Wire to Wire: Inside the 1984 Detroit Tigers Championship Season

Rating:
Summary: Hardly An In Depth Book
Review: George Cantor covered the 1968 Detroit Tigers as a baseball writer, and the 1984 Tigers as a general news writer and as a fan. I read the book in two sittings. The author covers the 1984 season through the first 146 pages, and the last 14 on the decline and fall of this storied franchise through the 1990's and the Randy Smith era as general manager, the mistakes made in building Comerica Park, the neglect of the farm system, and a comparison of the '68 and '84 Tigers. An interesting tidbit was General Manager Jim Campbell calling former owner John Fetzer and telling him he feels a mistake was made in selling the team to Tom Monagham who had more pressing concerns occupying his time than the Detroit Tigers. The final part of the book is over 60 pages of box scores of the first 40 games. It appears this was added to fill out the book. What is in the main text of the book is okay, but this is hardly a book that would compare with books written by David Halberstam that focus on a team of a particular year such as "The Summer of '49." I wanted this book to be a good one because I have been a fan of the Tigers since 1951, and thoroughly enjoyed both the Tigers' 1968 and 1984 championships. However, I have to admit to being disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Hardly An In Depth Book
Review: George Cantor covered the 1968 Detroit Tigers as a baseball writer, and the 1984 Tigers as a general news writer and as a fan. I read the book in two sittings. The author covers the 1984 season through the first 146 pages, and the last 14 on the decline and fall of this storied franchise through the 1990's and the Randy Smith era as general manager, the mistakes made in building Comerica Park, the neglect of the farm system, and a comparison of the '68 and '84 Tigers. An interesting tidbit was General Manager Jim Campbell calling former owner John Fetzer and telling him he feels a mistake was made in selling the team to Tom Monagham who had more pressing concerns occupying his time than the Detroit Tigers. The final part of the book is over 60 pages of box scores of the first 40 games. It appears this was added to fill out the book. What is in the main text of the book is okay, but this is hardly a book that would compare with books written by David Halberstam that focus on a team of a particular year such as "The Summer of '49." I wanted this book to be a good one because I have been a fan of the Tigers since 1951, and thoroughly enjoyed both the Tigers' 1968 and 1984 championships. However, I have to admit to being disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: George Cantor Gets it Right
Review: I remember the '84 and the '68 seasons, and I was old enough during both to get caught up in the fervor of the pennant drives and the subsequent world series. 1968 was more emotional, by far, but Mr. Cantor rekindles not only memories but gives us the nuances behind the box scores. It was great to go back in time and remember how the team was put together and that fantastic start. Wow, 35 and 5. While nothing will ever replace the raw emotion of 1968, 1984 was a very good year, and the book is a must read for any true Tiger fan.