The Ol' Ball Game: A Collection of Baseball Characters & Moments Worth Remembering

by Mark Alvarez (Contributor), Walter Langford (Contributor), Norman L. Macht (Contributor)

A Collection of Baseball Characters & Moments Worth Remembering

Genres: Baseball

178 pages, Hardback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up 'The Ol' Ball Game' on a half price table at a book store. It was strictly a whim. I didn't know if it would be any good, but it is. Oh, it won't be of interest to most, I think. But it's good enough to bring back the feel of the ball park and cracker jacks. A variety of writers contribute chapters reminiscing about great players primarily from the 1920's and 1930's to the 1960's, who for one reason or another did not capture the public's eye for very long (white players who did not make it to the Majors) or were unable to crack the prejudice wall into stardom (i.e., mostly African-American players). In the telling of brief thumbnail biographies a sketchy history of baseball is also revealed. Players and owners and a few scandals are outlined, along with a layman level of descriptions of their statistics. There are no axes ground or in-depth analysis made, these are simply the kind of stories told by men in bars or magazines. I had no idea baseball was played by Confederates and Yankees both in the American Civil War, for instance.


The killer attitude exhibited by most men and some women fans about sports has mostly mystified me. For me, sports mostly are fun, exciting and a wonderful way to get happy, either by attending a game or participating. When I am screaming my head off in the stands, it's partially to support my team, but mostly out of shear JOY! However, after the game, when I'm still feeling up (except after a loss), many of the males around me appear murderous, ready for suggestions to grab tar and feathers, still hollering threats and looking for a reason to do violence - even if their team won! Such reactions put me off sports when I was a little kid. I ended up enjoying the kind of sport I could do alone - walking or jogging.

1995 changed things a bit for me. That was the year my brother loved the Mariners and couldn't find anyone to go with him, so I went to keep him company. The Seattle Mariners were unknown to me, but I quickly found myself getting caught up in the thrill ride of a winning team and great players. I had been forced to play baseball for a grade in school P.E. classes throughout my life, so I knew the rules. What I had been unaware of was how the emotional roar of the crowd could carry me along into the heights of 'winning'.

Later, when my blood had cooled, I began to read occasional newspaper stories in the sports sections more often. Occasionally, I pick up a book about sports. I don't really make an effort about it, though. Baseball is something I enjoy watching sometimes, but only if there is no alcohol. Sport fans still scare me to death. (I will turn down attending a football game, unless it's on TV.) I still enjoy playing sports more than being in the stands, but with my comparatively uncompetitive nature, I never was a top pick for a team, so I never had built any proficiency. But thanks to the 1995 Seattle Mariners, I understand the mania of fans better.

[Larry Hostetler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I have. It is nice to be able to read various authors and their short (29 stories in 175 pages) recounting of some memorable (Eddie Gaedel, Harvey Haddix) and some fairly unknown (Old Hoss, Wilhoit, Bobo Holloman) characters in the history of the game.

It is interesting, insightful, unique, and yet understandable and entertaining even for those who aren't baseball fans.

I considered giving it five stars, and probably would have had there been another 75 pages. It just seemed a little light, and ended too soon.

Nonetheless I highly recommend this for the baseball fan, the novice baseball watcher, or someone who just enjoys character studies.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eclectic collection of chapters written by various authors covering interesting people and events from baseball's history. Like most books of this type, it is a bit uneven since each chapter has a different author. But overall it is a fascinating look into some of both the famous and obscure characters and happenings in baseball history from before the turn of the century to the 1960s. Among the most interesting chapters for me were ones on 19th century pitcher Hoss Radbourn, and on baseball owner Bill Veeck. Published by Barnes & Noble, it may be a hard book to find, but it would be a good addition to any baseball library.

[Jeff Koslowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bathroom reader with a lot of easy to navigate nuanced stories of mostly 20th century players. It isn't a serious baseball research book but if you are looking for light reading, it is certainly varied enough to have something for almost every baseball fan.