Baseball's Roaring Twenties

A Decade of Legends, Characters, and Diamond Adventures

Ronald T. Waldo

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN:
  9798216270768
• Edition: 1

Following the 1919 Black Sox scandal, baseball needed men willing and able to pump life back into the game during tough times. Numerous ballplayers stepped forward and left their mark on the national pastime as it continued to thrive and grow during a decade that became known as the Roaring Twenties, a raucous, happy time period when a free-spirited nature prevailed.

In Baseball's Roaring Twenties: A Decade of Legends, Characters, and Diamond Adventures, Ronald T. Waldo recounts the rollicking escapades surrounding a distinctive collection of players, managers, and umpires that truly personified this era of baseball history. Waldo includes a mix of unique stories and amusing tales surrounding baseball greats like Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, Rabbit Maranville, and Casey Stengel, alongside less famous diamond performers such as Duster Mails, Jay Kirke, Jimmy O'Connell, and Possum Whitted. The fans—who were every bit as important in helping the game grow during the '20s—are also given their due with a chapter of their own.

From the story of Heinie Mueller unceremoniously pushing his attractive cousin out of sight when he saw manager Branch Rickey approaching to the tale of minor league hurler Augie Prudhomme literally following the sarcastic directive from pilot George Stallings to burn his uniform, Baseball's Roaring Twenties provides an entertaining perspective of baseball during this singular decade. Amusing and informative, this book will be of interest to baseball fans and historians of all generations.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Seedy Individuals, Black Sox, and Baseball’s Dirty Laundry
• 2 The Big Bam Ushers in a New Baseball Era with Gusto
• 3 Duster, Heinie, Casey, and Other Unique Major League Performers
• 4 Yankees’ Swagger, Shanty, Tiny, Possum, and Interesting Diamond Incidents
• 5 Baseball Arbiters Taking Charge and Keeping the Peace
• 6 Rickey, McGraw, Mack, McCarthy, and Other Pilots Leading the Way
• 7 Bush League Madness and Players Wreaking Havoc in the Minors
• 8 Clowning around, Indulgence, Dissipation, and Refusing to Embrace Volstead
• 9 Bad Boys, Problem Players, and Misunderstood Characters
• 10 Pennant Winners, World Series Clashes, and October Champions
• 11 Bugs, Cranks, and Rooters Making Their Presence Known at the Ballpark
• 12 Turning the Page on Another Great Baseball Era
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author