Rogers Hornsby: A Biography

The true life story of one of early twentieth century's baseball legends—a Most Valuable Player and Hall of Famer who was as difficult as he was talented.A relentless competitor, Rogers Hornsby—arguably the finest right-handed hitter in baseball's history—was supremely successful on the baseball field but, in many ways, a failure off it.In this biography, Charles Alexander turns his skilled eye to this complex individual, weaving the stories of his personal and professional life with a lively history of the sport."Destined to occupy prominent shelf space in baseball's essential library." —The Sporting News"The author delves into Hornsby's professional and personal life: his relationship with managers Miller Huggins, Branch Rickey and John McGraw; his scandalous affair and subsequent 20-year marriage to a 'flapper'; his personal prohibition on drinking and smoking; his reluctance to watch movies because they might impinge on his eyesight; and his obsession with horse racing-although he never learned to read a racing form. Alexander reviews Hornsby's successful tenure as player-manager of the Cardinals; his subsequent stints with the Giants, Braves, Cubs and Browns; and his career as manager and coach." —Publishers Weekly Read more