The Long Ball: The Summer of '75--Spaceman, Catfish, Charlie Hustle, and the Greatest World Series Ever Played

by Tom Adelman

Book Overview

The 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds is generally considered the best of all time, and baseball historians often rank its sixth game as the greatest single game... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316068993
• ISBN13: 9780316068994
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Why didn't I hear about this book sooner?

I just discovered this book at a local bookseller. I read it over the course of a few evenings, and I continue telling friends about cool tidbits I learned from The Long Ball. Adelman's done his research, and his crisp, fast-paced writing gets you in the game quickly. Even if you're not a Reds or Red Sox fan, there's plenty in the book to enjoy, as it celebrates not only numerous players' personalities, but the nuances that make baseball so enjoyable for so many.

An Enjoyable Read on the 1975 Season

It has become popular during the last several years to have books published which are devoted to certain years during a baseball season. Some of them have been good while others have been found wanting. The Long Ball by Tom Adelman fits into the former category especially if you are old enough to remember the memorable 1975 season. There is a heavy emphasis on that year's World Series as it should, but it also includes a number of incidents and individuals that made headlines during that year such as the advent of free agency looming ominously on the horizon, and anecdotes on Casey Stengel, Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson, Bill Lee, Catfish Hunter, and Carl Yastrzemski, and many others. Half of the book is devoted to the post season playoffs and World Series. I like the author's use of humor in telling stories such as Bill Lee describing Bernie Carbo as "pure oxygen looking for a flame." The relationship between Sparky Anderson and Bernie Carbo is built up prior to that fantastic 6th game of the Series, and I thought Anderson's reaction to the ending of that game was precious as he felt betrayed by Carbo's 8th inning three run homer. I notice that this book has received mixed reviews, but I found the book to be enjoyable and it was fun to relive the '75 season through this book and be reunited with those individuals who were in the game during that time. Whether you were old enough to be a fan during this season or not, I think you will find this to be a very enjoyable book. It is worth the space on your bookcase.

exceptional decency

"The Long Ball" is a wonder among baseball books in the unique way it puts people first. We really get to know the players and their lives, what they're thinking when they're at bat and the many things they feel during a game. Some reviews have said that it reads like a novel. It does... and yet it's all true!!!!One of the things I especially dug about this book was its humanity, its big heart. We all know that the Red Sox organization, as well as S. Boston (during the busing crisis), said and did some real stupid, racially insensitive things (Howard Bryant documents these very well in "Shut Out.") Mr. Adelman candidly acknowledges these, then looks at many of the issues that surround and cause racial hurt in our country, and the ways in which baseball can serve to heal these wounds. :)To give you an idea of the scope of this classy book, we not only read about all the great major-leaguers of 1975 but also follow the stories of various past and future greats, among them gifted African-American youngsters like Rickey Henderson, Dwight Gooden, Ken griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds. Mr. Adelman writes about the white playground directors who taught under-privileged kids like Frank Robinson and Dave WInfield to love the game. He writes about George Foster of the Reds helping a little blond child in his neighborhood appreciate baseball. And on and on and on, heartwarming stories of compassion and character.Oh yeah, and then there's this really fun World Series in it, too.This is a wildly entertaining book with a strong moral compass.

Different approach, excellent results

This book could have been overlooked on the shelf for the simple reason that the title states: The Greatest World Series Ever Played. As such, the '75 series has been written about several times, with varying interest and success. But anyone who passes over this book will miss an enjoyable, and enlightening, read. With this effort, Adelman goes beyond the playing field and gives the readers a look into private lives of the ballplayers. Johnny Bench's marriage is disintegrating, yet he seemingly doesn't care because he wants to win. Luis Tiant's parents have never seen him pitch in the majors until the World Series. This is stuff that you can't get out of stat books or reference manuals. These are stories, of the players, of the game, of the times. Adelman provides hints throughout of how Casey Stengel, Astroturf, the DH and Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally are all intertwined. Part history book, part narrative and part comedy, this book belongs on all baseball fans' shelf at home, especially fans of the Sox and Reds. And if you really want to know how long a batter has to decide to swing (which actually IS closer to 1/2 second than .15 seconds -- think about it, no one can decide to swing, swing and make contact, all within .15 second -- watch the next time Randy Johnson is on the hill -- the batter starts moving toward a swing before the pitch is even released, but I digress), go read Robert Adair's "Physics of Baseball." But if you want an entertaining look at baseball in one of the last pure years, pre-steroid inflated numbers, pre-record induced egos, don't miss Adelman's brilliant book.

Baseball at its Best

As a longtime literature professor and a Red Sox fan since 1945, I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Adelman's blend of game descriptions, personal anecdotes, and poignant analyses in The Long Ball. I found his presentation refreshing, especially when compared with the hyped-up, controversy-stimulating, only occasionally decipherable fare served up by many of this area's so-called sports columnists. In a sensitive, meaningful way, Adelman has gifted us with a delightful, exciting account of an eminently memorable World Series.