What I've Been Reading These Days

I've been reading a lot lately.  It has been my escape from thinking about work all the time.  And most of the books I have been reading have been about the Red Sox.  I have branched out a little bit and read a number of biographies of lesser-known players.

THEY CALL ME OIL CAN
Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd was a pretty good, occasionally great, pitcher who came up with the Red Sox in the early 1980's.  He also possessed one of the greatest baseball nicknames of all time.  Oil Can wrote his autobiography to share his rather difficult life and his absolute love for the game.  He grew up in poverty and dealt with racism from an early age.  He overcame those issues and made it to the Major Leagues.  Unfortunately, he got hooked on drugs and began squandering his abilities.  Injuries and his drug use eventually led to his exit from the game.  Boyd is not a terribly inspirational figure.  He makes no apologies for his drug use and other extreme lifestyle choices.  But his love for the game is undeniable and he was definitely a character.  This book is not for everyone.

FEAR STRIKES OUT
Jimmy Piersall was also a well-known character for his time.  Though his issues had more to do with a nervous breakdown.  Piersall had a tough life growing up as well.  His mother had her own mental health issues and spent a significant time in a hospital.  Piersall lived to please his father, which led to putting immense pressure on himself.  He married young and found himself trying to support his parents as well as his growing family, putting even more pressure upon himself.  Piersall grew up a Red Sox fan and devoted himself to making it to the Majors with Boston.  This all culminated in a nervous breakdown which led to his admittance to a mental institution.  Through therapy and apparently, electro-shock treatment, Piersall recovered.  He was still quirky throughout his career, but he learned to deal with the pressures and made his own mark on the game.

PUMPSIE AND PROGRESS
Pumpsie Green was the first black player to play for the Boston Red Sox, the last team to integrate.  This one is not an autobiography and includes a number of essays dealing with other related issues.  The first half of the book tells the tale of Green's life and career.  Green was not a particularly great player, but he was decent enough and his place in history is secure, if not necessarily wanted.  Other chapters detail the sham of a tryout of Jackie Robinson, Sam Jethroe, and Marvin Williams that the Red Sox held in 1945, two years before Robinson broke the color line with the Dodgers.  Unfortunately Red Sox brass did not appear serious about actually signing any of the players, the tryout was done more to appease council member Isadore Muchnick who threatened to make it difficult for the Red Sox to play Sunday baseball.  There was also a lengthy discussion about Muchnick himself, and an update on the current ownership.  One issue that I would have liked to see get more coverage is Dan Duquette's regime when the Red Sox really shed a lot of their racist historical image.  I remember very well the mid 90's when Boston had a number of black players in the field.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO COOPERSTOWN
Mickey McDermott, like Oil Can Boyd, squandered his abilities due to being more interested in pursuing drinking, women, and partying.  He also did not seem to think he needed to work hard.  McDermott had a ton of natural talent and threw harder than most pitchers of his time, but he was incredibly wild.  Rather than work on his control, he just tried to blow the ball by hitters.  He eventually became a pretty good pitcher, but then he was traded and continued to throw his career away.  He thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Yankees, more due to the nightlife than his mediocre performance.  McDermott bounced around quite a bit after that, playing for a few more Major League teams and appearing in the independent leagues as well.  He had a pretty good thing going when he was a players' agent, but his drinking got in the way of that as well.  Eventually, McDermott cleaned up his act and even won the Arizona lottery, meaning his financial troubles were over.

Those Pesky Autographs

This is my third Johnny Pesky autograph.  Pesky is one of my favorite all-time players and one of the team's most underrated stars.  Pesky always did whatever was best for the team, hitting second and moving runners, moving to third when Boston acquired Vern Stephens, and so much more.  He also spent years in Boston after his playing career was over, whether as a coach, manager, or even just a roving minor league instructor.  Pesky deserved to have his uniform number retired due to his tireless efforts to work with the team.

This is a particularly interesting card since it is a cut autograph.  Pesky died recently so it is not possible for him to sign new cards.  This is obviously cut from a check he wrote.  It is an extremely interesting concept.

Well, I figure I will use this opportunity to segue into a topic that does not come up often on this blog anymore, a book:

Some time ago I was on a big kick about finding books about the Red Sox, and in particular focusing on underrepresented topics.  So when I saw a biography about Johnny Pesky, I decided to jump on it.  Pesky was featured in David Halberstam's The Teammates, but this was the first book focused entirely on his career that I came across.  Pesky was a very interesting player, leading the league in hits each of his first three Major League seasons, and spending some time in service of the U.S. in World War II.  He was a very good player and an excellent #2 hitter.  The book is interesting enough, but it is not terribly in-depth.  It is a quick and easy read and covers the major portions of his life and career.  It is just not as detailed as some books I have read, in particular the ones about Ted Williams.  I liked it fine, but it did not feel truly complete to me.  The book was also written before Pesky's death, so it truly was not complete in that sense.  The author Bill Nowlin has written a number of books about baseball, and in particular the Red Sox.  I am jealous of his career.  I would love to do something like that.

Quick Book Reviews

I have been reading a ton and do not feel like spending a lot of time looking at each individual book.  In particular since these books are ones that I have read before.  This is at least the second, sometimes the third time I have read each of the books to follow.

HITTER: THE LIFE AND TURMOILS OF TED WILLIAMS by Ed Linn

I was given this book many years ago by the girl I was dating at the time.  She was the most understanding girlfriend about my Red Sox obsession and got me a couple of Ted Williams books, a Carlton Fisk bobblehead, and a Trot Nixon jersey.  This is a an incredibly in-depth book that does not necessarily treat Williams sympathetically all the time.  Williams was a petulant young man when he made it to the Majors, prone to mental lapses in the field and concerned mostly about his hitting.  It did however show him as an incredibly thoughtful player when it came to his hitting.  The book did not deal much with his off-field life, in particular his life after baseball.  It did deal with his military service in depth, which was an impressive part of the overall Ted Williams story.  All in all, it was an intriguing look at the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived.

RED SOX NATION: AN EXPURGATED HISTORY OF THE BOSTON RED SOX by Peter Golenbock

This is a nice thick book that I first read in spring 2006.  I remember having this book with me when I went to Boston to see the Red Sox play the Devil Rays at Fenway Park.  I read the whole thing during the few weeks between graduating from law school and beginning my Bar Exam Prep course.  This book is mostly told through the observations of players, fan, and writers that were there to witness the events.  As such it is a little short on information prior to Tom Yawkey's reign.  I would have liked more information, particularly about the 1920's-1932 since that is an era not covered very often in books.  The rest of the book though was thoroughly researched and intriguing.  The book actually carries through the 2004 World Championship.  Again, this is something that pleased me quite a bit as I do not have many books from the World Championship.

THE TEAMMATES: A PORTRAIT OF A FRIENDSHIP by David Halberstam

A very short story taking a look at the remarkable friendship between Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky which continued long after the foursome retired from the Major Leagues.  The book is mostly told through flashbacks and the narrative device is the long road trip that DiMaggio and Pesky took to see Ted Williams just prior to his death.  Doerr was unable to be present due to his wife's illness.  It is a quick read and does discuss the careers that the four players had as well as their lives after their careers were over.  It is unfortunate that Doerr is the last of these four players still alive.

THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO by Dan Shaughnessy

This is actually the first Red Sox book I ever read.  Of course you can tell from the cover that it is quite a bit out of date.  The book covers the supposed curse that affected the Red Sox from the time they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees and covers the repeated inabilities of the Red Sox to win the World Series.  The particular moments are the 1946 World Series (Johnny Pesky holding the ball and Enos Slaughter's mad dash for home), 1948 playoff game (Denny Galehouse), 1949 season (Ellis Kinder being pinch-hit for in the last game), the early 70's folds, 1975 World Series, 1978 playoff game (Bucky Bleepin' Dent), and the 1986 World Series (Bill Buckner's error).  Shaughnessy's theory is that there is a curse.  More likely it has all been bad luck.  Of course Boston has since won the World Series twice in 2004 and 2007.

Book Review: The Babe in Red Stockings

I have actually had this book for a very long time.  It was not my first Red Sox book, that honor belongs to The Curse of the Bambino by Dan Shaughnessy, but it was one of the earliest.  I had read something about its upcoming release and decided it was one that I really wanted.

I had previously read a book about Babe Ruth, but the Red Sox portion of his career took up just one chapter.  It was disappointing to me as a Red Sox fan.  This book strives to be the most complete chronicle of the all-time great's first five seasons, all spent in Boston.  The amount of detail in this book is truly remarkable as it follows a chronological story of the development of George Herman Ruth into the superstar he eventually became.

What is often lost in the legend of Babe Ruth is that he was already a massive baseball star prior to his acquisition by the Yankees.  Ruth was widely considered the best pitcher in the league as early as 1916, just his second full season.  And his hitting was already making waves as well.  Of course Ruth would not last as a pitcher because his bat became much too important to not use everyday.

This book briefly discusses Ruth's early life until the point that he was signed by the Red Sox, almost as an afterthought, when the team sought to pick up Ernie Shore, a great pitcher in his own right.  Ruth spent most of the 1914 season in the minors but managed to pitch a few games for the Red Sox.  He then burst upon the scene in 1915.

The book covers Ruth's World Series history in great detail, emphasizing his incredible scoreless innings streak.  It also tells numerous humorous stories, such as the time that Ruth tossed his piano into a pond and his frequent difficulties remembering names.  It discusses the number of times Ruth attempted to jump the team.  Ruth was apparently quite the handful and it was likely part of the reason that Harry Frazee sold him to the Yankees.

Of course the sale to the Yankees is a major portion of this book.  It attempts to look into the various reasons why that sale came to be.  It was most likely a combination of factors, financial and baseball-related.  The theory was that Ruth was sold and the money gained was to be used to purchase another star as the Yankees did not have enough talent to make a trade even.

It is quite clear from reading this book that Babe Ruth was already a force to be reckoned with in baseball even early with the Red Sox.  This is a fascinating read for Red Sox fans and even general fans of baseball.  There just is not enough information out there about Babe Ruth in his Red Sox days.  This book is a fantastic in-depth look at that time period.

Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston

One of the things that has always bugged me the most about being a Boston Red Sox fan has been their poor history with African American players.

The Red Sox had the first shot at Jackie Robinson, along with Sam Jethroe and Marvin Williams in 1945.  But it was not something organized by the Red Sox because they really wanted to integrate that early.  They were driven to do the tryout by a local City Councilman name Isadore Muchnick who threatened to withdraw his support of Sunday baseball games if they did not comply.  Since playing baseball on Sundays required unanimous support from the City Council, this could have potentially been a crippling blow.  So Boston was never really serious and even though team leaders felt the players could play well, the team passed.

Later on they had other chances with Piper Davis, who was actually in the team's system and was the first African American signed to a professional contract by the Red Sox but never made the Major Leagues, and the great Willie Mays.  Yes, Boston could have had both Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays.  That is sad.  Instead they were the last team to integrate in 1959 when utility infielder Pumpsie Green made his Major League debut as a pinch runner.

The author Howard Bryant posits the theory that a large reason for the team's dismal performance in the 1950's and 1960's was due to the team's unwillingness to fully integrate.  Even after Green and Earl Wilson, they still never really had more than a couple of black players on their roster at any given time until 1967.  Bryant also covers some of the individual stories of players, paying particular attention to the plights of Wilson, Reggie Smith, Jim Rice, Ellis Burks, and Mo Vaughn.  He also spends a great deal of time discussing some of the racial issues in the city of Boston at large, particularly in the 1970's and 1990's.

It is a very interesting read even though the tone is not overall very positive.  As I said, Boston had a rather poor history with black players.  It was so bad that many players refused to come to Boston after free agency began.  I remember particularly David Justice and Marquis Grissom putting no trade clauses into their contracts preventing them from being traded to the Red Sox.  That was one of the first moments that I realized that things were not terribly great there.  I still found it to be a fascinating read.

I did have a few complaints.  Bryant alluded to some issues with George Scott and Ferguson Jenkins in their time with the Red Sox, but it was never expanded upon.  In addition, one minor detail that was incorrect that was actually a very important one.  Bryant mentions Billy Hatcher as the Red Sox first black free agent signing.  In actuality it was Herm Winningham.  Both players were speedy outfielders from the Reds that came to Boston in 1992.  But Winningham was a free agent.  Hatcher was acquired in a trade for Tom Bolton during the season.  Finally, I do think that he glossed over the teams from the mid to late 1990's.  Boston was very integrated at that time featuring among others, the following players: Vaughn, Andre Dawson, Otis Nixon, Lee Tinsley, Wes Chamberlain, Troy O'Leary, Reggie Jefferson, Mark Whiten, Willie McGee, Dwayne Hosey, Tom Gordon, Heathcliff Slocumb, Shane Mack, Darren Lewis, Damon Buford, Butch Huskey, and more.

Bryant ends the book on a hopeful note with the purchase of the team from the present ownership group.  Unfortunately I do not feel that this group has been an improvement from a racial standpoint.  Dan Duquette had always had a number of black players playing for the team.  That number has declined dramatically since this ownership group took over.  It is to the point that Jackie Bradley Jr. has been the only non-Latin black player to play for Boston this year.  Of course the percentage of African American players in Major League baseball has a whole has been declining dramatically as well.  It just feels to me as if this ownership group has actually been a step backward.

This is an important issue and it is interesting to read the theory that the team's struggles may have been due to the failure to integrate.  To a large degree that appears to have been the truth.  It is certainly telling that as soon as the attitudes changed in the mid 1960's and Dick O'Connell was the general manager that the team's fortunes improved significantly.  This carried through the entire time O'Connell was there and once he was fired and the old practices returned, the team again struggled.  It does appear to be true.  There may be other explanations, but this was a part of it.

Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis: The Red Sox of the 1950's

I am going to do something a little bit unusual here.  Father's Day coming up tomorrow has brought to mind one of the things that my dad has passed down to me: his love of reading.  My dad has always loved reading books, but unlike many people, he is a non-fiction reader.  It is this enjoyment that I have inherited from him. My dad has dozens of books about World War II.  If I am ever at a lack of something to get him for his birthday, Christmas, or Father's Day, I know I can always pick up a WWII book and that he will enjoy that.  I am the same way, except instead of WWII, I read anything and everything about the Red Sox.

My younger brother bought me this book for my birthday last month.  It was on my Amazon want list which he had access to.  I chose this book because it is a period that I have not read a lot about.  The Red Sox were mostly mediocre in the 1950's.  Sure they had some star players but they did not have much pitching and their refusal to dip into the talented Negro Leagues for players began to have a negative impact on the team's fortunes on the field.  The Red Sox had a highly talented team in 1950, lead by an incredible offense which collectively hit .302.  Yes, the team as a whole batted higher than .300.  That is incredible.  Unfortunately that was the height for the Red Sox in the 1950's and they declined significantly over the course of the decade.

The book is organized as short biographies on individual players for each chapter.  It sought to discuss some of the more notable names from the team over the decade.  I was a little surprised that Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky were all omitted, though most of their impact was felt in the 1940's rather than the 1950's.  All three would have two full seasons in the 1950's.

Obviously Ted Williams was the biggest star and he does have a lengthy section devoted to him.  But it is the lesser players that are far more interesting.  There are some fascinating stories about the failed bonus baby signings such as Marty Keough, Frank Baumann, Don Buddin, Ted Lepcio, and others.  These players had to be in the Major Leagues for two seasons following their signing without being sent to the minors, a practice that probably stunted their growths as Major League players and lead to disappointing careers.  Boston tried to develop young players but just had a lot of trouble getting anyone good, leading to a highly disappointing stretch of time in Boston.  Jimmy Piersall had a nervous breakdown and exhibited some bizarre behavior.  And of course there is the tragic story of Harry Agganis, one of the greatest athletes to ever come out of Boston but died in just his second season for the Red Sox of a pulmonary embolism.

Of course there were some good players.  Mel Parnell was the top pitcher and Tom Brewer had some good years.  Jackie Jensen was an MVP in 1958, but retired after the 1959 season due to a paralyzing fear of flying.  Dick Gernert had a couple of good seasons, along with underrated catcher Sammy White.  And then there are Vern Stephens, Frank Malzone, Pete Runnels, Bill Goodman, and Mickey Vernon.

Much of the reason that Boston struggled so much in the 1950's was the institutional refusal to sign black players.  Integration in the game helped many teams play better.  Here was a massive number of talented players that could be signed relatively cheaply.  Yet Boston was slow to respond, whether due to ownership or the general manager, it did not really matter.  Pumpsie Green was the team's first black player in 1959, a full 12 years after Jackie Robinson.  Boston had a chance with Robinson, Willie Mays, Sam Jethroe, and others.  But they did not take it.  And that hurt the team for years.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit.  It covered a number of players I did not know that much about and that is always what I look for in a book about the Red Sox, easily my favorite subject.