Johnny Temple

Cincinnati Reds leadoff hitter Johnny Temple batted over .300 three times between 1954 and 1959. A tobacco chewing and tough-talking hustler, he had a fiery disposition on the field, which led many sportswriters, teammates and opposing players to refer to him as a throwback to baseball’s early days—an Eddie Stanky or Enos Slaughter type who would challenge anyone to a fight. He and Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan engaged in one of the Major League’s longest-running feuds.
Temple was an expert glove man, forming one of the premier double play combinations of the 1950s with shortstop Roy McMillan. Following his retirement in 1964, making ends meet became a daily struggle. Temple’s life ended in disappointment and disgrace.

William A. Cook is the author of numerous books, including 11 on baseball history, and has appeared in productions on ESPN2 and the MLB Network. A former health care administrator and township councilman in North Brunswick, New Jersey, he resides in Manalapan, New Jersey.

William A. Cook
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 200
Bibliographic Info: 11 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6391-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2353-5
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Introduction 1

One. A Stormy Road to the Big Leagues 5

Two. Breaking In with the Reds 14

Three. Taking Over at Second Base 23

Four. An ­All-Star Performer 39

Five. Earl Lawson Gets Punched 58

Six. ­Shake-Up in Cincy 75

Seven. A Deal That Sinks the Reds 86

Eight. Traded to Cleveland 105

Nine. A Fading Star 129

Ten. A Complicated Return to Cincinnati 149

Eleven. The Tragic Fall of Johnny Temple 164

Afterword 172

Appendix A. Temple Among His Peers 173

Appendix B. All-Star Game Statistics 174

Appendix C. Major League Career Highlights 175

Chapter Notes 177

Bibliography 183

Index 185