Synopses & Reviews
In descriptions of athletes, the word and#8220;heroand#8221; is bandied about and liberally attached to players with outstanding statistics and championship rings. Gil Hodges: A Hall of Fame Life is the story of a man who epitomized heroism in its truest meaning, holding values and personal interactions to be of utmost importance throughout his lifeand#8212;on the diamond, as a marine in World War II, and in his personal and civic life. A New York City icon and, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, one of the finest first basemen of all time, Gil Hodges (1924and#8211;72) managed the Washington Senators and later the New York Mets, leading the 1969 and#8220;Miracle Metsand#8221; to a World Series championship. A beloved baseball star, Hodges was also an ethical figure whose sturdy values both on and off the field once prompted a Brooklyn priest to tell his congregation to and#8220;go home, and say a prayer for Gil Hodgesand#8221; in order to snap him out of the worst batting slump of his career.
Mort Zachter examines Hodgesand#8217;s playing and managing days, but perhaps more important, he unearths his true heroism by emphasizing the impact that Hodgesand#8217;s humanity had on those around him on a daily basis. Hodges was a witty man with a dry sense of humor, and his dignity and humble sacrifice sometimes masked a temper that made Joe Torre refer to him as the and#8220;Quiet Inferno.and#8221; The honesty and integrity that made him so popular to so many remained his defining elements. Firsthand interviews of the many soldiers, friends, family, former teammates, players, and managers who knew and respected Hodges bring the totality of his life into full view, providing a rounded appreciation for this great man and ballplayer.
Review
andldquo;The definitive and wonderfully told tale of a baseball icon. Mort Zachter has given Gil Hodges the biography he has long deserved.andrdquo;andmdash;Michael Shapiro, professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of
The Last Good Season: Brooklyn, the Dodgers and Their Final Pennant Race Togetherand#160;
Review
andldquo;Whether focusing on Hodges the Hoosier, the marine on Okinawa, the home runandndash;hitting slugger, or the Brooklynite on Bedford Avenue, Mort Zachter has given us Gil, right down to the nub of his Marlboro. His mincing steps to the mound are remembered along with the candles lit in church and the day Brooklynandrsquo;s heart skipped a beat with his. This one spikes high into your heart; the Hodges epic is a lesson in humanity for all seasons.andrdquo;andmdash;Bob McGee, author of The Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgersand#160;
Review
andldquo;Zachter brings the same grace and precision to the page that Hodges brought to first base at Ebbets Field and with methodical research, insight, and pure affection gives life to the man behind the astounding stats, proving once and for all that Hodges truly belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Kudos to Mort Zachter for giving a beloved Brooklyn legend his due.andrdquo;andmdash;Marty Markowitz, former Brooklyn Borough president
and#160;
Review
andldquo;As a Marine, one of Brooklynandrsquo;s beloved Boys of Summer, and the manager of the Miracle Mets, Gil Hodges lived a great American life, though one cut too short. In these pages you understand how Hodges defined what it meant to be a role model in a golden age.andrdquo;andmdash;Tom Verducci, senior writer for
Sports Illustratedand#160;
Review
"Banzai Babe deserves a spot in any baseball (or Japan) lover's library."and#8212;Robert Whiting, Wall Street Journal
Review
"Fitts, a master at depicting all of the key elements in prewar Japanese social and political life, gives the reader valuable insights into the influential moderates trying to hold the line against the army, as well as the American ballplayers taking a victory lap in front of adoring foreign fans. This book is a powerful snapshot of men from two contrasting cultures attempting to stop a slide into aggression."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Review
"This dramatic story, equal parts baseball and history, should appeal to anyone interested in Japanese cultural and political history and the sports-politics nexus."and#8212;Library Journal
Review
"The history lessons in Banzai Babe Ruth go well beyond merely chronicling the games and the players. This is a well-researched, fascinatingly told tale of two super powers whose shared passion for baseball wasn't enough to maintain the peace, though it did help to restore it in the years following World War II."and#8212;James Bailey, Baseball America
Review
"Banzai Babe Ruth reads like a multi-stranded mystery novel . . . . Fitts has an eye for the quirky details that make historical writing vivid."and#8212;Michael R. Stevens, Books and Culture
Review
"Banzai Babe Ruth is far more than just a sports story. . . . No one could have told this incredible story better than Robert K. Fitts."and#8212;ForeWord Reviews
Review
andquot;Mort Zachter captures the essence of Hodges in his biography.andquot;andmdash;Bob Dand#39;Angelo, Tampa Tribune
Review
andquot;[An] excellent biography.andquot;andmdash;Jacqueline Cutler, Newark Star Ledger
Review
andquot;Fans who remember the Brooklyn Bums and the Miracle Mets will find this a must-read.andquot;andmdash;Jim Burns, Library Journal
Review
andldquo;Absolutely fantastic. It was truly a pleasure to read.andrdquo;andmdash;Josh Lewin, New York Mets broadcaster and#160;
Synopsis
In November 1934 as the United States and Japan drifted toward war, a team of American League all-stars that included Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, future secret agent Moe Berg, and Connie Mack barnstormed across the Land of the Rising Sun. Hundreds of thousands of fans, many waving Japanese and American flags, welcomed the team with shouts of and#8220;
Banzai! Banzai, Babe Ruth!and#8221; The all-stars stayed for a month, playing 18 games, spawning professional baseball in Japan, and spreading goodwill.
Politicians on both sides of the Pacific hoped that the amity generated by the tourand#8212;and the two nationsand#8217; shared love of the gameand#8212;could help heal their growing political differences. But the Babe and baseball could not overcome Japanand#8217;s growing nationalism, as a bloody coup dand#8217;and#233;tat by young army officers and an assassination attempt by the ultranationalist War Gods Society jeopardized the tourand#8217;s success. A tale of international intrigue, espionage, attempted murder, and, of course, baseball, Banzai Babe Ruth is the first detailed account of the doomed attempt to reconcile the United States and Japan through the 1934 All American baseball tour. Robert K. Fitts provides a wonderful story about baseball, nationalism, and American and Japanese cultural history.
About the Author
Robert K. Fitts graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received a PhD from Brown University. Originally trained as an archeologist of colonial America, Fitts left that field to focus on his passion, Japanese baseball. He is also the author of Remembering Japanese Baseball: An Oral History of the Game and Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball (Nebraska, 2008).