cover image Talkin' Baseball: An Oral History of Baseball in the 1970's

Talkin' Baseball: An Oral History of Baseball in the 1970's

Phil Pepe. Ballantine Books, $4.99 (396pp) ISBN 978-0-345-41497-7

Those lost in clouds of nostalgia for golden eras like the 1920s, with Babe Ruth leading the Yankee fence-busters, need to be reminded of the importance of the 1970s. In that decade, the contemporary game took shape not so much for the continued expansion of the major leagues as for the advent of binding arbitration and free agency and, incidentally, the addition of the designated hitter in the American League. Pepe, a WCBS-FM commentator and a sportswriter, recalls those years with a breezy text and more than 100 action photos. The contributors include almost all the major figures of the period--managers like Sparky Anderson and Earl Weaver, players like Tom Seaver and George Brett. Also highlighted are the hirsute and brawling Oakland A's, the pitching-rich Baltimore Orioles, the dramatic moments when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home-run record and the excitement of Reggie Jackson's three homers in a World Series game. With its inviting format of sidebars, quotes and lists--e.g., top hitters, nicknames, even ratings of facial hair (e.g., best muttonchops)--diamond fans will have a lot of fun with this book. (Mar.)