"The story of six unlikely heroes and the epic World Series that changed their lives forever. The 1947 World Series was 'the most exciting ever' in the words of Joe DiMaggio, with a decade's worth of drama packed into seven games between the mighty New York Yankees and the underdog Brooklyn Dodgers. It was Jackie Robinson's first Series, a postwar spectacle featuring Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway and President Harry Truman in supporting roles. It was also the first televised World Series--sportswriters called it 'Electric October.' Amid all the star power, the outcome hinged on role players: Bill Bevens, a journeyman who knocked on the door of pitching immortality; Al Gionfriddo and Cookie Lavagetto, who came off the bench to play key roles for the Dodgers; Snuffy Stirnweiss, a wartime batting champ who never got any respect; and managers Bucky Harris and Burt Shotton, each an unlikely choice to run his team. Six men plucked from obscurity to shine on the sport's greatest stage--but three would never play another big-league inning, and all six would soon be forgotten. [This book] introduces us to men who never knew they were bound for glory. For some, the '47 Series was a memory to hold on to. For others, it would haunt them to the end of their days. And for us, Kevin Cook offers insights--at once heartbreaking and uplifting--into what fame and heroism truly mean."--Jacket.
|
