Big Red Dynasty: How Bob Howsam & Sparky Anderson Built the Big Red Machine

Rhodes, Greg; Erardi, John; Brennaman, Marty - Introduction

ISBN 10: 0964140233 / ISBN 13: 9780964140233

Edité par Road West Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1998

A propos de cet article

298 Pages. No marks of any sort. The covers show some light wear. The stitches on cover baseball are raised. From the Foreword by Bob Howsam -- I don't know if I can say where the Big Red Machine fits in history. It's not fair to compare team or players. We know the ballplayer today is faster and stronger, but that doesn't mean he knows the finer points in playing the game of baseball. But I do know this. We were the best at that period. I was proud that my club won more games in the '70s than any other club, and there were other fine teams-the Orioles, the Dodgers, the Pirates, the Ns. I'm just happy you had a ballclub like the Big Red Machine; you can be so proud of it. And that goes for our entire organization. We had some fine baseball men, fellows who knew the game and were a pleasure to work with. Our organization became the best in baseball. We had many clubs send their people in to see how we operated. One memory I will always have is standing on Fountain Square with 30,000 people cheering you as the World Champs. In 1976, it was the finest hour I ever had, having won seven post-season games in a row, back-to-back championships. I was thrilled by what had happened. But there are so many other rewards in baseball. It's quite a feeling to take a young man, put him in the minor leagues, and watch him give his all to make it to the big league. With those who do, there is a very special sense of achievement. With those who don't, but try so very hard, and better themselves along the way, well, there's a great sense of achievement in that, too. Maybe I identify with that player who never made it. I always did want to be a ballplayer. Then the service came along. Then I married and had two sons, and I was 26 and knew I couldn't develop into a major league ballplayer. Even as a general manager, the one thing I missed was to be around the batting cage and hit. But as I told my managers, you must have the respect of the players. You may want to be one of the boys, but it is tough to do that. If I have had any success in baseball, it's because I tried to look at it on the basis is of sound business. The other principle I always tried to allow was to put the fans first. Everything we did in Cincinnati was aimed at the fans. I think baseball has meant a lot to this country. We have a great game, but we can never take the fans for granted. Sometimes I would walk through the Riverfront stadium crowd and see parent with their young children. Whatever problems you were having with the press or the players, you knew it was all worthwhile when you saw the happiness the game brings. Yes, we have a great game, but we can never forget the fans.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Big Red Dynasty: How Bob Howsam & Sparky Anderson Built the Big Red Machine
• Éditeur: Road West Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Date de parution: 1998
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN à 10 chiffres: 0964140233
• ISBN à 13 chiffres: 9780964140233
• Reliure: Trade Paperback
• Édition: First Printing
• État de l'article: Very Good