Booklist
For the Bostons, as they were once called, the early pieces in this anthology include a 1904 piece notable for its casual racism and a 1914 Boston Globe report of Babe Ruth's first appearance (as a pitcher) in a Sox uniform. In 1933, Collier's could use a reference to Damon and Pythias and be understood; in 1980, the inherent sexism of throwing writer Marie Brenner to the lions in the Red Sox dugout was also understood. There's also a poem about the "Spaceman," pitcher Bill Lee, from fan Tom Clark. Ring Lardner and Roger Angell (both of whom make plate appearances in the Yankees anthology also), John Updike, and Cy Young himself take their places, and along the way we find out about the red seat in the bleachers, see a couple of views of Fisk's 1975 home run, and observe cranky Ted Williams at work in the kitchen.
GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
The Red Sox have long been the favorite subject of baseball's literati, more for what they haven't accomplished than for what they have. The mystery that shrouds this storied franchise has made for great copy for more than 100 years. But much of the very best writing on the team has often been obscured by romantic tales of legend and destiny, curses and conspiracies - until now. Turning solidly to the bedrock of traditional baseball writing, Glenn Stout has collected the best writing on the Sox that best tells the story of the franchise. A veritable sourcebook of more than a century of unforgettable baseball, Impossible Dreams is a book no self-respecting Sox fan can afford to miss.
