Title/Author:
“The Fight
of Their Lives” by John Rosengren
Tags:
Baseball,
rivals, history, Dodgers, Giants
Published:
February 18,
2014
Length:
318 pages
Rating:
4 1/2 of 5
stars (Excellent)
Review:
On an
August day in 1965, a baseball game between two arch rivals, the San Francisco
Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, would contain one incident that would forever
define two of the players. After dropping a pitch thrown by Sandy Koufax,
Dodger catcher John Roseboro threw the ball back very close to the head of the
batter, Giants pitcher Juan Marichal. Marichal took offense to the gesture and
soon he and Roseboro would be engaged in a fight. However, this was not the run-of-the-mill
baseball fight. Marichal, holding his
bat during the entire event, struck Roseboro with the bat. Instead of making
contact with his skull, the bat hit Roseboro’s shoulder but did strike near the
eye resulting in bloodshed.
The
incident would affect the two men long after the fight, and this book by John
Rosengren explores not only the two men’s lives after that incident, but it
also takes a look at the paths both players took in their baseball careers. Their stories reflected American attitudes and
actions toward people of color at the time.
While one player was black and the other Latino, they both faced
prejudices and exclusion (sometimes by their own teammates) while playing in
the major leagues. Other books have
addressed this topic and the struggles of black and Latino players, but
Rosengren’s account illustrates how it was even more difficult for these two
players because of their upbringing and beliefs. Because
both players held back any anger or hatred they may have felt, it made the
account of that fateful day in August 1965 even more shocking.
The
societal upheaval is used as a backdrop in this part of the book and here
again, Rosengren does an excellent job of weaving it into the accounts of the
baseball players. In fact, the fight
came just days after the Watts riots of Los Angeles, something that was still
heavy on Roseboro’s mind during that game with the Giants.
However,
Rosengren saved the best for the second half of the book as the two men eventually
forgave each other and became friends. The fight was something that haunted
both men for many years, including well after their baseball careers
ended. The account of how Marichal felt
that the fight was being held against him when he became eligible for election
to the Baseball Hall of Fame and his plea to Roseboro for help was the best
section of the book. Rosengren paints a
wonderful picture of Roseboro reconciling with Marichal at a charity golf
tournament and showing his forgiveness by campaigning successfully for Marichal’s
election. That chapter, along with
quotes by Marichal at his induction ceremony and at Roseboro’s funeral in 2002,
made this book a wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness and
friendship. A book that goes well beyond
the baseball, it is one that any fan of baseball or stories of friendship will
enjoy.
I wish to
thank Mr. Rosengren for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest
review.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Excellent. The chapters flew by as I was reading them as
the stories of both men were told in a manner that was just right. The writing was smooth and flowed easily
without being too detail oriented but informative enough for the reader to
learn more about Marichal, Roseboro and the turmoil of the times.
Do I recommend?
Yes, especially
for baseball fans who like to read about players or events from the 1960’s. That decade is considered by many to be the
best in the sport’s rich and colorful history.
This book puts a new chapter into one of the uglier yet enduring moments
of that decade.
Book Format Read:
Hardcover
Buying Links:
Wow, this sounds like a great book. I think it's one I will have to put on my TBR shelf. I love baseball stories as they can be so passionate and have a tendency to be life altering, as you have mentioned here.
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