The spirit of St. Louis A history of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns

Review by Booklist Review

St. Louis has a rich baseball tradition, most recently embodied in the slugging exploits of Mark McGwire, but the tradition stretches back to the late 1800s and includes both the National League Cardinals and the American League Browns (who moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles in the 1950s). Along the way, St. Louis has produced its share of memorable players: Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, and Eddie Gaedel (the midget whom promoter extraordinaire Bill Veeck used as a pinch hitter in 1951). Golenbock, the author of such team histories as Wrigleyville (Chicago Cubs) and Dynasty (New York Yankees), makes good use of the traditional oral-history formula--letting the participants tell the story in their own words. Whenever possible, he interviews his subjects directly, but when necessary, he makes good use of print sources. The result is a vibrant, seamless account that lets readers glide through the decades listening to the men who made baseball history tell their tales. Wonderful reading for baseball fans in and out of St. Louis. --Wes Lukowsky

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Having chronicled the Yankees (in Dynasty), Golenbock takes a look at another storied organization, the St. Louis Cardinals, and its near-forgotten crosstown rival, the St. Louis Browns. His understated narrative guides readers through an impressive collection of oral histories of past and living veterans of the game. Managers and owners play a significant role in the story as Golenbock does an excellent job of describing the impact of the two franchises on baseball history. The Cardinals' stalwart general manager, Branch Rickey, long before he signed Jackie Robinson to play for the Dodgers, revolutionized baseball by creating the farm system. He eventually built the Cards into a success (the team has won nine World Series, second only to the Yankees) though he paid players as little as possible. The Browns, however, struggled constantly, failing to garner new talent or retain rising stars, until owner and showman Bill Veeck (infamous for sending a midget to bat and for fielding a one-armed outfielder) was forced to sell the club. Significant baseball figures profiled include Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean, Stan Musial, Curt Flood and Mark McGwire. Field-level anecdotes and insights from more than 150 baseball seasons abound. Both teams could boast great rosters at one time or another, but dynasties have eluded them. Their histories of struggle, with Golenbock's focus on the owner's hand, reveal how volatile the business of baseball has always been. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

St. Louis has had big league baseball since 1874 in the form of, first, the Browns and then (starting in 1892) the Cardinals. The Browns (who hung on until 1953) only won the American League pennant once, in 1944--although they did boast a few stars, like George Sisler and Ned Garver. The National League's Cardinals, on the other hand, had a series of sterling teams and won 14 flags and nine World Series in their time. Golenbock (Wrigleyville) spins a lively tale about these teams, filled with memories of Branch Rickey, Bell Veeck, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Mark McGwire, and others. This book is sure to be requested in libraries in and around St. Louis; other public libraries may want a copy as well.--Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hosp. Medical Lib., Tucson, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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