However, I quickly found out that this was a hysterically funny book. Mike Shrophsire has a very funny wit, and isn't afraid to let it fly when talking about the Rangers of this era. His recollection of events is awesome, and makes for very funny reading. If you're a fan of the Rangers, or even if you're not, GET THIS! It's a very great read, although I don't recommend it for very small kids, as there's more than just one or two cuss words in there. Still, for adults, it's well worth it.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

SEASONS IN HELL  Feb 08, 2003

This is by far the best sports book ever and probably my favorite book period.Shropshire gives an unparrelled view into the world of baseball in the early 70,s By his account, this book is a reflexion and timeline of that era,not just baseball.An essential element of a book like this is for the author to capture the lifestyle,current events,and the essance of the time in which he is writing.Having grown up following this team,the names and places are very familar,but you don,t have to be a rangers fan for this book to make sense and be a pure delight.You will never feel the same about pro atheletes again.I encourage anyone to read this book and prepare to laugh out loud and take a trip back in time to an era we will never see again

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

Even non-fans would love it  Feb 28, 2000
By Kevin P. Dolan
I bought this book purely out of curiosity, because I wanted to know whay anyone would write a book about the Rangers. Within a few pages, I knew that the Rangers, important as they were to the story, were not the ENTIRE story. Shropshire is an articulate writer, and many passages are, as a previous reviewer, "laugh out loud" funny. It's a tale of bad baseball, marginal players, marginal people, and it evokes a sense of time and place that I never thought a sports book could have. even if you don't like sports, this book is worth reading just because it's well written.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Did he live thru the same years I did?  Jun 19, 2000

I have to question whether Mr. Shropshire was even in Arlington Texas anytime during these years because I seem to remember things a bit differently. Of course, I wasn't looking thru the bottom of glass when I saw the Rangers play, perhaps that's the difference. In 1974, the Texas Rangers made a serious run at the American League West title, owned at the time by the powerful Oakland A's. Mike Hargrove was AL Rookie of the Year, Jeff Burroughs had an outstanding year and Billy Martin was doing what Billy Martin did best. Winning. If that is the worst team in major league history, all teams should hope to be so bad. Sure, Mr. Shropshire has some funny comments about some off the field goings on (what he could remember I suppose), but I would have to say this book probably belongs on the fiction shelf.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

A hysterical but sobering look at a dysfunctional franchise  Oct 09, 1998

Seasons in Hell is laugh-out loud funny, even if some truly scary scenarios (the destruction of David Clyde's career for the sake of a few ticket sales, to name one) lurk behind the laughs. The book is a sportswriter's memoir of three seasons following the truly wretched Texas Rangers of the mid-70s from spring training through the regular season (and places like Hot Sam's Menswear and 10 Cent Beer Night in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium). Along the way, the reader is treated to a whole slew of oddities and insights, most of which provoke gales of laughter from anyone who knows the slightest bit about baseball. If you love the game - and are tired of endless paeans to "green cathedrals" - then by all means pick up this book and have yourself a good laugh.

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