Review of "Before They Wore Dodger Blue"

As I mention in the review, I find books about the Los Angeles Dodgers to be among the best baseball books that I read.  This one by Eric Vickery, a former Casey Award finalist, to be no exception.  Here is my review of his book on the 1970 Spokane Indians, managed by Tommy Lasorda and had many future Dodger stars on its roster. 

Title/Author:

“Before They Wore Dodger Blue: Tommy Lasorda and the Greatest Draft Class in Baseball History” by Eric Vickrey

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been considered one of the better baseball organizations in developing players whom they have drafted or signed into good major league players.  In 1970, their AAA farm club, the Spokane Indians, had one of the best crops of players drafted by the Dodgers. This book by Eric Vickery not only describes that season in good detail but also provides interesting stories and facts about most of these players and the manager, Tommy Lasorda.

What strikes me as one of the best aspects of this book is that Vickrey doesn’t limit the discussion to the best players on that team.  While many baseball fans know at least parts of the stories about future All-Stars like Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes and Ron Cey, the other players who may not have been stars or even play much in Major League Baseball get plenty of mentions in the book.  This includes players like pitcher Bob O’Brien, infielder Bart Shirley and pitcher John Purdin. No worries if a reader has not heard of these and other players that weren’t stars – the reader will learn about that player and get a complete picture of what part of the Indians’ success they played.

Of course, the players I mentioned that made up the long-lasting Dodger infield (along with Bill Russell) get plenty of material written about them as well.  Other stars get their fair share of text in the book as well.  The admiration Lasorda had for Bobby Valentine as an up-and-coming star is well documented and it sparked plenty of material for this book, both directly involving those two and the rest of the team’s reaction.

There is also an excellent section on Lasorda and his penchant for public speaking.  Even events that seem ho-hum, such as an injury to a player, can be fun to read.  An example of this is when Bill Buckner had a broken jaw and it was wired shut.  Teammates made many comments about his bad breath.  This was presented in a manner that made me laugh out loud.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I find books about the Los Angeles Dodgers to be great ones to read, and this one is no exception.  One doesn’t have to be a Dodgers fan to enjoy reading about one of the greatest draft classes in the history of the game – at least since the draft started in 1965.

I wish to thank Mr. Vickrey for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Before They Wore Dodger Blue: Tommy Lasorda and the Greatest Draft Class in Baseball History: Vickrey, Eric: 9781938532948: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “Iron Will”

 This book was one I was not looking for nor was it sent to me by the author or publisher. In the waning days of Black History mont, the local library had a few biographies and memoirs on display of Black people. This one caught my eye and it was an excellent, quick read for 

Title/Author:

“Iron Will: An Amputee’s Journey to Athletic Excellence” by Roderick Sewell II

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

The Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii is considered to be the most grueling triathlon and many athletes consider it a great accomplishment to just finish. In 2019, Roderick Sewell became the first double amputee to finish the event. He tells his journey to get to this point in this excellent memoir. 

Born without his tibias, Roderick’s mother Marion made the decision to amputate Roderick’s legs when he was two. This was the start of his journey of perseverance and determination as he was able to get around well on his stumps, per his words in his book. However, to truly allow Roderick to be fully functioning, Marion made the hard decision to give up her job to have this procedure covered by California Children's Services. This was one of the most powerful moments of Roderick’s story. A single Black mother sacrificing everything for her disabled son. 

Roderick discovered the Challenged Athletes Foundation in their town of San Diego and here he learned to play wheelchair basketball. That was when the sports bug hit him and despite his living situation in shelters and lacking transportation, he eventually became a very good swimmer and athlete. His training and living situations brought him from California to Alabama (many of Marion’s relatives lived there) to New York and Hawaii. Roderick always is upbeat in his description of any situation he encounters. It shows that his bond and love for his mother is strong and the sacrifices she made for him. 

There isn’t a lot of discussion by Roderick about his training or competition. There’s enough to follow his athletic journey, especially as he became a good swimmer, but the majority of the book tell of his determination to succeed, no matter what his particular situation may be. A very inspiring book that whether or not one is a sports fan, a reader will be cheering for Roderick and Marion. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Will-Amputees-Athletic-Excellence/dp/1538741563/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 n