Rating: 
Summary: Sadly, for Tiger Fans Only.
Review: "Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms" is a perfectly titled baseball yarn from an era when life was easier, gentler and the players did indeed wear flannel and travel from city to city by train. It wasn't so long ago when "a western swing" by the New York Yankees included a trip to Cleveland! The author was a "submarine" pitcher for the Tigers, Red Sox and St. Louis Browns (now the Orioles) in the 30s and 40s. His years with the Tigers are his main focus. He does not disappoint. Readers will be treated to a pleasant, leisurely journey through the halcyon American League. We visit with his favorite teammates and opponents; Mickey Cochrane, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, Ted Williams, Charley Gehringer and Schoolboy Rowe (remember him?). This reviewer is too young to remember these guys as players, though I got DiMaggio's autograph as a kid and saw Rowe, then a Tiger coach, get thrown out of a game at Yankee Stadium for arguing with an umpire. This is all very old school, soothing and nostalgic- light years from the "Bronx Zoo" and "Billy Ball" of later years. And then? And then, the author proceeds to ruin his story by subjecting us, over the final 47 pages, to his boring, proper, upper class, (Republican?), country club, politically connected second life as a successful businessman and lobbyist. We get to visit with Gerry Ford, Joseph P. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. Isn't this exciting? B-O-R-E-I-N-G! For what purpose? Why? For filler? For an ego boost? In my opinion, Mr. Auker seriously watered down an otherwise superior, compact and focussed biography. Readers can decide for themselves if he ruined it. In this reviewer's opinion, the effect of the final 47 pages is to render "SCFU" useless for all but Tiger fans. The rest of us should bring another sports (or train) tale to read in the club car.
Rating: 
Summary: An instant baseball clasic. The real Forrest Gump.
Review: Elden Auker beat Satchel Paige, played golf with Babe Ruth and won World Series games. On top of that he was a three sport star at Kansas State. Auker was actually involved in these events unlike the fictional Forrest Gump.He gives you the real inside baseball. Find out what started Boston fans hating Ted Williams. Find out what player stole money from Babe Ruth. What was Elden's role in Dimaggio's streak? Many other great stories. Some of them make you realize how coarse the country has become, viz, the story about the Providence College player. Auker is 90 and a real baseball treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: A Man Who Has Lived A Full Life
Review: Elden Auker provides the reader with a number of interesting stories from his rich interesting life. Some of the stories I have read in other books, but Mr. Auker provides his own frank opinions on a number of baseball personalities. He pulls no punches in his dislike for Leo Durocher whom he regards as a thief for stealing The Babe's watch. Nevertheless, Leo was a great manager and he turned his life around before he died which should account for something. Auker believes Pete Rose should not be reinstated into baseball because baseball has ironclad evidence that he bet on baseball but Rose will never admit it. Auker states that Charles Comiskey is the one who should have been kicked out of baseball because Auker says that Joe Jackson was given $5,000 by the mob and when he turned it in to Comiskey and said, "Here, I don't want this money. I don't want in on this deal.", Comiskey told him to keep his mouth shut. I have read quite a bit on the Black Sox scandal, but I have never come across this story. That Jackson accepted $5,000 I can agree with, but that he turned it in to Comiskey with the above comments, is certainly news to me. Nevertheless, Auker has led a full life which has included more than baseball. I would suggest you read the book. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: a surprising book
Review: Elden Auker, with the aid of celebrated New York sportswriter Tom Keegan crafts an autobiographical piece spanning his 90+ years. Auker was born in rural Kansas and graduated as a three sports star from Kansas State university. Deciding that his quickest road to success was through baseball, he signed a professional contract to pitch for the Detroit Tigers. Auker developed an unorthodox submarine delivery which allowed him to enjoy a creditable 10 year major league career. Along the way he befriended some of the greats of the game such as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and countless others. Auker was wise enough to create a life for himself outside the game. He evolved into a highly thought of executive in the abrasives industry. As such he rubbed elbows and played golf with some of the paragons of both politics and industry. The book is essentially an array of amusing stories which formulate the backbone of Mr. Auker's long and fruitful life. This was one of the better sports type books I've read in that Auker feels no compulsion to be politically correct on many issues.
Rating:
Summary: A storied life
Review: Elden Auker, with the aid of celebrated New York sportswriter Tom Keegan crafts an autobiographical piece spanning his 90+ years. Auker was born in rural Kansas and graduated as a three sports star from Kansas State university. Deciding that his quickest road to success was through baseball, he signed a professional contract to pitch for the Detroit Tigers. Auker developed an unorthodox submarine delivery which allowed him to enjoy a creditable 10 year major league career. Along the way he befriended some of the greats of the game such as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and countless others. Auker was wise enough to create a life for himself outside the game. He evolved into a highly thought of executive in the abrasives industry. As such he rubbed elbows and played golf with some of the paragons of both politics and industry. The book is essentially an array of amusing stories which formulate the backbone of Mr. Auker's long and fruitful life. This was one of the better sports type books I've read in that Auker feels no compulsion to be politically correct on many issues.
Rating:
Summary: A MOTOWN CLASSIC
Review: ELDEN TELLS A WONDERFUL STORY. HIS BOOK IS A VERY EASY READ. I FINISHED IT IN ONE DAY. THE ONLY THING I WISHED HE WOULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT MORE WAS THE BASEBALL PART. WHILE HIS TIME AFTER BASEBALL WAS INTERESTIING, I WISH HE WOULD HAVE INCLUDED A FEW MORE "WAR STORIES" FROM THE DUGOUT. HOWEVER, THE BOOK IS STILL OUTSTANDING. A MUST READ
Rating:
Summary: a surprising book
Review: eldon auker? didn't he lose to dizzy dean in the 7th game of 1934 world series? i can believe he's still around.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: I found this book to be highly entertaining, and an enjoyable read. I would rank it with "The Glory of Their Times" as my 2 favorite baseball books. The only negative, it was too short.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasure To Treasure
Review: I read a lot of baseball books and this is one of the best I've come across in years. I took it straight home from the bookstore and read it in one sitting.
Auker tells us what baseball was like in the '30s without getting on a soapbox about how wonderful the old days were.
It uses humor in just the right doses and offers plenty of insight into a past era.
One minor complaint: Toward the end, we get a little too much about his post-baseball life. But that's not near enough to bump this from the elite of baseball books. This one will endure.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasure To Treasure
Review: I read a lot of baseball books and this is one of the best I've come across in years. I took it straight home from the bookstore and read it in one sitting.
Auker tells us what baseball was like in the '30s without getting on a soapbox about how wonderful the old days were.
It uses humor in just the right doses and offers plenty of insight into a past era.
One minor complaint: Toward the end, we get a little too much about his post-baseball life. But that's not near enough to bump this from the elite of baseball books. This one will endure.
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