Frank Deford - The Old Ball Game

"Written by Frank Deford in the same entertaining style that we are used to hearing on National Public Radio and reading in Sports Illustrated, The Old Ball Game is essentially a dual biography of pitcher Christy Mathewson and manager John McGraw; they shared a deep friendship as their careers with the New York Giants changed the game in the early 20th century. Deford does a good job appreciating the remarkable talent of Mathewson as a pitcher and McGraw as a player-manager. Mathewson had a stunning career, worthy of his inaugural Hall of Fame induction in 1936. McGraw, who joins his arch-rival Connie Mack as one of the greatest managers ever, was elected by the veterans committee a year later. The Old Ball Game, however is much more than just a simple recounting of baseball statistics and history. The book is fundamentally a character study of two very different baseball characters and a relationship that saw a star player, his manager, and their two wives intertwine their lives to the point of sharing a residence in New York."
SOSH
amazon: The Old Ball Game