Word: wolffe
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...example, Wolff tells us that after one of his teammates had had a prodigious night at the plate in whacking a few homers, the crowd passed a hat around the stands and presented their star with $100 after the game--money which they couldn't really afford to give away--to show their appreciation for his feats...
...Wolff's book, we find out about the agonizing marathon bus trips between cities which the ballplayers have to endure, often in sweltering heat...
Then there are the weird things that can happen only in the bushes, like games being stopped because of tornadoes or a brawl in the stands. One particular riot spilled over onto the field, and Wolff's team ended up losing half its gloves and bats...
...only problem with the book is that at times it is pretentious. The whole idea of a Harvard student leaving school to play in the bushes reduces the book in some ways to a fling a la George Plimpton. Wolff always knew that if the Tiger organization released him he could return to Harvard. But what we don't get are any insights into the feelings of a ballplayer who has been five years in the minors with only a high school education and nothing else to fall back...
...small town newspapers criticized me," Wolff said, "because they felt that here was this patronizing, condescending Harvard snot who's coming down hard on their kids. But that really wasn't the case. Baseball in the minors was a huge thrill for me, and the book resulted more from all the time on my hands than anything else...