Wits, Flakes, and Clowns
The Colorful Characters of Baseball
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- $21.99
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
Throughout the twentieth century, baseball has been blessed with a slew of colorful characters, funny men, and “flakes.” And though many fans lament the apparent vanishing of such players, there are still plenty of characters in the game today.
In Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball, Wayne Stewart brings to life the funniest, craziest, and cleverest men ever associated with the game. From the hilarious but unheralded Casey Candaele and the witty Andy Van Slyke to All-Stars Jimmy Piersall and Bryce Harper, this book shares many never-before-heard stories about some of the most entertaining men in baseball. In addition, this book features quotes from personal player interviews with the author that span decades, providing a personal, inside look at these zany stars.
Wits, Flakes, and Clowns is packed with rich and colorful characters and plenty of humor, as well as unexpected insights into the national pastime. It is a celebration of those unique players who keep fans and teammates on their toes, those known for their wit, their pranks, or for doing just about anything for a laugh. Any baseball fan, but especially those who love the humor of the game, will be entertained by the exploits of the game’s most comical players.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sports historian Stewart (Remembering the Greatest Coaches and Games of the NFL Glory Years) examines larger-than-life baseball players in this fun and informative history. Detailing legendary jokesters and pranksters of the past 70 years, he lists 135 players and managers who craved the limelight while goofing off on the field and in the clubhouse, including pitcher Rube Waddell of the 1902 Philadelphia Athletics, who "waded into a Florida lake to wrestle alligators"; erratic outfielder Ping Bodie of the Jazz-era Yankees and Athletics, who once had a spaghetti-eating contest with an ostrich; and pitcher Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals, who remarked that he'd had his bruised head x-rayed and nothing was found. Tug McGraw, father of country singer Tim, loved to pitch water balloons from hotel windows, while Sparky Lyle, a Yankee reliever, occasionally sat on friends' birthday cakes in his "birthday suit." Other baseball greats who appears include Yogi Berra, Mark Fidrych, Bryce Harper, Satchel Paige, Manny Ramirez, Fernando Rodney, and Casey Stengel. Stewart wildly entertains in this offbeat history.
