Steve's Bibliography
- Books
- Contributions to Books
- Journal Articles
- Book Reviews
- Websites
Books:
1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York, coauthored with Lyle Spatz, Foreword by Professor Charles C. Alexander. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2010)
The pivotal season of the New York Yankees' first pennant and two dramatic pennant races, that pitted Babe Ruth's team against their Polo Grounds landlords and hated rivals, John McGraw's New York Giants, in the first all-New York World Series. Baseball was at a crossroads, as two competing styles of play fought for the future of the game and the hearts of New Yorkers.
Baseball in St. Louis, 1900-1925 (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2004)
180 rare and revealing photographs, with lively and descriptive stories, convey a feel for and love of baseball in an early era and heartland city, when 21 future members of the Baseball Hall of Fame played for a St. Louis team.
The Genius of Hug (not yet published)
The spirit and wisdom of Miller Huggins, the legendary New York Yankee manager of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, in his words and the words of those who knew him. Each quote in this book of Leadership and Management, as well as Baseball, is accompanied by a unique photograph of Huggins and Baseball in the early 20th century.
Contributions to Books:
Deadball Stars of the American League, Deadball Era Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research, David Jones, editor (Washington, D.C.: Potomac, 2007)
The book contains biographies of more than 100 AL stars of the 1901-1919 era. Steve contributed three of them: St. Louis Browns' owner Robert Hedges, the man who hired Branch Rickey; second baseman Del Pratt, called "the greatest clubhouse lawyer baseball ever knew" by The New York Times; andpitcher Ray Caldwell, one of the most colorful and talented ballplayers in the history of the game, whose drinking held him back from greatness.
Deadball Stars of the National League, Deadball Era Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research, Tom Simon, editor (Washington, D.C.: Potomac, 2004)
The book contains biographies of more than one hundred NL stars of the 1901-1919 era. Steve contributed the story of Spittin' Bill Doak, a spitball pitcher who helped Rawlings design the famous Bill Doak glove in 1920, the first one with a natural web pocket.
Play It Again: Baseball Experts on What Might Have Been, Jim Bresnahan, editor (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland Publishing, 2006)
Steve joins other baseball historians and writers, including Bill James and Rob Neyer, as well as former players, including Bob Feller and Brooks Robinson. They look at major events throughout the history of the game and speculate on the outcomes, had history taken a different course. A revealing and entertaining book, it adds to the ongoing debates about baseball history. Steve's focus is on the Deadball Era and the 1920s: What if the Boston Red Sox had not traded Babe Ruth? What if the Chicago White Sox had not lost so many star players to the Black Sox controversy? There are just a couple of the topics Steve weighs in on.
The St. Louis Baseball Reader, Richard Peterson, editor (Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2006), pages 103-106
An anthology of the best writing about St. Louis's two baseball teams, the Cardinals and the Browns, and their stars and colorful characters. From the rise of the Cardinals as a powerhouse in the 1920s to their heartbreaking loss in the 1985 World Series, from George Sisler's Browns of the 1920s to the pennant-winning Browns of 1944, from Grover Cleveland Alexander and Rogers Hornsby to Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, and Ozzie Smith.
Steve is honored to join Baseball Hall of Fame writers Bob Broeg, Red Smith, and Fred Lieb, as well as Roger Angell, John Grisham, George Will, and Whitey Herzog, to capture the magic of St. Louis baseball.
Articles:
"Pitchers in Pinstripes: Unheralded Stars of the 1920s," New York Yankees Official 2006 Yearbook, pages 474-494
In the 1920s, as in the 1990s and today, the great Yankees sluggers garner the headlines. Yet the solid pitching of the Yankees has made all those pennants possible. The focus here is on 13 pitchers, from Hall-of-Famers Waite Hoyt and Herb Pennock, to lesser-known hurlers, including Bob Shawkey, Urban Shocker, and George Pipgras.
"Heralding Hug: The First Great Yankees Manager," New York Yankees Official 2005 Yearbook, pp. 246-268; YANKEES Magazine, Summer 2005, Vol. 26-5, pages 124-134
Miller Huggins was the New York Yankees manager who laid the foundation for future Yankee greatness. Here is the story of his success, the enormous obstacles he overcame and the inner strengths and genius that he drew on.
"Roaring Race: Yanks Took 1922 Pennant after Epic Battle with the St. Louis Browns," New York Yankees Official Playoff Program, 2005, pages 70-86
The Yankees overcame Babe Ruth's suspension and won that pennant by a mere one game over George Sisler, Urban Shocker, and the Browns, after taking the fiercely fought "Little World Series" in St. Louis in late September.
"The Greatest Game Ever Played: Seizing the 1921 Pennant," coauthored with Lyle Spatz, Yankees 2011 Annual (Hanover, MA: Maple Street Press, Spring 2011), pages 105-112
An excerpt from the book of the same title, which was published by the University of Nebraska Press in Spring 2010.The excerpt is from the late September 1921 game between the ultimate 1921 pennant winners, the New York Yankees, and the 1920 World Champions, the Cleveland Indians, which gave the Yankees their first pennant. Heywood Broun called it "the greatest baseball game ever played," and more than two decades later, baseball historian Fred Lieb included it in his list of the ten greatest games ever played.
"For the Good of the Game, 1923," NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture,Volume 19, No. 1 (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, Fall 2010), pp. 108-118
A creative work based on the story of controversial pitcher Dave Danforth, who was repeatedly accused of "doctoring" the baseball to generate erratic movement of his pitches. After being suspended and exiled to the minors during the 1922 season, he returned to the St. Louis Browns in 1923 and was again accused and suspended. The ensuing controversy cost manager Lee Fohl his job and led to this showdown between Danforth and American League President Ban Johnson.
"Manager Speaker," Baseball Research Journal, Volume 39, Number 1 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, Summer 2010), pages 49-56
A look at the remarkable and overlooked leadership skills of Hall of Fame outfielder Tris Speaker. As the player-manager of the Cleveland Indians, he led the Tribe to the World Championship in 1920 (despite the on-field death of shortstop Ray Chapman) and just short of the American League pennant the following year, despite numerous injuries. The article looks at his personnel skills, management style, and forward-thinking baseball mind. Speaker used the platoon system (lefty-righty) many years before that term existed in baseball.
"1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York," coauthored with Lyle Spatz, Baseball Research Journal, Volume 38, Number 2 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, Fall 2009), pages 9-19
An excerpt from the forthcoming book of the same title, which was published by the University of Nebraska Press in Spring 2010. The excerpts are from the Book's "Prelude to the World Series" and "Prelude to the World Series, Part 2" which set the stage for the 1921 postseason.
"The 'Little World Series' of 1922: The Most Heartbreaking Loss in St. Louis Baseball History," The National Pastime, Number 28 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2008), pages 7-14
Perhaps the greatest St. Louis Browns' team of all time, the 1922 club led by George Sisler and Urban Shocker fell just one game short of the Yankees and the American League pennant. In mid-September, the two teams met for a three-game series in St. Louis with the Browns only one-half game out. After splitting the first two games, the Browns led 2-0 in the eighth inning of the final, only to have five bad breaks allow the Yanks to win, 3-2.
"World War I and Free Agency: The Fateful 1918 Battle for Jack Quinn," NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Volume 16, No. 2 (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, Spring 2008), pages 84-92
In 1918, a tumultuous time when the nation was at war and the baseball season was shortened, both the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox claimed the rights to spitball pitcher Jack Quinn. When baseball's governing body awarded Quinn to the Yankees, it was the final rupture to the relationship of American League President Ban Johnson and Charles Comiskey, the powerful White Sox's owner.
"Spitballing to the Hall of Fame: Colorful Contemporaries Help Pave Coveleski's Way to Majors," Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006), pages 34-43
Future Hall-of-Fame spitball pitcher Stan Coveleski spent three years in the Northwest, 1913-1915 in Spokane and Portland. This is not simply the story of his rise to the Bigs, but also that of Northwest baseball and the men who starred in it, and their relationship with the majors.
"The Curse of the Hurlers," Baseball Research Journal, Number 35 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2006), pages 63-73
A close look at the enormous exodus of pitching talent from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees in the late Teens and early 1920s, which may have meant more to the Yankees' success than the acquisition of Babe Ruth. These one-sided trades, called by some "The Rape of the Red Sox," were actually considered equitable at the time they were made.
"Matty and the Browns: A Window onto the AL-NL War (1901-1902)," NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Volume 14, No. 2 (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, Spring 2006), pages 102-117
The forgotten story of Christy Mathewson's signing an ironclad contract with the St. Louis Browns in the summer of 1902, and how the Browns gave up the star pitcher as part of the peace settlement between the American and National Leagues in January, 1903. This article received the 2007 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award.
"A Shocker on the Island," Dominionball: Baseball Above the 49th, Official Publication of SABR 35 Toronto, 2005, pages 118-119
A look at the remarkable 1916 season of future baseball star Urban Shocker with the Toronto Maple Leafs (baseball) team. Shocker, who started and finished the '16 season with the New York Yankees, had a 1.31 earned run average with Toronto, which remains to this day the lowest official mark in an upper-tier minor league.
"The Face of Baseball: Photo Selections from the Detroit and Cleveland Public Libraries," The National Pastime, Number 25 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2005), pages 38-46
A look at two remarkable and overlooked early 20th century collections, including the one that broadcaster Ernie Harwell donated to the Detroit Public Library.
"Cardinals' Opening Day, 1912," Gateway, Quarterly Magazine of the Missouri Historical Society, Volume 25, No. 3, Winter 2004-5, pages 46-53
Recently identified photos and the story behind them, when the St. Louis Cardinals had the first female owner of a major league sports team, Helene Britton, known as "Lady Bee."
"The Cardinals' First Great Pennant Race," St. Louis Cardinals GAMEDAY Magazine, 2004, Number 7, pages 40-51
The story of the 1914 pennant race, when the St. Louis Cardinals-with a small payroll and no big stars-surprised the baseball world in a three-way battle with the New York Giants and the ultimate pennant winners, the Miracle Boston Braves.
This article also appeared as "The Summer of '14: Almost a Miracle" in the Baseball Research Journal, Number 36 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2007), pages 7-12
"Miller Huggins: The St. Louis Years," St. Louis Cardinals GAMEDAY Magazine (not yet published)
Before managing the Yankees, Huggins was a second baseman and then player-manager for the St. Louis Cardinals. He led them to two surprising third-place finishes under severe budgetary constraints. It was here that he began to develop his management style and leadership skills.
"George Grantham Bain: Pioneer of News Photography," The National Pastime, Number 24 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2004), pages 33-40
A look at the man who started photojournalism, before the more famous news services, including a number of exquisite Bain baseball images of the early 20th century.
"The Spitball and the End of the Deadball Era," The National Pastime, Number 23 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2003), pages 7-17
An in-depth look at the infamous illegal pitch, its background and history, from the perspective of a watershed year for baseball, 1920, the start of the Lively Ball Era and the outlawing of this and other "trick" pitches.
"Back Where I Belong," NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Volume 11, No. 2 (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, Spring 2003), pages 162-167
A story revolving around spitball pitcher Urban Shocker, who lost his battle with heart disease shortly after winning 37 games for the great 1926 and 1927 New York Yankees. In this creative piece, Shocker is reunited with Yankee manager Miller Huggins, who has just re-acquired Shocker in a late 1924 trade.
"Dave Danforth: Baseball's Forrest Gump," The National Pastime, Number 22 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2002), pages 50-54
A study of the controversial pitcher of the 1910s and 1920s, who was accused of throwing virtually every illegal pitch that existed, yet was never caught throwing any of them.
"Urban Shocker: Free Agency in 1923," The National Pastime, Number 20 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2000), pages 121-123
The remarkable battle of the terrific and temperamental spitball pitcher with the best name in baseball history, as he fought for women's rights and his own freedom, decades before Free Agency.
Ordering Journal Articles:
You can subscribe to NINE (published semiannually) or order single issues of NINE from the University of Nebraska Press, by calling (402) 472-8536 or by going on-line here.
You can order back issues of SABR Journals, BASEBALL RESEARCH JOURNAL and THE NATIONAL PASTIME from the University of Nebraska Press, by calling (402) 472-8536 or by going on-line here or here
Book Reviews:
August "Garry" Herrmann: A Baseball Biography by William A. Cook (Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing), NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Volume 17, No. 2, Spring 2009, pages 148-150
A review of the biography of the longtime president and owner of the Cincinnati Reds (1902-1927) and president of Major League baseball's governing body, the National Commission (1903-1920). This book also offers a revealing look into the early 20th-century Cincinnati political machine of George B. "Boss" Cox, of which Herrmann was a key figure.
Greatness in Waiting: An Illustrated History of the New York Yankees, 1903-1919 by Ray Istorico, Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing, 2008, in The Inside Game, The Official Newsletter of SABR’s Deadball Era Committee, Vol. 9, No. 2, May 2009, pages 5-6
A review of a photo-laden book that takes a close look at look at the pre-Babe Ruth Yankees. It is a fascinating look at a struggling franchise, one that was near the bottom of the standings most years.
The UnforgettableSeason by G.H. Fleming. Jefferson, NC: Bison Books, 2006 (originally published in 1981), in The Inside Game, The Official Newsletter of SABR’s Deadball Era Committee, Vol. 7, No. 2, May 2007, pages 6-7
Fleming’s classic look at the dramatic 1908 season, when the Chicago Cubs won the NL pennant in a playoff game with the New York Giants, after the famous “Merkle” game. In the AL, just 1.5 games separated the pennant-winning Detroit Tigers from the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. Fleming uses the words of 1908’s sportswriters to tell the story and capture the bygone era.
Back issues of both The National Pastime and NINE can be ordered from the University of Nebraska Press, (800) 755-1105 or www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
Websites:
The Bio Project, www.bioproj.sabr.org, Mark Armour, editor. This is a vast undertaking of The Society for American Baseball Research, which aims to have on-line biographies of everyone connected with major league baseball. Steve Steinberg has contributed profiles of Ray Caldwell, Dave Danforth, Bill Doak, Robert Lee Hedges, and Del Pratt. These bios are more in-depth than those appearing in the Deadball Stars books. Steve will later be contributing other profiles, including those of Lee Fohl and Miller Huggins.
Find out more about Steve's baseball writings and research, especially the spitball, on his web site, www.stevesteinberg.net