Chief Bender's Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star

It took a swift kick in the pants for Albert "Chief" Bender and his brother to leave home in northern Minnesota on a train to Pennsylvania to find a new life. Author Tom Swift has meticulously researched the life of this baseball Hall of Famer. Names from baseball's glorious past including Connie Mack, Eddie Plank, Eddie Collins, Frank "Home Run" Baker, Rube Waddell, and several others are brought back to life in this biography. Bender's success as a pitcher can be traced to his ability to control his pitches, and remain calm in the face of adversity which included taunts regarding his native-American heritage. Connie Mack otherwise known as the Tall Tactician or the Lean Leader was a perfect manager for the temperament of Bender who always referred to him as Albert. Whenever Mack needed a crucial victory it was Bender who received the nod. Bender arrived with the Athletics during the 1903 season and pitched through the 1914 season. The Athletics underestimated their opponent in the Fall Classic, George Stallings' Boston Braves. Bender disappointed Mack by not taking the time to scout the Braves when told to do so. To be kind, Bender thought it to be unnecessary to scout minor league hitters. When the Miracle Braves knocked Bender from pillar to post Mack removed him from the game. It also ended Bender's stay with Mack's white elephants. Bender briefly knocked around the Federal league in addition to very brief cups of coffee with some major league teams, but for all intents and purposes his career was over. Various illnesses and alcohol led to a premature end. It thought author Swift did a marvelous job in capturing the era of turn-of-the-century baseball in addition to Bender's post-baseball career, most notably his coaching of players on the early 1950s Athletics such as Bobby Schantz, Eddie Joost, Joe Astroth, and Lou Limmer who I remember as baseball cards. Bender also made himself available to give speeches to various groups to help out others in any way he could. If you enjoy baseball history you need to read this book. To me the funniest line in the book is when the author described eccentric pitcher Rube Waddell as "a walking carnival." Those familiar with Waddell know what I'm talking about. Author Tom Swift is to be commended for writing a biography of a Hall of Famer who has often been overlooked.

This is the best biography I have read. It provides important details about an player important in baseball history, and also illuminates the history of many Native Americans and how they were assimilated into society in the late 19th early 20th centuries. This is one to purchase and keep.

Speaking as a former archivist, "Chief Bender's Burden" is an archivist's dream: well researched with an exquisitely detailed bibliographic essay, and an index! But more than that, it is a book lover's dream. It is the brilliantly written story of a unique American, "the pitcher who looked in the face of pressure and winked." Author Swift replays the Deadball Era games with the enthusiasm of a modern day radio announcer. The inclusion of Bender's quotes on page 128 and 211, and paragraph one on page 275 alone make this book a gem. More than baseball history, it is pathos and glory and inspiration. Beverly Hermes

Tom Swift has written an outstanding book that shows how Bender's life story is about more than just baseball...It's about the experience of Native Americans during Bender's era. His book is an exciting and informative read that should be of great interest to both baseball fans and students of American history. As one who uses baseball history in education, I warmly recommend it. Rabbi Shmuel Jablon, www.rabbijablon.com

Chief Bender's Burden reads like a novel. Swift's style is fluid and never dull. He has managed to reconstruct Bender's life through impeccable research. The book's most exciting parts are the play-by-play of games Bender pitched. Details, including which pitches Bender threw, make this book an excellent read. What is most impressive is the daunting task of research included in telling Bender's story. Yet, Swift does not get bogged down in details and allows the story to unfold in a natural manner.