A Baseball Book of Days: Thirty-One Moments That Transformed the Game

by Phil Coffin

Overview

Almost anywhere on a calendar you can pinpoint the date of a memorable baseball moment: Jackie Robinson's first game, Eddie Gaedel's only game, the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees and the clause that might have prevented it. These and dozens more are recounted in this book chronicling hallmark days.

From the first no-hitter in modern baseball (maybe) to the deep roots for the first night game in the major leagues, this book provides a detailed narrative of the game's most important moments, told in 31 singular, remarkable days. Covering the long path to integration, the rise of Dominican players in the game and the infamous banning of the spitter, this calendar of the diamond covers baseball from every angle and in every month of the year.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476695976
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	02/20/2025
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Phil Coffin is a longtime editor at The New York Times and has been a member of the Society for American Baseball Research since 1994. He lives at the Jersey Shore.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction: Moments of the Game
Glossary
One. January 1: Role Players Without a Role
Two. January 5: In the Best Interests of Baseball
Three. February 9: The Day They Banned the Wet One
Four. March 16: Spring Training Comes to Indiana
Five. March 18: Go West, Old Teams: The Migration Begins
Six. March 21: The Uniqueness of Spring
Seven. April 1: Parades, Presidents and Opening Day
Eight. April 15: Jackie Robinson Opens the Door. Quietly
Nine. April 15: Deep in the Heart of Dixies
Ten. April 19: Boston’s Trinity: Patriots’ Day, the Red Sox and the Marathon
Eleven. May 24: The Night the Lights Went On in Major League Baseball
Twelve. May 25: Babe Ruth’s Last Hurrah
Thirteen. June 2: The Day Lou Gehrig Died
Fourteen. June 15: Why Is There a Trade Deadline? Blame New York
Fifteen. June 21: The Boys of Summer, and the Summers Boys
Sixteen. June 29: The Moonlight Grahams of the Majors
Seventeen. June 30: The First Modern ­No-Hitter (Maybe)
Eighteen. July 4: Born to Diamond Glory
Nineteen. July 6: An ­All-Star Game Is Born
Twenty. July 17: Stopping Joe DiMaggio
Twenty-One. July 21: The Last to Integrate
Twenty-Two. August 4: Birds Versus Baseballs
Twenty-Three. August 19: The Day in the Life of Eddie Gaedel
Twenty-Four. September 4: Gill’s Boner
Twenty-Five. September 23: The Dominican Pipeline Begins, in New York
Twenty-Six. October 1: Fall Classics, From the Beginning
Twenty-Seven. October 1: That Close to Batting .400
Twenty-Eight. October 2: A Day Off
Twenty-Nine. November 1: Here Comes Mr. November
Thirty. December 12: Veeck Does (Funny) Business at the Winter Meetings
Thirty-One. December 21: The ­Seldom-Seen Winter of Baseball
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

I have read many excellent baseball books and this book ranks among them This is one fun and very special book. Phil Coffin tells a host of baseball stories across 31 unique and sometimes very quirky chapters. Contained in the book are great stories of baseball history including the last games of Babe Ruth, the first MLB games played in November, Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, the end of Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, and so much more. In addition, though are hosts of fun facts, random bits of trivia, and humor. The stories are told with the skill of an expert. Reading this book gives one the impression they're sitting with Phil Coffin (let's say at a BBQ place near the Jersey shore) and listening to him wax poetically about so many unique aspects of the game's history. Phil's writing style is engaging, happy, and light. ... One cannot read A Baseball Book of Days and not smile while also learning about the game. I highly recommend this book. It's a great read, a fun read, and a terrific compilation of baseball history.”—Start Spreading the News

From the Publisher