Winter Reading: Summer of '49

I recently finished David Halberstam’s Summer of ’49 for the second time, and I must say it’s one of the best baseball books I’ve ever read. Halberstam is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and tells the story of the 1949 baseball season better than anyone probably could have, giving us an engaging blow-by-blow of one of baseball's best pennant races pitting Joe D’s Yankees against Ted Williams’ Red Sox. The race would be decided during the final weekend of the season at Yankee Stadium.

The book not only recounts the story of this great pennant race, but of the players within it, the radio broadcasters who called it, and the newspaper reporters who covered it. Reading this book also gives the reader great insight into a time where baseball was still pure and truly America’s national pastime - When it was a game.

My favorite parts of the book are the anecdotes about the players; I will share a couple excerpts from the book with you here.

First, a couple Yogi stories,

The All-Ugly Team

In 1946, when Berra came up at the end of the season, there was a Yankee-Red Sox game, and Charlie Keller started joking around Red Sox pitcher Mike Ryba. Ryba, who was considered to be a less-than-handsome figure himself, had created what he called his All-Ugly team. It playing captain, he always claimed, was Charlie Keller, so powerful and hairy that his nickname (which he hated) was “King Kong.” Keller took the ribbing from Ryba because he believed Ryba even uglier than he. When their teams played they always argued about who was on the All-Ugly team. “I’ve got a new playing captain for you,” Keller told Ryba.

“There’s no way Keller,” Ryba said. “There’s no one uglier than you in baseball”

“Yes there is,” Keller said. Just then Berra came out of the dugout and walked past the two players. Ryba starred at him.

“I take it back, Keller,” he said, “it’s all over for you. You’re off my team. You’re no longer ugly enough” (pg 84-85)

Joe D. Sets Young Lawrence Straight

Later that season the Yankees went to Washington for a doubleheader. By then DiMaggio was exhausted by the season and the pain, but he insisted on playing both games. He was so tired that by the end of the second game Lopat and Allie Reynolds virtually carried him off the field. Berra, claiming fatigue, had begged out of the second game… Later in the locker room, DiMaggio turned around and said, loud enough for Berra to hear, “Jesus Christ, a twenty-year-old kid and he can’t play both ends of a doubleheader when we’re fighting down the stretch. What kind of bull**** is this?” From then on Berra’s work habits began to improve. (pg. 142)

Here’s a couple about the team’s practical joker, Johnny Lindell.

Lindell Gives Scooter Worms (Remember while reading this that Rizzuto was scared of almost anything that moved)

Once the Yankees were in Detroit and it rained heavily, forcing a delay. Finally the sun came out and the game was played. During the fifth inning, as the Yankees came in from the outfield, Lindell Beckoned to Bobby Brown, the third baseman. You won't believe what I've got here." He pulled some thirty nightcrawlers out of his back pocket. They had been coming to the surface after the rain, and he had dutifully collected them. In those days, when the players left the field to bat, they left their gloves on the field. Lindell managed to get Rizzuto’s glove and stuffed the fingers with his enormous worm collection. The other players were onto the gag and held Rizzuto up for a minute as the Yankees went back out on the field. That way he would be a little late getting back to his position and the explosion would come in full view of the crowd. Everyone was ready as Rizzuto got to shortstop. On came the glove. It was like someone had given him an electric shock. He threw the glove high into the air and did what look like an Indian war dance. Both teams were incapacitated with laughter. (pg 257-258)

Johnny and His Wang 

[Lindell’s] humor seems to dominate the locker room… Even the trainers table wasn’t safe. A player lying down for treatment would often get whacked on the forehead by Lindell’s phallus, which was considered one of the wonders of the Yankee locker room. (pg 270)

Lindell Makes Joltin' Joe Blush

Once DiMaggio walked into the locker room in a beautiful and obviously expensive new Hawaiian sports shirt. Lindell immediately shouted out, “Hey beautiful, where’d you get that sports shirt? You look pretty in it.” DiMaggio froze, his face reddened, and he never wore the shirt again. “We’ve got to keep the Dago honest,” Lindell said when the others looked at him quizzically." (pg 271)

And finally a couple things about the recently departed, Tommy Byrne.

Tommy Byrne - Control Artist

Byrne’s starts were memorable: long drawn-out games when no one hit the ball. Forty years later, he could remember a game where he walked 16 and lost 3-2 in thirteen innings: he threw 248 pitches, which he believed might be a record of some sort. (pg 244-245)

Stengel on how to manage Tommy Byrne:

“Look,” he once counseled Ralph Houk, who would eventually be his successor, “don’t watch the him pitch. You’ll die too young. Just turn away, and listen to the crowd. You’ll know he’ll walk in a run or two in some situations, but then you’ll hear the cheer when he strikes someone out. Listen to the noise. It’s easier on your stomach. If you watch him you won’t last long.” (pg 245)

Summer of ’49 is a great book, and a must-read for not only any Yankee fan, but baseball fan as well. (It can be purchased here.)