Play Book Tag discussion

Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball—and America—Forever by Tim Wendel - 3 stars - My Review

This is a book about a tumultuous year in US history as seen through the lens of baseball. 1968 is considered “The Year of the Pitcher” and this book recounts the many pitching accomplishments. The next year, the height of the mound was changed – a decision the author questions. It includes historical events such as war protests, civil unrest, and the assassination of two prominent leaders.

I enjoyed reading anecdotes about skilled baseball players of the era, such as Lou Brock, Curt Flood, Bob Gibson, Willie Horton, Mickey Lolich, and Denny McLain. The World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals is described in just the right amount of detail. The baseball-focused segments are nicely done.

The rest is, however, a bit of a hodgepodge. Many of the events described in the book take place in seasons other than summer. The football stories, and a few about other sports, seemed “thrown in” and are not integrated into the narrative. I remain unconvinced that football supplanted baseball as the “national sport.” In my opinion, it is a regional preference. Football has been king for a long time in the south, but in the west, baseball remains extremely popular.

There is not much depth. It is more a chronicle than an analysis. As a fan of both baseball and history, I found it interesting but the theme could have been better developed.

Oh, I remember this baseball season well! It is the year our Detroit Tiger's won it all! Lolich and McLain, Al Kaline-What a season for us baseball lovers!

Yes, Joanne, this was the Tigers' year. I think baseball fans will really like it, as I did. I just wish the history had been better integrated.