false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179798303m/957348.jpg 957348 2 <div>In <i>The Old Ball Game,</i> Frank Deford, NPR sports commentator and <i>Sports Illustrated</i> journalist retells the story of an unusual friendship between two towering figures in baseball history.<br><br>At the turn of the twentieth century, Christy Mathewson was one of baseball's first superstars. Over six feet tall, clean cut, and college educated, he didn't pitch on the Sabbath and rarely spoke an ill word about anyone. He also had one of the most devastating arms in all of baseball. New York Giants manager John McGraw, by contrast, was ferocious. The pugnacious tough guy was already a star infielder who, with the Baltimore Orioles, helped develop a new, scrappy style of baseball, with plays like the hit-and-run, the Baltimore chop, and the squeeze play. When McGraw joined the Giants in 1902, the Giants were coming off their worst season ever. Yet within three years, Mathewson clinched New York City's first World Series for McGraw's team by throwing three straight shutouts in only six days, an incredible feat that is invariably called the greatest World Series performance ever. Because of their wonderful odd-couple association, baseball had its first superstar, the Giants ascended into legend, and baseball as a national pastime bloomed.<br></div> 1302916 2005 The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, and the New York Giants Created Modern Baseball total:56|5:9|4:24|3:20|2:3|1:0| 56 207 81 15 4 0 false false Thu Nov 30 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu Jul 31 05:27:01 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 26 13:06:55 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jun 08 05:09:18 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 05:09:57 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Apr 27 20:36:42 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 27 20:37:07 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Oct 06 19:04:11 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 06 19:06:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Apr 03 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 04 05:08:33 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 04 05:12:04 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 15:07:48 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 15:08:35 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Oct 31 13:29:46 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 04 12:42:07 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 31 13:29:46 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Aug 13 20:18:26 -0700 2007 Mon Aug 13 20:20:38 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Aug 11 19:23:10 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 11 19:23:10 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu Feb 21 07:18:48 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 25 06:38:38 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Tue Jul 10 19:38:51 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 29 22:40:31 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Apr 02 15:59:24 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 02 16:01:11 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Apr 21 19:28:31 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 21 19:30:32 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Wed Dec 19 19:12:34 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 23 10:32:44 -0800 2007 2 0 false false Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Aug 06 14:30:51 -0700 2007 Mon Aug 06 14:31:44 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Thu Nov 19 16:25:59 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 16:25:59 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Nov 03 17:56:19 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 17:56:38 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Oct 12 18:36:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 18:36:00 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 06 18:27:12 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 18:27:12 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 31 10:09:07 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 31 10:09:07 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=957348