The 34-Ton Bat: The Story of Baseball as Told Through Bobbleheads, Cracker Jacks, Jockstraps, Eye Black, and 375 Other Strange and Unforgettable Objects

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From Publishers Weekly ---------------------- Rushin, a longtime accled writer for Sports Illustrated, chronicles the history of baseball through the items used by players (baseball bats, sanitary socks), enjoyed by fans ( and hot dogs), and sported by both (baseball caps). A lot of the fun in Rushin's exhaustively researched, very readable history comes from learning about the people behind the innovations. The Dodgers' advertising v-p Danny Goodman, who made popular souvenirs such as the bobblehead to baseball, saw the stadium crowd as a captive audience willing to buy anything, from underpants to aprons. Foolproof Taylor spent years unsuccessfully promoting his protective cups and helmets. His sales method? Skeptics would kick Taylor, who thankfully was wearing his fortified handiwork, in the groin or smash him in the head with a bat. Baseball merchandise, which has long been an important part of the game, was until recently generally dismissed by players and sports writers alike. Players once scoffed at sunglasses and baseball gloves, which makes sense considering how many of them endured day games in broiling flannel uniforms. Rushin's exuberant prose describes the continuous evolution of baseball paraphernalia. 40 b&w photos. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (Oct.) Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) From Booklist ( /gp/feature.html/?docId=1000027801 ) ---------------------------------------------------- *Starred Review* Jimmy and Ralph “Buzz” Boyle are author Rushin’s grandher and great uncle, respectively. Buzz played three seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, while Jimmy got into one game for one inning for the New York Giants. When Rushin, the 2005 National Sportswriter of the Year, inherited Jimmy’s glove, a passionate and eclectic exploration of baseball ephemera was launched. Rushin approaches his passion with a mischievous gleam in his eye, a point of view captured perfectly in this anecdote-filled account of the sport’s odd corners. He covers the evolution of the baseball glove, from a less-than-manly novelty in the game’s earliest days to its current status as standard equipment. We also learn that the first protective baseball headgear was inflatable. The prototype was dismissed more on the basis of vanity than utility: it looked stupid. Male readers will grimace their way through the development of the “cup.” Lots of painful injuries, especially to catchers, preceded the initial research by a catcher known as Foulproof Taylor. There’s a chapter on the rowdy reintroduction of to ballparks after Prohibition, and organ music to serenade patrons on their way out of the park after games. Of course, the organ music has given way to prerecorded rock music; reliever Trevor Hoffman began the tradition by having AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” played when he entered a game. In an era of sports literature when societal significance and statistical algorithms aren’t always as fun as we’d hoped, Rushin has reintroduced readers to silliness. Read it with a smile. --Wes Lukowsky Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) Review ------ One of ESPN's Best in Baseball Books of 2013 "THE 34-TON BAT tells a history of baseball through its equipment, as only Rushin could. That is to say... creatively and amusingly....THE 34-TON BAT will be a tremendous comfort to fans by the fireside while waiting for the snow to melt and pitchers and catchers to report."―ESPN One of The Tampa Tribune's Top 10 Baseball Books of 2013 "A refreshing look at the game.... The 34-Ton Bat is Rushin at his best: crisp and snappy writing, and a wide-angle view of baseball that will make you stop and think - and in some cases, laugh out loud."―The Tampa Tribune "Rushin approaches his passion with a mischievous gleam in his eye, a point of view captured perfectly in this anecdote-filled account of the sport's odd corners.... In an era of sports literature when societal significance and statistical algorithms aren't always as fun as we'd hoped, Rushin has reintroduced readers to silliness. Read it with a smile."―Booklist (starred review) "The 34-Ton Bat is full of bits of information that will give even the most knowledgeable fan a new understanding of the game and those who have played it.... Certain elements of the game will never seem quite the same after reading Mr. Rushin's book."―Wall Street Journal "A lot of the fun in Rushin's exhaustively researched, very readable history comes from learning about the people behind the innovations.... Rushin's exuberant prose describes the continuous evolution of baseball paraphernalia."―Publishers Weekly "Few objects escape the notice of Rushin, who invests each not only with the skill of a career sportswriter, but also with the passion of a fan... Not just sportswriting, but also graceful and gripping cultural history."―Kirkus "Rushin delights trivia buffs with little-known knowledge and a wicked sense of humor....THE 34-TON BAT is a perfect hit for fall."―The Daily Herald "[Rushin] expertly shows baseball's omnipresence at every turn of modern American history with an eye for the eccentric and flowing anecdotal prose. The 34-Ton Bat is a sheer delight, tailored to the sports fan but sure to enthrall any reader with a taste for the weird, wacky and wonderful."―Shelf Awareness "I got so addicted to The 34-Ton Bat, I wished the book weighed 34 tons. I'd have happily finished that, too."―Rick Reilly "That subtitle is like some strange, enticing tin toy gleaming in a tinker's window, Rushin being the ultimate tinkerer with language. And the book indeed proves to be the ultimate toy shop for baseball fans....Rushin throws ideas at you like Gaylord Perry spitballs: unpredictable and mesmerizing but alarmingly accurate. He turns phrases as if they were double plays. (Like that, for example. Only better.)"―David Vecsey, New York Times' The 6th Floor Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) About the Author ---------------- Steve Rushin has been writing for Sports Illustratedfor the last 25 years and was the 2006 National Sportswriter of the Year. His work has been collected in The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Travel Writing, and The Best American Magazine Writing. He lives in Connecticut. Read more ( javascript:void(0) )