modern ballplayer doesn't seem to mind. They also like the way the modern ballplayer is taken care of by management. These guys all had to find a job in the off-season, and they all worked after retirement.
I found one note that said that Tiger's shortstop, Ray Oyler, who was inserted in the 9th inning of 4 games for defensive purposes but never made a play. I just watched the 7th game of the '68 World Series and he in fact, caught a line drive in the 9th. Also, the author let several players tell their version of the infamous Gates Brown hot dog story and every version was a little different. Time plays tricks on a man's brain. All-in-all, it still works.
I just read Cantor's book about the '68 season. That book focused on the Tigers and this book gives about equal attention to both teams. Also, Cantor covered the Tigers as a beat writer and his bias toward certain players was discernable. Donley seems to have no bias and merely composed an entire book of eye-witness interviews. If you crave baseball nostalgia and you want to learn more about the '68 series and the golden era of baseball, then this book is worth reading. Just don't expect Dan James Brown "The Boys in the Boat" caliber writing.
August 18, 2020
I read this book and I felt the author was trying to overcompensate for something. It was boring, lacking detail, and just seemed like a trust fund kid had nothing better to do with his time.
August 18, 2020
If I could give this book 0 stars I would. It’s a waste of time and money. Do not recommend.
August 19, 2020
Awful!!! Could not finish it!
August 19, 2020
Literally the worst sports book I’ve ever read, written by an obvious troll who cares nothing for baseball or literature. Save your money and buy Astroball by Ben Reiter :)
August 18, 2020
This book is garbage and doesn’t seem it was written or edited very well. I highly recommend not wasting your money on it.
May 10, 2019
This was a fun book for me to read. I have been a Tigers fan since 1960 and I loved having the opportunity to revisit the 1968 World Series, especially knowing the outcome. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that, unfortunately, the book came across as somewhat disjointed, more than I expected. I did love getting a sense of who the players really were. Often times our heroes are people who can do no wrong and we just assume they are good people. This book does paint the players as they see themselves, which isn't always worthy of hero worship, which is okay. I'm glad to get a better picture of what they were like back in 1968.
I loved Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Gates Brown, Mickey Stanley, Norm Cash, Jim N0rthrup, Bill Freehan, Dick McAuliffe, and Mickey Lolich. I count many of the Cardinals as some of my favorite players as well. The book gives a great picture of the baseball culture of that time. The salaries of the players, the way pitchers were used and handled, the travel schedule, and the status of the players and how they interacted with the public are all so different from today's environment. 1968 was a time when that soon changed with team expansions, free agency, and salary structure. Mr. Donley paints a very good picture of the era. As I look back, that time was a more innocent time that soon changed. I found myself checking on players that weren't interviewed to see if they were still alive and where they were.
To be able to experience it thorough Mr. Donley's book was especially enjoyable. That particular time in Detroit's history was very difficult with the riots that ripped apart the city and the changes that were occurring with civil rights and fallout from the Vietnam war. The '68 season and World Series victory played an important role in giving all of Detroit reason to feel good and have hope. Kudos to Mr. Donley for this book, a must read for any Detroit Tiger fan.
I loved Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Gates Brown, Mickey Stanley, Norm Cash, Jim N0rthrup, Bill Freehan, Dick McAuliffe, and Mickey Lolich. I count many of the Cardinals as some of my favorite players as well. The book gives a great picture of the baseball culture of that time. The salaries of the players, the way pitchers were used and handled, the travel schedule, and the status of the players and how they interacted with the public are all so different from today's environment. 1968 was a time when that soon changed with team expansions, free agency, and salary structure. Mr. Donley paints a very good picture of the era. As I look back, that time was a more innocent time that soon changed. I found myself checking on players that weren't interviewed to see if they were still alive and where they were.
To be able to experience it thorough Mr. Donley's book was especially enjoyable. That particular time in Detroit's history was very difficult with the riots that ripped apart the city and the changes that were occurring with civil rights and fallout from the Vietnam war. The '68 season and World Series victory played an important role in giving all of Detroit reason to feel good and have hope. Kudos to Mr. Donley for this book, a must read for any Detroit Tiger fan.
February 17, 2023
Very good book. Brings back a lot of memories. With respect to Tim McCarver who passed away yesterday, I love the story in the book of when Tim was catching Bob Gibson. Tim went out to go over a particular pitch with Gibby, and was yelled at by Gibson saying, “what are you doing coming out here, the only thing you know about pitching is that you can’t hit it. Get back behind the plate.” This book is full of these types of stories. They’re a lot of fun to read.
August 17, 2019
In my view, there are 2 essential elements to an oral history like this. The first is, lots of firsthand content. Donley has done a nice job on this. He was able to connect with a wide range of people - from headliners like Al Kaline, Denny McClain and Tim McCarver; to a lot of the players like Julian Javier and Don Wert; and broadcasters, anthem singers, and people in attendance. There is a wealth of stories in here - some related to the World Series games (like Lou Brock getting tagged out at home or the hit over Curt Flood's head in Game 7) and also outside the games - an introduction for me to me - Lindell AC, the legendary sports bar in Detroit and how the Tigers plane bringing back the world champs couldn't land at the Detroit airport. If you like old, cranky baseball players complaining about today's game and players, you'll find plenty of material to enjoy. Also, parts of McClain's bitterness and arrogance is on display throughout.
The second essential element is how to give this material structure to make it meaningful. One of the best examples of this that I have seen is Terry Pluto in books such as his history of the ABA. This is the area where I don't think Donley measures up. He tries to use snippets from the announcers to help provide context, but if you aren't well versed on the '68 World Series, it's easy to get lost. With some added commentary and more tightly wound story themes, this would have been a better book.
If you're looking for a good history of the '68 World Series, this book is probably not your best to start. But if you are looking for some good first hand accounts of baseball from this era, you'll enjoy the breadth of content Donley has assembled.
The second essential element is how to give this material structure to make it meaningful. One of the best examples of this that I have seen is Terry Pluto in books such as his history of the ABA. This is the area where I don't think Donley measures up. He tries to use snippets from the announcers to help provide context, but if you aren't well versed on the '68 World Series, it's easy to get lost. With some added commentary and more tightly wound story themes, this would have been a better book.
If you're looking for a good history of the '68 World Series, this book is probably not your best to start. But if you are looking for some good first hand accounts of baseball from this era, you'll enjoy the breadth of content Donley has assembled.
February 3, 2022
Subtitle: The Tigers-Cardinals World Series as Told by the Men Who Played in It
I was seven years old at the time this World Series took place, and wouldn’t actually pay attention to any World Series until 1971. Among Cardinal fans, the 1968 World Series is known for three things: 1) the Cardinals blew a 3 games to 1 lead, 2) Bob Gibson’s 17-strikeout performance in winning game one, and 3) Curt Flood’s misplay of a Jim Northrup flyball that opened the gates for Detroit to win game seven.
October to Remember 1968 covers all of those points and much more. I’d say only about half of the book concerned the actual World Series games and off-the-field occurrences between the games. The rest addresses how the game of baseball was played in that era, the stories of the players before and after the world series, and the relationships between the teammates on each ballclub.
I gave October to Remember 1968 five stars on Goodreads. Although I dislike that the Cardinals lost the series, from collecting baseball cards, I knew that many of the players on both teams played into the 1970s, and at least one into the 1980s. I recommend it to anyone looking for a nostalgic look back at baseball as it was played in the 1960s.
I was seven years old at the time this World Series took place, and wouldn’t actually pay attention to any World Series until 1971. Among Cardinal fans, the 1968 World Series is known for three things: 1) the Cardinals blew a 3 games to 1 lead, 2) Bob Gibson’s 17-strikeout performance in winning game one, and 3) Curt Flood’s misplay of a Jim Northrup flyball that opened the gates for Detroit to win game seven.
October to Remember 1968 covers all of those points and much more. I’d say only about half of the book concerned the actual World Series games and off-the-field occurrences between the games. The rest addresses how the game of baseball was played in that era, the stories of the players before and after the world series, and the relationships between the teammates on each ballclub.
I gave October to Remember 1968 five stars on Goodreads. Although I dislike that the Cardinals lost the series, from collecting baseball cards, I knew that many of the players on both teams played into the 1970s, and at least one into the 1980s. I recommend it to anyone looking for a nostalgic look back at baseball as it was played in the 1960s.
September 21, 2018
It is a good book but the problem with oral histories is that sometimes the memories are a bit disjointed and you would wish for a straight narrative. Another problem with this book is that two of the prime players --Bob Gibson and Mickey Lolich didn't participate. Lolich has his own book out about the series--it is great--and apparently couldn't participate with this book due to contractual obligations. As for Gibson--it probably was because Gibson was just being Gibson...it doesn't matter that he struck out 17 guys in game one of the series--he is a competitive guy and they flat out lost the series. I especially liked the comments from Al Kaline in the book--he remains so genuine. On the other hand, there is Denny McLain and you can hardly believe much of what he has to say unless it is collaborated by someone else and even then you have to second guess it because Denny may have paid them off.
It is a fun book for any serious Tiger fan especially after this season as it seems memories are all we have.
It is a fun book for any serious Tiger fan especially after this season as it seems memories are all we have.
November 24, 2020
Very much enjoyed a new take on the 68 series and events surrounding it.
Inspired by “Glory of Their Times,” several members of both teams, but primarily Tigers are interviewed.
Highlights include some deep dives on lesser known players such as Fred Lasher and some less obscure moments of the series such as did McLain warm up in Game 7?
Although the series star, Mickey Lolich refused to be interviewed because he was writing his own book, this book creates an aura around him that probably couldn’t be done otherwise. Reading the comments of teammates and opponents elevates Lolich’s performance into its proper prominence.
Inspired by “Glory of Their Times,” several members of both teams, but primarily Tigers are interviewed.
Highlights include some deep dives on lesser known players such as Fred Lasher and some less obscure moments of the series such as did McLain warm up in Game 7?
Although the series star, Mickey Lolich refused to be interviewed because he was writing his own book, this book creates an aura around him that probably couldn’t be done otherwise. Reading the comments of teammates and opponents elevates Lolich’s performance into its proper prominence.
June 9, 2021
This isn't so much a book but an unedited transcript of interviews given by a handful of players who were still living at the time Mr. Donley started the project. Diehard Tiger fans will appreciate the few nuggets of behind the scenes stories about the 1968 team. But the reading got tedious about half way through, bogged down by meandering interviews and dueling descriptions about the hurling capabilities of Gibson, McLain and Lolich.
December 1, 2018
Reading this felt like finding my long lost box of Topps trading cards from my youth. Donley did a very nice job of weaving the voices of baseball past into a recreation of a time when baseball was really our nation's pastime.
January 22, 2019
Great to hear the stories from the players points of view. Some quotes got to be redundant but a great read about that time in baseball. You can see how much the game has changed. Note: you can watch a highlight show and each game on YouTube.
February 29, 2020
With this book collecting the memories of the players, its a really interesting way to read about this event. You get a great feel for who the players are and excellent details of the important moments in the series.
July 23, 2020
I loved the book. I’m a big Tigers fan and I won 1 dollar because Detroit won game seven. I was 18 and what the
state went through the year before it was good to
celebrate.
state went through the year before it was good to
celebrate.
June 7, 2024
A book about the last "real" World Series that didn't have a division championship series to determine who played in the Series.
The Cardinals the defending Series champions after winning in 1967. The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-1 Series lead led by one of the great pitchers of all time, Bob Gibson.
The Tigers had the greater star power with future Hall of Famer, Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Norm Cash and their own star pitcher Denny McLain who in '68 won 30 games unheard of for a pitcher. To tell you what a rare feat it was was it hasn't been done since. It wasn't McLain who saved the Tigers though. It was lefthander Mickey Lolich who outdueled the great Gibson in the 7th and deciding game as the Tigers came back to win it all 4 games to 3.
The Cardinals the defending Series champions after winning in 1967. The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-1 Series lead led by one of the great pitchers of all time, Bob Gibson.
The Tigers had the greater star power with future Hall of Famer, Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Norm Cash and their own star pitcher Denny McLain who in '68 won 30 games unheard of for a pitcher. To tell you what a rare feat it was was it hasn't been done since. It wasn't McLain who saved the Tigers though. It was lefthander Mickey Lolich who outdueled the great Gibson in the 7th and deciding game as the Tigers came back to win it all 4 games to 3.
August 1, 2022
Great book to read that evoked great memories. I recommend this book to everyone who loves baseball.
I was in college in Detroit during the 1968 World Series. I was studying in the school library which was broadcasting the seventh game on television live. I recall walking home after the Tigers win with everyone driving past me honking their horns and yelling in jubilation. This was a far different atmosphere than the National Guard flying helicopters overhead during the 1967 Detroit riots.
I was in college in Detroit during the 1968 World Series. I was studying in the school library which was broadcasting the seventh game on television live. I recall walking home after the Tigers win with everyone driving past me honking their horns and yelling in jubilation. This was a far different atmosphere than the National Guard flying helicopters overhead during the 1967 Detroit riots.
February 10, 2023
Memories of a Great World Series
I enjoyed reading the players recollection of the 1968 World Series. I didn't care much for the complaints that those players had of today's players. It is always the same. Athletes are bigger and faster than ever before, but the game was better when they played. Maybe that's legit. Baseball has changed since 1968, but it is still a great game.
I enjoyed reading the players recollection of the 1968 World Series. I didn't care much for the complaints that those players had of today's players. It is always the same. Athletes are bigger and faster than ever before, but the game was better when they played. Maybe that's legit. Baseball has changed since 1968, but it is still a great game.
August 20, 2020
SPOILER ALERT! This book is terrible. If you like reading baseball books written by a person who knows nothing about baseball, then this is your book. Otherwise, spend your time watching paint dry or staring at the sun. That would definitely be a better experience. #ForTheHoes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2020
Don't waste your money or time. I have never seen a more ineptly written book about baseball in my entire life.
June 20, 2023
good book
Tigers are No. 1 in 1968. They beat Cards in 1968! The New York Yankees are the best of all times.
Tigers are No. 1 in 1968. They beat Cards in 1968! The New York Yankees are the best of all times.
January 12, 2025
More a compilation of notes and comments. Great record of the times and those teams in that moment of baseball history. You have to really be a fan already to truly enjoy it.
August 18, 2020
Not a good book. Don’t waste your money!!!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews