George Kelley sent me this one, knowing that I miss the old days. It's a collecton of "thrilling inside stories" written by writers, some of whose names you might recognize (Arnold Hano, Dick Schaap), about players I remember well (Mickey Mantle, Hoyt Wilhelm) and about some I hardly recall (Frank Malzone). About Mickey Mantle, Arnold Hano asks the musical question, "Can he come back?" You see, in 1959, Mantle hit only .285 and knocked only 31 home runs (with 94 RBIs) and the Yankees didn't win the pennant. Some of you are smiling, and so am I. A guy with those numbers would be paid a bazillion dollars today. And I'd say he came back. In 1960, although his average was a mere .275, he hit 40 home runs and had 94 RBIs.
The final story in the book, by Ray Robinson, is about the question of comebacks, as well. Stan Musial and Ted Williams both had down years in 1959. They were over the hill in the eyes of a lot of fans. Musial hit only .255 with 14 home runs. Again, these days he'd be making big bucks, but (and this is unheard of now) Musial took a salary cut from $100,000 in 1959 to $80,000 in 1960, when he hit .275 , with 17 homers. Williams had 10 home runs and hit .254 in 1959, a bad year for him, indeed. 1960 was his final season, but it was a good one. He hit for a .316 average with 29 home runs.
There are lots of other good stories in this book, and it was great to take a trip back to a time when I followed baseball more closely than I do now. No wonder I miss the old days.
12 comments:
Frank Malzone played third base for the Red Sox.
I miss the old days too. And Rocky Colavito, another New Yorker (as was Malzone, for that matter) who never got to play for the Yankees until his career was virtually over.
*sigh*
Jeff
I should add that both Malzone (84) and Colavito (81) are still alive and kicking.
Stay off their lawns!
Jeff
I'm glad they're still around. I remembered Malzone's name, but not much else about him.
When I found BASEBALL STARS OF 1960 I knew your bookshelf was the Right Place for it. Glad it took you on a walk down Memory Lane.
That looks like Nelson Fox, one of my all-time favorites, on the cover, and it looks like a play from the 1959 World Series. I remember it well. The Sox won the first game 11-0 (I think), but lost the series in six games. Took 'em until 2005 to get there again.
Hmmmm. I wonder who they beat in that series. Could it be the team that Fox finished his career with?
Bill, Mickey Mantle hit those 54 home runs and 128 rbi's in 1961 while batting .317. 1961 was the year of the Maris/Mantle chase after Babe Ruth's record.
Yep, I looked at the wrong line in the stats. I'll make the correction. Thanks.
I was wondering why you thought hitting 10 pts less with nine more homers and the same RBI was a major comeback. Speaking about Musial I lucked out yesterday at a book sale and found a signed copy of his 1964 autobiography for $2.00
What a great find!
Re Nelson Fox: The White Sox lost to the Dodgers in the '59 Series. I can't remember who Fox finished his career with (might have been Houston), but I'm sure it was not the Dodgers.
Fox did finish his career with Houston, which is the team swept by the Sox in 2005.
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