Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis: The Red Sox of the 1950s
By Bill Nowlin
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Americans in the 1950s found new ways of enjoying themselves, from the rapid proliferation of television sets into every home, to the dawn of a new age of popular music, rock and roll, symbolized by a charismatic crooner named Elvis Presley. Baseball's place in American culture was still paramount, though the competition was gaining.
In Boston, the baseball landscape changed dramatically in 1953 when the Braves moved to Milwaukee. Despite having the city to themselves, the Red Sox steadily lost attendance throughout the decade, due mainly to a series of teams that failed to contend. But because of television, fans of the region were able to "watch" Red Sox baseball for the first time without setting foot in Fenway Park. With its lagging fortunes of the team on the field, the club retained its hold on the hearts of the region throughout this period.
The 1950s Red Sox were teeming with huge stories. You might know about Ted Williams, of course, but consider his teammates: Harry Agganis, a legendary local athlete whose tragic death is remembered by millions in the region; or Jimmy Piersall, whose illness and breakdown led to a book and two movies; or Jackie Jensen, a famous collegiate football star who forged a great career with the Red Sox. The Red Sox are famous for failing to integrate until 1959, the last team to do so. Depicted here are the people mostly blamed for this oversight (Tom Yawkey, Joe Cronin, and Mike Higgins), as well as the man who finally broke the color line (Pumpsie Green).
Thanks to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), you can read the stories of 46 of these men, including all of of the aforementioned and one of the greatest announcers ever, Curt Gowdy. But along with many of the people you might remember, there are still plenty of lesser-known players that you can discover for the first time. All of these men made it the major leagues and played well enough to stick around for at least a few years. We think all of them are worth learning about, and hope you enjoy doing so.
Bill Nowlin
BILL NOWLIN confesses to have left Game Three of the 2004 ALCS before it was over - due to a 13-year-old son at home with a friend. But since the 1950s he has attended countless Red Sox games at a place he often calls his "second home." He waited 59 years to see the Sox win it all. He is one of the founders of Rounder Records; the one Hall of Fame into which he was inducted is the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. He has written and edited many books, mostly on baseball and mostly for SABR, but has not gone far in life - he lives in Cambridge, maybe 10 miles from where he was born in Boston.
Read more from Bill Nowlin
Don't Let Us Win Tonight: An Oral History of the 2004 Boston Red Sox's Impossible Playoff Run Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5When Football Went to War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Boston Red Sox Killer B's: Baseball's Best Outfield Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Baseball Went to War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRed Sox in 5s and 10s: Boston's Agony and Ecstasy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings"The Kid" Blasts a Winner: Ted Williams's 110 Game-Deciding Home Runs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorking a "Perfect Game" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMetropolitan Stadium: Memorable Games at Minnesota's Diamond on the Prairie Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis
Related ebooks
Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis: The Red Sox of the 1950s: SABR Digital Library, #6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings162-0: Imagine a Cubs Perfect Season: A Game-by-Game Anaylsis of the Greatest Wins in Cubs History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSweet ’60: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates: SABR Digital Library, #10 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSweet '60: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates: SABR Digital Library, #10 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow Baseball Explains America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51951: When the Giants Played the Game Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5One-Win Wonders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGo-Go to Glory: The 1959 Chicago White Sox: SABR Digital Library, #70 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Year of the Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies: SABR Digital Library Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hollywood Stars Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Red Sox in 5s and 10s: Boston's Agony and Ecstasy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 1934 St. Louis Cardinals: The World Champion Gas House Gang: SABR Digital Library, #20 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaseball Research Journal (BRJ), Volume 48, #1: Spring 2019: Baseball Research Journal, #48.1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreat Hitting Pitchers: SABR Digital Library, #3 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Echoes of Cincinnati Reds Baseball: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNo Money, No Beer, No Pennants: The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Great Depression Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5101 Things You May Not Have Known About Baseball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Red Sox Century: Voices and Memories from Fenway Park Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRed Sox Triviology: Fascinating Facts from the Bleacher Seats Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSan Francisco Giants: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings'75: The Red Sox Team that Saved Baseball: SABR Digital Library, #27 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Search for Shoeless Joe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInside the Boston Red Sox Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChicago Cubs: Tinker to Evers to Chance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaseball in Springfield Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrangers in the Bronx: DiMaggio, Mantle, and the Changing of the Yankee Guard Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fenway Park Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chicago White Sox Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings100 Things Yankees Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Baseball For You
Summer of '49 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Moneyball: by Michael Lewis | Includes Analysis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaseball For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ball Four Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Baseball 100 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Palestine Speaks: Narratives of Life Under Occupation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basic Baseball Strategy: An Introduction for Coaches and Players Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America’s Pastime Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boys of Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baseball Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Baseball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTy Cobb: A Terrible Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Babe: The Legend Comes to Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batter's Box Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ron Shandler's 2023 Baseball Forecaster: & Encyclopedia of Fanalytics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hidden Game of Baseball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sho-Time: The Inside Story of Shohei Ohtani and the Greatest Baseball Season Ever Played Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFantasy Baseball for Smart People: How to Profit Big During MLB Season Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Baseball America 2023 Prospect Handbook Digital Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhatever Happened to the Hall of Fame Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Future Value: The Battle for Baseball's Soul and How Teams Will Find the Next Superstar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Batter's Box: A Novel of Baseball, War, and Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Own Particular Screwball: An Informal Autobiography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis
0 ratings0 reviews