Leo Durocher (1905–1991)

Fun and readable, and definitely interesting. Baseball personalities and Hollywood personalities. Lots of exciting baseball. And excellent descriptions of how he made his teams succeed, both in the dugout and by working with the front office. All this in a generally light tone and usually sympathetic to everyone involved, even in disputes. (There *are* lots of disputes, of course.)

Except for the last two chapters. One tells how Marvin Miller ruined the game; the other's a rant about the no-good younger generation. In the end Leo turns into a cranky (old) guy to match his reputation.… (mehr)

Terrific storyteller, enjoyed reading about the hundreds of major sports and entertainment people that Durocher knew first-hand. Favorite stuff, though are those few places where he reveals his management philosophies. Building winners in Brooklyn and New York through shrewd talent evaluation, then coaxing the maximum out of twenty-five diverse clubhouse personalities, he shows better than anyone just what it takes to be a success in baseball... and how easy it is to fail. Great book for any fan of the game.… (mehr)