The Pitch That Killed

Rating:
Summary: Realistic POV Telling Of A Tragic Baseball Story
Review: Mike Sowell is a unique baseball writer. He writes on the sport based not solely on the sport itself, but on the historical context in which the events he is documenting take place. Thus, with "The Pitch That Killed", the reader discovers the perspective that each of the principles have in the tragedy, from Carl Mays to the mayor of Cleveland in 1920. In addition, the Communist scare, the Harding administration, and the carefree lifestyle of that era are all examined as to how they apply to the primary topic. Certainly other baseball writers have tried this, but Sowell makes it readable and avoids the trap most writers fall into. In other words, Sowell makes it relevant without reverting and tainting his subject matter with personal nostalgia. And that is why this book is such a great read.

Rating:
Summary: Stunningly brilliant!
Review: One of the best baseball books ever! If you thought holdouts, violence, labor disputes, money woes were only modern era problems, check this book out. Well organized chapters covering the protaganists in Ray Chapman and Carl Mays but also good stuff on the player who replaced Chapman--Joe Sewell.The whole thing was like a time travel trip back to 1920 and gave me a particularly good feel for the era. (NOTE: The background on the 1919 Black Sox World Series scandal that was exposed during the 1920 season was also revealing in shedding light on the atmosphere surrounding the majors at that time.)

Rating:
Summary: Among the best baseball books ever written
Review: Take a compelling story - the evil Carl Mays felling the likable Ray Chapman with a pitch - combine it with a brilliant writer, and the result is this book, one of the best-ever baseball reads.

Sowell manages to transport the reader back to the period in which the story takes place (1910s and 1920s), while still allowing the tale to play out without clutter or unnecessary writing. Unlike the many one-dimensional portrayals of Mays included in other works, Sowell paints him as a complex character, a great pitcher who obviously battled some emotional issues. The death of Chapman doesn't need to be dressed up to be heartbreaking, and Sowell presents the situation in a straightforward manner.

From the first page to the end of the book, it's difficult to find fault with anything. Just a compelling story told by a great writer, this is a book that any fan of baseball should read.