Overview

The most unlikely Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft should not be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He emerged from his Iowa hometown as an undersized shortstop without batting skills. Signed by one of the 300-plus minor league teams at age 17 in 1909, he lasted only three weeks before being cut, then joined another team and was released again. His rise to become enshrined in Cooperstown as one of baseball's all-time greats was unfathomable. More importantly, baseball placed Bancroft at the game's best vantage point across nearly one century. This view allowed him to observe the modern evolution of the game through international travel, the fallout of two world wars, racism, women's rights and the Great Depression. He met practically every renowned person connected to pro baseball . . . and countless others with astounding backgrounds and fates. He greeted royalty and presidents, film stars and music sensations, boxing champs and snake oil chumps, needy kids and spoiled moguls. Along the way, Bancroft: --Changed how shortstop was played --Became a groundbreaking switch hitter --Earned the flattering but bizarre nickname ""Beauty"" --Delivered the most precise support of the designated hitter 50 years before it happened --Played in a 51-minute, 9-inning game --Managed three women's professional baseball league teams --Suffered one the sport's most vicious attacks from another player during a game --Appeared on what may have been baseball's first TV broadcast --Played every inning in four World Series, including three extraordinary matchups between the New York Giants and New York Yankees in the early 1920s --Attended several of the earliest night-game experiments --Holds the longest-standing season record for fielding chances by a shortstop --Remains the only player to hit six singles in a nine-inning game and score in four straight innings. Bancroft thrived as a major New York sports hero and languished on dangerous bus rides as manager of the minor league St. Cloud Rox. With his health failing on January 31, 1971, he ate a chicken dinner with his devoted wife, Edna, of 60 years when the phone rang at their modest northern Wisconsin home. Dave listened and spoke softly. ""Oh, my God,"" he told the caller, ""that's the nicest thing I've ever heard."" He made the Hall of Fame.

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9780578374512

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Reviews

Add to your lineup! - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The book is a beauty, Gregg Hoffmann, Midwest Diamond Report ...one of Cooperstown's most underappreciated inductees, Tim Hanlon, host, Good Seats Still Available podcast It's a great book; it's a great story, Bruce Ciskie, KDAL-AM, sports director, Duluth/Superior If you love baseball, you'll love this book, Curtis Anderson, FoxSports Radio, Iowa I absolutely recommend this book to any baseball fans, Gary Cannalte, WISC-TV, Madison, Wisconsin It turned into a need-to-read! I thoroughly enjoyed it, Dennis Degenhart, president, Wisconsin chapter of SABR The story is incredible, Jim Wharton, Sioux City (Iowa) Journal I really enjoyed Beauty at Short. Flowed well. I give it an A! Baseball Books review Baseball fans can finally see why Bancroft deserves that plaque in Cooperstown, Bob D'Angelo, The Sports Bookie blog review Wonderful, Iowa Public Radio Essential reading for baseball fans! Sioux City (Iowa) Public Museum

"""Add to your lineup!"" - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ""The book is a beauty,"" Gregg Hoffmann, Midwest Diamond Report ""...one of Cooperstown's most underappreciated inductees,"" Tim Hanlon, host, ""Good Seats Still Available"" podcast ""It's a great book; it's a great story,"" Bruce Ciskie, KDAL-AM, sports director, Duluth/Superior ""If you love baseball, you'll love this book,"" Curtis Anderson, FoxSports Radio, Iowa ""I absolutely recommend this book to any baseball fans,"" Gary Cannalte, WISC-TV, Madison, Wisconsin ""It turned into a need-to-read! I thoroughly enjoyed it,"" Dennis Degenhart, president, Wisconsin chapter of SABR ""The story is incredible, "" Jim Wharton, Sioux City (Iowa) Journal ""I really enjoyed Beauty at Short. Flowed well. I give it an A!"" Baseball Books review ""Baseball fans can finally see why Bancroft deserves that plaque in Cooperstown,"" Bob D'Angelo, The Sports Bookie blog review ""Wonderful,"" Iowa Public Radio ""Essential reading for baseball fans!"" Sioux City (Iowa) Public Museum"

""Add to your lineup!"" - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ""The book is a beauty,"" Gregg Hoffmann, Midwest Diamond Report ""...one of Cooperstown's most underappreciated inductees,"" Tim Hanlon, host, ""Good Seats Still Available"" podcast ""It's a great book; it's a great story,"" Bruce Ciskie, KDAL-AM, sports director, Duluth/Superior ""If you love baseball, you'll love this book,"" Curtis Anderson, FoxSports Radio, Iowa ""I absolutely recommend this book to any baseball fans,"" Gary Cannalte, WISC-TV, Madison, Wisconsin ""It turned into a need-to-read! I thoroughly enjoyed it,"" Dennis Degenhart, president, Wisconsin chapter of SABR ""The story is incredible, "" Jim Wharton, Sioux City (Iowa) Journal ""I really enjoyed Beauty at Short. Flowed well. I give it an A!"" Baseball Books review ""Baseball fans can finally see why Bancroft deserves that plaque in Cooperstown,"" Bob D'Angelo, The Sports Bookie blog review ""Wonderful,"" Iowa Public Radio ""Essential reading for baseball fans!"" Sioux City (Iowa) Public Museum

Author Information

Tom Alesia spent his youth at pre-lights Wrigley Field. Years later while on vacation in a remote area of northwestern Wisconsin, he learned that a little-known Baseball Hall of Famer was buried there. That began a reporting journey lasting more than 10 years to uncover Dave Bancroft's astounding story. A longtime Midwest newspaper writer, Alesia has profiled Pete Rose to a former big league pitcher-turned-veterinarian. His first book, a collection of music history tales titled Then Garth Became Elvis, earned rave reviews. He won the national Music Journalism Award and many other honors, including one for a story about blind bowlers. Find his work at TomWriteTurns.com. A 35-time marathon finisher and a cancer survivor since 1998, he lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife, Susan. They have a son, Mark.

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