Baseball's Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them

(Hardback)

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Baseball has had its fair share of one-and-out champions, but few clubs have dominated the sport for any great length of time. Given the level of competition and the expansive length of the season, it is a remarkable accomplishment for a team to make multiple World Series appearances in a short timespan. From the Baltimore Orioles of the 1800s who would go to any length to winincluding physically accosting opponentsto the 1934 Cardinals known as the Gashouse Gang for their rough tactics and determination, and on to George Steinbrenners dominant Yankees of the late twentieth century, baseballs greatest teams somehow found a way to win year after year. Spanning three centuries of the game, Baseballs Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them examines twenty-two of baseballs most iconic teams. Each chapter not only chronicles the clubs era of supremacy, but also provides an in-depth look at the players who helped make their teams great. Nearly two hundred player profiles are included, featuring such well-known stars as Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Pete Rose, as well as players who were perhaps overshadowed by their teammates but were nonetheless vital to their teams reign, such as Pepper Martin, Allie Reynolds, and George Foster. With a concluding chapter that profiles the clubs that were on the cusp of greatness, Baseballs Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is a fascinating survey of what makes some teams dominate year after year while others get only a small taste of glory before falling to the wayside. Written in a lively style with amusing anecdotes and colorful quotes, this comprehensive book will be of interest to all fans and historians of baseball.

Reviews

Weeks quickly engages the reader by taking a controversial stand, redefining what is considered a baseball dynasty and calling the 19962000 Yankee squads the 'last bona fide dynasty.' This makes for spirited debate, particularly since his criteria exclude the 20102014 San Francisco Giants teams that won three World Series championships in a five-year span but include the Atlanta Braves teams of the early to mid-1990s (his guidelines include 'the presence of several Hall of Famecaliber players' and 'a relatively stable lineup during the period of dominance'). After this initial confusion and some overdrawn player bios, Weeks gets to the crux of a comprehensive book thats laid out so well it suits the novice fan as well as the diehard who still reads box scores. Weeks nicely encapsulates lots of data in practical prose, capturing the swashbuckling mood of baseballs early years with clever phrases ('ill-fated Roanoke Magicians who disappeared from the Virginia league'). Weeks avoids the peril of catering strictly to trivia fans, but his book can still serve as a quick reference, filled with a long list of notable players rarely mentioned outside their local team lore. * Publishers Weekly *
In Baseballs Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) member, author, and baseball enthusiast Jonathan Weeks provides a detailed yet approachable look at some of the most successful teams in Major League Baseballs (MLB) history.... Baseballs Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is well researched, packed with interesting stories, and written in highly accessible prose. * Journal of Sport History *
The history of the major leagues is writ largely by its greatest teams, and Jon Weeks is a tour guide with a time machine. -- Rob Neyer, author of Rob Neyers Big Book of Baseball Legends
An enjoyable and entertaining insight into baseballs greatest dynasties. Jonathan Weeks easy-to-read study of the teams, from the boardroom to the ballfield, is a fascinating look at the game and its many colorful characters. -- Gary Bedingfield, founder and editor, Baseball in Wartime

Author Bio

Jonathan Weeks is a lifelong baseball enthusiast and member of the Society for American Baseball Research. He is the author of Cellar Dwellers: The Worst Teams in Baseball History (Scarecrow, 2012), Baseballs Most Notorious Personalities: A Gallery of Rogues (Scarecrow, 2013), and Mudville Madness: Fabulous Feats, Belligerent Behavior, and Erratic Episodes on the Diamond (Taylor Trade, 2014).