About this item
Highlights
- Most baseball fans know what links Fred Merkle, Fred Snodgrass, Mickey Owen and Bill Buckner.
- About the Author: SABR member John Billheimer is also a member of Mystery Writers of America.
- 228 Pages
- Sports + Recreation, Baseball
Description
About the Book
This book documents the most muffled moments and botched plays of baseball history by telling the stories of the men who became legendary failures because of them. But arguing against the injustice of this historical branding, the book also recounts men who made nearly identical mistakes and managed to retain their reputation as professionals. Each chapter reviews the history of players who were marked for life because they failed on a grand scale, as well as many who survived similar misplays with little more than a wrist-slap.Book Synopsis
Most baseball fans know what links Fred Merkle, Fred Snodgrass, Mickey Owen and Bill Buckner. It's a pantheon of public failure. They would be harder put to say what links Eric Byrnes, Tony Fernandez, and Babe Ruth, though these players made misplays every bit as egregious.
In this smart, highly readable history of scapegoating, John Billheimer identifies the elements that combine to condemn one player to a life sentence while another gets a wrist slap for the same offense. As it turns out, the difference between a lower-case e in some forgotten box score and a lifetime of ignominy can hinge on a number of factors, including timing, geography, reputation, misunderstanding, media bias, and just plain bad luck.
Review Quotes
"well researched and documented tour through baseball history....very interesting to read...very detailed"-SABR Deadball Committee Newsletter.
About the Author
SABR member John Billheimer is also a member of Mystery Writers of America. A transportation analyst, he lives in Portola Valley, California.