Strange But True Baseball Stories

[Benjamin Grimm]

My daughter, who just turned seven, has the makings of being quite a baseball fan. (My son, 11, is only mildly interested.) I'm getting a kick out of it. I was so proud when she recently observed that left-handed batters have an advantage because they're closer to first base when they complete their swing.

Anyway, about a week ago she asked me if there was ever a baseball player who had only one arm. And I told her about Pete Gray of the St. Louis Browns.

And then, a couple of days later, she asked me if a midget ever played baseball. And I told her about Eddie Gaedel of the St. Louis Browns. (I wonder if our house is being haunted by the ghost of Bill Veeck or something?)

She asked me again this morning about Pete Gray and Eddie Gaedel and I found a great photo of Gray on the Internet. (I'll share it in a few minutes.) But I also remembered a book that I had as a kid that told the story of both players, and a bunch of others. It was called Strange But True Baseball Stories. I found it on Amazon.com and was able to order a used copy (from 1966) for 98 cents, plus shipping.

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/02/55/0a42828fd7a0cbf42cc23110._AA240_.L.jpg

I'm sure I had the 1972 paperback and not the 1966 hardcover, but the image on Amazon.com is exactly what I remembered. I think my daugther will get a kick out of reading about Gray and Gaedel, and maybe some of the other stories from that book. And I'll get a kick out of seeing it again.

It was written by Furman Bisher, who I later knew as the Atlanta-based columnist for The Sporting News, but I wasn't aware of that when I was reading and re-reading the book.

Does anyone else remember this book? Do you have any other childhood baseball books that you remember? I also recall reading The Baseball Life of Willie Mays, Baseball Stars of 1973, and Hammerin' Hank of the Braves.

[Benjamin Grimm]

http://www.explorepahistory.com/images/ExplorePAHistory-a0b8h5-a_349.jpg

This photo is obviously posed, but I love how it shows Pete Gray in the early part of his throwing motion. He's discarded his glove (you can see it flying away from him) and the ball is in the air, about to be caught barehanded so that he can throw it.

I don't recall ever having seen this particular photograph before.

[Guest AG/DC]

I think I recall it. If I have it right, I enjoyed it.

But I also recall it as being a case of children's literature that portrayed the death of Ed Delahanty as mysterious and shadowy, when it was, in fact, clear and stupid.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Guest

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I remember that chapter!

Something about Delahanty last being seen walking along a railroad track, or something like that?

[Centerfield]

That's great. I can't believe you can remember the stuff you read. I remember reading all sorts of baseball fiction as a kid but for the life of me I can't remember what any of them are. I'll certainly have to try reading that and remember it when my son is older.

I can't wait until he's old enough that I can talk baseball with him. He'll be three at the end of August and is just starting to figure out what baseball is. On our trip to Shea last month he said the following:

"Dada, is that baseball?"

Yes it is.

"Can I play too?"

Well, you have to get a little bit older to play on that field. But if you practice maybe you can when you grow up.

"When I play here will you watch me?"

(Choking back lots of tears) Of course. I think Dada has something in his eye...

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Books like that tended to leave out the fact that Gray was savagely angry, and considered a bit of a nuisance by teammates.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I remember all of those books. Steve Carlton was on the cover of Baseball Stars of '73. I remember that the cover was split, featuring another player, as well.. I also had Football Stars of 1973 with Larry Brown on the cover. And I remember going through a phase at around that time where I read just about every Matt Christopher book I could get my hands on.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Was he?

I didn't know that.

I suppose most of what I know about Pete Gray came from Strange But True Baseball Stories.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Bud Parusha was a one-armed outfielder for the Ruppert Mundys. But that ain't no kids book.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I remember all of those books. Steve Carlton was on the cover of Baseball Stars of '73. I remember that the cover was split, featuring another player, as well.. I also had Football Stars of 1973 with Larry Brown on the cover. And I remember going through a phase at around that time where I read just about every Matt Christopher book I could get my hands on.

Scholastic Books! I have the 1975 version.

I have a Tom Seaver bio that I bought through the schools. There was much weeping when I left it outside and it rained. I later found two copies in a used book store and bought both -- just to be sure.

As for Gray, if you ever saw Jim Abbott pitch in person, it was amazing how effortlessly he could switch his glove to the stump and back.

[seawolf17]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Bud Parusha was a one-armed outfielder for the Ruppert Mundys. But that ain't no kids book.

Wow, classic. And agreed.

[batmagadanleadoff]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Scholastic Books! I have the 1975 version..

Scholastic Books! That's where I got my _____Stars of 19xx books from. From school. Good memory. Who'da thought you could get books from school?

[Guest AG/DC]

When I was working at a book store, I made sure we ordered enough Matt Christopher books to get a baseball autographed by Matt Christopher that I could use as the centerpiece of a display table. A nine-year-old (or so) kid looked at it with awe and asked how he could get Matt Christopher's autograph. I said he could have the ball as soon as my display came down. Damned if he didn't show up almost every day reminding me of my promise until I took it down.

I should have adopted him. Who knows what kind of kid I'm going to get?

[Guest themetfairy]

I still have Baseball's Zaniest Stars by Howard Liss in my bookshelf -

[Guest AG/DC]

Casey's looking handsome.

I didn't know he was a Pirate when he did the bird thing, although that's some tangerine-colored Pirate trim.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Guest

[batmagadanleadoff]

seawolf17 wrote: ="batmagadanleadoff"]Bud Parusha was a one-armed outfielder for the Ruppert Mundys. But that ain't no kids book. Wow, classic. And agreed.

That book's sure got it's peaks and valleys. Some of the passages are among the funniest I've read in my entire life. I probably laughed out loud the first two or ten times I read the book. It's too long, though.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Was he? I didn't know that. I suppose most of what I know about Pete Gray came from Strange But True Baseball Stories.

Yeah, I think if you get your arm cut off as a kid you're more likely than not to have some emotional issues. Look at his face!

I only know what I'd read myself, but I got the idea that Gray's "determination" to make it was really, really grim determination. The players tolerated him at first but when it was clear he wasn't going to be good enough to play he didn't readily accept it, and players felt he got more chances than he was deserving of.

That's zany Casey on the cover.

[Benjamin Grimm]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Look at his face!

I had noticed that myself. There's a lot of character and history chiseled into that face.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Guest

[soupcan]

I used to read biographies of players.

Sandy Koufax was my fave and I also read one on Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson.

I read in the newspaper one day that Johnny Bench was going to be signing copies of his autobiography, 'Catch You Later', in Macy's at Herald Square. I cut school that day to go get one.

I still have it and he signed it 'To Nick, catch you later, Johnny Bench'

It's great, he has the neatest handwriting and signature. In the book he writes that as a kid he practiced his autograph in case he became famous.

[Fman99]

My dad had bought me a couple of Baseball Encyclopaedias. I read and reread through the stats like they were text. Soaked it all up.

[HahnSolo]

BG, don't forget to tell your daughter about Jim Abbott in one-armed ball player discussion.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, Jim Abbott had two arms, he was only missing a hand.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bert Shepard was the other chapter in BASEBALL'S MOST GROTESQUE FREAKS! (Scholastic, 1963)

Shepard was a low-level minor leaguer drafted into service who lost a leg when his plane was shot down. He was strictly a support-the-troops kinda player, he was mainly a coach, but he did pitch one game in mopup relief.

[Guest AG/DC]

Mike Gallego, John Kruk, Josias Manzanillo --- all men, among others, who boldly played the game with one testical.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Unfortunately for him, I guess Chris Snyder could be added to that list when he returns from the DL.

[batmagadanleadoff]

AG/DC wrote: Mike Gallego, John Kruk, Josias Manzanillo --- all men, among others, who boldly played the game with one testical.

Pretty ballsy of those guys to play like that, wouldn't you say?