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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 14 customer reviews )
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5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Almost worth it for Whitey's quotes alone Sep 23, 2007
By M. Johnson
I happened to stumble upon this book while searching on Amazon. I'm glad I found this. The book ostensibly is about the 1973-1975 Rangers but most of the book is on the 1973 team, which was one of the worst teams in MLB history. Whitey Herzog, who managed the team for most of the '73 season, is a source of numerous great quotes in the book. While discussing a pitcher nearly throwing a no-hitter against the team, he says if anyone threw a no-no against the Rangers, "they oughta slap an asterisk on it." He discusses the plan for pitching phenom David Clyde, and wraps it up by saying, "then we're gonna bottle his sperm."
Speaking of Clyde, his sad saga is expounded upon in great detail here. Then-Rangers owner Bob Short, desperately looking for a way to get fans into Arlington Stadium, rushed Clyde to the majors at the age of eighteen shortly after he was drafted. Clyde's career got off to a good start, but he soon faded and he was done in the majors by 24. In another attempt to get fans, Short dumped Herzog and replaced him with Billy Martin. Martin's story is all too familiar: Takes over a team, quickly snaps them into shape, almost as quickly wears out his welcome with the front office and his players, gets fired, lather, rinse, repeat. Amazingly, Martin took the Rangers who finished last in the AL West and went 57-105 in '73 to a second place finish and a 84-76 record in '74. However, both the Rangers' players and front office tired of his act and fired him in '75.
Shropshire's fantastic memory and biting sense of humor makes this an enjoyable read. The book's only drawback is the terrible editing job. Don Larsen's last name is misspelled "Larson." Even worse, Muhammad Ali's first name is mispelled "Mohammad." In the afterword, he refers to Aaron Sele as a left-hander. One problem: Sele is a right-hander. Despite these blunders, this is a fun, quick read. Recommended.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Gonzo Goes to a Baseball Game Sep 09, 2010
By Roger D. Launius
As a Texas Rangers beat reporter for the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" in 1973 Mike Shropshire thought he had a great gig, following a major league baseball team around America with a good expense account. Perhaps so, but it was gig that required him to follow and write about what could arguably be called the worst team in MLB history. In 1973 the Rangers compiled a 56-105 record. Among other standouts that year retread pitcher Jim Merritt pitched a three hit shutout and then promptly called a press conference to announce that he had doctored the ball with KY jelly to throw the outlawed spitball. Also during 1973, high school phenom David Clyde made his MLB debut with the Rangers just 22 days after being drafted. He did well in that outing, striking out the side in the first inning after walking the first two batters and winning the game 4-3. But David Clyde never lived up to his hype and lasted only five years in the major leagues and won only 18 games in his career.
At some level Shropshire's book is more of a comedy routine than a baseball book. It chronicles, but without much attention to dates, circumstances, etc., the crazy experiences of covering this lousy team. Whitey Herzog--who had a gift for saying what he thought, led this group, whom Shropshire calls F-Troop, Whitey's Menagerie, and other less complimentary names throughout--was fired near the end of the 1973 season and replaced by Billy Martin for the 1974 campaign. Martin was a hard-driving, hard-drinking, cantankerous personality who knew how to win baseball games and he seemed to work his magic with the Rangers as well. They finished 84-76, placing second in the division; probably as good as anyone could have done with that team. Of course, Martin did have one great player that Herzog had traded for just as he left the Rangers, Ferguson Jenkins, who won a team record 25 games in 1974. No one has topped that record for the Rangers since.
But Billy Martin was a problem and in 1975 he was sacked about halfway through the season when he got into trouble with team management. He was forever in this kind of trouble and he then went on to manage the New York Yankees, where he would continue that pattern, eventually serving five different but equally turbulent tenures as teh Bronx Bombers' manager.
This is an enjoyable book, somewhat in the style of Jim Bouton's "Ball Four" but not so revelatory. I was also reminded of the whole gonzo journalism trend of the era, and also of the egotism of a Norman Mailer or a Truman Capote who always made himself the central character in his works. It talks about what you might already anticipate. These Rangers were not very good, and the players were neither particularly talented nor inspired. They tended to carouse, drink, and get into trouble, sometimes being led by Billy Martin in accomplishing all three. If you want reminders of these horrific seasons in Rangerland, this is the book for you.
6 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Amazing book! Jun 15, 2005
By Jeffrey P. Radighieri
I absolutely loved this book. It rivals Moneyball in terms of recent excellent baseball nonfiction. The author adeptly describes his experience following the absolutely awful 1973-75 Texas Rangers and their sad existence at the time. Great info on what goes on behind a ball club's closed door. And what is most priceless are all the witty quotes and one liners from 1973's manager, the great Whitey Herzog. Get this book. It's a great read. You won't be sorry.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Whitey and Billy were part of all this? Apr 02, 2011
By Brian Maitland
I thought this was one of the most interesting takes on a team often overlooked in discussing bad baseball. The topper is both Whitey Herzog and Billy Martin managed the Texas Rangers during this period so that's what makes it all the more puzzling.
I got into it especially the whole drafting of high school pitching phenom David Clyde as a real life metaphor for all that went wrong with this Rangers team. Enjoyable fun read for frustrated fans of any team. You're not alone in your misery and it's fun to laugh at the twists and turns of fate (so many "if onlys" is this for the Rangers).
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A Home Run Mar 26, 2008
By Scott A. Kallick
"Pugwash"
This is one of my all-time favorite basebal books. It hearkens back to a time of total irreverence, when athletes and managers did not have to watch every word leaving their mouths, and things were ostensibly off-the-record.
He chronicles the move from Washington, when the Senators became the Texas Rangers, from a boozy, loose jointed perspective of a beat writer covering an awful team in a steam room of a ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
There are some insightful revelations here, such as when the former vice-president, Spiro Agnew shows up, we can transcribe the letters of his name to spell "Grow a Penis".
Whitey Herzog comes off as a personal favorite, while managing the hapless team during the inaugural year. When asked by the writers about his starting pitcher Steve Hargan's control problems after a woeful start one evening, Whitey explains simply that his pitcher lost focus staring at the great set of tits in the front row behind the dugout.
The flavor of the book changes after the arrival of Billy Martin, but Martin had that effect almost everywhere he went.
The exploits of the sportswriters, alternately idle and drunk, are equally hilarious.
We will never get another major league baseball story like this again, and Schropshire has graced us with a baseball classic.
See all 14 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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