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Title details for When the Boys Came Back by Frederick Turner - Available

When the Boys Came Back

Baseball and 1946

by Frederick Turner
Brian Emerson
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

In the aftermath of World War II, few events in the United States were as eagerly awaited as baseball's spring training. But the national pastime was as unsettled as the rest of the country.

Had some of the stars seen their careers ended by their service? How would wartime players fare against returning veterans?

These questions would be answered as the dramatic season unfolded—a season that included Jackie Robinson's signing by the Brooklyn Dodgers, a pennant race in the National League that ended in history's first tie, challenges from a rival Mexican league, and a World Series culminated in the seventh game by Enos Slaughter's legendary dash from first to home.

Drawing on interviews with many of the players who wrote the season's history, Frederick Turner brings this historic chapter in American culture to life.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 9, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481577953
      • File size: 259708 KB
      • Duration: 09:01:03

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Text Difficulty: 9-12

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 3, 1996
      The year 1946 was an unusual one for the national pastime, because of the owners' embarrassment of riches. Besides their prewar stars returning from military service, they still had the replacement players who had filled in during the war years. Though many of the replacements were substandard, some were of major-league caliber. And waiting in the wings were young men who reached maturity during the war and were hoping their day would dawn. The result was an exciting season on the field that was just as suspenseful off the diamond, where a multimillionaire Mexican dreamed of starting a league south of the border and lured away some stars and many journeymen with the offer of huge salaries. There was also a short-lived attempt to start a players' union, an idea whose time had not yet come. The Cardinals and the Dodgers tied for the National League pennant and, after the first-ever playoff series, the victorious St. Louis team went on to defeat the Boston Red Sox in a breath-stopping seven-game World Series. The lively text by Turner (A Border of Blue) is supplemented by photos.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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