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We Would Have Played for Nothing: Baseball Stars of the 1950s and 1960s Talk About the Game They Loved
Former Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent brings together a stellar roster of ballplayers from the 1950s and 1960s in this wonderful new history of the game.
Whitey Ford, Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, Bill Rigney, and Ralph Branca tell stories about baseball in New York when the Yankees dominated and seemed to play either the Dodgers or the Giants in every World Series. By the end of the fifties, the two National League teams had relocated to California, as baseball expanded across the country.
Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts, Braves mainstay Lew Burdette, home-run king Harmon Killebrew, Cubs slugger Billy Williams, and Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson share great stories about milestone events, from Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier on the field to Frank Robinson doing the same in the dugout. They remember the teammates and opponents they admired, including Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Don Newcombe, and Ernie Banks.
For anyone who grew up watching baseball in the 1950s and 1960s, or for anyone who wonders what it was like in the days when ballplayers negotiated their own contracts and worked real jobs in the off-season, this is a book to cherish.
Whitey Ford, Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, Bill Rigney, and Ralph Branca tell stories about baseball in New York when the Yankees dominated and seemed to play either the Dodgers or the Giants in every World Series. By the end of the fifties, the two National League teams had relocated to California, as baseball expanded across the country.
Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts, Braves mainstay Lew Burdette, home-run king Harmon Killebrew, Cubs slugger Billy Williams, and Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson share great stories about milestone events, from Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier on the field to Frank Robinson doing the same in the dugout. They remember the teammates and opponents they admired, including Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Don Newcombe, and Ernie Banks.
For anyone who grew up watching baseball in the 1950s and 1960s, or for anyone who wonders what it was like in the days when ballplayers negotiated their own contracts and worked real jobs in the off-season, this is a book to cherish.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
11 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Fay Vincent
13 books1 followerFrancis Thomas "Fay" Vincent Jr. was an American entertainment lawyer, securities regulator, and sports executive who served as the eighth commissioner of baseball from September 13, 1989, to September 7, 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 16, 2018
Found this book in a used book sale. It is a tribute of baseball players from the 50's and early 60's. It reminded me of Lawrence Ritters book, The Glory of their Times. Which is a classic. This book falls short of that. But it was still very interesting to read some short bios and stories of players I knew of but never read much about . Players like Robin Roberts, Lew Burdette, Harmon Killebrew, Frank and Brooks Robinson, were featured.
Especially moving was the story of Ralph Branca. If you are of a certain age, you know just what this man was famous for, or infamous for. Anyways if you find a copy of this book, and you enjoy the history of baseball, I reccomend this book
Especially moving was the story of Ralph Branca. If you are of a certain age, you know just what this man was famous for, or infamous for. Anyways if you find a copy of this book, and you enjoy the history of baseball, I reccomend this book
February 13, 2023
Very interesting first-person accounts of their time in baseball by a selection of old stars such as Duke Snider, Robin Roberts, Frank Robinson, and many others. A great read for any baseball fan.
January 12, 2015
No they wouldn't have.
April 15, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “A MUST READ FOR “OLD-SCHOOL” BASEBALL PURISTS!”
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This is a marvelously “put-together” baseball book containing the inner thoughts, dreams and actual accomplishments of eleven former Major League players from the (19)50’s and 60’s. The reason I say “put-together” rather than written is because this book was created by transcribing videotaped interviews into a manuscript. The author “tried to faithfully record the comments of the interviewees, correcting minor grammatical mistakes and occasional errors caused by the inevitable lapses of memory after several decades.” The end result is a “STUNNING” recreation of when “BASEBALL WAS STILL A GAME!” Due to the fact that actual interviews have been transcribed, the reader benefits from this unique protocol and feels as if each player is sharing his personal stories directly with you.
The eleven players highlighted in this book include Hall Of Famers Duke Snider, Robin Roberts, Whitey Ford, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Billy Williams, 1957 World Series MVP Lou Burdette, two time World Champion and thrower of two no-hitters, Carl Erskine, twenty game winner and an eternal historical figure for throwing the pitch that resulted in “The Shot Heard Round The World”, Ralph Branca, and “baseball lifer” Bill Rigney. Every one of these elite storytellers takes you back to where their dreams began and how honored they were to achieve their boyhood goals of playing in the Big Leagues. It’s hard not to notice the modesty and unpretentious attitudes that these humble stars reveal, which is in sharp contrast to the attitudes and behavior of today’s players.
There are so many “delicious” intimate details shared with the reader from the clubhouse and the playing field from the glorious years gone by, when baseball truly was “THE NATIONAL PASTIME”. It is apparent to the reader that these “yesterday’s hero’s” are reliving the same joy, sadness, competitiveness, and aching of their days gone by as emotionally as the reader, who is reliving their cherished childhood moments through their hero’s. It’s refreshing as almost every star points out with dignity teachers, coaches or parents who made a difference in their life even over half a century later. It is also invigorating to see the same fierce blood start to boil as old rivalries or “bad” calls are rehashed. I found one exceptionally telling historical subject that was discussed reverently by ten of the eleven players, and that was Jackie Robinson. The enormous respect that Jackie “EARNED” from all these players on and off the field had not diminished one iota! In fact to me the most powerful emotionally piercing moment in this book, was not about any of the monumental accomplishments of these players, but of the sad regret of one:
BILL RIGNEY SAID: “I thought one of the worst things I did or one of the things I didn’t do—and I regretted it all my life—is that opening day in the Polo Grounds on the eighteenth of April in ’47 when Jackie Robinson hit his first home run. I didn’t walk over to him and say, “Hey, I’m Bill Rigney, I just want to shake your hand and wish you the best of luck because it’s not going to be easy for you, but I wish you the best,” and leave it at that. And I regretted it all my life that I didn’t do it, because I knew I was too late, you know, after I got to know him. You know just reading about it, you knew how tough it was going to be for him. Why I didn’t do that, I don’t know, because he was standing right there. All I had to do was walk over and say, “I’m Bill Rigney. I’m the shortstop for the Giants; I just want to wish you good luck.” Big deal. But I regret that.”
The highest praise I can give this book is to compare it to the seminal book written in 1972 “THE BOYS OF SUMMER” by Roger Kahn looking back on the Brooklyn Dodgers of the ‘50’s. This book is a “BOYS OF SUMMER” with eleven players some of whom were Dodgers. I couldn’t recommend this book any higher for a true “OLD-SCHOOL” baseball fan!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a marvelously “put-together” baseball book containing the inner thoughts, dreams and actual accomplishments of eleven former Major League players from the (19)50’s and 60’s. The reason I say “put-together” rather than written is because this book was created by transcribing videotaped interviews into a manuscript. The author “tried to faithfully record the comments of the interviewees, correcting minor grammatical mistakes and occasional errors caused by the inevitable lapses of memory after several decades.” The end result is a “STUNNING” recreation of when “BASEBALL WAS STILL A GAME!” Due to the fact that actual interviews have been transcribed, the reader benefits from this unique protocol and feels as if each player is sharing his personal stories directly with you.
The eleven players highlighted in this book include Hall Of Famers Duke Snider, Robin Roberts, Whitey Ford, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Billy Williams, 1957 World Series MVP Lou Burdette, two time World Champion and thrower of two no-hitters, Carl Erskine, twenty game winner and an eternal historical figure for throwing the pitch that resulted in “The Shot Heard Round The World”, Ralph Branca, and “baseball lifer” Bill Rigney. Every one of these elite storytellers takes you back to where their dreams began and how honored they were to achieve their boyhood goals of playing in the Big Leagues. It’s hard not to notice the modesty and unpretentious attitudes that these humble stars reveal, which is in sharp contrast to the attitudes and behavior of today’s players.
There are so many “delicious” intimate details shared with the reader from the clubhouse and the playing field from the glorious years gone by, when baseball truly was “THE NATIONAL PASTIME”. It is apparent to the reader that these “yesterday’s hero’s” are reliving the same joy, sadness, competitiveness, and aching of their days gone by as emotionally as the reader, who is reliving their cherished childhood moments through their hero’s. It’s refreshing as almost every star points out with dignity teachers, coaches or parents who made a difference in their life even over half a century later. It is also invigorating to see the same fierce blood start to boil as old rivalries or “bad” calls are rehashed. I found one exceptionally telling historical subject that was discussed reverently by ten of the eleven players, and that was Jackie Robinson. The enormous respect that Jackie “EARNED” from all these players on and off the field had not diminished one iota! In fact to me the most powerful emotionally piercing moment in this book, was not about any of the monumental accomplishments of these players, but of the sad regret of one:
BILL RIGNEY SAID: “I thought one of the worst things I did or one of the things I didn’t do—and I regretted it all my life—is that opening day in the Polo Grounds on the eighteenth of April in ’47 when Jackie Robinson hit his first home run. I didn’t walk over to him and say, “Hey, I’m Bill Rigney, I just want to shake your hand and wish you the best of luck because it’s not going to be easy for you, but I wish you the best,” and leave it at that. And I regretted it all my life that I didn’t do it, because I knew I was too late, you know, after I got to know him. You know just reading about it, you knew how tough it was going to be for him. Why I didn’t do that, I don’t know, because he was standing right there. All I had to do was walk over and say, “I’m Bill Rigney. I’m the shortstop for the Giants; I just want to wish you good luck.” Big deal. But I regret that.”
The highest praise I can give this book is to compare it to the seminal book written in 1972 “THE BOYS OF SUMMER” by Roger Kahn looking back on the Brooklyn Dodgers of the ‘50’s. This book is a “BOYS OF SUMMER” with eleven players some of whom were Dodgers. I couldn’t recommend this book any higher for a true “OLD-SCHOOL” baseball fan!
June 24, 2025
I feel like this book was a bit more.. I guess sanitized then some of the other first person stories I've read for baseball folks. It defintely seemed like the interviewer (whether it was Fay Vincent himself or others) had a set of questions they wanted to have answered, rather than just let the guys go to town.
The less accomplished players definitely had better stories.. like I loved Ralph Branca talking about the Giants stealing signs in 1951 with a telescope and a system of buzzers (sound famiiar?). He totally sounded like a crazy old man but it was pretty fun.
Most of the 1st half of the book were people involved in the Dodgers-GIants rivalry, which was pretty interesting.. hearing stuff from both sides. No one else had any conspiracy. Even the guys from other teams like Robin Roberts talked about that rivalry.
My favorite I think was Lew Burdette, who seems to think he was a good as Warren Spahn, and had a great diatribe how he didn't actually cheat, but was taught how to pretend to cheat to get in guys heads..great stuff.
I do love all the connections too.. like I had no idea Rogers Hornsby was the batting coach for the 60s Cubs when they had Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo coming up... and for alot of the guys the scout that signed him I would recognize as a guy that played in the deadball era from another book or from playing APBA and Strat. Good Stuff.
I also had fun fact checking... most of the time when guys were remembering their stats (especially in the minors) they were totally wrong. I guess even major League players like to tell stories that are perhaps a bit more dramatic and make them more the hero when they get older.
The less accomplished players definitely had better stories.. like I loved Ralph Branca talking about the Giants stealing signs in 1951 with a telescope and a system of buzzers (sound famiiar?). He totally sounded like a crazy old man but it was pretty fun.
Most of the 1st half of the book were people involved in the Dodgers-GIants rivalry, which was pretty interesting.. hearing stuff from both sides. No one else had any conspiracy. Even the guys from other teams like Robin Roberts talked about that rivalry.
My favorite I think was Lew Burdette, who seems to think he was a good as Warren Spahn, and had a great diatribe how he didn't actually cheat, but was taught how to pretend to cheat to get in guys heads..great stuff.
I do love all the connections too.. like I had no idea Rogers Hornsby was the batting coach for the 60s Cubs when they had Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo coming up... and for alot of the guys the scout that signed him I would recognize as a guy that played in the deadball era from another book or from playing APBA and Strat. Good Stuff.
I also had fun fact checking... most of the time when guys were remembering their stats (especially in the minors) they were totally wrong. I guess even major League players like to tell stories that are perhaps a bit more dramatic and make them more the hero when they get older.
September 6, 2025
In the spirit of the classic The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It, this book of oral history contains the recollections of well-known major leaguers who played primarily in the 1950s and 1960s. As with "The Glory of Their Times," there's a lot of good stories along with the nostalgia for the simpler days when baseball was truly the national pastime. And, of course, it almost goes without saying that this generation of players believes that they were better than the current players. As a Cub fan, my favorite chapter was the Billy Williams interview - especially the wild story about the time a fan came out of the stands and started shooting a pistol at members of the opposing team, even hitting the team's manager! (I looked it up and the story is accurate - the fan was eventually acquitted somehow.) If I had a complaint about the book, I'd say it could have edited some of the interviews to be shorter, and then included a few more players. But definitely a good book for fans of baseball history.
August 10, 2018
Another part of the "The Baseball Oral History Project," which consists of interviews and first person accounts of baseball in the 1950's and 60's from the players who played at that time. The project is a great idea, and this is a great addition to the series. This volume contained a lot about the Yankees/Dodgers rivalry and memories of Jackie Robinson's becoming the first African-American player in the major leagues.
June 23, 2020
Great narratives by the players, 1950s--1960s. A real glimpse into the "good old days" of baseball. Did you know the NY Giants of 1951 (Thompson home run) cheated, similar to the Astros, a code relayed to the hitters about what pitches were coming?
Every player had a story about Jackie Robinson, and the impact he made on the field. Ending with Frank Robinson and Billy Williams puts the racism they faced in perspective.
Good historical view of sports in that time period.
Every player had a story about Jackie Robinson, and the impact he made on the field. Ending with Frank Robinson and Billy Williams puts the racism they faced in perspective.
Good historical view of sports in that time period.
July 8, 2022
A fantastic book with players talking about their careers and who they thought were the best. Some of the greats from the 50s and 60s. Eleven players including hall of famers and other stars, a nice mixture of pitchers and position players.
Highly recommended, really enjoy reading all the stories these guys had in their own words.
Highly recommended, really enjoy reading all the stories these guys had in their own words.
June 18, 2020
Lacks the elegance of "Glory of Their Times." Only so many times you can hear baseball players list every single guy they played with and then tell you that they didn't have free agency back then. Some good stories in here, but not many.
November 27, 2020
Pretty good book. Being a younger baseball fan, born in 1991, I learned alot about players and teams that I did not know before. And you can tell these chapters were spoken by the players and transcribed, rather than written by the players. Makes it pretty unique in my mind.
May 24, 2019
Good, solid baseball book. A better read for persons who are baseball fans.
April 18, 2014
I enjoyed the book, but if it was possible I would have rated it 3 1/2 stars. This is a book for any baseball fan, though some of it may have been heard before.
It was like sitting down for a chat with some old-time baseball players. Some are in the Hall of Fame, like Whitey Ford and Robin Roberts, and some of the players are not, though they had solid careers. I found it interesting reading what they had to say as it brought me closer to the era they played in; one I did not watch and can only live through memories and various audio & video footage. Some of the stories are ones that have been repeated before, (Ralph Branca's side of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World"), but some are not and it certainly adds the book to any list of baseball books a fan should read.
Though I don't quite believe these players would have played for nothing, I understand the meaning of the title. These are players who loved the game of baseball.
It was like sitting down for a chat with some old-time baseball players. Some are in the Hall of Fame, like Whitey Ford and Robin Roberts, and some of the players are not, though they had solid careers. I found it interesting reading what they had to say as it brought me closer to the era they played in; one I did not watch and can only live through memories and various audio & video footage. Some of the stories are ones that have been repeated before, (Ralph Branca's side of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World"), but some are not and it certainly adds the book to any list of baseball books a fan should read.
Though I don't quite believe these players would have played for nothing, I understand the meaning of the title. These are players who loved the game of baseball.
September 13, 2009
This is a great piece of history for baseball fans. Vincent does a great job scouting players to interview and has a great balance of players.
Some hall of famers, some not.
Some AL, some NL
Some from the 50s, some from the 60s
Hitters, pitchers, just really well balanced
My only knock is that some players repeat and ramble so it can slow down at times.
One very funny thing I found was that most of the hitters thought present day hitters were better for various reasons (they lift weights, they stay in great shape all year round, live ball, etc.) but most of the pitchers don't think current day pitchers are as good (they don't throw enough in between starts, they don't finish their games, they have more days off).
This really gives an in depth and interesting perspective to 50s and 60s baseball.
Some hall of famers, some not.
Some AL, some NL
Some from the 50s, some from the 60s
Hitters, pitchers, just really well balanced
My only knock is that some players repeat and ramble so it can slow down at times.
One very funny thing I found was that most of the hitters thought present day hitters were better for various reasons (they lift weights, they stay in great shape all year round, live ball, etc.) but most of the pitchers don't think current day pitchers are as good (they don't throw enough in between starts, they don't finish their games, they have more days off).
This really gives an in depth and interesting perspective to 50s and 60s baseball.
September 29, 2009
A must-read for any true fans of baseball. This book includes interviews from several greats and not-so-greats of baseball's storied decades of the 50's and 60's. You can hear the 'Paul Harvey' version of various stories from Thompson's Shot Heard Round the World (those dirty cheating Giants and their dugout buzzers!), to Erskine's 14 K World Series game, to how Snider hurt his elbow messing around before a game at the LA Coliseum, to how some of the greats learned how to throw a curve.
A very enjoyable read.
A very enjoyable read.
March 8, 2010
Dave gave me this one and although I don't really follow sports in any regular fashion this was an enjoyable read. It is a snapshot of a time before tv and big money entered professional sports. I learned a little more about the ballplayers behind the names of my childhood. These guys came from little towns with not much possibility and baseball gave them a way out into the larger world. No one is this isolated or innocent these days, so it was a pleasure to dip into that era, even if for a short time.
April 28, 2009
This was a far supperior effort to Mr. Vincent's first attempt to recreate the magic of Ritter's classic oral history "The Glory of Their Times." The stories read fairly smoothly, remain very coherent, and, each player interviewed provides a few glimpses into their lives as baseball players. It is a quick read and an enjoyable one.
Brooks Robinson and Billy Williams are, for my money, the two best interviews.
Brooks Robinson and Billy Williams are, for my money, the two best interviews.
July 20, 2008
I loved this book of interviews with Baseball Hall of Famers from the 50s and 60s. The pitchers were especially interesting as they talked about different pitches and the difference in pitching then and now. Many of the stars interviewed were childhood heroes of mine like Duke Snider and Whitey Ford, which made this book especially interesting to me.
April 30, 2011
This book was enjoyable for me because I knew all of the players and was following baseball as a kid when almost all of these players were playing, with one or two exceptions. But I'm not sure it would hold interest for baseball fans that grew up later than the '50's and '60's. Still, it was a pleasant read for me.
April 21, 2014
Candid player perspectives on the intersection of game, art, culture, and life from the MLB in the 50s-60s. Fantastic insights on Jackie Robinson and Civil Rights, the single year contracts, and of course, the DH. Not to mention embellishments on Mickey Mantle, comparing The Duke and Willie Mays, and some charming stories of Earl Weaver. Magical.
January 25, 2009
Wonderful oral history of some of the games greats of the 50s & 60s.
It's worth it just to read Carl Erskine's history, and all the Dodgers (Erskine, Duke Snider) and Robin Roberts (MSU & Phillies) talk about Jackie Robinson.
It's worth it just to read Carl Erskine's history, and all the Dodgers (Erskine, Duke Snider) and Robin Roberts (MSU & Phillies) talk about Jackie Robinson.
September 12, 2015
This book ended on a better note for me than it started. Very New York heavy in the beginning, it got better when the stories were ones that haven't been before in other mediums. Nothing ground breaking for hard core fans, but a smart idea to get these recollections in writing
October 18, 2015
If you are not a true fan of the game, you will not enjoy this one. If you remember the days before free agency and when players were in it for the pleasure of playing and not for the money, you will live this book.
June 24, 2008
This is the book for the fan of baseball before it became a big business.
October 26, 2009
Loved the interviews of the old ball player that shaped my original impressions of baseball. I saw a lot of these guys play and I was right back to the days while reading their recollections.
February 14, 2010
Nice baseball book. Essentially an oral history of baseball, from the perspective of guys who played in the 1950s and 60s. Great anecdotes.
October 4, 2010
Good read, the short auto-bios are a little choppy, they are in the words of the players, but overall a good read.
June 23, 2010
An interesting collection of memoirs taken from interviews with some great players of the 50's and 60's. I enjoyed this look back at a more innocent time in sports.
January 12, 2014
Fun life stories of Frank and Brooks Robinson, Harmen Killebrew, Whitey Ford and may others. Great stories about how they played against all the greats as told to Fay Vincent. Perfect!
March 30, 2016
Just as good as the book it follows.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews