Customer Reviews (7)

One of the best baseball books, period
I can't begin to count the number of baseball biographies I've read over the years, but I do know that this is one of the best I've ever read.Most baseball biographies are long on facts and short on feel.For example, you will get a sense of what it was like to play hard and drink even harder with Johnny Logan, Burdette, Buhl, Spahn, and all the guys that made up the Brave family. You will learn how Frank Robinson bit off more than he could chew when he slid in with spikes high, and how Mr. Tough Guy Mathews was dragged from a fight like a baby by the unusually strong Gil Hodges, and you will learn another side to Davey Johnson when he was a player.These are the kinds of stories you don't get with the usual biographies, each more nondescript and sugar coated than the next.This is not an easy book to find, but it's worth the trouble.

One of baseball's best bios
I now have nearly 1,000 books in my baseball library, so I've read my share of ballplayer biographies and autobiographies.

Mathews has a reputation of being somewhat hard-nosed and unlikeable, but it hardly comes across here.He's forthright and honest in telling tales of both his positive exploits and negative habits.I came away with a higher regard for Eddie, who unfortunately remains baseball's most invisible 500-homer man.

If you grew up with baseball in the 50's-60's, you could do far, far worse than reading this one.I also recommend John Roseboro's autobiography for fans of this era.

UNFORGETTABLE
I'm only 44 years old, yet fondest memories when growing up on the northwest side of Milwaukee were going to Braves games at County Stadium their last two years (1964-65) prior to moving south to Atlanta.Eddie Mathews was the idol of every eight or nine-year old in Milwaukee who had any interest in the game of baseball.I knew back then he was a hit with the fans (while not necessarialy so with the press), and this book reinforced my memories.Two sports memories that flash in mind daily involve Eddie Mathews.The first involving a game I attended at County Stadium in 1965 with the score tied in the ninth inning and two runners on with two out and Mathews stepping up to the plate.There as an eight-year old, I said to myself he is going to win this with a three-run homer.One pitch later, he did just that!The other involved his last game ever when he played third base in the 4th game of the 1968 World Series and went 1 for 3 against Bob Gibson (almost 2 for 3 had he been five more feet to the left of the right field foul pole when he knocked a Gibson fast ball over the right field roof of Tiger Stadium).This book is beautiful -- an absolute must for those having vivid memories of the Milwaukee Braves as I have.Word of caution:the book is highly addictive and the reader will find it to be nearly impossible to put it down.A true sports classic written on a classy, frank, and honest human being.Eddie Mathews with his book is indeed "UNFORGETTABLE"!

The Real Eddie Mathews
It was over 5 years ago that I met Eddie Mathews at a local restuaurant in Santa Barbara, California. I had heard so many stories about Eddie and how tough he was, but when he invited me to sit at his table and talk about the old families that he knew and I grew up with, it was a wonderful 4 hours of memories. This book tells of the Real Eddie Mathews and his love for the game of baseball and of course the Brave fans that were so supportive of the team! I enjoyed every minute reading the book and it was well followed in the sequence of his career. Eddie Mathews is what baseball is all about, a kid who wanted to win and be the best he could be in the Major leagues!I asked my cousin, Ted Williams of the Bo Sox if he knew of Eddie Mathews? Ted was very complementary about Eddie and said, " they ( Management ) knew he was going to hit 500 home runs for the Braves orgainztion and he did just that." On February 18th 2001 Eddie Mathews was laid to rest. The Baseball World Lost A True Baseball Player of the Game. Beleive me, " Only a handful like Eddie Mathews "This book is a fine tribute to the life Eddie Mathews in the National Pastime. Signed, MAHerrera

GREAT READING
A VERY INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A VERY UNDERRATED PLAYER IN EDDIE MATHEWS. EDDIE PLAYED IN THE SHADOW OF HANK AARON, SO HE DIDN'T GET THE TRUE CREDIT HE CERTAINLY DESERVES. HE DOES A GREAT JOB OF DESCRIBING LIFE IN THE 50'S TO THE 60'S WITH THE BRAVES. THE STORY IS SIMPLE, FACTFUL, AND HONEST. EDDIE'S CANDID APPROACH IS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND REFRESHING. HIS EXERPTS ABOUT BOB UECKER AREHILARIOUS. HIS ADMISSION WITH ALCOHOL IS VERY OPEN BUT DISTURBING. I LOVE THIS BOOK. A MUST READ. ... Read more