Synopses & Reviews
Eddie Robinsonandrsquo;s career lasted sixty-five years and spanned the era before and during World War II, integration, the organization of the players union, expansion, use of artificial turf, free agency, labor stoppages, and even the steroid era. He was a Minor League player, a Major League player, a coach, a farm director, a general manager, a scout, and a consultant. During his six and a half decades in baseball, he knew, played with or against, or worked for or with many of baseballandrsquo;s greats, including Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey Mantle, Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, George Steinbrenner, Casey Stengel, Bill Veeck, and Ted Williams.and#160;The lively autobiography of Robinson, Lucky Me highlights a career that touched all aspects of the game from player to coach to front-office executive and scout. In it Robinson reveals for the first time that the 1948 Cleveland Indians stole the oppositionandrsquo;s signs with the use of a telescope in their drive to the pennant. This edition features a new afterword by C. Paul Rogers III.
Review
andldquo;A fun read, chock full of funny stories.andrdquo;andmdash;New York Daily News
Review
andldquo;Eddie Robinson was a fine ballplayer. He had a remarkably long, fascinating, and colorful career as a baseball scout and front-office man for many big league teams. I know of no book that gives as much insight into the front-office machinations in baseball organizations. [Eddie Robinsonandrsquo;s] autobiography will interest people inside baseball who remember Eddie, and many others will enjoy reading about the experiences of men whoandrsquo;ve been in the game.andrdquo;andmdash;Charles C. Alexander, author of Ty Cobband#160;
Review
andquot;Of those sixty-five years in baseball, Iand#39;ve known Eddie for fifty-five of them--as a dear friend, business partner, and as a terrific baseball player. Major league baseball needs more people like Eddie.andquot;andmdash;Brooks C. Robinson, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles
Review
andldquo;Eddie Robinson was the most underrated and best clutch hitter I ever played against.andrdquo;andmdash;Ted Williams, Hall of Fame outfielder for the Boston Red Sox
Review
andldquo;What can you say about Eddie? Good baseball man and a pretty good left-handed hitter in his day. He was one of our first basemen in the andrsquo;50s and fit in real good.andrdquo;andmdash;Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees
Review
andldquo;Eddie Robinson was general manager when I was asked to manage the Oriolesandrsquo; 1960 Winter Instructional League team. He took me under his wing and showed me just by being himself how a Major Leaguer should act. When I later became the Orioles manager, all the things I learned from him were invaluable to my future successes.andrdquo;andmdash;Earl Weaver, Hall of Fame manager for the Baltimore Orioles
Synopsis
Bill Werber's claim to fame is unique: he is the last living person to have a direct connection to the 1927 Yankees, "Murderers' Row," a team hailed by many as the best of all time. Signed by the Yankees while still a freshman at Duke University, Werber spent two weeks that summer of '27 on the Yankee bench to "gain experience"and#8212;and was miserable and lonely, ignored by everyone. After graduating in 1930 Werber was back with the Yankees, but he was soon sent to the minors for seasoning (including a stretch with Casey Stengel). He returned to the big leagues in 1933 and was promptly traded to the Red Sox. A fleet-footed third baseman, Werber also played for the Athletics, Reds, and Giants, leading the league three times in stolen bases and once in runs scored. He was with the Reds when they won the pennant in 1939 and 1940. Werber played with or against some of the most productive hitters of all time, including Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. Rich in anecdotes and humor, Memories of a Ballplayer is a clear-eyed memoir of the world of big-league baseball in the 1930s.
About the Author
Eddie Robinson, a four-time American League All-Star, played in two World Series, was general manager of the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers, and was involved in the formation of the players union. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas. C. Paul Rogers III is a professor of law and former dean of the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and coauthor of several books, including Throwing Hard Easy: Reflections of a Life in Baseball (Nebraska, 2014), with Robin Roberts. Tom Grieve is a former Texas Rangers general manager and is currently a Rangers broadcaster. Bobby Brown is a former New York Yankees third baseman, a retired cardiologist, and a former president of the American League.