September Swoon

"September Swoon" is important because it not only chronicles how the Phillies disintegrated, but also looks at the racial tension surrounding the Phillies star rookie, Richie Allen."

Talking about race and sports almost always leads to trouble. Rush Limbaugh's stint as an NFL commentator came to an abrupt end when he made some off-handed comments about the Philadelphia Eagles' black quarterback, Donovan McNabb. Ask a simple question along these lines - 'Why do African Americans dominate the NBA?' - and watch the sparks fly. It is precisely this flashpoint that the contributors to this volume seek to explore. Professional and amateur sports wield a tremendous amount of cultural power in the United States and around the world, and racial, ethnic, and national identities are often played out through them. In the Game collects essays by top thinkers on race that survey this treacherous terrain. They engage fascinating topics like race and cricket in the West Indies, how black culture shaped the NFL in the 1970s, the famed black-on-white Cooney/Holmes boxing bout, and American Indian mascots for sports teams.

Catcher Gus Triandos dubbed the Philadelphia Phillies' 1964 season "the year of the blue snow"a rare thing that happens once in a great while. The Phillies were having a spectacular season in which everything was going right. They held a 6 1/2 game lead at the conclusion of play on September 20. With just 12 games to play, they seemingly had it made. But the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals never gave up, and when the Phillies lost ten consecutive games, it became a thrilling pennant race for Cardinals and Reds fans, but a horrific collapse for Phillies fanatics. But wait a minute. When it was seemingly too late, the Phillies finally won a game—and the first-place Cardinals lost two games to the lowly New York Mets, so on the last day of the season there was the distinct possibility of a three-way tie for first place. It would have been a first in baseball history. On the final day of the season, the Phillies beat the Reds handily, 10-0. All eyes and ears were fixed on the Mets-Cardinals game. Could the Mets knock off the first-place Cardinals for a third straight game? The Mets carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, but finally succumbed, 11-5. But what a season for Phillies fans. Jim Bunning had thrown the first perfect game in the last 84 years of NL history. The hero of the 1964 All-Star Game was the team's right fielder Johnny Callison, who brought the National League victory with the third walk-off home run in the history of the All-Star Game. The team also boasted the electrifying NL Rookie of the Year - the team's slugging third baseman Richie Allen (later called Dick Allen). St. Louis won the pennant, and went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series. But in Philadelphia, the '64 campaign left an ache that lasted for years. The 1964 Phillies not only "lost" the pennant but, following 1964, they got steadily worse. This book sheds light on the facts for the reader to determine answers to lingering questions they may still have about the Phillies team in the 1964 season—but any book about a team is really about the players. A collaborative effort by 37 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), this work offers life stories of all the players and others (managers, coaches, owners, and broadcasters) associated with this star-crossed team, as well as essays of analysis and historical recaps. Includes: Foreword by Mel Marmer Introduction by Mel Marmer Opening Day 1964 Dick Allen by Rich D’Ambrosio Rubén Amaro by Rory Costello The Amaro Chronicles by Rory Costello Two Gold Glove Shortstops by Rory Costello Jack Baldschun by Chip Greene Dave Bennett by Mark Armour Dennis Bennett by Mark Armour John Boozer by Andy Sturgill Johnny Briggs by John Saccoman Jim Bunning by Ralph Berger Johnny Callison by John Rossi Danny Cater by Brian Englehardt Pat Corrales by James Ray Wes Covington by Andy Sturgill Ray Culp by Mark Armour Clay Dalrymple by Rory Costello Ryne Duren by Gregory H Wolf Tony González by José Ramírez and Rory Costello Dallas Green by Gregory H Wolf John Herrnstein by Brian Englehardt Don Hoak by Jack V Morris Alex Johnson by Mark Armour Johnny Klippstein by Gregory H Wolf Gary Kroll by Neil Poloncarz Bobby Locke by Paul Geisler Art Mahaffey by Ralph Berger and Mel Marmer Cal McLish by Joe Wancho Adolfo Phillips by Rob Neyer Vic Power by Joe Wancho Ed Roebuck by Paul Hirsch Cookie Rojas by Peter Gordon Bobby Shantz by Mel Marmer Costen Shockley by Chip Greene Chris Short by Andy Sturgill Roy Sievers by Gregory H Wolf Morrie Steevens by Len Levin Tony Taylor by Rory Costello and José Ramírez Frank Thomas by Bob Hurte Gus Triandos by Neal Poloncarz Bobby Wine by Bob Bloss Rick Wise by Bill Nowlin Gene Mauch by John Vorperian Peanuts Lowrey by Dick Rosen George Myatt by John Green Bob Oldis by Dan Even Al Widmar by Gregory H Wolf Bob Carpenter by James Ray John Quinn by Rory Costello The Origins of the 1964 Phillies by Jim Sweetman How the 1964 Phillies Were Built by Mel Marmer Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium by James Ray Richie Ashburn by Seamus Kearney Bill Campbell by Curt Smith By Saam by Neal Poloncarz Jim Bunning’s Perfect Game by James Ray Johnny Callison’s All-Star Home Run by Mel Marmer In Defense of Chico Ruiz’s “Mad Dash” by Rory Costello Pennant Was Stolen by Clem Comly Beyond Bunning and Short Rest: An Analysis of Managerial Decisions That Led to the Phillies’ Epic Collapse of 1964 by Bryan Soderholm-Difatte Epilogue by Clem Comly

The best team in baseball statistics takes on one of the great unanswered questions: Why do teams win pennant races?

Mike Puma of the New York Post provides insight into the team's inner sanctum as only he can The New York Mets are one of the most historic teams in Major League Baseball, with superstars over the years including Jacob deGrom, Mike Piazza, David Wright, and Tom Seaver. Aided by dozens of new, exclusive interviews, readers will gain the perspective of players, coaches, and personnel from Mets history in moments of greatness as well as defeat, making for a keepsake no fan will want to miss. Few fan bases display as much rabid devotion to their team as the New York Mets', win or lose. That spirit is celebrated in this colorful collection of stories about the Lovable Losers. The If These Walls Could Talk series is a one-of-a-kind, insider's look into the great moments, the lowlights, and everything in between in your team's history. Other New York titles include: If These Walls Could Talk: New York Giants If These Walls Could Talk: New York Yankees If These Walls Could Talk: New York Jets

Baseball is much more than a game. As the American national pastime, it has reflected the political and cultural concerns of US society for over 200 years, and generates passions and loyalties unique in American society. This Companion examines baseball in culture, baseball as culture, and the game's global identity. Contributors contrast baseball's massive, big-business present with its romanticized origins and its evolution against the backdrop of American and world history. The chapters cover topics such as baseball in the movies, baseball and mass media, and baseball in Japan and Latin America. Between the chapters are vivid profiles of iconic characters including Babe Ruth, Ichiro and Walter O'Malley. Crucial moments in baseball history are revisited, ranging from the 1919 Black Sox gambling scandal to recent controversies over steroid use. A unique book for fans and scholars alike, this Companion explains the enduring importance of baseball in America and beyond.

The Phillies Fan's Little Book of Wisdom is chock full of quotes, humor, facts, figures, and memories about those fabulous Philadelphia Phillies.

Lefty and Tim is the dual biography of Hall of Fame pitcher Steve “Lefty” Carlton and catcher Tim McCarver, detailing their relationship from 1965, when they played with the St. Louis Cardinals, through 1980, when they played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Along the way McCarver became Carlton’s personal catcher, and together they became the best battery in baseball in the mid-to-late 1970s. At first glance Carlton and McCarver appear like an odd couple: McCarver was old school, Carlton new age. At the beginning of his career, McCarver believed that the catcher called the pitches, encouraged the pitcher when necessary, and schooled the pitcher when he deviated from the game plan. But Lefty, who pioneered the use of meditation and martial arts in baseball, was stubborn too. He wanted to control pitch selection. Over time, Carlton and McCarver developed a strong bond off the diamond that allowed them to understand and trust each other. In the process, Steve Carlton became one of the greatest left-handers in the history of Major League Baseball, an achievement that would not have been possible without Tim McCarver as his catcher. Not only did McCarver mentor Carlton as a young hurler with the Cardinals, but he helped resurrect Carlton’s career when they were reunited in Philadelphia midseason in 1975. Carlton won his second Cy Young Award with McCarver behind the plate in 1977. Told in the historical context of the time they played the game, Lefty and Tim recounts the pair’s time in the tumultuous sixties, with the racial integration of the St. Louis Cardinals and the dominance of pitching, and in the turbulent seventies, characterized by MLB’s labor tensions, the arrival of free agency, and the return of the lively ball that followed the lowering of the pitcher’s mound in 1969.