My Greatest Day in Baseball, 1946-1997: Baseball's Legends Recount Their Epic Moments

McCullough, a frequent contributor to PW, has compiled interviews with 90 ballplayers, managers, umpires and announcers. He has avoided such famous events as Bobby Thomson's 1951 home run and Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 to concentrate on a ragtag group that ranges from Hank Aaron to Tom Lasorda to Mudcat Grant, and has come up with some surprising comments from his subjects. For instance, father-and-son tandem Ken Griffey, Junior and Senior, both say playing on the major-league level together was their greatest thrill, while another father-and-son team, Randy and Todd Hundley, differ--Randy recalling the day of Todd's birth and hitting a grand-slam home run and Todd telling how difficult it was to break Roy Campanella's home-run record for catchers. The recently deceased Hall-of-Fame announcer Harry Caray recalls Cardinal Stan Musial's 3000th hit as most memorable, while the late Richie Ashburn remembers throwing out Dodger Cal Abrams at the plate to save the pennant for the 1950's Phillies. Mets reliever Tug McGraw recalls that pitching in front of his father in the stands for the first time was his biggest thrill, while Joe Carter remembers dreaming about the number ""3"" the night before he hit a three-run home run to win the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993. Henry Aaron calls the day he first put on a major-league uniform his greatest thrill, while Jerry Koosman reminisces about manager Gil Hodges and the miracle 1969 Mets. In an era when many ballplayers are perceived as over-paid and self-centered, McCullough has managed to present a portrait that is filled not with self-aggrandizing achievements, but with warm personal anecdotes to charm every baseball fan. Photos not seen by PW. (May)