Monday, December 21, 2009

Nolan Ryan - -The Way to Go!


Harvey Frommer on Sports (From the Vault)

The news that Nolan Ryan will be running the show for the Texas Rangers and also be part owner of the team is good news all the way around - -for him, for fans of the Rangers, for baseball fans in general. The former power pitcher is now properly positioned to make things happen.


As an author who was privileged to have the opportunity to get to know him and his family while writing "Throwing Heat," his autobiography, I became intimately aware of how he began and what he has accomplished. The life and times of Nolan Ryan is truly the story of the realization of the American dream.

He grew up in the small town of Alvin, Texas, and still makes his home there. As a teenager Nolan delivered the Houston Post. In "Throwing Heat," he said, "Some people claimed that I developed my arm throwing the Houston Post. That was not the case. It was a short throw from a car, and I made the throw back-handed with my left hand while I steered my '52 Chevy with my right hand. But I did develop the knack of being able to roll and tie fifty newspapers in just about five minutes, and that probably helped me develop strong fingers and wrists."

The strong fingers and wrists were part of the reason for Ryan's great success. A tremendous work ethic was another. Nolan had 992,040 votes to rank first among all pitchers on the All-Century team. He was followed by Sandy Koufax (970,434), Cy Young (867,523), Roger Clemens (601,244), Bob Gibson (582,031). That's elite company.

One can only wonder what went through Nolan's mind out there on the field next to Bob Gibson, Hank Aaron, and Sandy Koufax. Aaron was one of Ryan's idols in his growing up years, and Koufax was a pitcher he truly admired.

"One Sunday between my junior and senior years in high school we went to see the Houston Colt .45's play the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sandy Koufax was pitching, and I was a big Koufax fan. It was the first time I had ever seen Sandy pitch. I was truly amazed at how fast he was and how good a curveball he had. I think he was the most overpowering pitcher I had ever seen."
The all time strikeout record has belonged to Ryan for quite a while now. But once upon a time, and for a long period, it belonged to Walter Johnson.

One day early in the 1969 season, Nolan was sitting in the Mets' dugout when Jim Bunning recorded his 2,500th strikeout. He asked Tom Seaver what the all-time record for strikeouts was and was told that it was 3,508 and held by Walter Johnson.

"That Johnson record will probably stand forever," Ryan told Seaver. Baseball fans know it didn't. Nolan broke it, and is the all-time strikeout leader with 5,714. That Ryan record will probably stand forever, as will a few other records Nolan picked up along the way.

He holds the record for most strikeouts in a major league season with 383, which he set while playing for the Angels in 1973. He struck out 100 in a season 24 times, another record. He also set the record for most consecutive seasons with 100 or more strikeouts, doing it 23 times in a row. He also holds the record for most career no-hitters with seven.

It is the records that are most associated with the man they called "The Ryan Express." For me it will always be his character. He's a great family man, a person who extends kindness to strangers, a guy who always remembers his friends.

Bravo, Nolan!




Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work an oral and narrative history of Fenway Park will be published in 2010.
Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.



Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Holiday Reads - -“When the Game Was Ours,” “Where Men Win Glory,” and more

The Book Review

How many times through the years did we watch, absorbed and marveling at the skills of Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson, the things they could do on the basketball court for their teams was a consciousness raiser.


Now there is “When the Game Was Ours” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26.00, 352 pages). And as I marveled at what the two superstars did on the court, I marvel even more at their analytical ability, their story telling skills, their keen perceptions of the game - -then and now.
But the book is not just Larry Legend and Magic – there are about 100 others whose voices so exceptionally fill these pages. All praise is due Jackie MacMullan. A job very well done.


NOTABLE
“Where Men Win Glory” by John Krakauer, (Doubleday,$27.95, 383 pages) is the poignant portrait of as its sub-title proclaims: “The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.” More than just the story of a man who walked away from a multi-million dollar NFL deal to join the Army, more than the true facts about his tragic death in Afghanistan, “Where Men Win Glory” is as timely as today’s headlines. This is an important book and one that belongs in your sports library!


“Hard Work” by Roy Williams with Tim Crothers (Algonquin,$24.95, 286 pages) is especially for college hoop fans who want the story behind the legendary coach who has led the way for Kansas and North Carolina. Self effacing yet open, detailed and filled with drama, it is a book about one of the winners in sports, also one of the good guys.

“The President’s Team” by Michael Connelly (MVP Books, $25.00. 304 pages) is history brought to life - -the 1963 Army-Navy game and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that took place two weeks before. Connelly, a Boston Herald writer, has covered all the bases in this briskly paced account of the events. With amazing photographs, with amazing commentary by members of that ’63 Navy team and others, the time comes back in a rush. A MUST READ
“Graphical Player 2010” (Acta Sports, $21.95, 256 pages, paper) will appeal to fantasy leaguers with its at a glance dashboards for over 1,000 players in the bigs and the minors. And there is a lot more!


NOTABLE: A pair of winners from Universe Publishing/Rizzoli - -“Fenway Park America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” ($25.00, 15 pages, over-sized with pop-up feature) and “Citi Field The Mets’ New World-Class Ballpark” ($25.00, 15 pages, over-sized with pop-up feature. These are books to enjoy, to play with, to marvel at the concise facts (including chronologies) and entertaining and to the smallest detail pop- ups.






Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work an oral and narrative history of Fenway Park will be published in 2010.

Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.

FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.


Wednesday, December 09, 2009

"Baseball Americana" and other Reads The Book Review


Holiday books galore for all kinds of sporting tastes are in stores, on-line and in libraries all for the reading. They range from big and beautiful coffee table clutterers to standard fare to paperback treats. A sampling follows:


"Baseball Americana," by Frank Ceresi and Harry Katz, with a nifty foreword by George F. Will (Harpercollins, $29.99, 256 pages) is a treat for the eyes. Filled with 350 illustrations as the sub-title of the book proclaims "Treasures From the Library of Congress," - the terrific tome is a tour through the decades presenting baseball in all its different tones and times.

Still in a coffee table frame of mind from MVP Books comes "The Pittsburgh Steelers" by Lew Freedman ($30,00, 192 pages) and "The New York Giants" by Lew Freedman ($30,00, 192 pages). Both books pack a punch filled as they are with hundreds of images, stats, insights and memories about each team. Highly recommended for football fans and especially those who root for the Steelers and Giants.

"Baseball Annual 2010" by the Hardball Times (Acta Sports, $21.95, 364 pages) is a mother lode of facts, figures, analyses. As usual, this is cutting edge, top of the heap stuff. The world champ of baseball annuals.

"Barney Ross" by Douglas Century (Schocken Books, $12.95, 215 pages) is paperback version of this moving and detailed account of one of the great boxers whose real name was Barnet Rasofsky. Some may remember the movie, but this book goes way beyond the stripped down story that cinema treatment presented. A WONDERFUL READ



Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work an oral and narrative history of Fenway Park will be published in 2010.
Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.


Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Remembering Tommy Henrich




"I was always a Yankee fan."




The oldest living Yankee, the final survivor of their great teams of the 1930s, Thomas David Henrich has passed away at the age of 96.

Born in Massillon, Ohio February 20, 1913, Henrich took to playing baseball often and well at an early age. In April 1937, Commissioner Landis ruled Henrich a free agent after he had been illegally hidden in the Cleveland farm system. He signed with the Yankees for a reported $25,000 and made his New York debut on May 11, 1937.

In an eleven year Yankee career Henrich batted .282. In 1948, he led the league in triples and runs scored, batted .308 with 25 homers and 100 RBIs. In 1949, his consistent clutch hitting helped keep the injury-racked Yankees in the pennant race. In 115 games, he hit 24 homers, drove in 85 runs, scoring 90 more.

Along with Joe DiMaggio and Charlie Keller, Henrich formed one of baseball's most celebrated outfields for the Yankees before and after WWII. Although Henrich played in only four World Series because of injuries and three years of military service, he was a key figure in two of the most famous Series games.

In 1949, his ninth inning homer off Don Newcombe of the Dodgers in Game One gave the Yankees the win and created the atmosphere for a Yankee world championship. Moments like those inspired Mel Allen to nick-name the four time All Star "Old Reliable" for a railroad train that was always on time that ran from Cincinnati through the Yankee announcer's Alabama birthplace state.

But Henrich will always be remembered most for his role in Game 4 of the 1941 World Series. It was Sunday baseball at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn before 33,813, standing room only. Yankees against Dodgers.

The first ball was thrown out by New York Mayor LaGuardia. The match-up pitted Brooklyn's Kirby Higbe against New York's Atley McDonald in the first Subway Series between the two teams. Higbe and McDonald were long gone as the game moved to the ninth inning and Brooklyn's Hugh Casey and Yankee reliever Johnny Murphy held forth with "Dem Bums" leading 4-3.

Tommy Henrich faced the burly Casey. There were two out. The count was three and two.

MEL ALLEN (GAME CALL) "Casey goes into the windup. Around comes the right arm, in comes the pitch. A swing by Henrich . . . he swings and misses, strike three! But the ball gets away from Mickey Owen. It's rolling back to the screen. Tommy Henrich races down toward first base. He makes it safely. And the Yankees are still alive with Joe DiMaggio coming up to bat."

"That ball broke like no curve I'd ever seen Casey throw," Henrich remembered. "As I start to swing, I think, 'No good. Hold up.' That thing broke so sharp, though, that as I tried to hold up, my mind said, 'He might have trouble with it.'"

Catcher Owen that 1941 season set the National League record of 476 consecutive errorless chances accepted was the goat. But there were those who thought a bit too much spit or other substance came along with the ball to home plate.

Whatever, the passed ball shook up Casey. The Yanks scored four times and won the game 7-4 and the next day won the world championship.

And "Old Reliable" Tommy Henrich, once again in the right place at the right time, helped the Yankees to another win.

The man from Massillon, Ohio was one of a kind. He will be missed.












Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work an oral and narrative history of Fenway Park will be published in 2010.
Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.