The Glory Days: New York Baseball 1947-1957

From the 1947 season until the Dodgers and Giants slunk out of town for the Golden State, the epicenter of "the American Game" was New York City. In every year but one, one of the three New York teams played in the World Series, and there were 6 subway series as well. In an exhibition to be presented at the Museum of the City of New York, the story of The Glory Years of New York baseball will be told in pictures, objects and words. This book is the companion to that exhibition. In it, along with the best memorabilia, are outstanding new essays, arranged by "innings," from the best baseball writers: 1st inning: Breaking Baseball's Color Barrier in Brooklyn Jules Tygiel: More than Jackie, More than the Dodgers 2nd inning: Media George Vecsey: My America 3rd inning: Giants/Dodgers Rivalry Lee Lowenfish: Two Cheers for Horace Stoneham: The Giants' Role in Baseball's Integration 4th inning: Fans Michael Shapiro: Baseball Talk: What Was Lost 5th inning: Great Players/managers Jane Leavy: Forever Mick 6th inning: World Series Jonathan Eig: The 1947 World Series and the Rise of Television 7th inning: Great Games and Great Moments Kevin Baker: Thomson at the Ferry 8th inning: Ballparks Steven Riess: Kaching, Kaching: The Real Bottom Line of Baseball in New York Andrew Zimbalist: A Wink and a Smile: The Real Estate Edge 9th inning: The End Ray Robinson: Farewell to the Polo Grounds 10th inning: Epilogue Alan Schwarz: The Legacy