Sal Maglie

by Judith Testa

Book Overview

To the batters who faced him, pitcher Sal Maglie looked like the hurler from hell. Tall and sinister in appearance, with glowering dark eyes and a formidable five-o clock shadow, the famed righthander earned the nickname \u201cSal the Barber\u201d for his high-inside fastball that cut dangerously close to the batter s chin. But Maglie was much more than his intimidating image.

This biography provides a colorful, detailed, occasionally shocking, and often moving narrative about the son of poor Italian immigrants who rose far beyond his family s and his own early dreams and became a star pitcher for the New York Giants. He then, at the apex of his career in the mid-1950s, joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. This is the story of a man whose early mediocrity and failures in the minor leagues in no way prefigured his later success and fame.

Maglie s major league career shines with baseball drama. He was a key player in some of the most dramatic pennant races in baseball history and a participant in several of the sport s most famous games. Women found him irresistible, and his first marriage was at times severely strained by his infidelities. Despite his success in baseball, he endured pain, disappointment, and personal tragedy.

Through wide-ranging research that includes interviews with Maglie s relatives, friends, former teammates, and team officials, as well as newspaper reports, books, and magazines, Judith Testa creates an insightful and compelling portrait of one of baseball s most intriguing figures. Baseball fans and people interested in baseball history and in the Italian American experience will discover new insights and a wealth of information in Sal Maglie.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0875803679
• ISBN13: 9780875803678
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
• Length: 486 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.2" x 9.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Sal the Barber

Nice read into a great character of the game, who rose from obscure mediocrity, to the top of his profession, in not one but two major markets in NYC. Inspiring to all of us with dreams that haven't been fully realized, with hard work and endurance we can all conquer all.