I have had this book in a paper format for a long time. And, every time I see it looking at me, I pick it up and can only get through the first few pages. I mean, I do want to read it. So, a few weeks ago, I decided to try again, but this time as an ebook on my Kindle, and I read the entire book.
This book is about real people; Bill Veeck, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and other negro players from that era. It takes place in 1943 as Bill Veeck buys the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team, and fields his team with the best negro players available. A lot of obstacles happen; mostly from the then Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Landis does everything in his power to stop it from happening; one of them is suspending Bill Veeck from being in the stadium. Fans, teams, and the media are also tying to prevent and some even help them.
It’s an interesting story and I really enjoyed reading about the greatest negro baseball players as well as how smart Bill Veeck was with this brilliant idea. Not only finding the players, but also getting the stadium in shape for playing. Bill also had an open door to his apartment near the stadium and personally took phone calls so he could be aware of what the fan wanted.
Off topic, Bill Veeck is a baseball genius.
He was an owner of a few baseball teams, and worked every job you could possibly think of.
He helped plant the vines at Wrigley Field in 1937, it was actually his idea.
As an owner of the St. Louis Browns, he had Eddie Gaedel pinch hit in a game. You aren’t supposed to know that name, but he was the shortest player to ever play in a Major League Baseball game (3 feet and 7 inches). By the way he walked, and then was substituted for a pinch runner.
As owner and team president of the Indians in 1947, Veeck signed Larry Doby, thus beginning the integration of the American League, and the following year, he won a World Series title.
It was Veeck’s encouragement in 1977 to have Harry Carey sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” live during the 7th inning stretch. How awesome is that!!!!
Bill was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1991, but it should’ve happened much earlier than that.
Because I read and really enjoyed this book, one of my co-workers suggested a similar book called, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings: A Novel. Yeah, we have book group at my job, and I like sharing my reading updates. This one is now in my Goodreads want to read list.
