The Cooperstown Chronicles
Baseball's Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises
By (author) Frank Russo
Not available to order
Publication date:
23 October 2014Length of book:
304 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442236400
Professional baseball has always consisted of a variety of characters, from likeable youngsters to notorious rebels. From 1871 to the present, the sport has witnessed the likes of Germany Schaeffer, an infielder with a penchant for “stealing” first base; Joe Medwick, the only player ever removed from a game for his own safety; and first baseman Hal Chase, noted for being one of the most corrupt players in baseball history.
The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game’s well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player’s personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years.
However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.
The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game’s well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player’s personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years.
However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.
The Cooperstown Chronicles: Baseball’s Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises, expands on the basic premise of his website [thedeadballera.com] by presenting short, typically one- to- five- page, biographies of players from the late nineteenth century to the present time. Rather than focusing on the players’ individual accomplishments on the diamond, Russo situates the players within their historical context and attempts to reveal their personalities, problems, and life after baseball. Casual baseball fans will immediately recognize some of the players, such as Ty Cobb, Don Drysdale, Lefty Grove, and Casey Stengel . . .One of the strengths of Russo’s work is his encyclopedic knowledge of all eras of baseball; another is his particular interest in players from the deadball era (prior to 1920). . . .Cooperstown Chronicles: Baseball’s Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises is an informative, indeed entertaining volume that introduces the reader to the lives of baseball players, most of whom have been forgotten. The totality of the biographies reveals how baseball and players have changed and how the context has evolved.