Waite Hoyt

Waite Hoyt was much more than a baseball player. A multi-faceted, sometimes troubled man, Hoyt was a vaudevillian, a mortician, a writer, a painter, and (of course) a Hall of Fame pitcher. He was also an alcoholic who overcame his demons and became one of the first players to make the transition to the announcer’s booth. His teammates and managers were among the all-time greats, but he’ll always be associated with his friend Babe Ruth. He was there when Ruth hit 29 homers for a new record in 1919; when Ruth hit his 60th in 1927; when the Babe hit his 714th, and last, home run; he was even a pallbearer at Ruth’s funeral. His career on the mound and as the Cincinnati Reds announcer lasted from 1915 to 1965, and to walk in his footsteps is to journey through the history of baseball in the 20th century.
This biography of Waite Hoyt involves many great moments in baseball history, and includes some of the classic tales that Hoyt, a natural-born storyteller, would tell about his teammates. It follows his transition from a career on the field to his career behind the microphone, and his struggles with alcoholism that almost cost him his dream of working as a broadcaster. Later chapters chronicle his years in the announcer’s booth, his induction into Cooperstown, and his longtime championing of Babe Ruth as beyond compare, even as Ruth’s most prominent records fell to Maris and Aaron.

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: 256
Bibliographic Info: photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2004
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1960-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-2711-6
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction      1

1. The Schoolboy Wonder      5
2. Boston      19
3. The Polo Grounds Years      31
4. Yankee Stadium      52
5. Murderers’ Row      67
6. Good-bye, Walter      110
7. Hitting Bottom      137
8. A Broadcasting Legend      155
9. The Hall of Fame Calls      179
10. Protecting the Ruth Legacy      189
11. Eventide for Hoyt      204
12. Hoyt and His Contemporaries      211

Notes      223
Bibliography      233
Index      235