The Cooperstown chronicles : baseball's colorful characters, unusual lives, and strange demises / Frank Russo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russo, Frank, 1959-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Baseball players--United States--Social life and customs.

Baseball players.

Baseball players--United States--Death.

Baseball players--United States--Biography.

Death.

Manners and customs.

United States.

Baseball--United States--History.

Baseball.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 289 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2014]

Summary:

Professional baseball consists of a variety of characters, from likeable youngsters to notorious rebels. Since 1871, the sport has witnessed the likes of Germany Shaefer, an infielder with a penchant for "stealing" first base; Joe Medwick, the only player ever removed from a game for his own safety; and first baseman Hal Chase, noted for being one of the most corrupt players in baseball history. The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the rowdy habits, bizarre lives, and odd deaths of some of the most colorful personalities in baseball. Chapters profile the game's well-known tough guys, hard-drinking revelers, and head-hunting pitchers, as well as players who took their own lives and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player's personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of stars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for eighteen years. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Bad to the Bone 1

2 Beer Drinkers and Hell-Raisers 41

3 Consumed by Consumption 87

4 Headhunted 129

5 Suicide Is Painless 169

6 Unnatural Causes 213

7 Final Out 241.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781442236394

1442236396

OCLC:

888985577