The Greatest Summer in Baseball Histo..., John Rosengren
The Greatest Summer in Baseball Histo..., John Rosengren
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The Greatest Summer in Baseball History
How the '73 Season Changed Us Forever

Author: John Rosengren

Narrator: Barry Abrams

Unabridged: 10 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/25/2023


Synopsis

In 1973, baseball was in crisis. The first strike in pro sports had soured fans, American League attendance had fallen, and America's team—the Yankees—had lost more games and money than ever. Yet that season, five of the game's greatest figures rescued the national pastime.

Hank Aaron riveted the nation with his pursuit of Babe Ruth's landmark home run record in the face of racist threats. George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees at a bargain basement price and began buying back their faded glory. An elderly and ailing Willie Mays nearly helped the Mets pull off a miracle with the final hit of his career. Reggie Jackson, the MVP of a tense World Series, became the prototype of the modern superstar.

The season itself provided plenty of drama served up by a colorful cast of characters. The Mets, managed by Yogi Berra, performed another near miracle, rising from last place in the National League East to win the division and take the A's to seven games in the World Series. Reggie Jackson, the World Series MVP, solidified his reputation as Mr. October. Willie Mays hit the final home run of his career and retired. Future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and George Brett played in their first major league games; Luis Aparicio and Mays played in their last. That one memorable summer changed baseball forever.

About John Rosengren

John Rosengren is a SABR member with an MFA. He is the author of many books, including Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win, which chronicles a season with a Minnesota high school hockey powerhouse. A Pulitzer nominee for his journalism, Rosengren has written articles for more than 100 publications, including the Atavist, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, and the Washington Post Magazine. His work has been anthologized alongside that of Maya Angelou, Marlon James, Bill Moyers, George Saunders, and Meg Wolitzer. He earned his master's degree in creative writing at Boston University, where he studied under Leslie Epstein, Theo's father. A lifelong Twins fan, Rosengren lives in Minneapolis with his wife, their two children, and two golden retrievers.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on November 05, 2023

Tom Seaver, Cleon Jones, Rusty Staub: names I had all but forgotten about. Reggie Jackson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays: I knew only bits and pieces about their stories. As I got reacquainted with the Mets I had watched in the late 1960s and early 1970s and learned more about the three players John Roseng......more

Goodreads review by Tim on October 22, 2023

Solid Research and Narrative A joy to read however the book left me wanting more from this year of baseball lore. Perhaps I overexpected but it just wasn't the brain candy that I long for in sports books about this era. Well written and well researched, the fundamentals are there just not the "Wow"......more

Goodreads review by Michael on September 02, 2023

Nice following of three old players and their replacement on the Superstar scene. With an overview of how the World Series teams made it there. Also the Advent of the DH.......more

Goodreads review by Dave on March 28, 2025

I should have loved this book but I couldn’t really get into it. I forced myself to finish it, and that was after two different attempts to read it. I was eight years old during the 1973 season and it was the first season that I went to multiple games, and I have very explicit and deep memories from......more

Goodreads review by Eddie on August 20, 2024

a little too inside baseball, if you catch my drift......................more