The Black Prince of Baseball: Hal Chase and the Mythology of the Game

Rating:
Summary: return of the black prince
Review: Hal Chase finally gets his own book after existing on the dark edges of baseball history, and this is a very worthy effort. Bill James had some very interesting fulminations about Prince Hal but this book is thoroughly researched and it tells the true story of one of baseball's most fascinating characters. Maybe he really was the crookedest player in baseball history, but he was not as crooked as he was portrayed and he thrived in a time when baseball really did have a dark stain of gambling, which the powers that be tried to minimize like crazy. Hal Chase's worse sin may have been thumbing his nose at the establishment. He triumphed for a while, but, of course, this ended up costing him dearly. The authors bring the legend to life, and the book is packed with interesting stories. Oddly enough the best of them come near the end when Hal was playing outlaw baseball in Arizona, his last great days before age and drink finally brought him down. A highly recommended book for baseball lovers.