Original San Francisco Giants: The Giants of '58

I met Steve when he came to Texas for the A's vs. Rangers series a few years back and I was working in the radio booth. I was impressed by his baseball knowledge and I so I bought the book. The book is a masterpiece and you got to get it if you are a Giants fan! I a Texas Rangers fan and loved it! Good stuff!

THIS IS A WELL WRITTEN AND ACCUARTAE STORY ABOUT THE MOVE TO THE WEST COAST BY THE GIANTS IN 1958. FIRST IT COVERS THE SEASON MONTH BY MONTH AND THEN EACH LIVING PLAYER, COACH, AND MEDIA ARE INTERVIEWED ON THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE 1958 SEASON. THIS IS GREAT COLLECTION OF RARE AND CANDID INTERVIEWS WITH MAYS, CEPEDA, ALOU AND MANY OTHERS WHO WERE PART OF THAT HISTORIC TRANSITION. ALSO INCLUDED IS THE SCORE OF EACH GAME AND THE CAREER STATS OF THE ENTIRE ROSTER. YOU GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK WITH THIS DETAILED AMD WELL WRITTEN PIECE OF NOSTALGIA.

The year 1958 was truly a turning point for major league baseball, and for America. The country was booming. People were on the move, looking to cash in on a decade of postwar prosperity, and many of them headed west. The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers were part of that westward migration. Steve Bitker's wonderful book about the original San Francisco Giants is a literary home run, bringing the memories back from that pivotal year with vivid clarity. For a true fan, watching the Giants play that season in Seals Stadium might have been the best seat in major league history. Located smack in the middle of a working class neighborhood, the stadium gave spectators a close-up view of the game and the atmosphere was enhanced by the smells of a bakery and brewery located nearby. (Pitcher Jim Brosnan, who visited Seals Stadium with a variety of teams from 1955-59, has a marvelous quote about the aroma factor on page 16). In this era of 24/7 TV and cable channels, media superstars, and multi-million dollar contracts, we sometimes forget that not very long ago, pro sports had a much closer connection to the spectators in the stands. Sneaking off from work to catch an afternoon of baseball was as simple as grabbing a cab or jumping on the right bus line. No more. Now we have massive all-weather ballparks, salary caps that only accountants can understand, and a seemingly endless search for added revenue every year. If I had a time machine, I would set it for Seals Stadium in 1958, and I would stay there forever, watching every home game of the Original San Francisco Giants!

Those who remember San Francisco's entry into Major League Baseball will love reading the fond memories of the men ( & boys in some cases - for goodness sake, Mike McCormick was just 17) who lived it. Those who don't remember will still find this an enjoyable read. Here is more than just a cursory glance at lineup cards, which Hank Sauer kept tearing up, and statistics tables from the '58 Giants. We read the personal anecdotes of everyone from the manager to the batboy, and more. We feel like we're in our own living room hearing firsthand stories as Willie Mays, Felipe Alou, Orlando Cepeda and just about everyone else who wore a Giants uniform in 1958 drops in for a visit. It always stays fresh because each person interviewed speaks in his own style. The book goes way beyond just a look at one season, however. These guys were involved with baseball for many years and tell the tales of all of them. Subjects range from neighborhood games as kids to World Series and All-Star Games. There are also plenty of looks into the lives of these Giants off the field. For those of us who never made it to Seals Stadium, a great picture is painted. Likewise with the Polo Grounds in New York and the Dodgers' first stadium in Los Angeles. But don't ask the author about Candlestick Park. A lot of fun.

Mr Bitker, the KCBS sportscaster, has written a well-researched book on the original San Francisco Giants. Most of the players of that time are represented. The author manages to succeed in bringing 1950's San Francisco to life. A wonderful book for a Giants fans and people who left their heart in San Francisco.