Tales from the Deadball Era

Ty Cobb, Home Run Baker, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the Wildest Times in Baseball History

De: Mark S. Halfon

Narrado por: Michael Butler Murray

The Deadball Era (1901-1920) is a baseball fan's dream. Hope and despair, innocence and cynicism, and levity and hostility blended then to create an air of excitement, anticipation, and concern for all who entered the confines of a major league ballpark. Cheating for the sake of victory earned respect, corrupt ballplayers fixed games with impunity, and violence plagued the sport.

At the same time, endearing practices infused baseball with lightheartedness, kindness, and laughter. Fans ran onto the field with baskets of flowers, loving cups, and cash for their favorite players in the middle of games. Ballplayers volunteered for "benefit contests" to aid fellow big leaguers and the country in times of need. "Joke games" reduced sport to pure theater as outfielders intentionally dropped fly balls, infielders happily booted easy grounders, hurlers tossed soft pitches over the middle of the plate, and umpires ignored the rules. Winning meant nothing, amusement meant everything, and league officials looked the other way.

Mark Halfon highlights the strategies, underhanded tactics, and bitter battles that defined this storied time in baseball history, while providing detailed insights into the players and teams involved in bringing to a conclusion this remarkable period in baseball history.

©2014 the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (P)2019 Tantor

An Absolute Must for Baseball Fans

I really enjoyed listening to the narrative that depicted the struggle of those who were first. The names are colorful and the shicking amount of violence and gambling depict an America that was evolving too. way before all the millionaire players, there were regular guys who played because they were good at baseball. And the power was with the owners to a fault. immerse yourself in history with this narrative.

very good narrator

a lot of 1st hand sources are used and some of the stories are actually quite funny.

Narrator Issues?

There were obvious pronunciation issues through the audio book with names and other titles. Also, when the narrator mentioned a "20 game" career for Grover Cleveland Alexander, it was clear that he meant 20 years...but maybe that was a typo in the book itself. This made me question the remainder of statistics that were read by the narrator.

Excellent information about a forgotten era in baseball

Totally enjoyed this book. Chock full of data, stats, and stories of a wild ride through the dead ball era.

Old Baseball

Nice overview of baseball’s early years. Strange gaffes and mispronunciations are a distraction.
There is an art to storytelling, and this one comes up a bit short.
Still, the facts of the times are fun to appreciate.