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The End of Baseball: A Novel
Hungry for a pennant, young Veeck jettisons the team's white players and secretly recruits the legendary stars of the Negro Leagues, fielding a club that will go down in baseball annals as one of the greatest ever to play the game.
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
April 25th 2008
by Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
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Another book I really wanted to be great that is merely good. It really needed to be longer. There are a lot of characters in this book and some of them get a short shrift. One character in particular that comes in late. He is nothing more than a uniform that plays well. I'm not even sure he has a speaking part.
I was disappointed by the portrayal of Satchell Paige. From what I have read when he made it to the major leagues he toned down his Satchell Paige act and concentrated o...more
I was disappointed by the portrayal of Satchell Paige. From what I have read when he made it to the major leagues he toned down his Satchell Paige act and concentrated o...more
I tend to be a pretty generous grader... 5 stars might be a touch optimistic but 4.5 would be fair, so I'm going with 4. The premise of this book was pretty unique (to me, at least) and it was very well researched. Bill Veeck Junior buys the lowly Philadelphia A's in 1944 and assembles a team of the greatest Negro League players he can find, integrating baseball with an entire team (3 years before Jackie Robinson).
On paper, the team is the best in the league, but adapting to the pres...more
On paper, the team is the best in the league, but adapting to the pres...more
Try as they may, the vast majority of writers struggle mightily to write passable dialogue between male characters engaged in some sort of serious endeavor (war, police work, athletic competition, etc). In trying to recreate how guys talk in the heat of battle, most writers end of creating dialogue that, while not worthy or George Lucas, is pretty tough to take.
Add Peter Schilling to the list of writers who struggles to write passable male-male conversations.
That minor i...more
Add Peter Schilling to the list of writers who struggles to write passable male-male conversations.
That minor i...more
A Great Alternate Sports History
I found this novel: The End of Baseball on a day spent in Cooperstown. It was a pity that I did not find it in the Hall of Fame; it belongs in their library and bookstore. Baseball respects its past more than any other American sport, but alternate histories are rare. The End of Baseball is one worth reading, if only for the historical and political scenarios brought forth by the writer.
Written by baseball writer Peter Schilling Jr., The En...more
I found this novel: The End of Baseball on a day spent in Cooperstown. It was a pity that I did not find it in the Hall of Fame; it belongs in their library and bookstore. Baseball respects its past more than any other American sport, but alternate histories are rare. The End of Baseball is one worth reading, if only for the historical and political scenarios brought forth by the writer.
Written by baseball writer Peter Schilling Jr., The En...more
"Everyone knows Custer died at Little Big Horn; what this book presupposes is: maybe he didn't?" - Eli Cash
This book takes a fascinating sidebar from the history of Baseball (Bill Veeck's plan to buy the moribund Philadelphia Athletics in 1943, and replace the roster with an All-Star team from the Negro Leagues), and runs with it. The story is replete with such gaudy characters as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, J. Edgar Hoover, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and, of course, t...more
This book takes a fascinating sidebar from the history of Baseball (Bill Veeck's plan to buy the moribund Philadelphia Athletics in 1943, and replace the roster with an All-Star team from the Negro Leagues), and runs with it. The story is replete with such gaudy characters as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, J. Edgar Hoover, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and, of course, t...more
I thought the author did a great job creating (or, capturing, since everyone in the book is based on real people) a lot of believable characters efficiently. The plot outcomes were fairly predictable, which was kind of a disappointment--I like baseball because the outcomes are unpredictable!--but it was still a worthwhile way to spend the time before Opening Day.
One more thing: I can't get over how ugly this cover is. Possibly one of the ugliest books I've read in the last few years...more
One more thing: I can't get over how ugly this cover is. Possibly one of the ugliest books I've read in the last few years...more
It's 1943, and Philadelphia A's owner Bill Veeck has decided that he's going to integrate the game of baseball by fielding an entire team of Negro League players for the 1944 season. The Establishment reacts predictably. What ensues is one of the most enjoyable sports books I've read in a long time. If you're not a baseball fan, you may not love this as much as I did. If you loved Buck Leonard in Ken Burns' Baseball miniseries, or if you know who Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige are, I suspect ...more
as a baseball fan I absolutely loved this book. As someone who's never even had to think about when baseball (or anything for that matter) was 'whites only' this was a very interesting read. I can't even imagine what life was like before the leagues were intergrated.
I enjoyed the description of the plays, the players and the games. And to read about players that I've heard about all my life, was really cool.
I enjoyed the description of the plays, the players and the games. And to read about players that I've heard about all my life, was really cool.
This book was incredible... although it left me wondering how accurate it was since it is a novel after all. Loved it, loved the life Peter Schilling brought to all the characters and the way you got to feel as if you were there - for good or bad- for the first Negro Major league baseball team. Incredible.
This is one of the best novels I've read in a while. Enjoyable change of pace alternate history. What is Bill Veeck integrated baseball during WW II. He brings up the Negro League All Stars to play for the Philadelphia A's. This novel have a historic feel to it and is a page turner. Outstanding.
I love baseball history and good baseball novels and the premise of this book is something that I have often dreamed about when reading about Negro League players: what if a bunch of Negro Leaguers crashed the color line pre-1947 Jackie Robinson? Well, The End of Baseball attempts to answer that.
1943. Black players will comprise the entire Philadelphia Athletics. Players such as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Monte Irvin, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard etc etc make up the cast of characte...more
1943. Black players will comprise the entire Philadelphia Athletics. Players such as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Monte Irvin, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard etc etc make up the cast of characte...more
This was a good novel to read at the end of another dismal, disappointing baseball season for a Cubs fan. The premise: In 1945, during WWII, Bill Veeck buys the Philadelphia Phillies & scours the Negro Leagues to field the best African American players as a major league team, despite stout from the commissioner of baseball, Judge Landis. The key players are familiar names: Satchell Paige, Josh Gibson, Roy Campanella, Cool Papa Bell, and others, plus one real character who is a key player but who...more
Horrifically bad. Among the worst novels I've read through to the end, in this case wondering if the train wreck could possibly be as bad as it looked like it would be. It was.
Interesting What if back in the age before baseball was segregated.
I really liked this story. I wanted something different from my normal selection, and this certainly was that. Although it was historical, which I do enjoy. This was a very interesting story of a baseball team that Almost was great. A good read for the start to the baseball season!
This one was really different and fun. Real baseball characters in a fine work of fiction. Set in 1944 Bill Veeck returns from the war, purchases the Philadelphia A's and fills the team with the best players from the Negro Leagues. The author does a great job with the period and characters and keeps you guessing till the last page. Like Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over."
I really enjoyed this fictional account of what could have happened had integragtion happened sooner in professional baseball. It was a fun look at some of the all-stars of the negro leagues, most of whom never played in major league baseball. Many funny instances, a lot of bonding during a difficult time and some sad, but real events of what they endured.
Makes me wanna resurrect the Jackie Robinson/Negro Leagues nonfiction lesson plan/hat day (that's quite a handle, eh?) this year. Whatdya say, Mehringer? Also gives me a new appreciation for what these guys went thru and just how good they were. Lots of twists and turns and ups and downs--just like a real baseball season.
A very good "what if" book. Great story, good characters. When I mentioned the plot of it to my dad, he mentioned that Bill Vheek had come to watch him play baseball at one point. I was stunned.
Basically, I enjoyed this novel with its parallel strands of baseball and politics. I would have preferred a bit more baseball but I did look forward to sitting down with it each evening.
A good mix of Baseball and History in an almost-believable novel. You get the idea it really could have happened!
Mickey Bell
marked it as to-read
Lesley
marked it as to-read
Bobbi
marked it as to-read
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