Baseball's Greatest Comeback

July 7, 2014
Baseball historian and university professor Ross delivers an exciting look at one of the greatest come-from-behind pennant races, when the 1914 Boston Braves, a “perennial woeful team,” rose from last place to defeat the New York Giants, “one of the most dominant teams of all time, for the National League crown. Ross’s fact-filled but fast-moving account actually completes a double play of its own, skillfully connecting the “Deadball Era” of the early 20th century—when pitchers “served up to batters a cut, tobacco-stained, dirt-worn, uneven, split-laden sphere so unhittable that teams scored only a few runs per game—with the reform-minded values of the Progressive Era. Along the way, Ross also includes many entertaining stories, most notably the tale of how manager George Stallings got under the skin of Connie Mack, one of “baseball’s great gentlemen,” when the Braves successfully battled Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.

September 1, 2014
On July 4, 1914, the Boston Braves were in last place, 15 games behind the league-leading New York Giants, a powerful team that had won three of the last four National League pennants. The Giants were managed by eventual Hall of Famer John McGraw, and the pitching staff was led by two more future hall members, Christy Mathewson and Rube Marquard. The Braves were managed by George Stallings, who seemed to rely more on superstition than strategy. While the Braves were a very young team, the Giants were a battle-tested veteran crew. Not only did the Braves overtake the Giants, they won the pennant by 10 and a half games. Then the upstarts went on to sweep the Philadelphia Athletics 40 in the World Series. Ross' baseball research is impeccable, and he captures the building excitement of the Braves fan base as the team gathers momentum. Ross is also an expert on the era and provides depth in his account with fascinating forays into the larger societal issues of the time. A fine book for baseball fans with an interest in the game's rich history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)