Pete Hamill on Eddie Stanky (Abridged)

It's a cold spring day in 1944. A young Pete Hamill is with his father watching the Brooklyn Dodgers play the Boston Braves. The wartime teams are just dismal - many major league players are serving their country and the teams have been clogged with has-beens and guys that are 4-F. But Pete's father tells him to "watch this little guy." His name is Eddie Stanky.

An ex-soccer player, Stanky bounced around the minor leagues until getting the call to the majors. He was small, but played with in...