Synopses & Reviews
< div=""> < br=""> < br=""> One of the most endearing of American heroes, Casey Stengel guided the New York Yankees to ten pennants in twelve seasons. Here is the brilliant manager stripped naked& #8212; the person underneath all the clowning, mugging, and double-talking.< br=""> < br=""> < br=""> < br=""> Robert Creamer shows us Casey at twenty-two, famous from his very first day in the big leagues. We see Casey& #8217; s playing career fall apart as he is traded, shunted to last-place teams, hampered by injuries, considered finished& #8212; until he bats a glorious home run in the 1923 World Series. Here are Casey& #8217; s managing successes and failures& #8212; dismissed by the Yankees, he returns to the limelight with his new and inept New York Mets, the team he single-handedly lifts into the nation& #8217; s consciousness.< br=""> < br=""> < br=""> < br=""> & #8220; I& #8217; m a man that& #8217; s been up and down, & #8221; Casey said in a serious moment. Certainly his knack for bouncing back made him a legend in our national pastime. Here are the stories and gags, the Stengelian style, the full dimensions of the man. < br=""> < br=""> < iv="">
Review
"As player and later as manager, Casey Stengel epitomized the character type that dominated baseball during its Golden Age. Stengel was a fierce competitor who loved winning, but he never lost the perspective that baseball is just a game. He was a master of baseball strategy but was always able—and willing—to play the part of the buffoon. Creamer's anecdotal biography describes how Stengel mixed his substantial baseball talents with a flair for entertaining to become the premier personality in the game until his retirement in the mid-1960's. Along the way, the skipper of the perennial world champion New York Yankees and later of the 'amazin' Mets created one of the great legends in American sport." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Review
"Exemplary . . . by scaling down the legend of Stengel to human proportions, Mr. Creamer has made it seem all the more vital."—New York Times Book Review New York Times Book Review
Review
"Full of energy and surprises and laughter. . . . In Creamers wonderful portrait, the real man is even more likable than the legend."—Washington Post Book World Washington Post Book World
Review
"A superb book. . . . Creamer has set a standard of excellence for sports biographies."—Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated
Synopsis
One of the most endearing of American heroes, Casey Stengel guided the New York Yankees to ten pennants in twelve seasons. Here is the brilliant manager stripped naked—the person underneath all the clowning, mugging, and double-talking.
Robert Creamer shows us Casey at twenty-two, famous from his very first day in the big leagues. We see Caseys playing career fall apart as he is traded, shunted to last-place teams, hampered by injuries, considered finished—until he bats a glorious home run in the 1923 World Series. Here are Caseys managing successes and failures—dismissed by the Yankees, he returns to the limelight with his new and inept New York Mets, the team he single-handedly lifts into the nations consciousness.
“Im a man thats been up and down,” Casey said in a serious moment. Certainly his knack for bouncing back made him a legend in our national pastime. Here are the stories and gags, the Stengelian style, the full dimensions of the man.
About the Author
Robert W. Creamer, formerly a writer and editor for Sports Illustrated, is the author of Babe: The Legend Comes to Life. He lives in Tuckahoe, New York.