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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Light Reading for Everyone, October 14, 2000
A book doesn't have to be heavy reading to merit five stars. I was a kid just getting interested in baseball during the glory years of "The Boys of Summer." Near the back of the book Carl says, "It's fun to look back at days and events that have long since past." That's the feeling I had while reading this book. However, this book would be for anyone including children with short attention spans since the book is a series of short anecdotes about his years with the Brooklyn Dodgers. I finished it in two sittings. I came across a number of familiar stories, but also a number I've never heard before even though I've read many books on the Brooklyn Dodgers. I did find a mistake on P.156 where Carl states that lights were first used in Cincinnati and Brooklyn in 1946. Lights were first used in Cincy in 1935 and in Bklyn. in 1938 with Vandermeer's second no-hitter. Nevertheless, if you want a quick read about these great years told my a player who deeply appreciates being part of that team, pick up a copy of this book. This would also be a good introductory book on this team for a child as well. I've read hundreds of baseball books and I enjoyed it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A delightful look at Brooklyn's Golden Years, August 4, 2003
As someone who never knew Ebbets Field, but heard plenty about the Brooklyn Dodgers and Carl Erskine, this book is a treasure. Erskine anchored the Brooklyn Dodgers during the glory years in the late 1940s and 1950s. This was not only a golden era for the Dodgers, but a golden era for baseball as well, when names like Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Jackie Robinson were not just faces on bubblegum cards, they were idols.Erskine's book is a collection of memories. While they jump around in time, they are all fascinating and light hearted. Erskine does not go into long explanations about his philosophy of pitching or his view of baseball then versus baseball now, still his opinions and beliefs are easily ascertained. Probably the most enjoyable part of this book is that Erskine doesn't believe that baseball owes him something. He understands the magical moment in history that he lived in. He has also preserved some colorful history that would otherwise be lost because many of the ballplayers he mentions have passed away. He has created not only a fun baseball read, but a valuable document for those in the future who will wonder, "What was it like when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn..." The only criticism that I have of this book (and it is a minor one, to be sure) is that the stories were just meandering. Sometimes a story took place ten years after he played, followed by a story of Erskine in the minors. At other times, Erskine went over ground he'd already covered. While this is not a big deal, it, at times, slowed the pace of the book down. However, this is more the fault of the editor than the fault of Erskine. If you liked Roger Khan's "The Boys of Summer" then this book is like going back for a sequel. This book is gracious, funny, and makes you appreciate what a special time the 1940s and '50s were in baseball and in America.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Most enjoyable!, August 1, 2000
Carl Erskine played baseball with the famed "Boys of Summer", better known as the Brooklyn Dodgers. His career allowed him to meet and play with such greats as Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Sandy Koufax, and Bob Feller. His book is a collection of memories from those days gone by.As a true fan of the game and the history of baseball, this book was very impressive. There are no real chapters and no real storylines, this book does not tell a history of baseball, instead it gives you the history of one of baseball most storied franchises. Erskine brings to life what it was like to play, live, eat and sleep Brooklyn Dodgers Baseball. Packed into 230 pages is some of the funniest, greatest and most unbelievable tales you'll ever read. Also included are some of those hard to find photos of great from the past. For under $20.00 you have a book that should be in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Stop by Sports Publishing Inc. website and take a look at several more books on baseball and several other sports as well, you won't be disappointed.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
It was a fun read., October 30, 2000
Carl Erskine's short stories of baseball in the early '50's refreshed my memories of growing up in Upstate New York. I remember vividly the cross-town rivalries of the Dodgers and the Yankees. I remember the World Series of 1956 when Don Larson pitched his masterpiece against the Dodgers. It is refreshing to read about those experiences, and to read about the background of the game itself. Carl was always willing to show friendship with his competitive peers outside the `white lines', and willingly received Jackie Robinson's contributions to the game. It was fun to read about how the communities and families got involved in the early years of baseball on the professional level. Carl's attitude outside the competitive realm was always acceptable in anyone's home or community. Because I am not an avid reader, the way in which Carl formatted his book is interesting and fun to sit down and read. As a avid baseball fan and former coach, I appreciated Carl's sharing of his personal and professional experiences. I have a great deal of respect for a personable professional like Carl Erskine.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Little league, August 29, 2000
By A Customer
I bought this book through the net based on the positive review given by the New York Times Book review. Had I seen it first, I might not have bought it. In spite of the fact that I was a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s and that I like Carl Erskine, this book was a major disappointment. Pleasant, easy reading but shallow, superficial and providing neither interesting inside stories, insight into playing on one of baseball's best and most significant teams (i.e. Jackie Robinson) nor who Carl Erskine is. This is a light-weight book for killing time during a flight but not for learning anything about baseball. I knocked it off in two evenings - and can barely remember anything in it!
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It was fun to read, October 30, 2000
Carl Erskine's short stories of baseball in the early '50's refreshed my memories of growing up in Upstate New York. I remember vividly the cross-town rivalries of the Dodgers and the Yankees. I remember the World Series of 1956 when Don Larson pitched his masterpiece against the Dodgers. It is refreshing to read about those experiences, and to read about the background of the game itself. Carl was always willing to show friendship with his competitive peers outside the `white lines', and willingly received Jackie Robinson's contributions to the game. It was fun to read about how the communities and families got involved in the early years of baseball on the professional level. Carl's attitude outside the competitive realm was always acceptable in anyone's home or community. Because I am not an avid reader, the way in which Carl formatted his book was interesting and fun to sit down and read. As a avid baseball fan and former coach, I appreciated Carl's sharing of his personal and professional experiences. I have a great deal of respect for a personable professional like Carl Erskine.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
It was fun to read, October 30, 2000
Carl Erskine's short stories of baseball in the early '50's refreshed my memories of growing up in Upstate New York. I remember vividly the cross-town rivalries of the Dodgers and the Yankees. I remember the World Series of 1956 when Don Larson pitched his masterpiece against the Dodgers. It is refreshing to read about those experiences, and to read about the background of the game itself. Carl was always willing to show friendship with his competitive peers outside the `white lines', and willingly received Jackie Robinson's contributions to the game. It was fun to read about how the communities and families got involved in the early years of baseball on the professional level. Carl's attitude outside the competitive realm was always acceptable in anyone's home or community. Because I am not an avid reader, the way in which Carl formatted his book was interesting and fun to sit down and read. As a avid baseball fan and former coach, I appreciated Carl's sharing of his personal and professional experiences. I have a great deal of respect for a personable professional like Carl Erskine.
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