Review: The Glory Days: New York Baseball, 1947-57

Edited by John Thorn, Collins, 2007.

Don’t let the slim size of this elegant book fool you. Inspired by an exhibit sponsored by the Museum of the City of New York, with essays from some heavy hitters, The Glory Days recaptures a simpler time for baseball and the country. Ballplayers who lived in our neighborhoods, pulling down a salary not too out of touch with our ow, providing entertainment in an era without as many distractions

John Thorn puts together his usual solid effort, managing a team of contributors that include:

• Jules Tygiel, on “Breaking the Color Barrier in Brooklyn,” the introduction and legacy of Jackie Robinson and those African-American players that followed. Tygiel ha made almost a cottage industry out of Robinson, Rickey, et al.
• Michael Shapiro, author of The Last Good Season: Brooklyn, The Dodgers, and Their Final Pennant Race Together, on “Fans.”
• Lee Lowenfish, author of the new expansive biography on Branch Rickey, on the “Giants-Dodgers Rivalry”
• George Vecsey, veteran columnist for The New York Times, on “Media” and its increasing influence on the game during TV’s infancy.
• Andrew Zimbalist and Steven A. Reiss on “Ballparks,” taking a look at the economics of the game and how they chased the two National League franchises from Gotham.
• Jonathan Eig on “The World Series,” in particular the 1947 Fall Classic that ushered in a new era of Subways Series. With his books on Robinson and Lou Gehrig, Eig has written two-thirds of a New York troika; now all he needs is a suitable Giant.
• Kevin Baker, whose novels about 19th century New York life are both entertainign and educational, has the honors of the seventh-inning stretch with “Great games and Moments.”
• Jane Leavy, author of Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy, likewise honors “Great Players and Managers,” with an emphasis on Mickey Mantle.
• Ray Robinson, Yankees historian, takes a forlorn look at “The End,” when the Dodgers and Giants shuttered their gates for points West.
• Alan Schwarz handles an extra inning with “What Came Next,” as the Mets eventually came to fill the NL void.

The essays are only half of the joy of The Glory Days. The photos and illustrations — magazines covers, newspaper clippings, action shots, and other memorabilia — complete the nostalgic picture. It is particularly poignant when one considers that it’s been 50 years since the Dodgers and “Jints” began to ply their baseball trade on the West Coast.

Tagged as: Baseball News, Dodgers, Giants, Yankees