- Paperback: 250 pages
- Publisher: Society for American Baseball Research (Feb 1 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0910137846
- ISBN-13: 978-0910137843
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 15.3 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 422 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,860,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
Now 92, Werber looks back on a career as an infielder with the Yankees, Red Sox, A's, Reds, and Giants from 1930s to 1942. A Duke graduate, he tells knowingly of playing with and against Ruth, Gomez, Dean, Greenberg, Williams, and others while also relating off-field escapades. Werber's frank opinions on fellow players, managers, commissioners, and others highlight an often humorous memoir. A good choice for any public library sport shelf.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Bill Werber's claim to fame is unique: he is the last living person to have a direct connection to the 1927 Yankees, "Murderers' Row," a team hailed by many as the best of all time. Signed by the Yankees while still a freshman at Duke University, Werber spent two weeks that summer of '27 on the Yankee bench to "gain experience"—and was miserable and lonely, ignored by everyone. After graduating in 1930 Werber was back with the Yankees, but he was soon sent to the minors for seasoning (including a stretch with Casey Stengel). He returned to the big leagues in 1933 and was promptly traded to the Red Sox. A fleet-footed third baseman, Werber also played for the Athletics, Reds, and Giants, leading the league three times in stolen bases and once in runs scored. He was with the Reds when they won the pennant in 1939 and 1940. Werber played with or against some of the most productive hitters of all time, including Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. Rich in anecdotes and humor, Memories of a Ballplayer is a clear-eyed memoir of the world of big-league baseball in the 1930s.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another time, another place...,
By
This review is from: Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s (Paperback)
Bill Werber shares his experiences and remembrances of playing the National pastime in the 1930's. It was an era that is difficult for modern fans to imagine. Thanks to the memories of Werber and the skill of co-author Paul Rogers at detailing them, the life of a ballpayer pre-intercontinental travel, airplanes, multi year contracts and night games comes alive for the reader.Werber was somewhat of an anomaly for the time; College educated, well read and intellectually curious, he made a stark contrast to the typical little educated, hard living, hard drinking, brawling ballplayer of that generation. Yet, he possessed a toughness of his own. A toughness that enabled him as a rookie to withstand and even return the barbs of veteren Yankee ballplayers. A toughness that would serve him well in disputes with teammates, opponents and management throughout his career. Werber details recollections of those he fought with and against, came to admire and befriend, and gives an excellent oral history of what is was like to be a ballplayer during the depression era. His memories of the greats of the period, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson and the others, sheds light on the pecking order that has always existed between the greats and their less talented contemporaries. It makes for interesting and informative reading. As an Oral History, the book is not designed to take political positions or rail against social injustice. The purpose of good Oral History is to tell the story of what it was like, not what it should have been like. This book is a valuable contribution to the search for historical truth about the game of baseball. As such it belongs in your library!
2.0 out of 5 stars
A missed opportunity,
By
This review is from: Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s (Paperback)
Bill Werber led an interesting life on and off the field in baseball, but this collection of anecdotes from the 1930s and 40s misses the opportunity for Werber to explain how he felt about one of baseball's biggest problem in the first half of the 20th Century: segregation. Werber was a vocal opponent of integration in the 1940s and openly opposed the selection of Frank Robinson as the first African-American manager back in 1974. If Werber could have explained his positions on these matters, this book would have made a lasting impression. Instead, it just sort of floats by without making any impact.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another time, another place...,
By Dennis Brislen - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s (Paperback)
Bill Werber shares his experiences and remembrances of playing the National pastime in the 1930's. It was an era that is difficult for modern fans to imagine. Thanks to the memories of Werber and the skill of co-author Paul Rogers at detailing them, the life of a ballpayer pre-intercontinental travel, airplanes, multi year contracts and night games comes alive for the reader.Werber was somewhat of an anomaly for the time; College educated, well read and intellectually curious, he made a stark contrast to the typical little educated, hard living, hard drinking, brawling ballplayer of that generation. Yet, he possessed a toughness of his own. A toughness that enabled him as a rookie to withstand and even return the barbs of veteren Yankee ballplayers. A toughness that would serve him well in disputes with teammates, opponents and management throughout his career. Werber details recollections of those he fought with and against, came to admire and befriend, and gives an excellent oral history of what is was like to be a ballplayer during the depression era. His memories of the greats of the period, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson and the others, sheds light on the pecking order that has always existed between the greats and their less talented contemporaries. It makes for interesting and informative reading. As an Oral History, the book is not designed to take political positions or rail against social injustice. The purpose of good Oral History is to tell the story of what it was like, not what it should have been like. This book is a valuable contribution to the search for historical truth about the game of baseball. As such it belongs in your library! 4 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit too full of himself,
By C. Wilson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s (Paperback)
Werber played with and against some of the biggest names in baseball, and some of his anecdotes are quite interesting and enlightening (for instance, the fact that Jimmie Foxx was probably the fastest runner in baseball but was somewhat bashful about it). If you are up on your history, you will enjoy reading about Ruth, Gehrig and the rest. However, Werber's "preachy, I'm a damn fine fellow and I'll tell you why" attitude wore thin on me.
9 of 23 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
A missed opportunity,
By R. Timmermann - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s (Paperback)
Bill Werber led an interesting life on and off the field in baseball, but this collection of anecdotes from the 1930s and 40s misses the opportunity for Werber to explain how he felt about one of baseball's biggest problem in the first half of the 20th Century: segregation. Werber was a vocal opponent of integration in the 1940s and openly opposed the selection of Frank Robinson as the first African-American manager back in 1974. If Werber could have explained his positions on these matters, this book would have made a lasting impression. Instead, it just sort of floats by without making any impact.
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