Those championship seasons

One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed being a member of the Society for American Baseball Research is the cool publications that come with the territory. Well, they’ve only gotten better in recent years. In addition to annual Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime, SABR has taken to paying tribute to some great ball clubs in its “Memorable Teams in Baseball History” series, published by the University of Nebraska Press.

So far we have

• The Team That Forever Changed Baseball and America: The 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers, edited by Lyle Spatz
• Drama and Pride in the Gateway City: The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals, edited by John Harry Stahl and Bill Nowlin
• Bridging Two Dynasties: The 1947 New York Yankees, edited by Spatz
• Pitching, Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles, edited by Mark Armour and Malcom Allen

Each team contributed to the legends of the game, either on the field, as was the case for Earl Weaver’s Orioles and the post-War Yankees, or the Cardinals and Dodgers, both of which propelled the role of African Americans in the game: Jackie Robinson as a solo pioneer, and the Redbirds as advancing efforts to end segregation in the civil rights sixties.

The books, compiled by dozens of SABRen, all follow the same format: a recap of the team’s season along with well-researched biographies, from the All Stars to the 25th man on the roster. In fact, it’s that homage to the utilitymen that make these collections truly democratic.

To all those to participated in these wonderful volumes, kudos and keep ’em coming.

Tagged as: Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals