The St. Louis Baseball Reader

by Richard Peterson

Overview

The St. Louis Baseball Reader is a tale of two teams: one the city’s lovable losers, the other a formidable dynasty. The St. Louis Cardinals are the most successful franchise in National League history, while the St. Louis Browns were one of the least successful, yet most colorful, American League teams. Now Richard Peterson has collected the writings of some of baseball’s greatest storytellers to pay tribute to both these teams. His book, the first anthology devoted exclusively to the Cardinals and Browns, covers the rich history of St. Louis baseball from its late-nineteenth-century origins to the modern era. The St. Louis Baseball Reader is a celebration of the many legendary stars and colorful characters who wore St. Louis uniforms and the writers who told their stories, including Alfred Spink, Roger Angell, George Will, and Baseball Hall of Fame writers Bob Broeg, J. Roy Stockton, Red Smith, and Fred Lieb. Here, too, are John Grisham, who grew up a Redbirds fan in Mississippi, and Jack Buck, the most identifiable voice in Cardinal history. Great players—Grover Cleveland Alexander, Rogers Hornsby, Marty Marion, and Satchel Paige—tell their own stories, while Bill Veeck offers an account of his wild ride as the last Browns owner and Whitey Herzog shares regrets about the play that cost the Cardinals the 1985 World Series. From the days of the Gas House Gang to the 1944 “Streetcar Series,” from Bill Veeck’s legendary stunts to Mark McGwire’s pursuit of Roger Maris’s home-run record, the Reader will bring back memories for every fan. It takes in all of the magic of the ballpark—whether recounting the unhittable pitching of Bob Gibson, the slugging prowess of Stan “The Man” Musial, or the sterling glove-work of Ozzie Smith—along with reflective commentaries that tell how Jackie Robinson confronted racism and Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause. St. Louis is a city blessed with a memorable baseball history, and The St. Louis Baseball Reader perfectly captures the joy and heartbreak of its winning and losing teams. It’s a book that will delight current fans of the Cardinals and old-timers who fondly recall the Browns.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826265586
Publisher:	University of Missouri Press
Publication date:	10/01/2006
Series:	Sports and American Culture , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	456
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Richard “Pete” Peterson is Professor Emeritus of English at Southern Illinois University, the author of Extra Innings: Writing on Baseball and the editor of The Pirates Reader. He is also the editor of the Kent State University Press Writing Sports Series. He lives in Makanda, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Contents Introduction 1 Fans, Broadcasters, and Writers Growing Up with the Game 00 JOHN GRISHAM Bob Costas Will Never Be As Young As He Looks Today 00 BOB COSTAS Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech 00 JACK BUCK Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech 00 HARRY CARAY The Gas House Gang 00 J. ROY STOCKTON The Mystery of Stan Musial 00 BOB BROEG The Beginnings of St. Louis Baseball Jeremiah Fruin 00 ALFRED H. SPINK The First Baseball Games in St. Louis 00 MERRITT W. GRISWOLD Alfred H. Spink 00 STEVEN GIETSCHIER A Charter Member/Der Poss Bresident 00 FREDERICK J. LIEB The St. Louis Browns Are Champions 00 STAFF REPORTER Farewell to Chris Von der Ahe 00 JON DAVID CASH The American League Browns Browns in American League since 1902 00 FREDERICK J. LIEB Jimmy Austin 00 LAWRENCE S. RITTER Rickey Tells How He'll Boss Browns 00 HUNT STROMBERG The Dazzling Record of George Sisler 00 F. C. LANE Will George Sisler Equal Ty Cobb 00 HUGH JENNINGS The Beginning of a St. Louis Dynasty The Rise of Baseball in St. Louis, 1920-1925 00 STEVE STEINBERG From Rags to Riches: A Baseball Success Story 00 J. ROY STOCKTON Grover Cleveland Alexander 00 FRANCIS J. POWERS Bob O'Farrell 00 LAWRENCE S. RITTER Country Boy 00 RED SMITH Fans in Nine Hour Rampage 00 STAFF REPORTER Me an Underminer? Not on Your Life 00 ROGERS HORNSBY The 1928 World's Series 00 FREDERICK J. LIEB The Gas House Gang The Cardinals' First Publicity Man 00 GENE KARST Bill Hallahan 00 DONALD HONIG Redbird Who Stole a World Series 00 RAY ROBINSON Admits He Would Like to Be a Manager Some Day 00 SID KEENER The Fordham Flash Becomes a Manager 00 F. C. LANE Dizzy Dean 00 BOB BROEG Muscles and Me 00 ROBERT HOOD St. Louis Swifties and the Streetcar Series Billy Southworth's St. Louis Swifties 00 E. G. FISCHER A St. Louis Harbinger: The 1942 Browns 00 BILL BORST Marty Marion 00 LYALL SMITH Branch Rickey Is Named President of the Brooklyn Dodgers 00 J. ROY STOCKTON Morton Cooper 00 JOHN P. CARMICHAEL World Series Review 00 SGTS. ROBERT W. BROEG and ROBERT H. MYERS Full House 00 TIM WILES Slaughter's Dash and the Brownies' Flight Cards Champs Sixth Time Because of Old Fight 00 FREDERICK J. LIEB Enos Dash to Destiny Revived 00 BOB BROEG A Troubling Year 00 JAMES N. GIGLIO I'm From Missouri--Momentarily 00 BILL VEECK Hail the Prodigal Rajah 00 FRANK GRAHAM The Day Veeck Played a Midget 00 BOB BROEG Maybe I'll Pitch Forever 00 SATCHEL PAIGE The Gibson Sixties Distance 00 ROGER ANGELL Dick Groat 00 DANNY PEARY October 1964 00 DAVID HALBERSTAM Redhead Cool Operator in Redbird Hot Seat 00 ROBERT L. BURNES Gibson Pitches Three-Hitter in 7-2 Finale 00 ROBERT L. BURNES Tim Hails 'Vicious Desire' by Hoot 00 ED WILKS Untamed Tigers Savor Sweet, Sweet Victory 00 LOWELL REIDENBAUGH The 'Silly' Series: Heroes, Goats, Turning Points, Tears 00 BOB BROEG Dred Scott in Spikes 00 GEORGE WILL Whitey Ball and a Big Mac Attack Cardinals Fire Schoendienst 00 BOB BROEG Larcenous Lou Laughs Off Pressure 00 NEAL RUSSO World Champs: Cardinals Wrap It Up 00 RICK HUMMEL Clutch Base Hits Came in Bunches 00 KEVIN HORRIGAN St. Louis' Wizard of Ozzie 00 JIM MURRAY Signatures 00 WHITEY HERZOG Twins Are Champs 00 RICK HUMMEL Our Casey 00 TOM BOSWELL The Manager 00 GEORGE F. WILL For Mark McGwire, It Was the Culmination of a Season-Long Quest 00 MIKE EISENBATH Over and Out 00 JOE STRAUSS The House That Busch Built A Toast to Busch 00 TIM O'NEIL Acknowledgments 00

Editorial Reviews

“As a Chicago Cubs fan, I believe—no, I know—that the St. Louis Cardinals are fully paid-up, card-carrying members of the Axis of Evil. Nevertheless, as this splendid volume shows, the Cardinals do have a history worth savoring.”—George F. Will 

“Over the years, many baseball books have been written about the St. Louis Cardinals; not much has been written about the St. Louis Browns. The St. Louis Baseball Reader covers them both and is a must for every true baseball fan. Richard Peterson couldn’t have written it better. I thoroughly enjoyed every word.”
—Whitey Herzog, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals, 1980–1990

 “Only Pete Peterson could lovingly craft such a rich history of baseball in St. Louis. The breadth and depth of The St. Louis Baseball Reader—from the topics it discusses to the unique perspectives it affords—will delight all baseball fans, especially the fans from the best baseball city in America. He leaves no stone unturned—and unturns many that others would ignore—in compiling these essays. This is a truly wonderful collection.”—Rob King, Anchor, Fox Sports Network 

 “Only Pete Peterson could lovingly craft such a rich history of baseball in St. Louis. The breadth and depth of The St. Louis Baseball Reader—from the topics it discusses to the unique perspectives it affords—will delight all baseball fans, especially the fans from the best baseball city in America. He leaves no stone unturned—and unturns many that others would ignore—in compiling these essays. This is a truly wonderful collection.”—Rob King, Anchor, Fox Sports Network 

 “This wonderful, deep-dish apple pie of a book is bound to turn any baseball fan into an overnight Cardinals addict—and you don’t have to come from Missouri!”—Ray Robinson, author of Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time and Matty: An American Hero

From the Publisher