It’s a daunting task, following in the footsteps of a legend. The players who came after Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams or Willie Mays didn’t have it easy. They were faulted for not being able to replicate the feats of their predecessors. How unfair.
I was thinking about that when I came across this piece in The New Yorker — “The Dog Days of New York Baseball” — by Louisa Thomas. Given how long — and how well — Roger Angell wrote for that publication, I doubt anyone will have the same level of respect, not to mention output. (Other New Yorker writers who have published on the game since Angell’s last essay in 2020 include Lindsey Adler, Richard Brody, and Nicholas Dawidoff.)
For me, Angell is the answer to the question, “Who would you have liked to have as a guest for a Bookshelf Conversation?” William Davidson had the opportunity I would have loved when he interviewed Angell for the Feb. 16, 2020 issue of The New Yorker.
David Remick, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, published this lovely tribute two days after to Angell’s passing on May 20, 2022.
There are several collections of Angell’s work, including
- The Summer Game
- Five Seasons: A Baseball Companion
- Late Innings: A Baseball Companion
- Once More Around the Ballpark
- This Old Man: All in Pieces
He also published his memoirs in the ambiguously titled Let Me Finish.
I would love to see an illustrated collection of his work.
When it comes to longevity couple with baseball brilliance, we shall not see his like again.
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