dereksilva's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I am a baseball fan and even though I hadn't heard of any of the players in this book because they all played in the dead-ball era, this was a fantastic book. Hearing these old men reminisce about their time in the majors was a treat. I didn't know every player, game, or situation they references, they did talk about well known players like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Before each interview, the author also gives a brief bio of the player and other relevant info, like the lengths he went to in order to find the player or what the player has been up to after retirement. I would 100% recommend it to baseball fans.
miked755's review
5.0
I've read this book many times, but I tried the audiobook for the first time, and it was magnificent. Hearing these legends of the game tell their stories in their own voices was an entirely new way to experience the granddaddy of baseball oral histories.
wagmore's review
3.0
Repetitive at times--all the old guys seem to reminisce about the same things. But touching and thrilling at times too, so worth the read, if you're a baseball fan.
timhoiland's review against another edition
5.0
A true classic in the pantheon of baseball writing, this book presents the stories and recollections of early twentieth-century players like Fred Snodgrass, Hank Greenberg, and Lefty O'Doul in their own words. Although fuzzy, black-and-white images often come to mind when we envision that bygone era, the colorful personalities that emerge in these pages are full of life.
schylermartin's review
5.0
Amazing book. Each man's story has something unique and fascinating to offer, whether it's a story of an interaction with Ty Cobb on the baseball field, or the way a player fell head over heels in love with the woman who would become his wife. Historically fascinating and emotionally fulfilling, I was only required to read up to chapter 15 for my history class, but I loved this book from start to finish and found it impossible to put down.
guinness74's review
5.0
Oral histories from players in the dead ball era. This book is like sitting down to hear your grandfather tell stories of what it was like when he was a kid. If you enjoy that sort of thing, this book is for you...particularly if you're a baseball fan. If you don't enjoy it, or don't like baseball, move along! Ritter steps out the of way as author. He's more of an editor or compiler than anything. These are words straight from the players themselves. I wish it had been longer.
thomcat's review
5.0
As relevant today as it was in 1966 and it will be in 2066. Filled with stories and pictures from the deadball era, as told through the recollections of several players who were there.
In the introduction, the author tells us the idea for this collection came to him on the death of Ty Cobb, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in baseball history. The resultant book is a top baseball bestseller and the original audio tapes are themselves in the baseball hall of fame.
This rating is based on the enlarged edition, published in 1984, and frequently re-read. This reading is of the audio version from the library, which is a subset of the original tapes with Larry Ritter's introductions. It ends with John "Chief" Meyers reading Casey at the Bat.
In the introduction, the author tells us the idea for this collection came to him on the death of Ty Cobb, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in baseball history. The resultant book is a top baseball bestseller and the original audio tapes are themselves in the baseball hall of fame.
This rating is based on the enlarged edition, published in 1984, and frequently re-read. This reading is of the audio version from the library, which is a subset of the original tapes with Larry Ritter's introductions. It ends with John "Chief" Meyers reading Casey at the Bat.
bobbo49's review
4.0
Although I think this book only appeals to baseball fans, it is a wonderful story of baseball in the early 20th Century, told in the words of the players themselves, including many Hall of Famers. The chapters are each about a different player, and are essentially the transcribed interviews conducted by the author in the mid-1960s. Funny and nostalgic, their memories are clear and beautifully told.