Review by Booklist Review
The year 1947 will always be remembered for being Jackie Robinson's rookie year with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the subway World Series that season between the Dodgers and the Yankees was memorable in its own right, as Cook makes clear in this entertaining slice of baseball history. The focus is on six individuals who helped give the series the first ever to be televised its luster: managers Burt Shotton (Dodgers) and Bucky Harris (Yankees); pitcher Bill Bevens and the man who ruined his no-hitter and won the fourth game for the Dodgers, Cookie Lavagetto; Al Gionfriddo, whose spectacular catch off Joe DiMaggio is still replayed every year; and Yankees second-baseman Snuffy Stirnweiss, whose tragic death in a train wreck is recounted sensitively. Cook capably sums up the early and later lives of his subjects (none had distinguished careers), along with tracing the year's pennant races and the series games themselves, relying on family reminiscences and the quotations of others, most particularly announcer Red Barber, who penned the classic 1947: When All Hell Broke Loose in Baseball (1982).--Levine, Mark Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The 1947 World Series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers was notable even if all the people involved weren't at the time, writes Cook (Titanic Thompson), who profiles six people in this entertaining, well-researched history. It was the first televised World Series, making the games viewable to millions of baseball fans, leading sports writers at the time to refer to the month of the series as "electric October." Yankee Bill Bevens, pitching in his fourth and final big-league season, was one out away from a no-hitter in game four before a little-used pinch hitter named Cookie Lavagetto came up to bat. Brooklyn's speedy Al Gionfriddo showed up Joe DiMaggio with a spectacular game-saving catch. One of the Yankees' best players was second baseman George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss, a man known for his steadiness and nerves. Managers Burt Shotton and Bucky Harris led their clubs to the World Series even though they hadn't been their team owners' first choices. In profiling the lives of these six overlooked men, Cook reveals the complicated reality of baseball's golden era. For example, many players returned to day jobs when their baseball careers were over. Bevens went back to his family farm and took jobs driving trucks and selling home appliances at Sears after his career ended. Stirnweiss became a banker and died a decade after the series in a New Jersey train crash. 16-page b&w insert. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Cook (Tommy's Honor) revisits the 1947 matchup between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers, telling stories of lesser-known players and managers. Most baseball fans know Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, or Branch Rickey, Hall of Famers who left indelible marks on the game. However, not many are familiar with Bucky Harris, Al Gionfriddo, or Cookie Lavagetto. Their names may have faded in time, but their impact on the 1947 World Series is as permanent as their Hall of Fame colleagues. This book is a reminder that many quality players are lost to history, and their stories are often as intriguing as the legends they played with. Cook does an excellent job of weaving articles and interviews from that time with modern sabermetrics and perspectives to make athletes and moments more relatable to fans of the current game. VERDICT Focusing on lesser-known players is one of the endearing qualities of this book; as a result, it may appeal more to die-hard fans than casual dabblers. Appropriate for both adult and young adult readers.- Matt Schirano, Univ. of Bridgeport Lib., CT © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cook (The Dad Report: Fathers, Sons, and Baseball Families, 2017 etc.) chronicles the 1947 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, approaching this narrow slice of sports history from an unusual angle.That year's Series resonates with the author for a few reasons: the quality of play in the two New York City ballparks, the historic nature of Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers becoming the first African-American to participate in the event, and the fact that it was the first televised Series. The overriding narrative line, however, involves the unexpectedly significant roles of four under-the-radar baseball playersAl Gionfriddo and Cookie Lavagetto for the Dodgers and Bill Bevens and Snuffy Stirnweiss for the Yankeesas well as the controversial managers for each team, Burt Shotton for the Dodgers (filling in for the suspended, better-known Leo Durocher) and Bucky Harris for the Yankees. Cook traces the lives of all six men before 1947 and then illuminates their roles during the Series. "The six of them played key roles in a World Series that Joe DiMaggio called the most exciting ever.' " In the third portion of the book, the author explains how his brief interval in the spotlight affected each man until his death. To be sure, all of his subjects led interesting lives in one way or another, but how they reached the Major Leagues and what happened to each after 1947 may only appeal to die-hard fans of baseball history. As a result, Cook's unusual approach might limit the audience. The narrative works best when the author narrates the drama of the seven-game series, which the Yankees won. For readers unfamiliar with the Robinson saga, the compact account might provide a gateway to further reading. An impressively reported, smoothly written book that nonetheless feels airy in its content. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
