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When the Boys Came Back: Baseball and 1946
Recounts one of baseball's most dramatic seasons, when such players as Bob Feller, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, and Joe DiMaggio returned from the war front, the Mexican league rivaled America's, and Jackie Robinson was signed by the Dodgers.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 12, 2022
This is 'inside baseball' at its best. The book describes the complete season of 1946, the first full season after the end of the war.
It starts by describing the slow return of the demobilized men as they trickle out of the war in various states of fitness or injury and goes into spring training and the end of spring training, when the teams start taking trains north through the country, barnstorming and playing exhibition games as they make their way back to their home cities and fields. It goes through the spring and summer of the '46 season describing how the teams are performing, with particular focus on the various players, managers, owners and journalists as they play out their roles in the season...and more players trickle back from the European and Pacific theaters of war.
The book also places the baseball season somewhat in context of the economic and sociological conditions that changed, from inflation to the housing shortage to the discrimination of major league baseball by starting to consider incorporation of players from the Negro Leagues.
It rolls into the midseason and then into the end of the season and the playoffs, with attention to how the play wears down the players and hits especially hard the players who had just spent years literally at war, and how those who had easy jobs at war were not ground down so hard.
It finally finishes with the pennant races and the World Series. Along the way we also see the beginning of a players association, the competing Mexican League, and some all-time stars such as Stan Musial and Ted Williams.
The book is completely about baseball with some looks at the social context, but if you are looking for the social context and do not appreciate baseball then this is probably not the book for you. But if you can absorb all those facets of American society in the context of baseball then this is a quick and interesting read.
It starts by describing the slow return of the demobilized men as they trickle out of the war in various states of fitness or injury and goes into spring training and the end of spring training, when the teams start taking trains north through the country, barnstorming and playing exhibition games as they make their way back to their home cities and fields. It goes through the spring and summer of the '46 season describing how the teams are performing, with particular focus on the various players, managers, owners and journalists as they play out their roles in the season...and more players trickle back from the European and Pacific theaters of war.
The book also places the baseball season somewhat in context of the economic and sociological conditions that changed, from inflation to the housing shortage to the discrimination of major league baseball by starting to consider incorporation of players from the Negro Leagues.
It rolls into the midseason and then into the end of the season and the playoffs, with attention to how the play wears down the players and hits especially hard the players who had just spent years literally at war, and how those who had easy jobs at war were not ground down so hard.
It finally finishes with the pennant races and the World Series. Along the way we also see the beginning of a players association, the competing Mexican League, and some all-time stars such as Stan Musial and Ted Williams.
The book is completely about baseball with some looks at the social context, but if you are looking for the social context and do not appreciate baseball then this is probably not the book for you. But if you can absorb all those facets of American society in the context of baseball then this is a quick and interesting read.
January 30, 2014
1946 was a momentous year for baseball, the USA & the world. This book concentrates on the 1946 season but touches on other topics of that time.
Baseball
Players who had been away from Major League Baseball for up to four years try to pick up where they left off. Some find that their skill levels because of age, wartime injuries or their passion for the game have left them unable to compete.
Mexican millionaire Jorge Pasquel creates an independent league that he wants to stock with ML players and begins throwing megamoney(for the era) around and threatened the pay structure of baseball.
Jackie Robinson and several other blacks are signed by Branch Rickey that leads to integration in 1947.
Union organizer Bob Murphy approaches players to form a guild. He failed but caused enough stir to force owners to create a minimum yearly salary($5,000), a player pension($1,200/yr) and other concessions.
A scintillating NL pennant race that ends in a tie & 1st ever playoff.
World Series goes to a 7th game that's decided by Enos "Country" Slaughter scoring from 1st on a single by Harry "The Hat" Walker. The winning pitcher was Harry "The Cat" Brecheen who pitched two innings of relief after throwing a complete game the day before.
Baseball
Players who had been away from Major League Baseball for up to four years try to pick up where they left off. Some find that their skill levels because of age, wartime injuries or their passion for the game have left them unable to compete.
Mexican millionaire Jorge Pasquel creates an independent league that he wants to stock with ML players and begins throwing megamoney(for the era) around and threatened the pay structure of baseball.
Jackie Robinson and several other blacks are signed by Branch Rickey that leads to integration in 1947.
Union organizer Bob Murphy approaches players to form a guild. He failed but caused enough stir to force owners to create a minimum yearly salary($5,000), a player pension($1,200/yr) and other concessions.
A scintillating NL pennant race that ends in a tie & 1st ever playoff.
World Series goes to a 7th game that's decided by Enos "Country" Slaughter scoring from 1st on a single by Harry "The Hat" Walker. The winning pitcher was Harry "The Cat" Brecheen who pitched two innings of relief after throwing a complete game the day before.
March 8, 2009
As the title indicates, this is a book about the 1946 baseball season. What's so special about that season, you may well ask? There were 3 reasons to write such a book.
ONE: This was the first season in which all major league players who had served in the military during World War II returned. No one knew what would happen on an individual nor on a team basis. Some were in good shape, while others were not. Some had even been wounded! But they were all older, and many had not played in 3 or 4 years.
TWO: The book discusses some of the beginnings, however feeble, of the players' efforts to improve their lot. The concept of a union wasn't apparent, but there were some improvements.
THREE: Jackie Robinson. He spent this season, not in the major leagues, but as a member of the Brooklyn Dodger farm team, the Montreal Royals. His performance in Montreal was such that few thought he could be denied a chance the following year in the major leagues except for his race.
ONE: This was the first season in which all major league players who had served in the military during World War II returned. No one knew what would happen on an individual nor on a team basis. Some were in good shape, while others were not. Some had even been wounded! But they were all older, and many had not played in 3 or 4 years.
TWO: The book discusses some of the beginnings, however feeble, of the players' efforts to improve their lot. The concept of a union wasn't apparent, but there were some improvements.
THREE: Jackie Robinson. He spent this season, not in the major leagues, but as a member of the Brooklyn Dodger farm team, the Montreal Royals. His performance in Montreal was such that few thought he could be denied a chance the following year in the major leagues except for his race.
August 23, 2024
A good book about one of the most interesting years in baseball as the WWII vets came home and the game transitioned into the modern era with Robinson the next year. The author covers the season well with the highlights of the race for the pennants and many of the players returning. He does a good job filling in the background of baseball and the players leading up to 1946. Also some information on the of many of the players.This is also one of the failures of the book as it seems much was left out that could have been covered. Several players were mentioned but seem to be left off the story in the middle of the season.
A good read for the baseball fan. There are a lot of books that fill in the holes in the story.
A good read for the baseball fan. There are a lot of books that fill in the holes in the story.
January 23, 2020
A highly readable history of baseball in 1946. What made 1946 memorable? Well, the return of the majority of players from World War II, some of whom weren't the same, some of whom were, and all of whom had to re-establish their place in the national game. From Ted Williams to Harry Breechen to minor-leaguer Jackie Robinson, there are so many interesting stories here, and Turner weaves them together well to chronicle two excellent pennant races and a seven game World Series. Excellent history for baseball fans.
November 20, 2017
Interesting insight into baseball's return to normality after WWII. It provides an invaluable insight into the ordeal lived by some, and the greatness of others (Musial, Williams, DiMaggio) that even a major war could not deter.
Great!
Great!
April 10, 2021
00:22 04/10/21
Audio
Middlebury, VT
Good but far from great. Kind of all over the place and while interesting not really a detailed story
Audio
Middlebury, VT
Good but far from great. Kind of all over the place and while interesting not really a detailed story
May 3, 2016
read SOMETIME in 1998
July 12, 2016
You really need to love baseball to enjoy this book. I like the sport, but it just did not pull me in. Until the series games at the end.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews