The Seasons: Ten Memorable Yea

It's remarkable how years where America has witnessed monumental events and occurrences have been paralleled with some of the most memorable baseball seasons in the history of the game. Bill Gilman examines ten seasons where baseball and current events caught the attention of more than just the casual sports fan and the casual newspaper reader. These are years where on any given day, baseball and world events shared the front page of major newspapers. What any reader will enjoy about this book is that though one may not remember or have been alive during a particular year, there is surely at least one year the reader remembers vividly and can conjure up memories and images of that unforgettable time in the history of baseball and America. I was born in 1985, and yet there were facts about three years Gilman writes about that I lived through--1995, 1998, and 2001--that I had not realized before. Though I am a Yankee fan, 2001 is probably the season I will remember most, both for what happened on and off the field of play. Gilman proves tenfold that in times where America has witnessed war, terror, economic trouble, or some other malady, baseball rose to the forefront to capture the consciousness of the American public and invigorate their lives with a burst of optimism, both in the game and in the country. I recommend this book to any fan of baseball, young or old, or any fan of contemporary American history. There is definitely something in this book for both.

This is a book that should be receiving more accolades and publicity than it has. Any serious baseball lover will get a lot out of reading it. It is much more than just a sports book.

Through the prism of 10 selected seasons Gilbert hits many of the touchstone moments of the game: Greenberg's grand slam in 1945, Spahn and Sain in 48 ,Thompson's shot heard round the world in 51 , Mantle and Maris's homerun chase in 1961, 1969's Amazing Mets, Fisk's dramatic homer in the 75 Series, Mcqwire and Sosa's homer duel, Barry Bonds 73 homer season, and the emotional Yankees and Diamondbacks World Series in the shadow of Sept. 11. He ties these special seasons together tightly and seamlessly with the fabric of the surrounding daily life and the profound historical times that provided the settings for them, moving effortlessly through a half century of American History. In "Nine Innings" filmaker Ken Burns made a comprehensive if overlong case for the historical and social importance of baseball. Seasons is more confortable, coherent, and concise. An affectionate and patriotic reminiscence. There are enough new factual nuggets, anecdotes, and insights to reward the more than avid longtime fan who will be familiar much of the material. But the story of these ten seasons deserves to be retold. Especially by a good story teller.