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Customer Reviews (3)

Historic Look at DiMaggio's Streak and Baseball
This solid day-by-day look at Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak is well worth reading.Author Michael Seidel recreates the excitement of one of baseball's most treasured records.Seidel describes all 56 games from May 15 to July 16, 1941.For the record, the Yankee Clipper batted .408 (91 for 223) during the streak, with 16 doubles, 4 triples, and 15 homers.During this time his team won 41 games, surging to first place where they remained to win yet another pennant and World Series (against the cross-town Brooklyn Dodgers).Readers learn about that year's two pennant races, plus Yankee teammates like Phil Rizzuto, Tommy Henrich, Bill Dickey and ex-teamate Lou Gherig (who died during the streak).There is also a look at opponents like Dominic DiMaggio (Joe's brother), Luke Appling, Ken Keltner (his glove helped end the streak), Lefty Grove, and Ted Williams - who hit .406 with an incredible .553 On-Base-Percentage yet lost the MVP Award to the better-rounded, more gentlemanly DiMaggio.As many know, the 1941 season took place against a backdrop of World War II, which the USA would enter that December.The author covers the major national and international events on a day-by-day basis along with each game.We read about Nazi submarines, Hank Greenberg being drafted, President Roosevelt aiding a beleagured Britain, and Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union.

Michael Seidel is a professor of Literature at Columbia University who writes readable prose and included the box scores of each game in the Appendix.Even if (like me) you're no Yankee fan, this book makes a nice addition for baseball aficionados and history buffs.

A fascinating look at "The Streak"
Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 has long been one of sports most hallowed accomplishments, and one which it seems may never be equalled. Author Michael Seidel examines the streak game-by-game, detailing not just the exploits of DiMaggio, but also the events of the world at that time, especially the escalation of World War II. From the news of the sinking of the Egyptian steamer Zamzam with 138 Americans aboard to violinist Fritz Kriesler walking for the first time since being hit by a car to numerous other news stories of the time, the stories that go along with the chronicling of the streak make this book a unique and totally enjoyable read. To make the book all the more desireable for baseball fans and statisticians, the appendix of the book has complete box scores for each of the games. A great book that would fit nicely in the collection of any baseball trivia buff or fan of Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees.

A SOLID BOOK WITH A TON OF FACTS
THIS IS ABOUT THE LONGEST HITTING STREAK IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASBALL HISTORY AND SOME OF THE EVENTS DURING 1941. THE AUTHOR GIVES US A GOOD LOOK AT EACH GAME DURING THE STREAK AND A GREAT DEAL OF DETAIL CONCERNING THE EVENTS LEADING TO WORLD WAR II. HE DOES A VERY GOOD JOB AND KEEPS MY INTERST WHEN HE STICKS TO THE STREAK AND WHAT DIMAG DID DURING EACH AT BAT. BUT HE ALSO INCLUDES TOO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT WORLD EVENTS WHICH BECOME TEDIOUS AND REPETITITVE. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR HISTORY BUFFS OF BASEBALL. ... Read more

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Spare, simple poems tell a boy’s moving story in this short novel about baseball, family, and the American dream.

It’s 1936, and the Yankees have just hired a star center fielder whose name sounds like music. What could be a better time for Papa-Angelo’s grandson to be born? Christened after the legendary ballplayer, young Joseph Paul learns much at his Italian grandfather’s knee - about holding your breath in front of the radio during a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and having the audacity to dream big dreams. After all, the boy’s ne’er-do-well father is out of the picture, and it is Papa-Angelo’s job to teach his grandson what it means to be a hero.

In a poignant novel told in verse, Maria Testa paints a picture of a timeless bond between a grandson and his immigrant grandfather - and of finding his own place in a brave new world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Family, dreams and finding your way -- a home run!
I picked up Becoming Joe DiMaggio out of curiosity when researching some young adult literature for a class I was taking, and just fell in love with it.With an economy of words, Maria Testa paints a portrait of a boy, his grandfather, and the iconic baseball player that had a generation cheering.This would be a wonderful basis for classroom discussions/writing assignments on dreams, family, how poetry can evoke emotions with so few words.It can even be used to tie in math (baseball statistics, prompted by the poem "The Streak"), social studies (World War II), and even moral issues (the bombing of Hiroshima, domestic abuse).I recommend this highly for any student or teacher from fourth through 8th grade, and possibly even into high school.

Baseball Legend
The book "Becoming Joe DiMaggio" was a a good book overall. It is about Joseph Paul growing up and learns about the game of baseball. He falls in love with the sport and soon learns the rules and how the game is played. He loves his grandfather and would do anything to make him happy and hopes to make it to the majors his dream. This book is a very quick read and somewhat a confusing book. But overall it was entertaining and i would recommend it to anyone from grades 5th and up.

A not-to-be-missed diamond
With a spare, beautiful text, Testa creates poignant characters and a passionate story. Every word counts here. "Becoming Joe DiMaggio" is a story for all generations. This book would be a lovely, thoughtful gift for all ages. ... Read more

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JOE DIMAGGIO-THE PROMISE is about the life of one of the greatest baseball players that ever lived as seen through the eyes of the former Yankee Batboy who not only knew joe dimaggio but managed to have dimaggio reveal his secret of success and his philosophy of life. The author, joe carrieri, who was the Yankee Batboy for 7 seven years, relates how dimaggio kept his promise to him and how 50 years later joe carrieri kept his promise to joe dimaggio. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Promise Fulfilled
This is a heart warming story which offers great insights into those great Yankee personalities of the 50's. The reader feels like he too is in the bowels of the old Yankee Stadium, chatting with Pete Sheehey, and enjoying the breathtaking thrills that only a bat boy embedded with a baseball dynasty could experience. Every Yankee fan should read this book. The great DiMaggio comes to life once again through the eyes the luckiest batboy on the face of the earth.

A COMPSSIONATEDIMAGGIO
I HAVE BEEN READING SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DIMAGGIOAND THAT MAKESME MAD. THESE INSIDE WRITINGS SHOULD BE BETTER LEFT UNSAID. WHAT RIGHT DOESA WRITER HAVE TO REVEAL THE INNER MOST SECRETS OF A PERSON BE HE BEGGARKING. IT IS NOBODIES BUSINESS TO READ THAT DIMAGGIO WAS GREEDY ORCHEAP.THAT IS WHY I LIKED THE PROMISE. IT DESCRIBED A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYERWHO SYMBOLIZED GRACE AND STYLE-AN AGE OF INNOCENCE-WHEN PLAYERS PLAYED FORTHE FUN OF IT-

yankeestadium from the eyes of abatboy
If you like tradition and the history of the game read Searching ForHeroes The Quest oF a YANKEE BATBOY .i LIKED THE BOOK BECAUSE IT WASINFORMATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL-The Yankees of the fifties were teamplayers who played for the love of the game---A GREAT BOOK.

The other Dimaggio
I read The Promise and it was a baseball fans dream, full of Yankeeanecdotes and the sharing of personalities such as the batboys Ralph andJoe, the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, big pete little Pete, Al Rosens stolenbat, the great Rizzuto, Berra, the antics od Stengle and martin, and theGREAT JOE DIMAGGIO- I aM AFRAID THAT BEN CRAMER'S BOOK ON DIMAGGIO WILLTRANISH HIS MEMORY. i HOPE NOT. WE NEED HEROES AND TO ME DIMAGGIO WAS ABASEBALL HERE AND A MANS MAN--

The other Dimaggio
I read The Promise and it was a baseball fans dream, full of Yankeeanecdotes and the sharing of personalities such as the batboys Ralph andJoe, the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, big pete little Pete, Al Rosens stolenbat, the great Rizzuto, Berra, the antics od Stengle and martin, and theGREAT JOE DIMAGGIO- I aM AFRAID THAT BEN CRAMER'S BOOK ON DIMAGGIO WILLTRANISH HIS MEMORY. i HOPE NOT. WE NEED HEROES AND TO ME DIMAGGIO WAS ABASEBALL HERE AND A MANS MAN-- ... Read more

Product Description
No other man represents baseball's Golden Age better than the Yankee Clipper. No other source can better capture the glory of those days than the Daily News. From the very beginning of Joe DiMaggio's career to his passing in 1999, the Daily News was there to cover his life and career. This book covers Joe's entire career, plus the public aspects of his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, his family, and his life after baseball. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Superb Look at the Yankee Clipper
This is my favorite book on the legendary Joe DiMaggio. Part of the Daily News Legends Series it is chock full of the newspaper stories that covered Joe DiMaggio's career and life on and off the field. The stories reflect not a retrospective look at DiMaggio like most books, but rather the events as they were viewed at the time, in the language of the time. A delightful read that is accompanied by a good many photos (mostly black and white) and is sure to please any baseball fan.

Excellent compilation of a fantastic career.
If you are a baseball fan, then this compilation as put together by the N.Y. Daily News is a must have.The depth of their files, as shown in this book, comes through to allow those fans of Joe D. to relive both the goodand not so good times of a grand career. With his passing, a certain styleand grace was lost to us all. This book will go a long way in helping usremember it. ... Read more

Product Description
Whenever Joe DiMaggio appeared at Yankee Stadium afterretirement, he was always introduced as "the greatest livingballplayer." In the career-spanning Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, RichardGilliam puts together the inspiring story of how he achieved thatdistinction when baseball was truly the national pastime and how hestayed in American hearts long after his departure from the game.DiMaggio's legendary status is more than his unbeatable record of a56-game hitting streak in 1941 and his gliding greatness in theoutfield as "The Yankee Clipper." With his supple wide-legged swing,DiMaggio batted in more runs per game than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams,and Hank Aaron - the third highest R.B.I. this century - and he struckout fewer times than any other power hitter with his home-runrecord. "Joe was the pride of baseball," said Cardinal outfielder StanMusial, and rival Ted Williams admitted, "He could do it all." JosephPaul DiMaggio possessed a dignity on and off field that carried himthrough not only thirteen seasons with the Yankees - and ten WorldSeries - but also his famous marriage with Marilyn Monroe, his successas a pitchman, and appearances in works by Ernest Hemingway and PaulSimon.

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio combines the best of new writing aboutthis great sports legend, along with rarely seen classic essays fromnewspapers, magazines and books into a comprehensive view of one ofthe Twentieth Century's most fascinating celebrities. ... Read more

Product Description
Seventy baseball seasons ago, on May 15, 1941 at Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio lined a hard single to left field in the first inning. It would be his only hit of the game. No one paid it any notice; after all, the Yanks lost 13-1 to the White Sox. Who knew that this would be start of the most resonant baseball achievement of all time? Beginning that day, the vaunted Yankee centerfielder kept on hitting-at least one hit in game after game after game.

In that spring of 1941, as the Nazi forces of Hitler's Germany moved inexorably across Europe, it was only a matter of time before American soldiers would be called to war and the nation was apprehensive. Yet for two months in that tense summer, America was captivated by DiMaggio's incredible hitting streak. In 56, Kostya Kennedy tells the remarkable story of how the streak found its way into countless lives, from the Italian kitchens of Newark to the Oval Office of FDR to the Upper West side apartment where Joe's first wife Dorothy, the movie starlet, was expecting a child.Joe DiMaggio comes alive-a driven ballplayer, a mercurial star and a conflicted husband-as the tension and the scrutiny build, day by day, hit by hit.

DiMaggio's achievement lives on as the greatest of sports records. Inside the story of DiMaggio's quest, Kennedy examines the peculiar nature of hitting streaks and gets inside the number itself, as its sheer improbability heightens both the math and the magic of 56 games in a row. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of one of baseball's greatest players. Includes a trivia quiz. ... Read more

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A biography of the famous ballplayer from his childhood to his retirement from baseball. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Darn good sports biography
Way better than you'd probably expect of a sports biography, especially from the era when this was written (1956). Good account of DiMaggio's early history and family background, very good blow-by-blow of the 56-game hitting streak. Vivid accounts of Joe's sufferings from injuries and dramatic comebacks from them. There are many direct quotes from players, including Joe-- not commentaries on events and controversies (as we'd get today), but just routine things that they said while just hanging out. The book has some quaint faults that are expectable in a sports book from that era. At times, meaningless details are mentioned as though they were important and of interest just because they pertain to baseball heroes; for example, we learn that Bill Dickey ordered tea and toast for breakfast. And sometimes the writer seems to believe that the main element of interest about an event was the question of what the newspaper writers would say ("scribes," he calls them). But, the book has an overall grace and dignity befitting its subject. Overall, worthwhile and even somewhat revealing. I first read this book as a child, and it was somewhat responsible for my becoming hooked on baseball and its history.

it is about a baseball player who tryed his best
it was o.k and it didn't put me to sleep ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Yankee Clipper
JOE DIMAGGIO: AN INFORMAL BIOGRAPHY by George De Gregorio (former sportswriter for the New Haven Register and Hartford Courant newspapers) focuses primarily on The Yankee Clipper's baseball career. The book opens with DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak (in 1941), then flashes back to a synopsis of his childhood. The rest is baseball: two years with the San Francisco Seals, followed by a recap of 13 stellar major league seasons. There's little mention of Joe's two marriages to actresses Dorothy Arnold and Marilyn Monroe-- in fact more details can be gleaned on DiMaggio's male friendships (with Toots Shor and others) than his home life.

Joe's amazing 1936 through '41 seasons are early-on marred by salary disputes, holdouts and fan hostility. The three prime years lost to WWII and his wartime activities are covered perfunctorily. DiMaggio's sports career resumes in 1946. He overcomes mounting postwar injuries with courageous willpower, and then the narrative screeches to a halt. Nothing is said about Joe's later associations with the Yankees or Charlie Finley's Oakland A's. Also, no mention of savings bank or coffeemaker commercials or his efforts on behalf of a South Florida children's hospital. The story ends as it began: on a salient point of DiMaggio's Yankee career, in this case, his highly-publicized retirement.

As baseball books go, this one's a pleasant read and a straightforward recounting of the on-field exploits of a legendary ballplayer. If however you're interested in a more in-depth bio of Joseph Paul DiMaggio (that includes an examination of the Joltin' Joe myth), try JOE DIMAGGIO: THE HERO'S LIFE, by Richard Ben Cramer.

The real Dimaggio
The author captures the essence of Joe Dimaggio.Although he was a shy man he had the ability to make others around him to shine. THIS A BOOK ABOUT dIMAGGIO THE MAN.oNE GETS THE SENSE FROM THE PAGES OF THIS FINEBOOK THAT dIMAGGIO WANTED TO BE ONE OF THE BOYS BUT DIDNOT KNOW HOW.eVERYknows about Dimaggios baseball feats so the book was refreshing in focusingon the man. a great book . ... Read more

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At long last, June DiMaggio, niece of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and a dear friend of Marilyn Monroe for 11 years, tells untold stories of the two legendary, very private stars that are insightful, fun and engaging. She also reveals what her family knew all along: Marilyn was more than a movie star and sex symbol.. . . And her death was anything but suicide.FUN. FAST. MOVING. AND RIVETINGMarilyn, Joe & Me is a book no fan or curiosity seeker of Hollywood life and American royalty will want to be without. JUNE TELLS ALLThe DiMaggio family was very private then, and still is today. In fact, no book has ever been written by a member of Joe DiMaggio’s clan until now. No other book has firsthand stories told by someone who was thereJune DiMaggio has been around celebrities since she was a child. A music theater star in her own right, June befriended Marilyn as well as other stars in Hollywood in the ’50s. She well understood that the real light of Marilyn Monroe was much more luminous than the sexy star power promoted by Hollywood.In Marilyn, Joe & Me, we can finally see Marilyn Monroe for who she was—intelligent, warm, funny, generous of spirit, good-hearted,well-read, articulate and a delightful, loving friend.Candid and full of charm and character, June tells it the way it was: She sets the record straight, and she pulls no punches in describing Hollywood behind the glitz and glitter of the studios and cameras.IT'S ABOUT THE TRUTHNow in her late 70s, June finally reveals what the DiMaggio family knew all along: Their beloved Marilyn did not commit suicide—she was murdered. The family never discussed the subject. June’s mother went to her grave knowing the identity of Marilyn’s murderer— sharing it with no one.An article on Marilyn’s death in the December 2005 issue of Playboy included an excerpt from Marilyn, Joe & Me. THE PHOTOS AND THE TREASURESMarilyn, Joe & Me is filled with never-before-published photos that capture the essence of the people and the times: exclusive pictures of Marilyn in the production of her last film, Thes Misfits, and a treasury of DiMaggio family snapshots. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

June's pants are on fire!
As nice as the photos may be, this book is nothing but another sad, and pathetic attempt to make money off of Marilyn. June is just another one of those liars who's so-called "friendship" with Marilyn never existed-just in her imagination. If June D. was such as close "friend" of Marilyn's, then why is her name and telephone number absent from Marilyn's phone/address book that was sold at Christie's Auction?

I just hope that June's karma gets her good. Sadly, there will be people
who believe what is written in the book-but I hope that June is exposed for the liar she is someday.

Joltin' Joke
Precious little Marilyn and Joe here, but waaay too much "me"--Joe's alleged "niece" June DiMaggio, an unknown aspiring actress of the Fifties whose unremarkable story would never have hit print were it not for her very tenuous link to her illustrious shirttail relatives (seems her mother's second husband was Joe's brother--maybe). Hard to tell whether the elderly June is suffering from a failing memory (I'm being charitable here) or (more likely) if this is just a fraudulent attempt to milk a few bucks out of a handful of old DiMaggio family photos of Monroe. But by any standards this hack job is a miserable mess.

Beyond that, a proofreader's nightmare filled with typos, misspellings and tons of information that's just flat-out wrong.

In addition to major mistakes pointed out by other readers, it's Louella Parsons (not Luella), Cobina Wright (not Cabina), Monroe film was titled Don't Bother to Knock (not Don't Bother Knocking), Gloria Swanson's Sunset Boulevard character was Norma Desmond (not Desdemona!!!), Marlon Brando did not appear in film version of The Rose Tattoo, Ann Sothern couldn't have played stage role in Barefoot in the Park in late Forties (play didn't open until '63), last name of Jeanette MacDonald's sister Blossom is Rock (not Seeley), and on and on.

Far too many goofs not to raise eyebrows and red flags with anyone remotely more familiar with this material than clueless co-writer Mary Jane Popp seems to be. (*This* error-riddled drivel is the work of an esteemed "journalist"?!!) Truly a joltin' joke.

Made my Wife happy again
My wife loves this kind of stuff and when she's happy, I'm happy.

Quite a Fantasy!
This book is absolute drivel!The ramblings & daydreams by an old woman trying to leave her last pathetic mark on this world at Marilyn Monroe's expense by re-writing history as she imagines it to have been!

A single example of the factual distortion in this book involves Marilyn's apperance at John Kennedy's birthday celebration in 1962.June "Bug" tells how Marilyn was "ordered" by 20th Centruy Fox to sing at this event.As detailed and supported by documents & interviews in the book "Marilyn The Last Take" this simply is not true as anybody willing to do a little research would know.

The studio absolutely forbade Marilyn from attending this affair because of her many absences from the filming of "Something's Got To Give" which was now running behind schedule!Her insistance on making the trip to New York was the "last straw" and this actually started action toward her dismissal from Fox.

This book does however, contain some rare private/personal color snapshots from 1954 of Joe DiMaggio's father's birthday celebration which Marilyn attended. These alone are certainly worth the price of this rather poorly written, vague work of fantasy disguised as a memior.

As an added bonus you'll get to look at loads of photos culled from June DiMaggio's "career" that would have never peen published unless they were peddled under Marilyn's name!

phony baloney
This woman was only related thru marriage and has built a whole senario how she was MM's best friend but no one has heard of her until 44 yrs. after Monroe's death. Maybe she met the screen legend at some point but most of her bablings seem to be the work of an over active imagination and possibility senility or the chance to get rich. She was not at the funeral, she did not have MM's real belongings (as stated at an exhibit that was closed down) and she was surely not even a friend. No pictures of herself and the screen idol? Hooey! ... Read more

Product Description
Reminisce as Joe Dimaggio: The Yankee Clipper, throughaccounts by former teammates, an inspiring photo essay, a gallery ofartwork, and more - offers a most comprehensive look at baseball'senduring superstar.Amazon.com Review
The most elegant Yankee of them all, DiMaggio's beenbaseball's virtual bridge between the era of myth and the dawn of the21st century. As a ballplayer, his magical feats speak for themselves;as a man, he's defined by an aloofness that only cements hislegend. DiMaggio doesn't set out to tell the complexity ofDiMaggio's story; it is more of an affectionate scrapbook crammed withcommemorative photos and celebratory prose.

The pictures extendfrom his minor-league days with the San Francisco Seals through hisYankee years of glory and military service, his marriage to MarilynMonroe, and his postbaseball status as both icon and eminencegrise. The accompanying essays are quite good, particularly DwightChapin on DiMaggio's Seals' career, Harold Rosenthal on his arrival inNew York, Leonard Koppett on his All-Star Game appearances, and MartyNoble on DiMaggio's status as linchpin in the chain of Yankeeexcellence. Memorabilia buffs should relish the section on DiMaggiocollectibles. Baseball buffs will relish the rest. --JeffSilverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Joltin' Joe is never boring
I have always loved MLB, and my favorite player of all time is Joe DiMaggio.This book has photos and text that are well chosen, insightful and convey a tone of sincere respect for the man, the myth and the legacy.

What a life!
I have an original copy 1943 "lucky to be a Yankee" published and autographed by Joe Dimaggio himself. What in a round about value am i looking at? If you can tell me I'd really apprciate it. thanx!!! ... Read more

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Joe Matson, or "Baseball Joe," as he was better known throughout the country, sprang to his feet and held out a New York paper with headlines which took up a third of the page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A kinder and gentler time
If you get tired of being assaulted by pr0fanity on the streets, on the TV, in movies and in literature, you might just enjoy this series.Yes it was originally written for younger readers, but it takes us back to a time in history when men were manly and women ladylike.It was anything but a perfect time from our perspective, there is comman acceptance of racial stereotypes, but that was the way it was.The language, the story, the hero is all good clean fun.I wish I could find more in this series.The author, Lester CHadwick, is a pen name for Howard Roger Garis who wrote the Tom Swift series, the Bobbisie Twins series and others.It's good stuff that won't keep you up at night.Enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
Throughout Christopher Lehmann-Haupt's season of innings spent as a baseball reporter, he was haunted by the 1948 game that first made him a fan - a game in which Joe DiMaggio hit three home runs against the Cleveland Indians. Ultimately, he found himself confronting DiMaggio with a story that he did not want to believe, but that had brought him face-to-face with the fantasies of an entire generation of baseball fans.Me and DiMaggio narrates this remarkable series of adventures and misadventures that took New York Times book reviewer Christopher Lehmann-Haupt around the country on an unusual personal mission - to follow a year in baseball and all its rituals, from spring training through the World Series and to the winter executive meetings. The result is a behind-the-scenes look at the entire cast of a season: the players, the owners, the promoters, and, of course, the reporters.By turns funny, audacious, gossipy, and eloquent, Me and DiMaggio takes on a dramatic year and makes it into an experience for all seasons. (6 X 9, 304 pages)Amazon.com Review
All real baseball fans can conjure up the moment the game first cast its spell on them.For Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, it came through the static of the radio, spurring his imagination to witnessvividly a three home-run performance in the late 1940s by the great Joe DiMaggio. Cut to half alifetime later: Lehmann-Haupt, a New York Times book critic, decides to set off on a year-longjourney into the heart of America's national pastime. Less intent on recapturing that first moment ason exploring the game's sometimes mystical and continual appeal, he follows a season fromspring training to winter meetings. Me and DiMaggio is memoir cloaked in reportage, a tricky melding of genres that'snever quite sure whether it's journal or journalism. Still, there are so many good insights intothe game here--and a fascinating, if oddly sad, encounter with the elusive DiMaggio himself--that if Lehmann-Haupt doesn't quite reach the fences, he at least gets himself into scoringposition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A worthwhile late-70s look at baseball and writing
This unusual memoir from Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, book reviewer for the New York Times, explores his relationship with the game of baseball, and with his hero, New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio.The defining event of the story is the afternoon of his childhood, when he became a baseball fan while listening to a New York Yankees game on the radio. On that day, DiMaggio hit three home runs against the Cleveland Indians.From that point, Lehmann-Haupt explores his feelings about the game, and eventually takes us with him on a tour through the 1979 season, including his encounter with Joltin' Joe himself.I would guess I have read at least a hundred baseball books; this is not the greatest one, but none are much like it, either.It's worth your time and money. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1088 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

America's Hero
here is a great story on one of america's favorite hero's . Great baseball, You will not believe the incredible life this man has lead . Hhis success , his disappointments . Love baseball you will love this book .

A real insider's view of a player with great mystique
I loved this book!From the first chapter, where Lefty Gomez is talking about pitching against Joe D when he was only a kid with the San Francisco Seals. and this "amateur" gets two doubles off him, to the partsabout Marilyn Monroe, which I think everybody on earth is interested in,this book had me hooked.I couldn't help but wonder how Mr. Allen got suchpersonal and intimate information on the courtship of Marilyn Monroe byJoe.The part about her coming home from a party sad, because it'sChristmas time and it's always been a horrible time of year for her, andshe opens the door to see a small Christmas tree on her table, with a cardfromhim, and he's sitting in a chair in the corner waiting for her.Ifound that very touching and emotional.As a reader, it was the mostintimate view I've ever had of the two of them, and I will probably alwayswonder how Mr. Allen was able to get stuff like that, when I KNOW DiMaggiorefused to talk about her, ever.All of Joe's teammates, from Lefty Gomezand Bill Dickey to Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle told the most revealingstories about Joe and his life on the field and off the field with theYankees.That was great reading.The clubhouse man, Pete Sheehy, told oneof the funniest stories about DiMaggio when he described the day theClipper showed him a bruise on his backside and asked Mr. Sheehy where hethought the bruise originated from. "Joe," Mr. Sheehy said,"That's from all the guys kissing your backside."What a greatread!

Dimaggio bio lacks insight.
Maury Allen didn't so much write "Where Have You Gone, Joe Dimaggio?" as he did typed it.A New York sportswriter, Allen simply pastes together rambling, unedited interviews of those who knew JoeD. best, never separating the wheat from the chaff. Subsequently, the bookconsists mostly of lengthy, word-for-word accounts -- some of them fivepages or more -- of long-retired ballplayers. Now old men, the subjectsbegin talking about Dimaggio but end up meandering into their own lesssubstantial careers and lives.The only insight Allen elicits from hisreporting is that the Great Dimaggio was one of baseball's best-everplayers. But that's not the true Dimaggio story. Lots of great ballplayerspreceded and succeeded the Yankee Clipper. But no one has transcended thesport like Dimaggio to become an American hero and a cultural icon. Hemaintained a powerful and emotional stronghold on the country'sconsciousness for nearly 50 years after quitting the game. And that'sdespite his obsessive demands for privacy. Neither the interviewees norAllen ever shed any light on why that is.Anyone wanting to know moreabout Dimaggio, the man and the legend, would be better advised to checkout Richard Ben Cramer's forthcoming biography "Joe Dimaggio: A Hero'sLife," due in September 1999. A five-page article in"Newsweek" magazine on the occasion of Dimaggio's death offeredmore depth and insight than Allen's 179-page book. ... Read more

Product Description
Baseball Joe in the Big League or A Young Pitcher's Hardest Struggles

Baseball Joe is the fictional hero of a number of children's books written by Howard R. Garis under the name of Lester Chadwick. The series follows the main character, a star baseball player, from high school to college (at Yale University) and then to success as a professional.

Howard Roger Garis, (April 25, 1873(1873-04-25), Binghamton, New York–November 6, 1962, Amherst, Massachusetts) was an American author, best known for a series of books, published under his own name, that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, an engaging elderly rabbit.

Garis also wrote many books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate under various pseudonyms. As Victor Appleton, he wrote about the enterprising Tom Swift; as Laura Lee Hope, he is generally credited with writing volumes 4–28 and 41 of the Bobbsey Twins; as Clarence Young, the Motor Boys series; as Lester Chadwick, the Great Marvel series and books featuring Baseball Joe; and as Marion Davidson, a number of books including several featuring the Camp Fire Girls. ... Read more