Electric October
Kevin CookThe epic World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers and the six men whose lives were changed forever
The
1947 World Series was "the most exciting ever" in the words of Joe
DiMaggio, with a decade's worth of drama packed into seven games between
the mighty New York Yankees and underdog Brooklyn Dodgers. It was
Jackie Robinson's first Series, a postwar spectacle featuring Frank
Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway and President Harry Truman in supporting
roles. It was also the first televised World Series - sportswriters
called it "Electric October."
But for all the star power on
display, the outcome hinged on role players: Bill Bevens, a journeyman
who knocked on the door of pitching immortality; Al Gionfriddo and
Cookie Lavagetto, bench players at the center of the Series' iconic
moments; Snuffy Stirnweiss, a wartime batting champion who never got any
respect; and managers Bucky Harris and Burt Shotton, each an unlikely
choice to run his team. Six men found themselves plucked from obscurity
to shine on the sport's greatest stage. But their fame was fleeting;
three would never play another big-league game, and all six would be
forgotten.
Kevin Cook brings the '47 Series back to life,
introducing us to men whose past offered no hint they were destined for
extraordinary things. For some, the Series was a memory to hold onto.
For others, it would haunt them to the end of their days. And for us,
Cook offers new insights--some heartbreaking, some uplifting--into what
fame and glory truly mean.