Yesterday's Heroes: Revisiting the Old-Time Baseball Stars

This book is based on the questionable thesis that there is much of interest in the baseball and postbaseball careers of average players. The really big stars of the '40s, '50s and '60s, like Williams, DiMaggio and Mays, are not included, but near-stars are, like Rocky Colavito, Monte Irvin, Denny McLain and Enos Slaughter, all of them well known to fans over the age of 40. And there are names familiar only to the most dedicated aficionados: players David Clyde, Gary Peters, Dick Hall and Danny Walton. Others are covered who may be remembered for just one incident, like Ewell Blackwell and his 17 consecutive innings of no-hit pitching in 1947. A typical entry: a journeyman plays for five or six different teams and, his career over, takes a nonbaseball job. Nothing here stirs much excitement. Appel has coauthored baseball bios with Bowie Kuhn, Tom Seaver and others. Photos not seen by PW. (June)