Book Review: Summer of ‘68, by Tim Wendell

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1968, Baseball, Book, Book Review, History, MLB, Non-Fiction, Reading, Tim Wendell

 

Crossing another non-fiction book off my TBR list, this reading again combined history with another one of my favorite things: baseball.  I also just so happened to pick it up at the perfect time to carry me right into the start of Spring Training!

One of the things that I like about the baseball season is that it serves as a steady constant throughout much of the year, providing daily news and entertainment throughout the spring, summer, and (hopefully) most of the fall.  This is a sentiment shared by the author as well, who from that perspective looks at what happens to the fun and distraction of the game when it is being played in a time of historic unrest and change.  In Summer of ‘68, he uses the 1968 baseball season, in particular the paths of the league champion Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, as a lens through which to look at the tumultuous events of the year and highlight some of the drastic changes occurring in society, sport, and media at the time.

I really enjoyed this book and found it very informative without being overly dense.  I’ve actually spent a good amount of time studying 1968 from various historical and activist perspectives, but never really thought about any of that as contemporary to what I knew of the year’s baseball season. Having not been there I lacked the context needed to put these two worlds together, and providing this connection was something at which the author excelled.  His use of anecdotes and interviews throughout the narrative gave clear voice to the people who were there and really drew the reader into the scene, regardless of whether that scene was stepping into the batter’s box against Cardinals’ ace Bob Gibson or watching the police riot at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.  Easily the most moving part of this book for me was the lengthy recollection of Martin Luther King’s final hours followed accounts by the outrage that erupted in streets across the country several weeks later when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated.

Setting aside the historical events, what surprised me the most in this reading was how directly the players were affected by everything that was going on in the world.  It was common for players, journeymen and stars alike, to miss games weeks at a time to train with their Army Reserve units, a frustrating distraction for some and for others a very real reminder about the potential of serving in Vietnam.  Also, in these days before free agency, players were, for both better and worse, more closely tied to their teams and cities than they are today.  This was particularly true for the 1968 Detroit Tigers, a team that featured several players who grew playing with and against each other in the Detroit area.  Hanging like a dark cloud over their season were the events of the previous summer, during which they saw their city erupt into one of the worst riots in American history while playing a doubleheader.  In scenes nearly unimaginable today, two Tigers were themselves drawn directly into the chaos.  Pitcher Mickey Lolich, the eventual 1968 World Series MVP, in the course of a day went from pitching for the Tigers to guarding a radio tower with his reserve unit.  Elsewhere, outfield Willie Horton rushed from the stadium and, still in uniform, drove out towards his old neighborhood to plead with rioters from atop his car for them to go home peacefully.  There was a very real sense in the Tigers clubhouse that the team had an essential part to play in  keeping their hometown together through another summer.

On the baseball side of things, I was really fascinated by how much the game changed after this season.  Dubbed the “Year of the Pitcher” because of the many dominant starting pitching performances throughout the league, officials were concerned that the lack of offense would drive fans away to football, a sport deemed more favorable for viewing on TV and rapidly rising in popularity.  As a result, the strike zone was tightened for the following season and the pitcher’s mound was lowered five inches to its present day height of 10 inches.  The structure of the league would change in the next season as well, as four new expansion teams were added and the American and National Leagues were for the first time divided into Eastern and Western divisions.  Finally, it was during the 1968 season that the seeds of two concepts that would revolutionize the game were planted.  The first was Pitcher Tommy John suffering the shoulder injury that would ultimately lead him to get an experimental surgery that bears his name to this day.  The second, and even more dramatic, change was set in motion by the Cardinals’ owners, who after losing the World Series, began dismantling their roster, typically something players have little control over.  However, when they tried to move outfielder Curt Flood to Philadelphia a few seasons later, he resisted and instead sued Major League Baseball for Free Agency.  Although he lost, his case did pave the way for a successful challenge shortly thereafter that would forever change player salaries and how teams were assembled.

I could go on and on about all the interesting stories and bits of information I got out of reading this book.  As it is I feel like I only managed to scratch the surface in my discussion above.  The author provided an interesting and engaging account of the 1968 season and I highly recommend this book to anyone out there with an interest in baseball or American history.

 

 

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Book Review: Summer of Beer and Whiskey, by Edward Achorn

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Baseball, Beer, Book Review, Books, Edward Achorn, MLB, Philadelphia, Reading, St. Louis, Summer

No, this isn’t a beverage post, nor does it reflect in any way on how my summer is going so far.  Newborns tend to discourage that sort of thing.  Rather, this is a book about one of my other summertime favorites: baseball.  

Summer of Beer and Whiskey tells the story of the American Association, a short-lived professional baseball league that played from 1882 to 1891.  It provides an extensively researched narrative covering the Association’s founding and the thrilling 1883 pennant race between the St. Louis Brown Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics.  As an upstart rival to the National League, the Association sought to re-popularize the sport after a long string of embarrassing scandals caused the general public to lose faith in the integrity of the game and its players.  Standing in stark contrast to the perceived elitism and puritanism of National League President William A. Hulbert’s iron rule, the Association would revolutionize the sport at the professional level by lowering ticket prices, playing games on Sunday, and allowing the sale of beer in stadiums.  These changes did not come without controversy as critics dubbed the Association the “Beer and Whiskey Circuit,” on account of most team owners having interests in saloons, biergartens, malting, and breweries, and accused them of soliciting “hoodlums” and “riffraff” as fans by making games affordable to the workingman.  However, despite this skepticism, the American Association successfully expanded the game’s audience and helped rescue the sport from financial collapse before eventually folding and merging into the National League.

I found this book fascinating and had a hard time putting it down.  I knew pretty much nothing about this part of baseball history and really enjoyed reading about it.  One thing I found interesting was the reign of William A. Hulbert and the absolute power he had over the sport as National League President.  From imposing the Reserve Clause, which would prohibit Free Agency in Major League Baseball for nearly 100 years, blacklisting players from all levels of professional baseball for transgressions against the League, and expelling big market teams for not following his edicts, most notably the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Mutuals in 1876 for having to cancel games and the Cincinnati Reds in 1880 for refusing to stop the sale of beer, he was certainly an interesting figure to read about.  It makes you really see how much power has shifted to the players and the player’s union over the last few decades.

I also enjoyed reading about how much the game on the field has changed in the last 130 or so years.  As a modern fan, many aspects of the game back then may seem nearly incomprehensible.  On the field, things like the absence of fielding gloves and protective gear were probably the most striking examples of these differences.  Needless to say injuries were common and many careers came to unfortunate ends as a result.  There were also a lot of differences in the rules governing gameplay that drastically changed the dynamics of an at bat.  One such rule that particularly amazed me was hit batsmen not getting a free base, a loophole some pitchers would dangerously exploit to their advantage.  These differences, however, are just the tip of the iceberg and there are plenty more that come up as you read through the book.

It was a different world statistically as well.  Just take a look at some of the American Association’s leaders in pitching statistics at the end of the 98 game 1883 season (as listed in the book’s appendix):

Wins: 43

Innings: 619

Complete Games: 68

In today’s era of 162 game seasons, 43 wins is a lofty goal for two years.  Pitching 619 innings is a milestone that would require a combination of exceptional health, skill, and willing management to reach in three seasons.  As for complete games, today’s specialized bullpens have made those a much rarer feat.  According to Baseball Reference, you’d have to go back to 2011 (James Shields with 11) and 2008 (CC Sabathia with 10) for the last two times a Major League pitcher even broke into double digits.

If you are a fan of baseball and its history, definitely consider checking out this book.  Edward Achorn tells a highly entertaining story that does an excellent job bringing this period of baseball history to life in a manner that is both interesting and informative.

Cards in the Attic

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Atlanta Braves, Baseball, Baseball Cards, Boston Red Sox, Brian Downing, Collecting, Derek Jeter, Fenway Park, Fleer Ultra, MLB, New York Yankees, Nolan Ryan, Scott Brosius, Topps

WARNING: This post has nothing to do with neither beer nor books.

I was recently sorting through my old baseball cards and couldn’t resist making a quick post about the experience.  For someone who didn’t collect I’m not sure I can adequately explain to you the joys of flipping through 100s if not 1,000s of mid-to-late ’80s and early ’90s baseball cards.  But for those who did, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.  All those memories of opening up packs as a kid. The thrill of the hunt and the excitement when you finally got that card you were after.  The nostalgia of coming across all those players you used to watch, superstars and near-forgotten journeymen alike, smiling at you from cardboard photos taken when they were younger than you are now.  Remembering that Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez were once thought of without any asterisks attached.  Realizing that we’ll probably never see two-sport professionals again, nevermind All-Stars like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders.  Remembering what it was like watching the game as a kid, when it was just a game to you.  Like that card of Brian Downing that reminds you of that cold April night you saw him launch a home run over the Green Monster, against a steady wind and nearly freezing drizzle.  And a postcard of Fenway reminding you that home run went over a wall without ads or luxury seating on top of it.  Recalling that at one point in your life you knew way too much about your favorite player – mine was Nolan Ryan as my mountain of his cards from 1969 through 1994 can readily attest.

I could easily go on, but instead I would rather share some of the highlights of what I uncovered.  Having just missed out on the craze around finding error cards, rookie cards and later on limited inserts were the big draws of my collecting days.  Looking at these cards now, I found myself significantly more interested in the rookie cards, now having the advantage of hindsight to see who made it.  There some busts (Todd van Poppel), some tragic stories (Brien Taylor), and some that lived up to the billing.  This post is focused on the latter.

Since I am a Yankees fan despite my Boston upbringing, I’ll open with a few near and dear to me.

Nice first year cards for one of my all time favorite Yankees.  I think that whole “Core Four” media creation really short-changed the contributions of Bernie and Paul O’Neill, but I digress.  Back to the cards, you have to love those aviator glasses and rare reference to him as Bernabe!

Jeter and Andy.  Kind of bummed I didn’t have any cards of Posada or Mo but seeing these made me happy enough.

2015 Night Shift Barrel Society Release #5: Sargent, plus an Idle Hands 4th Anniversary Brew

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Baseball, Beer, Beer Review, Brewery Visit, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Massachusetts, MLB, Night Shift Barrel Society, Night Shift Brewing

When I received notice that the latest Barrel Society beer had been released, I knew I had to get into the brewery and try it out since these haven’t been lasting too long on tap this year.  Turns out I was in for a treat that day because not only did I catch this beer, but I was also able to check out a special anniversary brew being offered by their house guest, Idle Hands.  Lucky me!

Before we get into the beer, there is something that needs to be commented upon that happened in the taproom.  If you don’t care about arcade games or baseball go on ahead and skip this part, I forgive you.  For the rest of you read on.  The arcade games that you’ve read about on here before are still there, but they’ve now been relocated to the Barrel Room next to the bar area.  I did not notice this at first and thought they had been done away with until something hanging over the door to the Barrel Room caught my attention.  Yes, that’s a Mets flag.  As a Yankees fan, I am no stranger to having occasionally unpopular views regarding my team of choice.  But a Mets flag at a Boston area brewery just confused me.  Is there no where I can be welcomed in this state?  No unbiased observer could really pick the Mets over the Cubs, right?  Well, it turns some of the bartenders and brewing crew are in fact Mets fans, so that explains that I guess.  They are otherwise seemingly friendly people so I’ll let this pass.  People can cheer for whoever they want as long as they’re not jerks about it.  As for myself, I’ve adopted the Cubs until the Yankees off-season picks up.  It’s just the right thing to do in my situation.

Tangent over, time beer.  The latest Barrel Society entry is named Sargent and is described as a Golden Sour Ale, barrel aged with tangerine and clementine zest.  It checked in at 6.6% and said “drink me” from the moment I saw it.  It poured a dark golden yellow body with just a bit of a foamy white head to top things off.  The smell was an inviting mix of mild fruity citrus juice combined with a light funk.  The taste followed the smell.  The tangerine and clementine zest really came through in this one giving the beer a sweet, fruity taste.  There was also a bit of more subdued and subtle bitterness that finished in a smooth Brett and barrel influenced finish.  Mouthfeel was on the thicker side of medium, with a fizzy and slightly syrupy finish that I usually find in these fruity sour ales.  They recommend this beer as a good one to age and I can certainly see the potential in doing so.  It’s a pretty good beer to drink now as well and is a solid entry in the Barrel Society lineup.

Pouring next was Silk, released by Idle Hands to celebrate their 4th anniversary.  It’s always exciting to try an anniversary brew and this one just so happened to be a Red IPA, one of my favorite styles.  It poured a dark amber, almost brown body with an off-white head that left some lacing along the edges of the glass.  The smell was lightly citrusy and sweet.  The taste was where this beer got intense, offering up a whole lot of aggressive piney bitterness.  I did get some citrus fruits and sweet malts in there at the end, but this beer was really all about piney hops.  Mouthfeel and carbonation were both moderate and typical of most IPAs.  Being my favorite style, there are some pretty specific things I look for in a Red IPA.  The piney hop profile is something I really go for, and this beer certainly delivered on that front.  The citrus fruit and slightly sweet malt profile were also generally in line with my tastes, but I prefer them to be just a bit more balanced with the bitterness.  I’m really curious to find out if the hops will mellow out slightly and the other tastes stand out a bit more if the beer lasts that long, but I’m largely nitpicking on this point.  This beer was a hit with me and I am sad to say that it seemed to be available on tap only.  A growler of this would be absolutely fantastic.

I topped off these two great beers with an old favorite, Bean Porter.  I’ve written about this one on here before so I won’t go back into the details, but take notice that it’s back and as tasty as ever.  And I’ll leave you with that happy thought.  Cheers and go Cubs!

REG-GIE, REG-GIE, REG-GIE!!!

Tags

Baseball, Book Review, MLB, New York Yankees, Reggie Jackson, Yankees

With MLB Spring Training upon us and in hopes of bringing in some proper baseball weather, I’ve been reading something a little different.  With apologies to those people that come here to read about New England beers, we’re reviewing Becoming Mr. October by Reggie Jackson and Kevin Baker this time around.  I received this as a gift from my dad, who also took to me to Reggie’s Hall of Fame introduction back in 1993.  Long before discovering beer and before I got into Sci-Fi, I was a fan of the New York Yankees and this book gave me an interesting look into a rather turbulent period of their history that occurred just slightly before my time.

The book reads as a casual and reflective conversation between Reggie and his audience.  In it, he tells the story of his transition from a tight-knit Athletics organization to a fractured Yankees clubhouse under the constant scrutiny of the New York media.  The primary focus of the book is on his first two years with the Yankees; the turbulent 1977 and 1978 “Bronx Zoo” seasons in which in-house feuds constantly threatened to tear the team apart despite all its on the field success.  I can imagine some of his accounts and descriptions might be controversial to someone who had followed those seasons, though his thoughts do come off as genuine.  Reggie has never been someone to hold back on his opinions and he certainly has a lot to say about his main antagonist, manager Billy Martin; how he felt unfairly treated by the media; and the racism he experienced during his professional career.

Reggie joined the Yankees following the 1976 season as part of the first ever class of Free Agents in Major League Baseball.  Free Agency drastically changed the way players were compensated and able to control their careers; things that not surprisingly created a number of conflicts as it began.  It was common for tension to arise between players already locked into more team-friendly contracts and those that were able to take advantage of the Free Agent market and sign for what was often significantly more money.  This tension, combined with Reggie’s reputation as being outspoken (or from his perspective, not sufficiently humble for a black player), caused immediate problems in the locker room that the ever present media was eager to pick on.  As a result, Reggie quickly found himself to be a very controversial and polarizing figure right from the start.

Center stage in all of this is the dysfunctional reign of manager Billy Martin, who at the time was battling any number of personal demons, not the least of which was his alcoholism.  Reggie depicts Martin as someone who was combative with many of his players, would purposefully misrepresent events to the press, and allow personal grudges to dictate on-field decisions that hurt both the team and often its players.  Martin’s inability to lead and focus his team is shown to have either caused or exacerbated many of the internal problems facing the squad.  It really has to be read about to be appreciated, but some of the low lights include Martin sleeping off hangovers in his office until minutes prior to game time, pulling position players at key moments as a way of asserting control, and consistently misusing pitchers to the point of ending careers early.  To share a sentiment Reggie expressed, it is incredible for such a situation to have existed back then and impossible to imagine it today with national media and all the money involved.

Despite these hardships behind the scenes, the seasons covered in this book played out well for almost all concerned on the field.  Reggie talks a good amount of baseball and describes key games and moments occurring throughout the course of the regular season and playoffs during the 1977 and 1978 campaigns.  The 1977 post-season is, of course, when Reggie established his place in history and earned his Mr. October nickname by hitting hit 3 home runs (at the time something only Babe Ruth had accomplished) in the championship clinching Game 6 of the World Series.  The 1978 season is also eventful in that it sees Reggie face an indefinite suspension following an argument with Martin as well one of the greatest single games of all time, a one game tie-breaker between the Red Sox and Yankees at Fenway Park to determine the AL East Championship.

Reggie also weaves into the narrative his thoughts about the racism he experienced throughout his career; something that had a significant impact on his outlook as a player.  As a mixed race (part African American and part Puerto Rican) player coming up in the early to mid-1960s, he encountered a great deal of hardship in his early career.  Things like college teammates not wanting to room with him and the Mets organization holding off on drafting him because he had a white (actually part Puerto Rican) girlfriend.  Later on, playing in the South for the minor league affiliates of the Athletics, there were difficulties like finding restaurants that would serve him or places where he stay while playing in Birmingham, Alabama for the Athletics minor league affiliate.  Even when he made it to Spring Training for the major league club in Georgia, he recalls the black players having to stay in an old army barracks outside of town and being discouraged from going out at night for their own safety.  These experiences understandably left an impression on him and often caused him to wonder about how certain situations with certain players and the media would have been different had the color of his skin been different.

As a fan of both the Yankees and baseball in general, I enjoyed this book and liked its conversational tone.  There is a lot of baseball lore and legend surrounding this particular period of Yankees history and reading an account from the perspective of one of the main participants was certainly interesting and perhaps has inspired me to seek out some other accounts as well.