Overview

For over 40 years, author Rob Sheinkopf has collected stories of grown men who falsely claim to have played Major League Baseball. In BASEBALL IMPOSTERS, Sheinkopf explores what author W.P. Kinsella called ""Eddie Scissons Syndrome,"" inspired by a character in his novel Shoeless Joe, the story behind the movie, Field of Dreams. Though the syndrome is named after a fictional character, its reality is disturbingly widespread. Drawing on real-life examples, Sheinkopf recounts these stories, altering names to protect the guilty (at the recommendation of legal counsel), with a mix of humor, contempt, and sometimes compassion for the families who all too often only uncover the truth when verifying facts for obituaries, biographies, or personal histories. His fascination with this practice of deception goes back to 1985, when he completed a master's thesis based upon interviews with 53 former Major League players who retired before free agency. His research focused on how athletes prepared for life after baseball during a time when very few professional baseball retirees were millionaires, and the vast majority were not financially secure enough to retire comfortably without a plan to pursue a second career. Among those former major leaguers interviewed was a high-profile local businessman who proved to be an imposter-someone whose false representation of his past was both puzzling and disturbing. This discovery of ""patient zero"" sparked Sheinkopf's curiosity about why individuals engage in such deception, leading to over four decades of research revealing that imposters are far from rare. Most people are unaware of how widespread this phenomenon is. These stories will surprise, amuse, and enlighten readers, revealing that such deceptions often echo familiar tales told to them by their colleagues, teachers, neighbors, or even family members... stories that, upon closer inspection, may arouse suspicion. BASEBALL IMPOSTERS offers a compelling, entertaining, and eye-opening look into a peculiar and persistent phenomenon that extends beyond baseball into the human experience.

Full Product Details

9798317823788

Table of Contents

Reviews

""I would never have guessed there are so many fascinating stories in the outrageous lies and gross exaggerations some men tell - many from esteemed occupations - in claiming they had once been major-league baseball players. Equally entertaining are the culprit's reactions upon being exposed... angry denials, elaborate excuses, threats, and more. Along the way, interesting insights into the psyche of men who feel the need to fabricate sports careers to impress others. This imposter baseball career phenomenon is common enough that there's an actual name for it: Eddie Scissons Syndrome. This book is amazing... Five stars!"" --George Gmelch, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of San Francisco and Union College. Author of several baseball books, including the award winning narrative, ""Playing With Tigers, a minor league chronicle of the sixties"" Rob Sheinkopf's brilliantly reported tales of big league deceit are often hilarious, frequently shocking, but always engrossing. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. Nothing is more entertaining than the fanciful delusions of Baseball Imposters. --Jim Walker, Professor Emeritus, Saint Xavier University, co-author, ""Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Baseball Legend"" Rob Sheinkopf has written a disturbingly charming book about a collection of men who claimed to have lived the baseball dream but really didn't. Many of us wanted to be ballplayers at some time in our youth, but these guys took that aspiration and transformed it into a very different kind of fantasy baseball. --Steve Gietschier, author, Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years Baseball Imposters is a quirky, meaningful book that delves into an often overlooked side of the game. Many of us, as children, wish we could grow up to become Major Leaguers. I never would have guessed that so many people lie about imaginary baseball glory. A fun, worthwhile read. --Dan Good, author, Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession That Changed Baseball Forever Rob Sheinkopf has created a unique work documenting the shadowy side of baseball fandom, weaving a tapestry of engrossing, funny, and incredible stories of fraudsters, characters, and wannabes you won't find anywhere else. --Jon Leonoudakis, Documentary Filmmaker, Hano: A Century in the Bleachers When I served as reference librarian at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, I often found myself speaking with people who had a man in their life who falsely claimed to have played professional baseball. Some were fondly remembered and keenly missed by family and friends, but oftentimes the man stood right before me with his kids, grandkids, new girlfriend, or other family members. I always tried to be courteous and respectful as I explained that baseball is perhaps the most highly documented aspect of American life, and there was very little chance the claim was true. Sometimes this resulted in disbelief, tears, even anger. Trying to save face for the man and his family, I frequently suggested he might have played in a semipro, industrial, or municipal league, accounting for the confusion. Rob Sheinkopf's awesome book, Baseball Imposters details many of these amazing stories in all their pathos and humor. --Tim Wiles, baseball writer/historian

Author Information

Rob Sheinkopf, originally from Syracuse, New York, is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and has presented his research over many years to SABR and to the Sport Literature Association (SLA), to NINE - the history and culture of baseball, and to the Cooperstown Symposium at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rob is the author and editor of ""Hey Mom, wanna have a catch?"", an anthology of baseball stories honoring parents who encourage or simply put up with their child's love for and obsession with our National Pastime. He is also the author of ""BASEBALL IMPOSTERS, the dark side of fandom"", based upon his research and writing about grown men who falsely pass themselves off as former major league baseball players. Both of those books are available wherever great books are sold online and on the author's website. After a 40 year career in college admissions, Rob retired and moved to San Francisco where he found his dream job as a luxury suites concierge for the Giants. Keeping a diary of his first year's daily activities, he wrote and presented a paper, My Year in the Big Leagues at the international conference of the SLA in Limoges, France. Unfortunately, the global pandemic abruptly ended Rob's promising baseball concierging career. Rob and his wife, Lisa, provide a loving home for their dog, Bochy, in Las Vegas as well as in Ponte Vedra, Florida, dividing their time between the two as they trade intense heat and traffic jams for uncomfortable humidity and large palmetto bugs at various times of the year to spend time with their 5-year-old granddaughter, Molly, and her mom and dad.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available