The Major League Pennant Races of 1916

Baseball at its best is a combination of chess match and gladiatorial combat, waged over a long season but turning on split-second decisions and physical instincts. The 1916 season demonstrated the drama that made the sport the national pastime: tight pennant races, multiple contenders, record-breaking performances, and controversy, both on and off the field. Ten of the 16 teams battled for first place, four pitchers started and won both games of a doubleheader, Babe Ruth pitched on Opening Day, and players from the Federal League became the sport’s first free agents. The book features full rosters, player biographies, statistics, photographs and an appendix of the sportswriters who chronicled the season.

Paul G. Zinn is a sales manager for a virtual communications software company and was a sportswriter at three daily newspapers. He lives in Acton, Massachusetts.
A long time member of the Society for American Baseball Research, John G. Zinn is the author of three books about the Brooklyn Dodgers and numerous articles and essays about the history of baseball. His blog on baseball history can be found at http://amanlypastime.blogspot.com.

Paul G. Zinn and John G. Zinn
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 319
Bibliographic Info: 40 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3630-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5341-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface and Acknowledgments      1

I. “Carrigan’s news was unbelievable, but it was true.”      7

II. “He couldn’t hit an elephant with a banjo.”      28

III. “A new order was at hand.”      50

IV. “I’d like to do it for Rowland’s sake.”      73

V. “A perfect imitation of a left handed fat lady sweeping out a mouse.”      97

VI. “Imbued with the idea the pennant is theirs.”      120

VII. “All of them were wild with enthusiasm.”      143

VIII. “Third in the National League, this day and date, with much thirdness.”      161

IX. “A less courageous outfit would have curled up and died.”      181

X. “Like a thunderstorm, the riot broke out.”      212

XI. “There was not much fight in them after that.”      240

Epilogue      261

Appendix A: Team Rosters and Final Statistics      265

Appendix B: Sportswriters      280

Chapter Notes      283

Bibliography      299

Index      303