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New Books for the Sports Fan are half a dozen or more outstanding sports By Charles M. Egan THEREbooks in the 1951 publishing Sports Editor of The Star crop—most of them devoted either to football or baseball. But writer, and S. C. Thompson, a football, he relates. Humorously, the Christmas shopper will find musician with a passion for base- he describes his frustration as nearly every other branch of sport ball statistics. The volume con- “nudge” blocks by the light, fast dealt with in some way in the tains perhaps the greatest collec- Notre Dame players knocked him year’s output of books. tion of information ever assembled off balance and kept him from Topping the list, by almost any in one package for rabid followers making one satisfactory tackle. standard, is Tim Cohane's nos- of the game. Another valuable football book talgic “The Yale Football Story.” More than 20 years of digging of 1951 is “Gangway for Navy,” published the day the current Elis research—most of it done in his whose well-known author, Morris opened the season against Navy. spare time by Thompson, who A. Bealle. previously wrote the This is a great deal more than plays in the orchestra at Broad- history of the game at Harvard at one of as Outsiders don't the state of terror in which live. the history of a sport way shows—preceded publication and Georgetown, as well the appreciate daily sportswriters Much of it our oldest institutions. last spring. What makes the book story of the Washington baseball Drawing by Wait Kelly for John Lardner's 'Strong Cigars and Lovely Women.** is virtually the story of American particularly valuable is its register club. Bealle's latest covers the the synonymous with boxing, contri- Connecticut University, supply the football itself in the days when of all the nearly 9.000 ball players gridiron sport at the Naval Acad- buted a new and authoritative texts, while Tyler Micoleau illus- Big Three were all-powerful. who have reached the emy from 1879 through 1950, big leagues life of John L. Sullivan during the trates both volumes. Then, too, Cohane succeeds in since 1876, with their winding up with the glorious up- together year. Its title is "John L. Sullivan, The revival of interest in the bringing back to life, in the most records in the set of Army last December, majors. of and it horse vivid manner imaginable, such Champion Champions,” trotting undoubtedly promp- Also among the year's best is The Two Smith Boys covers a lot of overlooked ted Elliot Emerson to market “A long-gone heroes as Frank Hinkey, ground “Baseball Confidential,” Arthur the life Tom Shevlin and Ted Coy—play- Score Another Hit in previous chronicles of Fan’s Guide to Harness Racing," ^ Mann's inside story of what went and times of the Boston led ers just about as famous in their Two collaborators who clicked a Strong so maybe television to publi- on behind the scenes in the comic • time as Red Grange was during couple of years ago with the Boy. cation of Wrestling,” by E. C. opera war involving Happy Chan- the more lurid 1920s. hilarious “Low and Inside,” a col- Stories Gallagher, late wrestling coach at Leo Dur Mac- Personality What sets the book apart from dler, ocher, Larry lection of baseball anecdotes of Oklahoma A&M. and Rex Peery. and Branch Of Fa mo 14 s Athletes the other college football histories phail Rickey. Mann, pre-World War I vintage, did it the University of Pittsburgh's mat a sports writer who in 1946 be- “Twelve More Immortals" of recent years is the author’s again this year with “Three Men Sport coach. came Rickey’s confidential assist- is what the name a ability to weave the necessary mass on Third.” which is more of the just implies, Tommy Henrich, the Yankees* ant with the Brooklyn Dodgers, second collection of of information into a dramatic same with no time limitations. personality great outfielder of recent years, was in a to know stories on famous athletes. story, built around some of the good position Ira L. Smith of Alexandria. Va„ collaborates with A. L. Plaut, what led to Durocher's “Famous American Athletes of most colorful figures ever. Separate really up is the tireless researcher of the Brooklyn high school coach in from baseball for a Today,” by Frank Waldman, for- chapters are given each of the suspension team, while the talented H. Allen “The Way to Better Baseball." year. His account doesn’t give merly the Christian Science Moni- three immortals mentioned above, Smith pounds out the prose, It's a worthwhile manual that deposed Commissioner Chandler tor sports staff, also is a collection as well as to such Old Blues as the James G. Thurber’s famous yam could benefit ball players, specta- the better of it. of stories, compiled as the 12th of late Walter Camp. Pudge Heffel- any about the midget pinch-hitter gave tors and coaches alike. finger, Gordon Brown. Jim Hogan, Bill the St. Louis Browns' a series. An Analytical Study Veeck, Phil Rizzuto and Jim Kon- Tad and Howard Jones and new owner, an idea last summer In previous years, the book stalls Of Single Wing Football stanty, who won the most val- modern-era greats like Albie and. apparently Veeck’s shenan- have been cluttered with volumes The continued success of the uable player awards after the 1950 Booth. Larry Kelley and Clint nigans did the same thing for on golf, but this wasn't so in 1951. Princeton football team throws a baseball season, rated full-length Frank. Plus, of course, the Ten- Ralph S. Graber. For Graber has Mike Weiss’ ‘TOO Handy Hints on little added on Coach biographies as a consequence. Joe nessee-born Herman Hickman, spotlight just published “The Baseball How to Break 100" is one of the Caldwell’s “Modem Trimble authored the Rizzuto now head coach. Charley Single Reader.” a collection of baseball few ones and his opening chapter Wing Football,” in which the 1950 is titled on book, while Frank Yeutter took Cohane, a skilled craftsman, stories by celebrated authors, "Why Another Book coach-of-the-year gives the low- Golf?” care of the Phillies’ relief pitcher. worked two years on his book, and most of whom made their marks down on the streamlined attack there is little doubt it was a labor elsewhere than in sports. Thur- “The Story of Tennis" told ‘‘The Psychologist at Bat" is that has made Dick Kazmaier a of love. He isn’t afraid to let it ber's classic “You Could Look It in text and pictures by Lamont exactly what the reader might household name. While there are be known that all his heroes Up" is one of the prizes in the Buchanan, and Conrad Brown fol- suspect—a 158-page volume by 109 diagrams and detailed analyses weren’t paragons, and the story is collection. Among the literary lows the same pattern in “Skiing David F. Tracy, the first, and of all the basic the book much the better for this. It’s a plays, lights one doesn’t think of in for Beginners.” Two others books probably the last, psychologist at- is anything but dull for the lay- $6 investment, but eminently connection with baseball are Mark for beginners, with pictures doing tached to a big league ball club. man. There is too much human worthwhile—particularly for those Twain. Thomas Wolfe. Robert C. at least half the job, are “Base- Bill Veeck and the St. Louis material in it for that. who like to talk about the good equation Benchley, Sinclair Lewis and ball Techniques Illustrated” and Browns will worry along without •Id days. For instance, Caldwell starts out James T. Farrell. Yet they’re all “Football Techniques Illustrated." Dr. Tracy in 1952, and a lot of with an interesting account of represented, one way or another. Ethan Allen, one-time big league will make out all Facts and people right Figures how he happened to make coach- Nat Fleischer, whose name is outfielder, and Jim Moore, ex- without his book. For Baseball Fans ing his life’s work. He says the Another of the year's publishing decision was made on an October Books in the prizes deals almost entirely with afternoon in 1924 when Notre Outstanding Literary Panorama of 1951 facts and figures, items your true Dame’s celebrated Four Horsemen (Continued Prom Page 11.) known for their skill and under- a character baseball fan dotes on. It's the al- beat Princeton. 12-0. It was Half- Cross," strong study standing produced new books of the war in the Philippines, is ready widely-hailed “Official En- back Caldwell’s experiences as a last novel, published soon after which did not disappoint their one of the finest. In “The Catcher cyclopedia of Baseball,” the work line-backer that day that opened his death in did not win Italy, admirers. The French writer in the Rye,” Mr. Salinger wrote of Ify Turkin, New York sports his eyes to the new science of the approbation of the New York Georges Simenon wrote perhaps % different, an original and highly clique—or It bore down claque. his finest novel in ‘•The Heart perceptive variation on an old on “World So Wide’’ as savagely of a Man.” John O'Hara’s “The theme—adolescence. as.it tore apart Ernest Heming- Farmers Hotel” was in the dra- the first novels of dis- way’s excellent “Across the River Among matic, pointed vein of his early tinct merit were "McDonough" and Under the Trees’’ the year novels and marked a commenda- (Duell, Sloan & Pearce), Francis before.

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