Welcome to Litsy!

The story of six ordinary ballplayers whose paths crossed in the 1947 World Series--and the ways that epic October changed their lives The 1947 World Series was �the most exciting ever� in the words of Joe DiMaggio, with a decade�s worth of drama packed into seven games between the mighty New York Yankees and underdog Brooklyn Dodgers. It was Jackie Robinson�s first Series, a postwar spectacle featuring Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway and President Harry Truman in supporting roles. It was also the first televised World Series � sportswriters called it �Electric October.� But for all the star power on display, the outcome hinged on role players: Bill Bevens, a journeyman who knocked on the door of pitching immortality; Al Gionfriddo and Cookie Lavagetto, bench players at the center of the Series� iconic moments; Snuffy Stirnweiss, a wartime batting champion who never got any respect; and managers Bucky Harris and Burt Shotton, each an unlikely choice to run his team. Six men found themselves plucked from obscurity to shine on the sport�s greatest stage. But their fame was fleeting; three would never play another big-league game, and all six would be forgotten. Kevin Cook brings the �47 Series back to life, introducing us to men whose past offered no hint they were destined for extraordinary things. For some, the Series was a memory to hold onto. For others, it would haunt them to the end of their days. And for us, Cook offers new insights�some heartbreaking, some uplifting�into what fame and glory truly mean. (less)

The story of six ordinary ballplayers whose paths crossed in the 1947 World Series--and the ways that epic October changed their lives The 1947 World Series was �the most exciting ever� in the words of Joe DiMaggio, with a decade�s (…more)