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| We Would Have Played for Nothing: Baseball Stars of the 1950s and 1960s Talk About the Game They Loved (Baseball Oral History Poject) | 
 enlarge | Author: Fay Vincent
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy New: $6.97
You Save: $18.03 (72%)
New (31) Used (16) from $6.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 155565
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 1416553428
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.3570922
EAN: 9781416553427
ASIN: 1416553428
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Ships immediately! Perfect and New! Has a publisher remainder mark. 2008 Hardcover.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-10 of 10 | | « PREV | | |
 Not much new May 7, 2008
2 out of 8 found this review helpful
If you are a fan of baseball in the 1950s and 1960s, it's doubtful you'll learn much new from Fay Vincent's "We Would Have Played the Game for Nothing." Vincent rounds up many of the usual suspects from this era to interview for his oral history series.
The players include three Brooklyn Dodgers--Carl Erskine, Ralph Branca and Duke Snider--plus Robin Roberts, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, Whitey Ford, Lew Burdette and Bill Rigney. The presence of three Dodgers is two too many since they tend to recount the same events. Most of the players interviewed by Vincent, with the exception of Rigney, have received plenty of previous exposure.
Vincent doesn't seem to have done much homework for the interviews. It seems as if he asked very general questions like "What were your most memorable moments?" "Who were the toughest players you played against?" Many of the anecdotes have appeared before. Vincent doesn't dig beyond the surface.
Interestingly, Jackie Robinson has a strong presence in the book. Just about every player mentioned him in one context or another. It's clear he commanded respect and admiration from who played with him, against him, or those influenced by him.
The title for Vincent's book is somewhat overstated. Sure, the players loved the game, but they wouldn't have played for nothing. They knew they were underpaid and the owners were taking advantage of them.
 Perfect Book for the Baseball Fan! May 7, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
"Life doesn't get better than this. Grown men getting to play a game and getting paid for it - getting paid lots! The story of Mantle, Berra, Campanella, Mays, and DiMaggio is vivid and powerful in their love for a game that the nation loves. The perfect book for the baseball fan."
we would have played for nothing June 26, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What a fantastic trip down memory lane! I could
almost see my old baseball card collection in
front of my eyes. If you are 50 - 65 years old,
and love baseball the way it used to be, get this
book now!! It was great to read about Robin Roberts,
Richie Ashburn (the "Best" centerfielder in baseball
in the '50s!) Can you tell I was raised in Philly?
Personal Stories of Baseball Heroes September 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Today, with so many players having multi-million dollar contracts, I first looked at this book in the store because of the title. But it turns out to be even more interesting than I thought. It's interviews with a lot of the great players from back in the old days, and it really gives you a sense of what it was like for them personally to be playing the game back in the 50s and 60s. I was especially interested in the three interviews with members of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I grew up hearing a lot about guys like Duke Snider, but to actually read their stories from their point of view gave me a whole new perspective on them. It's not about stats and numbers, but about the personal things that influenced each player's career. Some guys talk about their mothers, others talk about their relationships with their managers, owners or other players. It's the kind of stuff you don't find in history books. I really recommend this book to all baseball fans.
 Good slice of a period but very lacking in hard issues July 20, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I found this an interesting book overall by former Commissioner Vincent but it is a mile wide and an inch deep. There are no revelations here that have not all ready been told. Also missing are any stories that deal with all of the changes that went through the game. The impacts of relocation of franchises is missing and so is any real examination of how black and Latino players became a force in baseball. There are no real colorful personalities to tell their stories, nor are there any stories from marginal players, about 80 percent of these players are Hall of Famers and those that aren't are near or maybe one day.
All in all it's a rather dull read but if you grew up with these players, you may find it interesting.
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