Baseball at the Abyss: The Scandals of 1926, Babe Ruth, and the Unlikely Savior Who Rescued a Tarnished Game

Baseball at the Abyss: The Scandals of 1926, Babe Ruth, and the Unlikely Savior Who Rescued a Tarnished Game

by Dan Taylor
Baseball at the Abyss: The Scandals of 1926, Babe Ruth, and the Unlikely Savior Who Rescued a Tarnished Game

Baseball at the Abyss: The Scandals of 1926, Babe Ruth, and the Unlikely Savior Who Rescued a Tarnished Game

by Dan Taylor

Hardcover

$36.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

The untold story behind one of baseball’s biggest scandals and the men who saved a tarnished game.

In the winter of 1926, Major League Baseball became enveloped in scandal. Two of baseball’s biggest stars, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, were accused of fixing and betting on games. Sportswriters called the scandal worse than that of the infamous “Black Sox.” The reputation of baseball was in tatters.

In Baseball at the Abyss, Dan Taylor reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how baseball was saved after the banishment of Cobb and Speaker. It was all set in motion by one unlikely individual—Christy Walsh, the business manager for Babe Ruth and baseball’s first player agent. Taylor follows Walsh and Ruth as the agent arranges for the Babe to star in a motion picture and presses for Ruth to hire a fitness guru, change his habits, and train while in Hollywood. The results were astonishing. The scandal was soon forgotten as a reinvigorated Babe Ruth enjoyed his greatest season in 1927, slugging 60 home runs and powering his New York Yankees to heights never seen before.

Baseball at the Abyss features fascinating details of the 1926 scandal and the incredible resurgence of the national pastime when it seemed the game was permanently tarnished. It’s the story of a remarkable year in baseball history and the men who restored glory to a troubled game.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781538174005
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 04/12/2023
Pages: 220
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Dan Taylor is a sports historian, author, and a former award-winning television sportscaster who is currently the television broadcaster for the Fresno Grizzlies. He is the author of five books, most recently Lights, Camera, Fastball: How the Hollywood Stars Changed Baseball and Walking Alone: The Untold Story of Football Pioneer Kenny Washington. Taylor is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and contributes to their biography project. He is also a member of the Pacific Coast League Historical Society. He resides in Fresno, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Sour Grape Grower

2 Landing the Big One

3 Tarnished Stars

4 The Very Important Hero

5 Ty Swings Away

6 Baseball at the Abyss

7 Decision Day

8 The Red Faced Cardinal

9 Stealing the Show

10 Reinvigorating Babe Ruth

11 Digesting a Cobb Salary

12 That’s a Wrap

13 The Plan Goes Awry

14 A Different Babe

15 Dawn of a New Day

16 Move Over Babe

17 Reviews Are In

18 Rewrite the Record Book

19 The Greatest Season

20 From Disdain to Acclaim

Bibliography

About the Author

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews