OT: The Glory of their Times

[CharleyBrown]

Is there a better baseball book than this one?

Got it for Christmas, and I have to say that it is quite the enjoyable read. For all the talk of show-boating in today's game, I don't think anybody has anything on Germany Schaefer.

And it seems like a lot of the old ballplayers were really high on Dummy Hoy. Admittedly, I had never heard of him prior to reading the book, but now I'm inclined to do some research on him.

[Paul S]

Check out the 2CD audio book. You'll hear the actual original interviews with the players you just read about - and more. Will blow your mind.

https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Their-T.../dp/B000BKSFY2

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Check out the 2CD audio book. You'll hear the actual original interviews with the players you just read about - and more. Will blow your mind.

https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Their-T.../dp/B000BKSFY2

It's 4 CDs, 5 hours running time. Nice little booklet with photos, too.

[Paul S]

Ah, right. 4. It was so enjoyable it went by so fast that it seemed like only 2. Forgot. I had leant mine years back and never had it returned.

[btcarfagno]

I got it through "Audible" so I can listen to it on my computer anytime. It is just wonderful to hear these men talk.

There is also a subset of collecting that you can do regarding the book. Cards. Autographs. There are many letters out there from players to Larry Ritter. I own the hardcover copy of the book given to Rube Marquard by Ritter.

Tom C

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Ah, right. 4. It was so enjoyable it went by so fast that it seemed like only 2. Forgot. I had leant mine years back and never had it returned.

Paul, I am not surprised. Too many people become very good at forgetting who loaned them a great read or in this case, a CD set. I still remember with a frown about the time I loaned my copy of BASEBALL BETWEEN THE LINES to the assistant athletic director at Ball State University. I loved that book with its fabulous first-hand stories. I thought he would enjoy it, and he probably really did. However, I did not mean for him to "help himself" to my book! That was forty years ago. I'm long, long over it, but I still remember loaning it,and never getting it back. ---Brian Powell

[scotgreb]

+1 for the Audible version . . .

Listening to the actual interviews was exceptionally interesting.

Scott

[Golfcollector]

I am now just reading this too...just picked it up yesterday at the library...very good read.

[RTK]

Originally Posted by brian1961

Paul, I am not surprised. Too many people become very good at forgetting who loaned them a great read or in this case, a CD set. I still remember with a frown about the time I loaned my copy of BASEBALL BETWEEN THE LINES to the assistant athletic director at Ball State University. I loved that book with its fabulous first-hand stories. I thought he would enjoy it, and he probably really did. However, I did not mean for him to "help himself" to my book! That was forty years ago. I'm long, long over it, but I still remember loaning it,and never getting it back. ---Brian Powell

That's happened to me both with a book about the baseball HoF and a record. I should learn my lesson. I eventually repurchased the record and am thinking about repurchasing the book.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Great book!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by RTK

That's happened to me both with a book about the baseball HoF and a record. I should learn my lesson. I eventually repurchased the record and am thinking about repurchasing the book.

Still waiting for my copy of Surrealistic Pillow to be returned. Do you I should just let it go at this point?

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Still waiting for my copy of Surrealistic Pillow to be returned. Do you I should just let it go at this point?

I suppose the character "just wanted something to love", when he/she was "ten feet tall". Back in the day my sister played and played her LP of that album on our Marantz hi-fi. About a decade ago I bought the CD of SURREALISTIC PILLOW. It was nice to hear the whole album again. ---Brian Powell

[matty39]

I thought I might make you guys aware of another "glory of their times". Raresportsfilms.com has a 50 minute dvd entitled "Glory of Their Times". The video has a narrator, uses actual film clips from that period and the voices of the players taken from the original tapes. It was produced for television years ago but recently offered by raresportsfilms. If you are at all interested in early baseball video, this is the source. btw, I have no connection with the above company, other than I have bought a few videos from them.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by brian1961

Paul, I am not surprised. Too many people become very good at forgetting who loaned them a great read or in this case, a CD set. I still remember with a frown about the time I loaned my copy of BASEBALL BETWEEN THE LINES to the assistant athletic director at Ball State University. I loved that book with its fabulous first-hand stories. I thought he would enjoy it, and he probably really did. However, I did not mean for him to "help himself" to my book! That was forty years ago. I'm long, long over it, but I still remember loaning it,and never getting it back. ---Brian Powell

You can get another copy on Amazon for 50 cents

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Check out the 2CD audio book. You'll hear the actual original interviews with the players you just read about - and more. Will blow your mind.

https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Their-T.../dp/B000BKSFY2

+1

The Audible version and print version contain slightly different content. I did not match up the actual interviews with the book but I remember reading somewhere that the content was different due to audio quality, and editorial privileges.

One of my favorite interviews is with Rube Marquard - telling about how he ran away from home for his first big league tryouts. He ended up hopping trains to make it; was befriended by some fire fighters and later in life when he succeeded, made his way back to the same fire station for a surprise visit.

The Audible version is one of my favorite books.


Z

[CharleyBrown]

Will definitely check the CD / Audible version after finishing reading the print novel. Will certainly make my commute more enjoyable.

Will also check out the raresportsfilms video version.

TY all for the recommendations!

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by matty39

I thought I might make you guys aware of another "glory of their times". Raresportsfilms.com has a 50 minute dvd entitled "Glory of Their Times". The video has a narrator, uses actual film clips from that period and the voices of the players taken from the original tapes. It was produced for television years ago but recently offered by raresportsfilms. If you are at all interested in early baseball video, this is the source. btw, I have no connection with the above company, other than I have bought a few videos from them.

+1 on the video, made by famous Olympic documentarian Bud Greenspan in 1970. It features wonderful period (1900-1920) photos and film clips, not just of baseball but of famous events of the time such as the sinking of the Titanic. The voices are all of real people, including ballplayers from Ritter's taped interviews, and is narrated by the "Voice of God" himself, Alexander Scourby. It it an absolutely wonderful piece of work, of the same high standard of quality as the book and audio set.

[T206Collector]

To purchase the DVD, click here:

http://raresportsfilms.com/1900-1918...-of-times.html

I haven't seen the DVD, but based on the descriptions in this thread, I believe you can watch the film on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4G0nbtLLeQ

[Snapolit1]

I may be in a very very small minority here, but I thought the book was a mixed bag. While some of the chapters were very good and a few riveting, I found a good chunk of it to be just old guys telling the same old war stories that seemed sketchy at best. A lot of the book sounded to me like barroom tales of days gone by of very dubious veracity. Maybe I've read too many books on the limitations of human memory. After a few years you are basically hearing fictional recreation. Never mind 60 years ago.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I may be in a very very small minority here, but I thought the book was a mixed bag. While some of the chapters were very good and a few riveting, I found a good chunk of it to be just old guys telling the same old war stories that seemed sketchy at best. A lot of the book sounded to me like barroom tales of days gone by of very dubious veracity. Maybe I've read too many books on the limitations of human memory. After a few years you are basically hearing fictional recreation. Never mind 60 years ago.

I haven't read the book in so long, all I remember is how much I enjoyed it. In putting the audio set together more recently, however, I did listen to all of the original tapes, and some of the players were more "blustery," to put it kindly, than others. Overall, though, I found them to be credible and even surprisingly candid for the most part, seemingly quite interested in getting things straight as best as they could remember them. I suspect that a fact check would reveal them to be about as accurate on the details of events so far in the past as could be reasonably expected. Just how much tolerance a particular reader would have for "old guys telling the same old war stories" is another matter altogether, and would depend in large part on their interest in the subjects at hand. I think I can speak for most fans of "Glory" in my appreciation of the miracle that, despite whatever limitations they might possess, these recollections were preserved by Ritter for future generations to read, hear, and enjoy.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I have been a SABR member for decades and over the years there have been literally dozens of polls and debates on the best baseball books of all time.

With no room for question Ritter's book has never failed to win first place, it is always The Glory of Their Times and everyone else. As my old friend Michael McGreevy used to say "Nuf Ced."

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I may be in a very very small minority here, but I thought the book was a mixed bag. While some of the chapters were very good and a few riveting, I found a good chunk of it to be just old guys telling the same old war stories that seemed sketchy at best. A lot of the book sounded to me like barroom tales of days gone by of very dubious veracity. Maybe I've read too many books on the limitations of human memory. After a few years you are basically hearing fictional recreation. Never mind 60 years ago.

Steve,

I generally tend to agree with you, but when you hear the emotion of Davey Jones telling about his first shoes, or the intelligence of Snodgrass as he recounts the play which became known as the Snodgrass Boner, it actually brings their stories to life. One of the guys I could never quite figure out was Goose Goslin - but hearing him recount some of the stories in 1st person, you start to believe this is a guy who could wander off and sleep through the night on a boat while fishing.....and miss a key start. The emotions and personality that come through the audio version are key to understanding their personality. JMO


Z

[Zach Wheat]

One other story in TGOT that I was going to mention as truly unique, was "Snow's" (Fred Snodgrass) recollection Charles Victory Faust. His telling of the story was quite amusing whether or not it actually happened in the manner in which the story was told. Just gives character to the person....

Z

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

One other story in TGOT that I was going to mention as truly unique, was "Snow's" (Fred Snodgrass) recollection Charles Victory Faust. His telling of the story was quite amusing whether or not it actually happened in the manner in which the story was told. Just gives character to the person....

Z

I wasn't trying to kick anyone's sacred cow or anything, but I wasn't as moved by it as I expected. To each his own as they say. I realized it is beloved in many quarters.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I wasn't trying to kick anyone's sacred cow or anything, but I wasn't as moved by it as I expected. To each his own as they say. I realized it is beloved in many quarters.

No sacred cows with this crowd, that's what I like about it.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Steve,

I generally tend to agree with you, but when you hear the emotion of Davey Jones telling about his first shoes, or the intelligence of Snodgrass as he recounts the play which became known as the Snodgrass Boner, it brings the actually stories to life. One of the guys I could never quite figure out was Goose Goslin - but hearing him recount some of the stories in 1st person, you start to believe this is a guy who could wander off and sleep through the night on a boat while fishing.....and miss a key start. The emotions and personality that come through the audio version are key to understanding their personality. JMO


Z

Zach - I went back and re-read the Snodgrass chapter last night. Incredible. You are absolutely right. What a sharp, insightful guy.

[oldrighty35]

My first post here as a newbie. I love "Glory Of Their Times." Great insight to the early days of the game. I have seveal copies that I share with those who wish to learn more.

[frankbmd]

If you have just read this thread and are interested in the audio CDs (near new), shoot me a PM.

SOLD

[Huck]

Well over a decade ago, I set out to create a baseball library. I found the two sites below and started looking for the books.

http://baseballguru.com/b_sabr.html

http://www.sandlotshrink.com/bookoldbb.htm

The first book purchased was The Glory of Their Times. Years later, I purchased the cds. In the realm of baseball books the book is one of the best. The book comes highly rated. At one time or another,each of us have bought into the hype of something only to be let down or wonder - "why all the hype?" One of my personal let downs was the movie Pulp Fiction. Everyone at work raved about the movie. I purchased my ticket sat down in my seat, thinking my life was somehow going to be changed. The movie was okay, but frankly I did not understand the hype.

A few good reads:

Dollar Sign on the Muscle by Kevin Kerrane - a good book about scouting prospects.

Prophet of the Sandlots - another book on scouting the ending is a surprise.

Men at Work - By George Will (certain chapters are better than others)

Anything by Roger Angell is usually good. I just hate having to pick up the dictionary every few paragraphs to find the definition of a word.

All of the Fireside books.

Enjoy!

[RTK]

I have to agree, very good books;

Dollar Sign on the Muscle by Kevin Kerrane - a good book about scouting prospects.

Prophet of the Sandlots - another book on scouting the ending is a surprise.

Men at Work - By George Will (certain chapters are better than others

[tedzan]

Great book.... "The Glory of Their Times."

Furthermore, if you love reading about Cobb and/or Ruth, I highly recommend this book
which covers both of them together.

Also included is Cobb vs. Ruth....Game by Game (from May 11, 1915 to Sept 11, 1928)






TED Z
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