The Baseball Book Club discussion

Share your thoughts on the Giants, Dodgers and Yankee from New York's "Golden Era" of baseball here.

Is it safe to say that this era (1947-57) featured more Hall of Famers than any other? I'm not a stat geek but I can't help but wonder if the golden era was a (or maybe the) prime source of Cooperstown candidates.

While I read "The Era" by Roger Kahn many years ago (and really enjoyed it) I am not aware of many other baseball books out there that touch on the same subject. Does anyone in the group have some book recommendations that would complement Mr. Kahn's effort?

James, I would highly recommend this book
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
The Summer of 49 by David Halberstram
This was my review
iew I'm so glad I finally sat down and read this classic; there is no disappointment here. What a fabulous read. It has all a baseball fanatic could ever want.
1949 was a bit before my first MLB ball game interest but this book, written 40 years after the season with the aid of most of the principle players, captures brilliantly one of the best pennant chases in history between two of the greatest rivals of all time: the Yankees and the Red Sox. At a time when baseball and American culture was on the verge of a monumental change because of television, this season was still played out in the imaginations of radio listeners.
I laughed out loud at some of the anecdotes about Ellis Kinder, Casey Stengel, Phil Rizzuto, and Yogi Berra. I felt like I got to know some of the greats from an earlier generation that I had seen only for a short time after that glorious season. I loved getting to know Bobby Doerr, Kinder and Allie Reynolds, Joe McCarthy, Eddie Lopat, Vic Raschi,, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky. I already knew plenty about Teddy Ballgame(although I did learn how he got that monicker here for the first time)and Joe DiMaggio.
I had expected the book to be more cerebral, but Halberstam writes as if he were that 15 year old kid who shared that exuberance he experienced in 1949 with the reader. You feel his love for the game and for the players especially the Yankees. The contrast between the disciplined, stoic, and money driven Yankees and the more laid back fun loving Red Sox is evident. Perhaps as Birdie tebbets opined, the difference between the two great teams may have boiled down to the Yankees having had Joe Page as their great reliever.
One item left me sad but not surprised. The only player who refused to meet Halberstam for an interview was Joe DiMaggio. The most graceful of all players apparently couldn't be gracious to one of America's best writers. Maybe there was no money in it for him. (less)

This is also a great book James, called Electric October because it was the first televised world series.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3....
Here is my review if you want too much information.
" The title of this wonderful book capsulizes its content. This is the story of one of the greatest World Series ever played, and the role of six men whose fate will forever be linked to that 1947 series. Kevin Cook brings it alive and the reader is sucked into the battle between the analytical Yankee skipper Bucky(Wonder Boy) Harris and his counterpart Burt Shooten of The Dodgers. Shooten was old school and managed from instinct that didn't serve him well in 1947 despite a full seven game series. I was mesmerized by the life stories of these six men that included two Yankees, pitcher Bill Bevens and second baseman Snuffy Stirnweiss. The former is remembered in baseball lore for almost throwing a no hitter in a world series and the latter for his .429 on base percentage in that series. Snuffy is almost a forgotten hero. he won a batting title in 1945 but was always teased by teammates as a "cheesy title" because it was war time and many players were drafted. Snuffy never got over that insecurity. The two Dodgers are little know Al Gionfriddo who made "the catch" before Willie Mays made his 1954 miraculous catch. His grab came off of a DiMaggio ball that could have tied the tied game six. Until that day, his manager couldn't even remember his name. He would call for that "little Italian" fellow on the rare occasion that he played in a game. The other is more famous. His name was Cookie Lavagetto, a utility player, and he and big Bill Bevans(the city boy and the farm boy) would forever be linked by the double Lavagetto hit to break up Bevans' no hitter with two outs in the bottom of the 9th of game four. Joined like Ralph Branca and Bobby Thomson, Bevans would often ask Cookie why he had broken up his no hitter. Was it rhetorical or was Bevans serious? Bevans was bitter for decades thereafter because he was remembered for the loss rather than his successful relief stint in the last and deciding game of that series. I'll covey one story of many that I found fascinating. Bevans was haunted by his game four loss. He remembered, that an inning or two before Al Gionfriddo had stolen second base, umpire Babe Pinelli had assured Bevans that if there were a close play at second base, Pinelli would call the runner out. Yet on this very close call, Pinelli yelled safe. That fatal call led to Lavagetto's double and two men scored. Pinelli would never answer Bevans' question why he didn't give him the benefit of the doubt and keep the no hitter in tact.
Lavagetto, famous for the double and for the reaction from DiMaggio(kicking the dirt near second base-a rare display of emotion from Joe D), went on to coach or manage in the majors as did Bucky Harris. I found the life story of Harris the most compelling. Here was a guy who at age 24 was a player/manager of the 1924 Washington Senators that won a World Series. He then managed the Dodgers and ultimately near his death made the Hall of Fame. He literally dined with Presidents(Cal Coolidge), became a DC socialite, but baseball life ruined his first marriage. His last days were hard to learn about. Harris was an innovator. he created the first relief pitcher and the first closer in baseball. When he neared the end of his career, he welcomed the bright stars of Mantle and Mays and said the modern player was better than the idealized players of old. Yet all these men have a thread to others-especially Lavagetto. It's fascinating to read the six degrees of separation that these men have with other more famous players Like Billy Martin, Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb,Tommy Lasorda et. This is a must read for baseball fans and it's written in an easy going fashion-very reader friendly. (less)

f

This one I read a few years ago and it was okay, but for those who are truly interested in that time, this is one worth checking out - "New York City Baseball - The Golden Age 1947-57"

https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/se...

Another one is Baseball's Pivotal era 1945-1951 by William Marshall. Funny it was sitting rigjt next to The ERA on my bookshelf.

Harold, Lance, and Mike:

Thank you all for the book recommendations. I will be adding them to my Book Hunt List for when my local bookstores and libraries reopen... whenever that may be.

I did read "Summer of 49" by David Halberstam but that was many years ago. I also enjoyed his "October 1964" and "The Teammates". He was a terrific writer whom we lost way too soon.

I used Passover to finish both The Boys of Summer and The Era. Enjoyed both; Kahn was quite the writer. At this point I’m enjoying reading about baseball more than watching old games. Unfortunately with the kids home all the time I haven’t had much concentration to write reviews. At least I’ve been enjoying these books.