September Streak: The 1935 Chicago Cubs Chase the Pennant
Posted by Admin | Posted in Books | Posted on 07-02-2010-05-2008
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Product Description
With the recent success of the Gas House Gang as backdrop, the National League prepared for the 1935 season. The United States was still in the Great Depression, but executives in baseball predicted a financial comeback during the year, and Chicago’s “windy” politicians demanded a pennant-contending ballclub. Yes, there was a time when the Cubs were expected to win. This book chronicles the Cubs’ 1935 season and the many on- and off-field events that impacted…
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Though I was interested in reading about the Cub 21 game winning streak late in 1935 that gave them the upset pennant win, I feared that I would pick up a dull game-by-game enlargement of box scores. Not at all. Doug Feldmann has put together an entertaining read, even for those of us who are quite familiar with the characters of thirties baseball, and anecdotes surrounding them.
The book places its stories in context, and does range more broadly than the 1935 Cubs, or even the baseball season. But not so braodly that the book ever loses focus. The focus is the ‘35 Cubs, and to a lesser extent, the ‘34-35 Cardinals and Giants. Every game of the ‘35 Cubs season is covered, but never in a dry box-scorish fashion. Every page is peppered with background and anecdotes that bear on the season and on thirties baseball – most of them ones I’ve never read anywhere else before. Perhaps best of all, Doug Feldmann is a real writer. He keeps the pace up and the reader interested.
Two little errata. Page 41 has Babe Ruth’s first 1935 home run as his 724th – it was his 709th. Page 135 has the Cubs meeting the Giants on July 19 in what Feldmann says “was the first win for the Cubs in five tries against the Giants on the year.” The Cubs were actually 3-7 against the Giants entering that day’s contest. (They ended the season 14-8 against New York.)
Enjoy this book!
Rating: 5 / 5